1. choose a box or padded envelope
To get started, choose a sturdy box or padded envelope to send it to. when shipping one or two cell phones, a padded envelope is a great option. if you are shipping more than one pair of cell phones, you must use a hard box. If you don’t have access to a mailbox, USPS provides free or paid flat-rate Priority Mail boxes. In addition, flat rate boxes are often the most economical USPS shipping option. free flat rate boxes can be ordered online or picked up at your local post office. fedex and ups have special cell phone shipping boxes available for purchase. These cases secure the cell phone in place without additional packing material and provide an attractive presentation.
2. securely pack phones
To protect the phone, bubble wrap is the best option. Two coats provide complete coverage and an additional coat to act as a buffer if bubbles start to pop. wrap it securely around the width of the phone and secure the sheets with tape.
Finally, fill the box with padding to help absorb energy and prevent jostling during transit. packing peanuts is the obvious choice, though crumpled newspaper will work too.
3. choose a carrier
Once the cell phone is packaged and ready to ship, it’s time to choose a carrier. The most common carriers for shipping mobile phones are fedex, ups and usps.
shipping cell phones with fedex
fedex is generally the fastest and most expensive option for shipping a cell phone. they have a very accurate tracking system that gives a clear idea of the status of shipments and offer Saturday delivery as part of their standard shipping packages.
Shipping a cell phone with fedex typically costs around $15 for ground shipping and over $50 for overnight shipping.
shipping cell phones with ups
ups offers a great deal of reliability and security. many online stores opt for ups services due to its comprehensive tracking and reliability.
ups ground is a great option if time is not an issue and your recipient doesn’t mind waiting a bit longer. shipping a single cell phone with ups ground usually costs around $10 and takes around 5 business days for delivery.
shipping cell phones with usps
usps has the advantage that it generally costs less among these three options. Since a cell phone is fairly light, the first-class mail option is likely to be the one you want to use, since it will only cost you about $4 to send something under 13 ounces in weight.
Like other options, you can easily purchase and print shipping labels online through the USPS website. As a bonus, USPS provides free shipping supplies, allowing you to get a small flat-rate priority mail box that’s the perfect size for a cell phone and costs about $8 to ship.
however, usps shipping times may be more inconsistent than ups or fedex. The minimum shipping time with their services tends to be around three days to a week for mail within the contiguous United States.
4. attach a surface transport only tag.
Due to shipping regulations, you must include a Ground Transport Only label on the outside of the package.
5. set postage and ship your package
When choosing to purchase and print postage at home via computer, your biggest obstacle to successful shipping is probably finding the correct weight for your package. For most basic shipping tasks, a kitchen scale will be more than enough when it comes to providing an accurate reading.
When calculating weight, remember to use the total weight of the package, not just the items it contains. It’s also a good idea to round to the nearest ounce when shipping to avoid problems.
If you don’t have access to a scale and you ship with usps, priority mail flat rate boxes don’t need to be weighed – if it fits, it ships, for a flat rate.
if you don’t have access to a scale and you ship with fedex or ups, you can take your cell phone and package to your local shipping center for help weighing and packing your device.