How to Use PayPal Shipping with the U.S. Postal Service

By Marsha Collier from eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition

By using PayPal, an eBay seller can streamline the buyer’s shopping experience, making it simple to buy, click, and pay. Along with all the timesaving tools PayPal supplies for the seller, they now offer online shipping services for items through the U.S. Postal Service at no extra charge. This is a convenient system for those who don’t ship many packages each week because there’s no need to use additional software or to sign up with an additional service.

If you plan to use the ever-popular U.S. Postal Service to ship eBay merchandise, printing your postage and label through PayPal gives you a free delivery confirmation with Priority Mail. A delivery confirmation is also available for Media Mail, Parcel Post, and First Class mail for a minimal charge.

Log in to your PayPal account page.
Click the Ship button next to the item in the row.

You arrive at the page shown here.
Choose U.S. Postal Service.

You’ll see a confirmation page similar to the one shown here. At the top of the page (not pictured), your mailing address and the ship-to address are listed. After you’ve confirmed that this information is correct, fill out the details of the form, including the following:
- Service type: Choose the level of mailing service you want for your package from this drop-down list. Priority Mail is usually the standard.
- Package size: From this drop-down list, select the type of package you’re sending.
- Weight: Include the weight of the box or envelope and any packing filler.
- Signature confirmation: Signature confirmation provides you a signature and date of delivery and is available for many levels of service. If you’d like a signature confirmation for your package, it will add $1.30 to the postage cost. You can request proof of delivery from the U.S. Postal Service online or on the phone.
  
  Don’t forget that — if you ship an item with a value over $250 — PayPal requires signature confirmation for the item to be covered under the PayPal Seller Protection program.
- Display value of postage on label: If you’d prefer not to show the amount of the postage on the label, do not check this box. That way, your customer won't know what handling fees you've charged.
- E-mail message to buyer: Type a nice note letting customers know you appreciate their business. This might also be a good place to ask them to e-mail you immediately if there are any problems with the item when it arrives.
Fill in the information and click Continue.

The USPS Shipping Confirmation page appears. All the information from the previous page is listed. If you’ve made a mistake at any entry, click Edit Shipment Details, or cancel the transaction by clicking Cancel.
If everything looks okay, click Pay and then click Continue.

Your PayPal account is charged for the postage amount, and a new window opens to allow you to print postage on your printer.
Print the sample label.

The option to print a sample label is a good idea because it ensures that your printer and all the connections are working properly.
Print the label by clicking Print Label.

The printed PayPal Priority Mail label.