Postage help

[chantelles_treasures]

I’m new to selling so please forgive me for silly questions!

Firstly, when you pay for shipping for an item, does this come out of your account or does it automatically get deducted from the funds received from the purchaser?

Secondly, I’m a little stuck with postage, I feel I have listed my items correctly with postage (I have chosen for buyer to pay shipping from eBay labels). However when I have purchased those labels they have been more expensive and there isn’t an option for anything cheaper? I think the two I did today were $3 more expensive each, which isn’t so bad however one of my items only sold for $5, so really I only made $2 on my the item. 
can anyone point me in the right direction for postage labels? 

[chameleon54]

I cant help with the ebay postage label thing as I dont use it, but another option worth looking at for items over 500 grams is the small paper based 261 x 369 Australia Post tough bags. ( Envelope type, not the plastic ones ) These can be purchased in boxes of 100 for around 35 cents each and postage ( not including envelope ) is capped at $9.30 up to 5 kg. Cheaper again if you have an AP postal account.

You need to ask AP counter staff to scan the barcode and remove the envelope from the computer system, before paying when you post these as the system has the single envelope price included in postage cost set as default . You can fit quite a bit in one of these and they are my main go to these days.

[davewil1964]

I don't use eBay labels, either, but if you are using calculated post, I strongly recommend flat rate at the size satchel you are using (assuming satchels), as that option doesn't require dimensions and, like the tough bags, is good for 5kg.

You will need to purchase the satchels, which are 15-35c each, depending on size and quantity.

If you are sending at least 8 parcels per 8 weeks (rolling), I advise opening a MyPost Business account. Even at that volume, it is generally cheaper than eBay, and if you hit Band 2 or above (40+ parcels per 8 weeks) definitely cheaper,

[chantelles_treasures]

Thank you for the suggestions, I have brought a heap of pre-paid eBay satchels for my items (I am only selling clothes right now). I’m trying to avoid going to a physical post office, so I am doing postage online through the eBay ap. I’ve just switched all my listing to flat rate postage until I can work out the answer 

[davewil1964]

Flat rate is the way to go (when prices change, you can bulk edit, so not a huge time imposition). You can still use eBay satchels with MyPost - AP don't care whether they are vanilla or eBay marked.

You can still get your parcels picked up through MyPost. Or chuck them in a red box and hope for a scan within your handling time.

A further plus for flat rate is that eBay, at least in the past, are very slow in updating prices for calculated. Over 6 months a few years ago, so the seller was charging the old prices, but AP (and eBay) was charging the new prices.