The Complete PayPal Shipping Guide: What Merchants Need to Know

Shipping plays a crucial role in the success of any eCommerce business. To streamline the shipping process, PayPal has partnered with ShipStation, a trusted fulfillment and shipping service provider. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about PayPal shipping and how to make the most of its features.

(No more pulling out your hair as you move through countless instructional videos trying to figure out what you’re doing wrong. We’ve got you covered.)

Now, let’s dive in! 

What is PayPal Shipping? 

PayPal Shipping is a shipping solution integrated with ShipStation that simplifies the shipping process for merchants. It allows you to create and print shipping labels, select services from shipping carriers, and track shipments. 

The integration with ShipStation enhances the experience by offering discounted rates, streamlined order management, and improved customer satisfaction. With the PayPal Shipping Center, you can save time, reduce costs, and provide a seamless shipping experience for your customers.

PayPal Shipping Center Features

The PayPal Shipping Center offers several benefits that enhance the shipping experience for merchants. 

Here are some of the key features:

• Integration with ShipStation — PayPal Shipping is powered by ShipStation, a leading shipping and fulfillment platform. This integration allows you to seamlessly manage your shipping process within your PayPal account.
• Convenient Label Creation — With PayPal Shipping, you can easily create and print shipping labels directly from your PayPal account. This eliminates the need for separate shipping software or platforms, streamlining the shipping process.
• Multiple Shipping Carrier Options — PayPal Shipping provides access to multiple shipping carriers, including USPS and UPS. This gives you the flexibility to choose the carrier that best suits your shipping needs, whether it’s for domestic or international shipments.
• Discounted Shipping Rates — PayPal Shipping offers discounted shipping rates for USPS labels. This can help you save on shipping costs, especially if you frequently ship with USPS.
• Shipping Notifications — Once you create a shipping label, PayPal will automatically notify your customer about the shipment. This includes sending a shipment confirmation email to your customer, which includes the tracking number and other relevant details.
• Shipment Tracking — PayPal Shipping allows you and your customers to track the status of the shipment. The tracking information is automatically updated in your PayPal account and can be accessed by both you and your customers.
• Return Shipping Labels — PayPal Shipping provides the option to create return shipping labels, making it easier for you to handle returns and exchanges. This feature simplifies the return process for your customers and helps maintain a positive shopping experience.

These features are designed to simplify your shipping operations, reduce expenses, and deliver a smooth shipping experience for your valued customers. With PayPal Shipping at your disposal, you can optimize your shipping processes, cut down on costs, and ensure that every package reaches its destination seamlessly.

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ShipStation Account Integration and Billing

Before you can manage shipping from your PayPal dashboard, you may need to set up your PayPal account to use ShipStation. 

To connect your PayPal account to ShipStation and set up billing preferences, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your ShipStation account. If you don’t have an account yet, you can sign up for one.
2. Once logged in, navigate to Account Settings by clicking on your account name in the top-right corner and selecting “Account Settings” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Account Settings menu, select “Selling Channels” from the left-hand sidebar.
4. Look for the PayPal integration option and click on it.
5. Enter your PayPal login credentials and follow the on-screen instructions to grant ShipStation access to your account.
6. After successfully connecting your PayPal account, you can now customize your billing preferences. Click on the “Billing” tab within the PayPal integration settings.
7. Choose your preferred payment method (PayPal balance, credit card, or bank account) from the available options available.
8. Take a moment to review the cost structure and associated fees. Familiarize yourself with ShipStation’s pricing plans and any additional charges for features or services that you may require.
9. Once you have configured your billing preferences and understood the cost structure, click on the “Save” or “Apply” button to save your settings.

By following these steps, you will have successfully integrated your PayPal account with ShipStation and set up your billing preferences. This allows you to seamlessly manage your shipping operations and handle billing through your PayPal account.

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How to Create and Print Shipping Labels in PayPal

Fortunately, creating and printing shipping labels using ShipStation through PayPal is a straightforward process.

