Sendle Review - Easy Carbon Neutral Shipping Within the United States
Learn about this low-cost, carbon-neutral shipping option. It’s convenient and easy, with no minimums.
Sendle is a shipping company that launched in the United States in 2019. It partners with local carriers to provide affordable shipping prices. You let them know the size and weight of the package you want to ship, and they create a shipping label and ship through one of their partner carriers and give you the lowest price.
We were only able to test the Premium account which currently (as of Nov 7, 2021) is partnered with USPS, but will soon expand to more offer more partners, including local couriers within the United States.
The Pro account has a special Swift option which may use additional carriers, but to take advantage of that, you’ll need to be sending over 200 packages per month which we were not able to do.
The good
Carbon neutral. One of Sendle’s more unique features is their commitment to carbon neutral shipping. This is particularly great for environmentally conscious e-commerce brands to extend their sustainability commitments to include their last mile logistics.
No holiday surcharges. Each year during peak holiday season, other major carriers impose surge pricing to account for extra volume and seasonal workers. These are different every year, but in 2021:
USPS will add $0.25-$5.00 per package depending on size and destination
FedEx will add $1.15-$6.00 depending on total volume, plus additional handling and oversize charges
UPS will increase the following fees for shippers who have sent 1,000 packages (or more than ten which incurred surcharges during any week) since February 2020:
Additional handling surcharge increases from $3.50 to $6.00
Over maximum limits charge incurs the normal charge plus $250
Large package surcharge adds $60 to the normal amount
With Sendle, you’ll be paying the same prices for shipping all year long. You can read about their no surcharge policy here. Below is a table of Sendle’s prices. Signing up through this special link will get you their Premium service tier prices, which are normally reserved for those who ship more than 20 packages a month.
No monthly fees. With Sendle, you won’t have to pay any subscription fees. You only pay postage for what you ship. . In fact, the more you ship, the cheaper the rates become. Not having the burden of a recurring monthly service fee takes the pressure off of having to account for that extra expense each month, while also giving you the freedom to scale your business up or down as needed.
The user interface is easy to use. The tracking and label creation is easily done through the web interface, and labels can be easily printed from any regular printer in letter sizes or 4x6 inch label sizes. Of course, if you have a lot of packages to ship, it is easier to use one of Sendle’s integrations or bulk upload a CSV file.
Easy Platform Integrations: Having the ability to integrate your online shopping and shipping platforms creates a seamless order fulfillment process. Sendle integrates with Shopify, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and more. For custom integration, you can connect your online store to Sendle’s API, and if that’s not possible, you can easily bulk upload orders via CSV.
Return shipping labels: To further streamline the customer experience, Sendle will soon offer the option to include a prepaid return label to include in your package. Customers will love that they don’t have to find a printer for returns, and you won’t pay unless they use the label.
The Sendle Price Guarantee with flat rate shipping: Because shipping is calculated at the time of purchase, surprises from carriers are never pleasant. Sendle makes it simple by offering flat rate shipping based on thresholds rather than ounces. Every shipment is guaranteed to be cheaper with Sendle and there’s no extra fee to ship to a residence.
Insurance for every package: Every eligible shipment you make using Sendle regardless of weight or value automatically includes the Sendle Cover Policy. If your package is lost, Sendle will cover the replacement cost up to US $150. Ship confidently knowing that in the unlikely event your package is lost, you’re covered.
Shipping Outside of the Contiguous United States: Most carriers charge an extra fee to ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and domestic military bases. That fee could equal or exceed the cost of many items, which will make customers abandon the order. This is especially frustrating for them if they found your product via online ads and liked what they saw.
Sendle’s flat domestic rates apply to all US destinations, within and outside the lower 48 states.
The quirks
No packages over 863 cubic inches. Larger packages can’t be sent with Sendle. A box that is 10 x 10 x 9 inches is 900 cubic inches and won’t be accepted by Sendle.
No guaranteed service. All Sendle packages ship with their standard shipping speed which is usually 2-3 days. We tested this out with a package from California to Hawaii. As you can see below, the package was dropped off November 1 in Los Angeles, CA and arrived to Kihei, HI on November 3.
No international shipping, yet. Sendle is negotiating competitive rates and hopes to launch this feature in early 2022.
Who is Sendle for?
Sendle bills itself as the first delivery service designed for the needs of the small business, however, it is a great choice for individuals too. Anybody who needs to ship can benefit from the easy to use interface and lower shipping prices and environmentally friendly logistics.
Who is Sendle?
Sendle is America’s first 100% carbon-neutral shipping service that caters to small businesses as well as larger companies who ship several hundred packages a month. They’re based in Australia and have been one of the biggest shipping carriers there since 2014. In November 2019, Sendle brought their 100% carbon-neutral shipping, low shipping rates, and fast delivery times to the USA.
Their mission is to help small businesses thrive by unlocking the networks that are usually only available to larger companies with high monthly shipping volumes. By doing so, they bring small businesses the same pricing, so you have the same advantages.
Being such a respected and renowned carrier in Australia, they have been able to negotiate their pricing with other carriers in the USA so that they can offer Sendle customers the guaranteed lowest pricing for their shipment. They also enjoy an average of 2-3 days delivery across the country, and all shipments are 100% carbon neutral.
Sendle’s commitment to being an ally and partner to small business is obvious.
The verdict
Sendle is a good option for both individuals, small business and high volume e-commerce companies who want to have a positive impact on the environment.
There are plenty of integrations with e-commerce platforms to help automate and sync the fulfillment process.
However, you might not always get the lowest price compared to other carriers, but Sendle does have a guarantee where they will beat another carrier’s price. FedEx won’t be carbon neutral until 2040.
You can learn more about Sendle via their blog and weekly TV segment on Ticker. If you’re ready to jump in and start saving with Sendle, sign up for your free account here.