Shipping to US with Canada Post and using ebay business number at counter for a discount rate?

[jtg204]

Has anyone tried this method posted on reddit for shipping to US?

If so what kind of discounts have you got for Tracked Packet USA or Expedited?

https://www.reddit.com/r/eBayCanada/comments/1oxbz4i/my_item_sold_to_us_buyer_now_confused/nowccwe/

Quote:

The easiest and the most unknown way to have a shipping label from Canada Post when they don't offer it on ebay:

1 - Mark your item as ''shipped''

2- Look at some previous shipping labels (From Canada Post) from eBay that you had from any previous sell. There's a 6 number digit in the top right that will be the same from one shipping label to another. This is your Canada Post Business number account.

3 - Download the Canada Post app and fill up the ''custom declaration''. This will generate a QR code.

4 - Download Zonos and declare your item, this is for US Custom. This is an obligation for any items going to the US. This will also generate a QR Code.

5 - Go to Canada Post. Mention your business number account, this will give you a good reduction of the shipping label cost.

6 - They will ask for the custom declaration that you'll find in the Canada Post app. They will ask the same for the Zonos app, you'll have to show the other QR code.

7 - Shipping label should be around 8,50$ for anywhere in the US, including tracking and a 100$ cover.

8 - You'll get a receipt with tracking.

9 - Add the tracking to the sale.

For step 2 & 5, ebay's business number is 4013252 and would be the same for all (poster did not know at time they wrote this)

[ricarmic]

Using my SSB (Canada Post solutions for small business) number I'm currently this week paying $8.94 for US tracked up to 100g.

(remember I'm a stamps on the box kinda guy).

I'd wonder that the PM (post master) doesn't question the business account number given it'll say its ebay instead of "our/business" name??

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@ricarmic wrote:

Using my SSB (Canada Post solutions for small business) number I'm currently this week paying $8.94 for US tracked up to 100g.

(remember I'm a stamps on the box kinda guy).

I'd wonder that the PM (post master) doesn't question the business account number given it'll say its ebay instead of "our/business" name??

---

From personal experiece I have always been asked to show my card to get the discount. This may could vary depending on training of the agent or the depot involved. They would question it if you used someone elses account number. Same goes for using my card to assist someone else in line when they were a little flustered with crazy high shipping. We were told doing so was verboten.

[shallow_karl]

Not much of a bargain.  I was paying that with Canada Post (when it was available to ship from Ebay to the U.S.) and it was about the same for packages of nearly 1lb.  But that is the reality today.  Every small package bound for the U.S. is the same, about $17.00 via UPS and of course the end customer gets hit with some brokerage of $20 or more.  The only people making money are the shipping companies.

[ricarmic]

@shallow_karl  Just a note that depends on how you define a bargain - the $8.95 price is in stamps, being a stamp guy (and using valid, never used stamps), that means the shipping really only costs me $4.50 or less, and I can live with that!

Selling stamps also makes my life (so far) easy tariff wise as they're (so far) ZERO tariff. Hopefully that lasts.

@lotzofuniquegoodies a benefit of being in a wee rural post office, my PMs all have my SSB number memorized already, they've even got a sheet of all my standard sized boxes and envelopes I use so they don't have to measure them every time.

[dinomitesales · Accepted solution]

---

@ricarmic wrote:

I'd wonder that the PM (post master) doesn't question the business account number given it'll say its ebay instead of "our/business" name??

---

The person operating the Canada Post computer will never know. The only time the "business name" will even show on the computer is if you're manually looking up someone's SfSB account via phone number. If the SfSB card/barcode is scanned, or if the account number is entered manually, then the account holder is never shown during the transaction.

eBay's account number is also shown on the labels that you print out. I have on occasion entered that account number for customers dropping off eBay packages at the post office, if they then turn around and buy mailing supplies (so they can get the 5% discount - better than nothing lol).

That all being said, there is no benefit to giving eBay's account number at the post office counter. The maximum discount level you can get at the post office counter is Level 1 (even if you're a Level 4 SfSB member, for example). To get the higher-than-Level-1 discounts you need to purchase your postage online. Notice how if you go to the Canada Post page, the first column reads "Level 1 Online/Post Office".

[dinomitesales]

I will also add that, for some reason I can't explain, the current SfSB discount level at the post office counter is slightly greater than what I'm seeing online through SnapShip. I am only a Level 1 SfSB account holder (I've never even come close to getting to Level 2) and I currently pay about $8.90 for a Tracked Packet to the States under 100g if I buy my labels at the post office counter, vs. about $9.20 on SnapShip.

I don't know if it's some unadvertised perk, or just some glitch, but it's been going on for quite a while now. The difference isn't really all that significant which is why most people won't ever notice.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@dinomitesales wrote:

I will also add that, for some reason I can't explain, the current SfSB discount level at the post office counter is slightly greater than what I'm seeing online through SnapShip. I am only a Level 1 SfSB account holder (I've never even come close to getting to Level 2) and I currently pay about $8.90 for a Tracked Packet to the States under 100g if I buy my labels at the post office counter, vs. about $9.20 on SnapShip.

I don't know if it's some unadvertised perk, or just some glitch, but it's been going on for quite a while now. The difference isn't really all that significant which is why most people won't ever notice.

---

@dinomitesales 

From an explanation I got from a clerk a few years ago (over 5), if it is was processed at a depot/sort centre the rate would be slightly higher. Maybe a processing fee similar to Shippo/Stamps.com charging a fee per label. I had item returned where a new customer included an incomplete address to eBay. I had to pay for the return and they just used my SSB account. It was under a dollar. Probably as you say some kind of glitch. Guess not something to complain about. Personally just find it easier printing from home. 

As a side amazing the number of folks that show up with something to return and no packaging to send it. 

[dinomitesales]

---

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

---

From an explanation I got from a clerk a few years ago (over 5), if it is was processed at a depot/sort centre the rate would be slightly higher. 

---

There is no truth to that statement. All parcels are processed at depots and sortation facilities.

[regs43]

---

@dinomitesales wrote:

I will also add that, for some reason I can't explain, the current SfSB discount level at the post office counter is slightly greater than what I'm seeing online through SnapShip. I am only a Level 1 SfSB account holder (I've never even come close to getting to Level 2) and I currently pay about $8.90 for a Tracked Packet to the States under 100g if I buy my labels at the post office counter, vs. about $9.20 on SnapShip.

I don't know if it's some unadvertised perk, or just some glitch, but it's been going on for quite a while now. The difference isn't really all that significant which is why most people won't ever notice.

---

I have only 1200$ ish spent with my canada post account this year (as I usually use ebay labels). BUT I got an email after the Christmas strike LAST year where they said they were extending my current level discount (which was a 3 at that time) as a sorry for the strike and loss of Christmas mailing etc. I assume they never shut it off as I am getting $8.87 this week with Snap Ship Was $8.76 a few weeks ago but the fuel surcharge has gone up every week lol