Why doesn't PayPal Shipping include the option for Priority Mail SMALL FLAT-RATE Boxes?

[BaileyQuestion]

Why doesn't PayPal Shipping include the option for Priority Mail SMALL FLAT-RATE Boxes on the shipping options for USPS?

I mail small items and will be almost exclusively using the SMALL Priority Flat-Rate Box.

The only current option for a Priority Flat-Rate Box is "Medium" through the PayPal Shipping Center.  So, my only current option is to choose, "Priority  Mail", then choose "Package", then enter the dimensions, and ship, which can end up costing more than the flat rate.

THE PROBLEM is that the package is subject to weight and zoning, and can cost more than the Flat-Rate.   I choose to use PayPal for the convenience of it being connected to Ebay, and also for the free Delivery Confirmation.

My 2nd PROBLEM is that if I ship directly through the USPS website, it costs more, because I have to pay for the Del. Confirmation.

I'm stuck....please help. 

Thanks!!!

[TexasSkyScapes]

Today, went to the USPS site to ship my eBay sale in a Small Flat Rate Box (SINCE PAYPAL STILL REFUSES TO OFFER THIS OPTION, EVEN AFTER MONTHS ON COMPLAINTS - A PRACTICE ONLY MONOPOLIES EMPLOY) and discovered for the first time there is a nickel difference between Flat Rate Envelop vs. Small Box!

Obviously, the Paypal stone walling this option just became even more irritating.

Jan 17, 2010

[pureroxjewels]

 i have been using the flat rate envelope also, but adding 20 cents in postage.  i thought it was 4.95 for the box?  it is 4.75 with our paypal discount?

[HoustonShipper]

Adding postage with stamps to an online-postage label generated for use with a Flat Rate Envelope technically doesn't meet USPS requirements; it might get through, and it might not.  There is a postal reg which states that additional postage, if required, must be generated via another label...but while Endicia makes that possible, PayPal's broken interface has never provided a way to do it.  With PayPal, at present, you simply can't generate an appropriate label for a Small or Large Flat Rate Box, period.  Since the Small box accounts for at least half of my outgoing shipping, I'm just running my labels through Endicia, and PayPal's losing whatever revenue they would have realized from the transactions.  Apparently, they don't care, because they are on record as haivng promised to have this fixed by the end of November 2009...and they didn't. 

[tiquer505]

Do you get any of those boxes back with the envelopes affixed to them? Isn't the envelope bigger than the box? I would like to use this as a temp solution unti PayPal gets it right.

[Bellab53]

How about LARGE FLAT-RATE Boxes - anyone have a fix for that?

[JamesNewton]

The only real fix for any of these issues, available to us NOW, is to use the USPS web site to print our postage. This requires you to open the USPS "Click and Ship" page, then go back and forth multiple times, copying over each part of the address separately which is a pain in the butt, but it works. I've suggested a way to make the copy and paste part easier, but it would require a programmer do some work: https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Products-and-services/A-path-toward-getting-all-the-USPS-shippin... anyone know a good javascript/bookmarklet programmer? Or can you send an email to the guy who wrote this one: http://www.marklets.com/Bookmarklets/Bookmaplet.aspx which is 9/10ths of the way there... It just needs to paste the parsed address back into the USPS page and it would be done. Then you just have to copy the tracking number back into your PayPal transaction so the user can see the package is on the way. However, doing that shows up a NEW problem with PayPal in that quite often, you can't update the tracking number for the transaction on the paypal page! https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/How-to-use-PayPal/Unable-to-update-tracking-numbers/m-p/29785#M9... Totally amazing to me that a company as profitable and large as PayPal has so many problems.

[ArizonaGourds]

Paypal really missed the ball on this one.  I wrote to them months ago about this and never even got a response.  So, I signed up at endicia.com (or you can use stamps.com) and I print a lot of my postage there.  They have options for first class, media mail, all the different flat rate sizes, plus they are constantly up to date with postage changes.

Too bad, paypal.  Someone else is making money off of my postage purchases now.

[sherry8085]

From another very irritated person trying to ship with a small flat rate box.  Using the medium flat rate box for a small itemis the dumbest thing I have heard of, and I can not believe they thought that was a solve for this problem.  Just needed tobe heard.

Please fix this PayPal!!!!

[estatebeads]

This really is a problem and its not going to be solved by ebay.  There are a lot of people with websites other than ebay who accept paypal.  They should really get  this solved soon.  I too have written to paypal about this over a year ago and they said they were working on it. 

Until they finally get the programmers to fix this there is another option I haven't seen anyone mention. Simply select Priority mail, then package/thick envelope for size - next it will ask for dimensions,  and if you type in a box roughly equal to the small flat rate box or even the USPS media box that is slightly larger and stay under 1 pound they only charge, $5.24.  They used to charge the same as the small flat rate box until the new year, they just went up in price.  I have been doing this for years with no problem.

Another option is to use the USPS.com website which works very well and has all the option.  The downside is none of your customer name or address information comes across.

Please fix the problem Paypal!!!

[JamesNewton]

Although the package/envelope option does work, it just eats at me that I have to pay an extra 29 cents every time I ship something in the small flat rate box. It should be $4.95 not $5.24. Seriously, how hard could it be to add one extra option to the list of postage rates? Let me at the code, paypal, I'll do it for you, LOL...