postage

Further to the price rises, the cost of Standard Parcels up to 4kg has risen from £7.06 to £7.62. I would recommend that any vat registered merchants spend the extra 37p and use Romancart's integrated UPS service. It's excellent, can't praise it highly enough.

Does no-one on here use Royal Mail PPI (Online business account)?

If you spend £100 per week or more at the PO you can get an OBA. The literature suggests 5000 packets a year minimum to qualify, but this isn't enforced.

Best thing I ever did.

No postage totals displayed on the package and up to 2kg by second class if you use that service.

I use Aimco Packing Partner to extract the addresses from Romancart and print my address labels complete with postage paid image.

I drop my bags off at the local PO at 5pm every day. Signed-for, Recordeds and Specials go on my OBA but I queue and let them scan them in at the PO. That way my local PO get their fees for processing the signed for mail and they are happy.

I am very happy because I estimate a 25-30% saving over 1st class and Airmail.

Because the pricing is based upon an average weight, clever use of the smallest boxes you can fit an address label to can have a dramatic effect on the bill for the day's post.

Richard.

Edited by rscass - 08 April 2011 at 12:30am

Hi Red,

You'll need to speak to Royal Mail. I don't think the sub post offices have a choice as to whether they handle your mail. It's one of the reasons the sub postmaster/mistress gets a salary from Royal Mail.

They'll get paid for anything they scan in.

If they get really shirty, you can wait for the van outside and hand it straight to the driver!

Richard.

Just looked at PPI and it wouldn't work for us as they don't cover International signed for or Airsure parcels of which we have quite a few. Also, I want to get away from Royal Mail and their awful service.

Hi Rainshoe,

You can send ISF and Airsure via an online business account - which service they offer to put on there depends upon volume.

I've got the services on mine.

1kg ISF to EU, £9.45 inc VAT (code MP4)

1kg ISF to ROW, £11.65 no VAT (code MP4)

1kg Airsure to EU, £11.40 inc VAT (code MP1)

1kg Airsure to ROW, £11.70 no VAT (code MP1)

Compensation (for what it's worth) will add to the above figures.

Richard.