A customer has made a purchase from you? That's certainly a good reason to be happy, as you've managed to stand out from the competition. But now the real excitement begins, as you need to prepare for shipping. And this is where they come into play: the shipping costs. These include not only payment processing and personnel costs but especially postage costs. And it's in the latter where you can really save. But how can you save on postage costs, and what do you need to know? Our guide will help you make shipping as cost-effective as possible.

Postage Costs for Letters and Parcels

To determine the postage costs for your shipments, you need to know the following about the item being shipped:

• Shape and dimensions of the product to be shipped (e.g., round or square shape)
• Weight of the shipment
• Type of product (e.g., "normal" goods or bound printed products)

The following overview shows the common postage costs for letters and parcels:

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The Alternative for Flat Products: Maxi and Large Letter

Not every time are parcels or packages a good choice. Especially very flat products (e.g., comics, CDs) can also be sent with a large or maxi letter. This can significantly save on postage costs.
For the large letter with a maximum height of 20 mm, mailing bags are suitable, and for the maxi letter with 50 mm height, shipping boxes.

It is important to only adhere to the minimum and maximum requirements regarding size and weight. Machine readability is not necessary for labeling, so labeling can also be done by hand.

The requirements are:

• Minimum dimensions L x W: 100 x 70 mm
• Maximum dimensions L x W: 353 x 250 mm
• Maximum height: 20 mm (large letter), 50 mm (maxi letter)
• Maximum weight: 500 grams (large letter), 1,000 grams (maxi letter)

For optimal use of the maximum dimensions, shipping packaging with dimensions "close to the limit" is recommended.

Favorite for All Printed Products: The Book Shipment

According to the German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (bevh), books are among the most popular items in online shopping. For this and also for brochures, the "book shipment" method is suitable for saving on postage costs, where only the actual item and an invoice or advertising flyer may be included. The German Post regularly opens and checks these shipments randomly to prevent misuse. Machine readability is not required, so the address can also be handwritten.

The requirements for book shipments are as follows:

• Minimum dimensions L x W: 100 x 70 mm
• Maximum dimensions L x W: 353 x 300 mm
• Maximum height: 150 mm
• Maximum weight: 500 grams (large), 1,000 grams (maxi)
• Label "Book Shipment" above the address

For Higher Products up to 500 Grams: The Merchandise Shipment

Do you sell products that are not books but are lightweight and higher than 50 mm? Then the merchandise shipment is a good alternative. As with the book shipment, open shipping applies here, and random checks are carried out. Particularly light shipments can be sent with the "compact merchandise shipment" (up to 50 g), heavier ones with the "large merchandise shipment" (up to 500 g). The merchandise shipment remains cheaper than a maxi letter or parcel. Here too, machine readability is not required.

The following requirements must be met for the merchandise shipment:

• Minimum dimensions L x W: 100 x 70 mm
• Maximum dimensions L x W: 353 x 300 mm
• Maximum height: 150 mm
• Maximum weight: 50 grams (compact), 500 grams (large)
• Label "Merchandise Shipment" above the address

Save on Postage Costs for Parcels, Packages, and Shipping Tubes

Do you sell goods that are usually heavier than 1 kg, higher than 150 mm, or even cylindrical? Then only parcels, packages, or shipping tubes are possible shipping methods. However, if you choose the shipping method wisely, you can also save on postage costs here.

Especially when shipping rolls, you can save money. These are transported with a surcharge of 1.50 EUR due to the more cumbersome handling. This surcharge can be avoided with two alternatives:

1. long, cuboid packaging (i.e., choosing a "square" shipping tube)
2. use of tube sleeves to prevent rolling