How the money works
Shipping scares people because of one question: "what do I charge for postage?" Here, you don't. At checkout the buyer sees and pays the live carrier rate for their address. You never estimate, never eat the difference, never build postage into your prices. Your item price stays your item price.
There are two ways to run it:
- Tavvi arranges it, the buyer pays the rate at checkout, and when the order's ready you tap the buy-label action. The label PDF, carrier, and tracking number fill in on the order automatically. This is the low-headache default.
- Self shipping, you use your own postage (your own carrier account, the post office counter) and type the tracking number into the order yourself. Fine if you already have a shipping setup you love.
Turn it on
Open your Online Register → Online Store Settings.
Turn on Shipping and pick Tavvi-arranged or self.
When a shipping order comes in
It lands at your register marked for shipping. No courier, no countdown, shipping orders are the calm ones.
Pack it properly: snug box, padding, nothing rattling. A candle wrapped in one sock is how one-star reviews are born.
Tavvi-arranged: tap the buy-label action, print the label PDF (a regular printer and clear tape over the label works fine, receipt printers can't print labels), stick it on.
Drop the package with the carrier, or hand it to your mail carrier if the label's carrier does pickups on your route.
Mark it shipped. The buyer gets the tracking link automatically and follows the package themselves, the "where is it" texts go to the carrier, not you.
Self shipping is the same rhythm, except step 3 is you buying postage your own way and entering the carrier + tracking number when you mark it shipped.
What to ship (and not)
Cookies, apparel, prints, candles, jewelry, packaged goods: great. Anything that melts, wilts, or needs a fridge: that's a delivery-radius product, not a shipping product. Sell it locally with "Offer delivery" instead.
If something's off
- The label price at checkout seemed high to a buyer. It's the carrier's real rate for their distance, heavy or bulky items cost real money to move. Lighter packaging is the only lever that matters.
- You bought a label but haven't shipped yet and something's wrong with the order. Refund the order before it ships, a package you can still see is a problem you can still fix cheaply.
- Tracking hasn't moved in days. Carriers scan late sometimes, especially at drop boxes. Hand packages to a human and keep your drop-off receipt; that receipt is your proof the package exists.
- Buyer says it never arrived but tracking says delivered. Point them at the tracking detail and the carrier's claim process, be kind, and decide case-by-case whether a refund buys you a repeat customer. Your call, Tavvi doesn't force either outcome.