Here are step-by-step instructions to create and print shipping labels in the PayPal Shipping Center:

1. Log in to access the PayPal Shipping Center.
2. Go to the Ready to Ship tab on the Orders page and click on the order number to access the Buy a Label page.
3. If you have multiple addresses, select the appropriate Ship From address to create a label — The Ship To address will be automatically filled based on the order details.
4. In the Package and Weight section, provide the necessary shipment information, including package type, dimensions, weight, delivery confirmation, and insured value (optional).
5. Click the “Calculate rates” button to view the available shipping service options.
6. Choose the desired shipping service that suits your needs.
7. Finally, click the “Purchase Label” button to buy the label.
8. Once you’ve purchased the label, you will be taken to the Order Summary page where you can review the shipment details — Click the “Print Label” button to open a preview of the label in your browser.
9. Use the print icon within your browser to print the label or, click the download icon on the browser’s print screen to download the shipping label as a PDF.

Need to take more actions? Here’s what you can do: 

• To handle more orders, return to the Ready to Ship screen.
• If you need to review order information, reprint labels, or void labels, go to the Shipped screen.
• If you have an order that requires multiple boxes, you can create additional labels from the Order Summary page.

By following these step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to easily create and print shipping labels using ShipStation in conjunction with PayPal.

Here are some important things to know about creating labels:

• The available shipping services shown on the Buy a Label page are based on the valid selections for your shipment. In your ShipStation dashboard, you can toggle the carriers that you want to include. 

• Labels can be either 8.5 x 11 inches or 4 x 6 inches, depending on your printer — You can adjust the default label size in your PayPal Shipping Center account settings.
• Labels are saved as PDF files and need to be opened in your browser for printing.
• Once a label is created, your PayPal account will be notified, and a shipment confirmation will be sent to your customer.
• You can also print the packing slip from the Order Summary or PayPal Transaction Details page.
• Various package types are available, including custom packages, envelopes, and USPS Flat Rate boxes.

For more details on package sizes and dimensions, refer to the carrier’s website.

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Explore Your Available Shipping Options and Services

When using PayPal Shipping powered by ShipStation, you have access to a range of shipping options and services for both domestic and international shipments. You can create U.S. Postal Service (USPS), UPS, DHL Express, and GlobalPost shipping labels for your shipments. 

USPS offers domestic services such as: 

• First Class Mail
• Priority Mail
• Priority Mail Express 

For international shipments, USPS provides services like: 

• First Class Mail International
• Priority Mail International
• Priority Mail Express International. 

UPS offers domestic and international shipping services with options like: 

• UPS Ground
• UPS Next Day Air
• UPS Worldwide Express

When creating a shipping label, you’ll have the option to select the appropriate packaging type for your shipment. Common packaging options include custom packages, envelopes or flats, and various sizes of USPS Flat Rate boxes. It’s important to choose the most suitable packaging option for your items, as it can impact the shipping costs. 

For example, USPS Flat Rate boxes have a fixed rate regardless of weight or destination, which can be cost-effective for certain items.

Again, in your ShipStation dashboard, you can toggle the package sizes that are available in your operations. 

How to Calculate PayPal Shipping Before Sending

ShipStation provides a convenient feature to calculate shipping costs before sending the package. When creating a label, you’ll be able to see the available shipping service options along with their respective prices. 

By entering the package dimensions & weight, and selecting the desired shipping service, ShipStation will calculate the shipping costs for you — This allows you to estimate the shipping expenses and choose the most cost-effective option for your specific shipment.

By exploring the available shipping options and services, understanding packaging choices, and utilizing the shipping cost calculation feature, you can make informed decisions and ensure efficient and cost-effective shipping for your packages using PayPal Shipping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

PayPal Shipping, powered by ShipStation, offers a convenient and efficient way for merchants to manage their shipping needs. By integrating PayPal and ShipStation, merchants gain access to a wide range of shipping options, discounted rates, and streamlined label creation processes. With this comprehensive guide, you are now equipped with the knowledge to make the most of PayPal Shipping and optimize your eCommerce shipping operations.

Remember, providing a seamless shipping experience to your customers is essential for customer satisfaction and business growth. Explore the features of PayPal Shipping to take your shipping process to the next level.

→ For as little as $9.99 per month, to start managing your shipping returns from your PayPal account dashboard, sign up for a ShipStation account today.

Ashley Kimler

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Ashley is a freelance copywriter and the founder of Aurajinn. She's been working in eCommerce and technology for over a decade. Here, she shares her best cyst-like gems of wisdom to help new and intermediate online sellers level up their operations.

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