Tag: North America

eBay gets ready for USPS rate increase

Posted by | Apr 23, 2007 | |

Shipping is a vital part of online sales, and eBay is getting ready to handle postal rate changes coming in May.

eBay is preparing its tools for the changes and providing updated information for its sellers. eBay said PayPal shipping labels that some eBay sellers use will calculate the new shipping rates to coincide with the USPS changes. All shipping labels printed on PayPal after May 14 will reflect the new rates and services, the company said. It will also update its Shipping Calculator so that the new rates will update automatically in early May.

In addition, sellers who use the Sell Your Item form will be able to click on the “See new rates” link in the Research Rates tool to see the future rates, starting in early May.

eBay is also hosting two online workshops to help sellers prepare for the changes.

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It's 'Passport Sunday' at post office

Posted by | Apr 21, 2007 | |

If you’re planning a trip outside the United States in the near future, you may have to add obtaining a passport to your travel to-do list – and make a visit to the post office this Sunday.

Recent changes to passport law mean such documentation is now required for re-entering the United States following travel to destinations that previously did not have passport requirements.

According to the United States State Department, since Jan. 23, anyone traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, including any U.S. citizen, is required to present one of the following: a passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. An Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, is required if applicable.

The demand for obtaining passports has become so great that the United States Postal Service has implemented “Passport Sunday.” This Sunday, a number of local post offices will be open to accommodate customers who need passports and may not be able to get to post offices during normal operating hours. The participating post offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While the United States Postal Service accepts passport applications, it is the United States State Department that actually processes the applications, according to Russo. The post office, however, is one of the more common places people go to get passport applications and drop them off, she said.

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US Postal Service to raise postage rates for smaller publications

Posted by | Apr 20, 2007 | |

The US Postal Service has accepted a proposal from Time Warner to raise postage rates significantly for smaller publications while reducing rates for larger publishers like Hearst and Time Warner. A coalition of smaller, independent media, including Free Press, a national non-partisan organization working to reform media, and the Media Consortium, including Ms., magazine, Mother Jones, The Nation, American Prospect, The Progressive, In These Times, and other independent media, are working to send a massive number of letters to the Postal Service and Congress protesting this postage hike.

Time Warner’s plan was chosen — with no public input — instead of another proposal that would have imposed a mostly equal increase (approx. 12 percent) for all magazine publishers. If implemented, the Time Warner plan could force many smaller publications out of business, according to Free Press.

The US Postal Service is currently accepting comments on the postage change. Free Press, Ms., and other groups are working to collect thousands of comments calling on Congress to step in and reverse the postage hike.

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IntelliTrack announces improved package tracking applications

Posted by | Apr 19, 2007 | |

IntelliTrack, Inc., developer of barcode, RFID and wireless software, announced a new software upgrade to improve mailroom management. IntelliTrack’s software program, Package Track, decreases the amount of time spent identifying and redistributing incoming packages within an organization’s mailroom. The newest version, 3.1, utilizes a SQL backend database in addition to efficient carrier and tracking number identification found in each barcode for incoming packages.

Incoming packages from major carriers such as UPS, DHL, FedEx, and USPS are scanned and entered into the Package Track database. Packages are then tracked through the chain of custody from the moment a package is received from the carrier, until the final recipient signs for it. Packages are delivered to the recipient, scanned, and a signature is captured on the hand-held device to document proof of delivery.

Performance improvements include faster portable data terminal (PDT) response by eliminating the delay in recipient queries and selection for each package. This feature is instrumental for larger organizations with abundant lists of potential mail recipients. When using previous versions of the software, larger databases would take several minutes to locate each desired recipient requiring the user to scroll through lengthy lists. With Package Track SQL version 3.1, recipients can be instantly identified accelerating mailroom management processes.

Along with performance improvements, Package Track now has the ability to read larger barcodes up to 55 characters. With user definable tracking formats, each barcode can define what carrier is in control of each package. The tracking number is automatically extracted from each barcode and easily defined on a portable data computer after the barcode is scanned.

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New postal rules could end small periodicals

Posted by | Apr 19, 2007 | |

The Governors of the United States Postal Service recently approved most of a plan for rate hikes set out for it by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the body that oversees the postal service. Included among the rate hikes that were approved are an increase of the cost of a stamp to 41 cents and a new pricing structure based on the shape of the package.

While these make sense, there are facets of the new plan that the governors sent back to the PRC for reconsideration. Among these is a plan that would increase the cost of mailing for periodicals based on several factors, including the number of periodicals sent, the weight of the periodicals, and how mixed together multiple periodicals are, which can lower the cost. This plan, which has 55 different pricing rates, was devised instead of a plan the USPS originally sent the PRC which would have increased all periodicals cost by about 12 percent.

Unfortunately for small to medium sized periodicals, this plan could greatly increase the cost of mailing out issues. The cost could increase up to 41 percent for some publications, according to a press release from the USPS. For example, The Nation, an influential left-leaning magazine based in Washington, D.C., reported that the new rules would increase their cost of mailing by USD 500,000, an increase they say could put them out of business.

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