Click and Send being canned in a few months. Next best thing?

[mcbaj]

Please excuse me if its been said already. I tried searching but couldn't really find the answer I am looking for.

I have been using click and send on my store for quite a few years now. Its easy and simple to use. I print out the shipping labels, 4 each to an A4 paper, sign them, cut them, and pack the bags, take them to my local PO, lodge them and I'm done. I probably do maybe around 100 each week, maybe more.

So. I get a call last month from Aust post saying that C&S is being dropped in a few months and they want me to open up an account with them. I don't like having accounts, I pay as I go. It stops me from forgetting to pay the accounts, plus I am the type if I don't have the money for something, I wont use credit, I just wait or go without. 

Anyhow, they then said I can use a My Post account? I then asked if it works the same as C & S where when I log in, all the buyers details come up in the account. They couldn't answer this. Huh?

So. Here I am. What are others using as an alternative? Does My Post work like C&S?

Thanks in advance.

[mcbaj]

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@curraone wrote:

From the Australia Post site:

• Home
• About us
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• Important updates
• Important information about Click and Send

The trouble with the ebay labels is you can only do one at a time, which you are not used to.       (Somebody may have figured out how to get 4 on a page, but not me ).    But they are definitely cheaper.       And although the cost is added to your ebay monthly account, if you are a pay as you go person, you can easily pay for them as you go by making a payment to ebay each day.

No good for international parcels tho.   I rely on Click and Send for those, so am just waiting to see what happens.

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Yeah. Its only 5c cheaper to use eBay labels. $7.40 to $7.45. One to a page aswell. Plus I have no option to send the 500g satchel express. Only parcle post express, to which I nave to manually enter the the weight and parcel dimensions. Not looking real good for me. 😞 Hopefully AP get their act together and add the eBay import function before they scrap C & S totally.

[stickerswa]

I normally use ebay labels but from time to time I use C&S . Went to use it the other day and got the - need to create account thing so I did (You still pay as you go) and went to make a label. I HATE IT ...what genius came up with that layout. 

Maybe after using a few times it might grow on me but not at the moment. Dreading having to use it again.

[mcbaj]

eBay labels are a whole 5c cheaper, and you can only print one label per A4. Plus I had no 500g express option when I tred it (eBay label) this morning. Doesn't seem to good.

[curraone]

METHOD	BUY AT PO (1 at a time)	EBAY ONLINE	CLICK AND SEND ONLINE
500g parcel	7.60	7.60	$7.60
500g satchel	8.50	7.40 + 15c =       $7.55	8.25 + 25c  = $8.50
3 kg satchel	13.80	12.05 + 21c =    $12.26	13.45 + 35c  = $13.80
1 kg box Bx1		7.40 + 1.38 =      $8.78	13.45 + 1.38 = $14.83
5 kg satchel	17.60	-	17.15 + 45c = 17.60
3 kg box Bx2		12.05 + 1.75 = $13.80	15.40 + 1.75  = $17.15
5 kg box Bx4		15.75 + 2.40 =   $18.15
Express 500g	10.85		10.60  + 25c  = $10.85
Express 3kg	15.65		15.30  + 35c  = $15.65
Express 5 kg	24.80		24.35 + 45c = $24.80

[digital*ghost]

Flat rate satchels (including express ones) are 10% cheaper that the full C&S prices if you have a B250 account (domestic extra cover is also 33% cheaper - requires ABN and a minimum send of 250 parcels per year). 

With that discount, the only thing eBay is truly best value for is the BX boxes. 

[mcbaj]

I pay $7.45 via C & S. I can use the same bags too. Confused.....

[digital*ghost]

I pay $7.45 for a 500g satchel via C&S as well but it's after my discount has been applied, otherwise the higher rate in the table above would apply.

Did you ever apply for a Business 250 account? It works exactly the same, just gives you cheaper rates on flat rate products and international tracked or express parcels.

[mcbaj]

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@digital*ghost wrote:
I pay $7.45 for a 500g satchel via C&S as well but it's after my discount has been applied, otherwise the higher rate in the table above would apply.

Did you ever apply for a Business 250 account? It works exactly the same, just gives you cheaper rates on flat rate products and international tracked or express parcels.

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AP said I dont need to apply as they have seen what I spend and just said they would give me an account. With the discount. I ask just for the discount but I pay as i go and they wouldn't be in it. I like to pay straight away. Or to my local PO, where they owner of the PO gets the business. Being a privately owned PO I liek to support my local where i can.

Anyhow I did't like the minimal postal options eBay's system gave. Unless I missed something when trying it out... I will just wait unitl AP sort thier ship together and work out linking eBay to their new system.

[lm-entertainment]

i used to use click and send and hated the layout - although it was quite effective. 

i've gotten onto the new AP system - through My Post / My Business - https://auspost.com.au/mypost-business - and it's relatively simple to use after the first couple of times.

i much prefer it over click and send now. the only thing is there isn't any cross-referencing with ebay as you mentioned - but you can add item information in ie. ebay item number if you wanted to keep track manually. 

[digital*ghost]

I pay as I go with the B250 account. It is exactly the same as a normal C&S account, just cheaper than a non-B250 account.

My PO were the ones that encouraged me to apply, as there was really no reason not to. But like I mentioned, $7.45 is actually what I pay at the discounted rate so you may already be accessing a lower rate anyway through volume.