What is the best way of setting up automatic combined postage rules for parcels 500 grams and under?

[thegaminggamer]

As most of you should know, for any parcel that is 500 grams or under, it is a simple $7.95 flat rate nationwide. But once it is over 500 grams, it becomes all over the place and unpredictable.

Most of my items are around 100 to 200 grams so if someone buys 3 items, postage is still $7.95 so I would my postage policies to promote this (multiple items posted for $7.95) and encourage buyers to buy multiple items in one transaction. At the same time, I would like the postage policy to take into account the big postage price increase if buyers decide to buy more than 500 grams of items.

Is there a way to do this?

[kopenhagen5]

When setting up your postage policy there is an option to have price for additional items.

In that box enter 0.00. However it doesn't always work as planned and many sellers have in their description to wait for an invoice for multiple purchases. You can then adjust postage.

If buyers use the cart it should automatically combine items for them to pay immediately.

[davewil1964]

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

As most of you should know, for any parcel that is 500 grams or under, it is a simple $7.95 flat rate nationwide. But once it is over 500 grams, it becomes all over the place and unpredictable.

Most of my items are around 100 to 200 grams so if someone buys 3 items, postage is still $7.95 so I would my postage policies to promote this (multiple items posted for $7.95) and encourage buyers to buy multiple items in one transaction. At the same time, I would like the postage policy to take into account the big postage price increase if buyers decide to buy more than 500 grams of items.

Is there a way to do this?

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Not that I'm aware of. It is pretty much one policy fits all. That's why I do as kopes suggested. Even though most buyers seem unwilling or unable to wait for an invoice. And I know they're using the cart, because they are triggering my volume discounts.

[digital*ghost]

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

Is there a way to do this?

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Are the items suitable for BX boxes or flat rate satchels? If you mostly use those kinds of postage options and can work out some common, or maximum, postage cost for orders, you can work from there and consider options such as flat rate (I use a flat rate system - I frequently pay anywhere from $7 - $18 for postage, while my buyers have only paid $3, but these possibilities are taken into account when I price my items), or you could actually add $X per item but if the purchase comes under 500g, upgrade it to express, or add insurance. You could also set postage caps, or encourage specific quantity purchases by using promos to provide deals, eg buy 1 get 5% off another, encourages purchases of 2 (or do both - along with promos, you can also add two different postage discounts to any one listing - one is a standard discount, one is a promotional discount, so for example you could have something like $5 P&H, $1 per additional item, capped at a maximum of $10). 

Rate tables may provide a way for you to charge a minimum amount for up to X weight, and then add $X per additional weight bracket - you can have multiple regions in rate tables as well, so you can account for the varying costs to different states etc (I haven't explored rate tables since they new features were introduced, so I'm not too sure what kind of options are available, but it's probably worth checking out). 

[heihachi_73]

Depending on the weight and location, it might be cheaper to use a 3kg satchel or a 1kg express satchel than a mailing box - even if the exact same box is placed inside the satchel!

[davewil1964]

Boxes are flat rate through eBay.

A B1 is the same postage price as a 500g satchel (currently $7.55). The boxes are $1.75 in singles and $1.38 in 20s. Significantly less than 1kg or 3kg satchels.

[thegaminggamer]

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@heihachi_73 wrote:
Depending on the weight and location, it might be cheaper to use a 3kg satchel or a 1kg express satchel than a mailing box - even if the exact same box is placed inside the satchel!

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@digital*ghost wrote:

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

Is there a way to do this?

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Are the items suitable for BX boxes or flat rate satchels? 

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Basically, half of my items are suitable for the cheap large letter post option and the other half are standard parcels less than 500 grams. For multiple item purchases, if we ignore the standard 500 gram $7.95 rate, then the flat rate BX1 boxes or 3KG satchels can be suitable depending on weight and size and which state it is going to.

Honestly, there are so many variables that it is hard to figure out a postage rule that does not have the potential to underestimate postage costs. I'm ignoring international shipping costs which are a whole different can of worms and the potential for loss is even greater.

At the moment I think the most suitable and simplest option is to do "highest postage cost + $2 or $3 for each extra item". So even if I can post 4 items for $7.95, it is better for the buy to pay $7.95 + $2 + $2 + $2 than to pay $7.95 + $7.95  + $7.95 + $7.95. It's good for the buyer because they still "save". And it's good for me because if it ends up over 500 grams, then I don't go out of pocket. A postage cap might be a good alternative. Of course neither options will work with international parcels where each threshold is $15 or $20.

Really though, above all, I want to promote to local and international buyers combined postage for items 500 grams and under, and nothing else. Anything above 500 grams is a hassle.

[digital*ghost]

You can have different rules for different items - though that has the potential to complicate things further.

If at all viable, I would probably consider building a percentage of the postage price into heavier items, that way the +$X gets paid per item, but you could have a universal postage discount rule. It might result sometimes in a "win some, lose some" situation, but as long as overall the postage costs are being covered, it could improve things a lot (never underestimate the value of simplicity when it comes to postage costs. If it's acheivable, most buyers would rather just buy and pay than try to find out combined P&H costs, and / or wait for an invoice). 

If you decide to run promos (either in conjunction with, or instead of, postage discount rules), you could do it just on the letter rate items, thus encouraging multiple-item buys more towards those. 

International shipping can have separate postage rules, or none, so whatever you decide on or apply to domestic postage, it doesn't have to apply to international.