How to Print Postage for Free (Two Ways, and what Printer to get)

If you sell with any regularity on Ebay/Amazon, you want a printer for labels IMHO. Saves SO much time vs. taping them on, going to the post office, etc. And a scale to weigh stuff. Unlike toner/ink, Dymo is thermal and uses neither so if you have a label you can print.

Update 22 Dec 2018: I didn't have a link for 4x6 labels. Smith Corona makes them and they're cheap here: https://amzn.to/2CsKY0e

Update March 10, 2016.

I got this printer, the Dymo 4XL which is the Amazon #1 seller in Desktop Label Printers. I prefer it to the Dymo Twin Turbo for SHIPPING labels. Shipping labels for Ebay are 4x6 and this is the only Dymo that will do it.

The 450 is better for other things like address labels, plus it can hold two different sizes and you don't have to reload as much.

Update Nov 18, 2013

I bought a Dymo Twin Turbo 450 printer NOS for $20, $15 on Ebay got me a power supply. I got cheap 99019 labels on Ebay for around 4 cents each shipped. I have not printed any postage yet but from what I've read selecting the Dymo 300 (IIRC) option on Paypal should work. This is a big label, so if it fits your package, you should be good. I will update when I print some. Comments below if you have them. 

Updated 11 November 2009

This was previously titled 'How to Print First Class Postage for Free' but since you can also print other types of postage, including Media Mail, Priority, etc. I changed it.

Updated 16 July 2009

Here's the link to print postage on PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now

Or click this link.

That opens a shipping form. Easy, and free.

Need a scale? Here's a well reviewed one on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QKfcN8

Did this save you time and money? Donate to the Roblog!

Older methods below in case Paypal changes or restricts the above option.

Updated 4 Oct 2007.

Here's an easier way:

(Still using a Paypal.com account, read on)

Click 'Details' on any payment you've received in your payment history in which you shipped something to buyer.

Then click 'Ship Another' (see below) and change the address info. Select USPS as your shipping service.


Old info, still valid but more tedious: (But once you send one payment for goods to yourself you can use that transaction over and over as above.)

You need two Paypal accounts:

A personal Paypal (click there for a Premium one, if you're going to sell on Ebay, it's advisable) account.

And I'd get a premium Paypal account. You can have one of each, you just need a unique credit card and bank for each one.

Send yourself a penny from the premium account to the personal for 'goods'. Or you could just have a friend send you a penny from their account.

The trick:
When you go to ship, just change the address to whatever you want (that's the trick, you don't have to send it to the default address) and select First Class postage for it.

Yeah, it's a bit of a pain, but if you're out of stamps, and don't want to go to the post office, how much time is it going to save? Plus it's free. First class is a LOT cheaper than Priority for small packages which is what I use it for.