Shipping from Canada to US Cost: 3 Areas You Can Save Money

In 2019, consumers spent $601.75 billion with US ecommerce merchants. Looking at this figure, it’s immediately apparent that the United States is a giant in ecommerce. However, there’s no reason for Canadians to not get a share of that 600 billion. All it takes is a shipping strategy that saves you money and gives your customers what they want. It’s essential not only to save on shipping from Canada to US costs but also to optimize your shipping strategy based on what products you’re selling. 

Free Shipping

For sellers, free shipping is something that opens a whole lot of doors. It’s one of the phrases that buyers like to see. Who doesn’t, right? Free shipping means you’ll only be paying the product’s price, and the seller will shoulder the cost of delivery. However, a seller needs to balance the shipping cost (e.g., shipping from Canada to US customs fee) with other expenses. Plus, there are a lot of things to consider regarding free shipping.

• It’s a mistake to offer it all-year-round. This might be something buyers want, but sellers need to be careful with offering free shipping. Shipping isn't cheap. Thus, you need to measure the impact of this strategy on your balance sheet. The purpose of having a business is to earn money, and losing money on each sale because of free shipping doesn’t make sense. It’s better to offer free shipping during key selling seasons, like Back-to-School, Black Fridays, Christmas, etc.
• Give a minimum dollar amount. Businesses establish a minimum dollar amount for buyers so that they can get free shipping. The key here is to find that sweet spot. Make it low enough so it’s possible for shoppers to get to it, and high enough that it doesn’t eat into your profits too much. It’s a powerful inducement for people to continue shopping until they reach that minimum threshold. 
• One size fits all. Another approach that merchants use is to charge a flat-rate shipping charge across all products. You just have to get the average shipping cost for all your sales and the result will be your shipping charge. You also have to compute the costs for the countries you deliver to. It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s needed to ensure you don’t lose money in delivery. 
• Get Connected. If a flat-rate shipping fee doesn’t work for you, get real-time estimates from your shipping provider. One way to do this is by connecting your checkout to your carrier. This route also offers customers to choose which kind of shipping they want, what boxes or labels they need, etc. 

Product Labels

These things might seem insignificant, but in the overall scheme, it can cost you a lot of money. Some carriers charge a lot for product stickers that can be put outside the box. For one box, it’s not a problem. Imagine buying labels for 100 boxes and you’ll understand my point. 

One thing you can do is to buy a Label Printer. This simple step can speed up your fulfillment times by minimizing the chances of mishandling products. It’s all labeled, so they’re easy to identify. That way, you can really determine the cheapest shipping from Canada to the US.

If you have a carrier that offers free labeling for your products, that’s a good deal. It takes one more thing off your mind.

Product Weight and Descriptions

How important can the product weight and description be? Well, it can cost you a little money but the major cost is in sales. Providing accurate information about the product is important for any seller. Giving the correct dimensions will mean not overcharging your customers on shipping. In ecommerce, any way you can save is important. The cheaper your product is, the more it becomes attractive to buyers. A 50-cent difference in price because of an accurate product description can have a big impact in sales. 

Every Cent Counts

As an ecommerce seller, your reputation depends on the quality of your products, how much they cost, how fast you can deliver, and how easy it is to contact you if there are any problems. With everything that you’re dealing with, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the ways where you can save money. Your carrier should really offer the cheapest shipping from Canada to US cost. Stallion Express has experts who can help you integrate your ecommerce business with shipping, thus simplifying the whole process. You can contact us at +1-877-863-7447 and [email protected].