How to Package & Ship Poshmark Sales
Updated 10/30/23
When I made my first sales on Poshmark, I tucked the items in Ziploc bags and sent them off. They were waterproof, but they were not pretty packages!
Since then, I’ve taken the time to package my items a little nicer and make sure they get to the buyer as soon as possible. So today I want to talk about how to packaging and ship your Poshmark sales.
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** If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.
** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.
1 | Double-check the item that sold
The first thing is to pull the item out and double-check that it’s what actually sold. You can do this by viewing the inventory number or taking a quick look at the item.
I once sold a children’s item by Ivivva. In my rush to get the sale packaged and to the post office before it closed, I grabbed an Ivivva item from the storage bin without looking closely.
I didn’t remember that I had two Ivivva items that looked similar and ended up sending the wrong one. Whoops!
I caught the mistake soon after shipping, messaged the buyer, and sent off the right one. Thankfully the buyer was understanding about it, and I only lost a few dollars on that mistake.
If you sell second-hand items as I do, double-check that the item is in the condition you described. There have been a few times that I’ve had to cancel sales because I missed a small stain or a hole when inspecting it the first time around.
It’s better to be straightforward with the buyer and let them know you found unmentioned damage.
You can also ask them if they still want the item or want you to cancel the order. I’ve had buyers who still wanted the items, and I sent them with no problem.
I give my items an additional lint rolling and steam items that have been sitting folded for a long time. One way around this to save time on the packaging phase is to lint roll and steam items before you put them into plastic bags for storage.
Another way around this is to store clothes upright or rolled so that they don’t wrinkle nearly as much. Store shoes in their boxes, then in USPS Priority Mail shoe boxes.
Then they’re ready to ship the moment the order comes in. Just pop the item in a box or mailer and stick a label on it.
2 | Package items properly
It’s easy to package clothing like sweaters and pants. They’re soft so they won’t get damaged even if they’re thrown around and left under a heavy pile of items.
I get my shipping boxes and mailers from USPS because they’re free for Priority Mail.
USPS Tyvek envelope and Flat Rate padded mailer
I frequently use the Flat Rate padded mailer and the Tyvek envelope because they’re waterproof and can bend to fit in people’s mailboxes.
They’re helpful during the winter when much of the country experiences rainy or snowy weather. The bad thing about them is that they’re not easily recyclable the way a cardboard box is.
Shoes should ship in a box to keep their shape.
Use a box for anything fragile, big and bulky, or that needs to hold its shape. You can order USPS boxes of different sizes for this.
Use the weight-based Priority Mail boxes and Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes to send items sold on Poshmark. Those all have red print on the boxes.
Note that Regional boxes are no longer made as USPS has eliminated this category of mailing, but you can still use the boxes if you have them.
Don’t use the USPS Express Mail boxes. Those are printed in blue.
If you use them, the post office may charge you more when you send the package or the unlucky buyer will be required to pay the difference before their package will be released to them.
Check out the USPS website to see the variety of boxes and have them mailed directly to you for free.
Be careful about shipping in paper such as paper envelopes. I’ve heard of buyers being upset because their packages got soaked in the rain. The contents got wet and were sometimes damaged beyond repair.
Paper envelopes don’t make for good packaging.
I keep boxes of all sizes on hand so I can box a sale of any item I have to be shipped out the next day.
Household goods like dishes and glassware can be a pain to package. Poshmark even shows you a warning when it thinks you’re selling something fragile like glass. They may not cover an item if it is damaged in transit.
Wrap fragile items well so they don’t move around in their boxes. If they do, make sure there’s plenty of cushion for them.
Many sellers use a double-box method. Put the items in a smaller box, surround it with padding such as peanuts or air pillows, and place them in a bigger box.
Do you have to use USPS boxes for Poshmark sales?
No, you don’t have to use USPS boxes to ship on Poshmark. You can use a plain box that you have on hand at home.
I save Amazon and other boxes I receive to ship items as well. Just be sure to remove or cover labels and markings that would lead to misdelivery.
I once received something I purchased packaged in a food box like a cereal or fruit snacks box. Some buyers won’t be happy about that, but others won’t care.
You can also ship in cute mailers like the ones below.
This Posh package is available in multiple sizes.
3 | Print the shipping label
Poshmark has a few options for printing a shipping label and packing slip.
For shipping labels, you can select
8.5’’ x 11” - This is for standard printers.
4’’x 6’’ - This is great for specialized label printers that use 4” wide paper or sticky labels.
In the app, you would go to
1) Your Account Tab (@username)
2) My Seller Tools
3) Shipping Label Settings.
4) Then select a page dimension.
Packing slips
You can also print a packing slip. I don’t print the packing slip because I haven’t felt it’s necessary and I like to save paper, but it’s helpful for ensuring you match the label with the correct item if you have many items to ship.
The packing slip includes
Order #
Listing Title
Listing Image
Buyer username
SKU (optional)
Price Sold
When you have the 8.5” x 11” setting on, the shipping label will print on one half of the page and the packing slip on the other half.
In the app, you would go to
1) Account Tab (@username)
2) My Seller Tools
3) Shipping Label Settings
4) Select ON or OFF next to Packing Slip
4 | Presentation
Should you do basic or fancy packaging? This is an ongoing Poshmark debate!
You’ll hear people argue for both sides. Poshmark considers packaging as one part of the whole buyer experience.
Just as the presentation of food on your dinner plate makes the food more appealing, nicely presented sales can be more pleasing to a buyer.
On any other platform, you’re likely to receive only the item you ordered. It may be wrapped in additional plastic wrap if it needs it. It may come with a thank you note or business card but probably not.
You’ll see pictures of Posh packages on social media with varying levels of fanciness. Some people go all out wrapping items in ribbons and adding small extra gifts.
I take a simpler approach. I wrap items in tissue paper or leave them in a small clear bag.
I add a thank you card or note on top. Sometimes I tack on a business card too. The item goes in a box or mailer, and it’s ready to send.
This process is simple and repeatable, which is important for packaging multiple items quickly.
How much detail you put into the presentation is up to you. As long as the item arrives in good shape, your buyer should be happy.
5 | Thank you note
My favorite thing is to add to packages is a handwritten thank you note on a cute card or piece of stationery. Some people attach a thank you sticker or thank you/business card, which is faster than writing notes by hand.
If you decide to send a thank you/business card, you can add a marketing bit to the other side of it such as:
A return customer discount. Let the buyer know that if they’d like to shop from you again, to let you know by commenting on a listing or in a bundle and they’ll receive a certain amount like 20% off.
Promote 5-star ratings. Let the buyer know that if they liked the item, you’d like it if they leave a rating for you on Poshmark.
Social media. If you have social media accounts for selling/buying or anything related to that, shared those handles on the card.
Recent thank you cards on hand
6 | Ship it out ASAP
The last step is to ship your item. Schedule a pickup or drop it off with USPS. Buyers want their items sooner rather than later.
A family member told me the other day that his 5-year-old daughter recently demanded that he order something off Amazon using same-day shipping. She wanted it that day!
If the package is over 5 lb, it will require additional postage.
How do I upgrade a shipping label on Poshmark?
Packages over 5 lb. require an upgraded shipping label. While the buyer pays for the original shipping label, the seller pays the difference for the upgraded label. Shipping labels are available for up to 10 lb.
Go to your Account or your Profile picture —> My Sales —> Select the order —> Need New Shipping Label —> Need Heavier Weight Label.
Now you’re set to package and ship your sales!
How do you like to package your sales?
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