LetterAgent
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Home > Guides > Shipping Facebook Marketplace sales
Buy a prepaid shipping label, pack the item to survive a sorting facility, and get it moving within the platform's handling window (generally three business days). Tracking uploads automatically when you buy the label through the platform. One honest limitation: LetterAgent shipping labels are Canada-only Xpresspost, so they fit Canadian sellers shipping domestically, not US Marketplace orders.
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Confirm shipping in the listing | Decide before you list whether you offer shipping or local pickup only | Changing the plan after a sale creates disputes |
| 2. Weigh and measure | Weigh the packed item on a kitchen or bathroom scale; measure the box | Label price depends on weight and dimensions; wrong numbers mean postage-due |
| 3. Buy the label | Through Marketplace checkout or a label provider | Prepaid labels include tracking that ties to the order |
| 4. Pack it well | Box, cushioning, tape, label in a pouch or taped flat | Most damage claims trace to thin boxes and loose items, not carrier abuse |
| 5. Ship within the handling window | Drop off or schedule pickup inside three business days | Late shipment hurts your seller standing and can trigger refunds |
Local pickup is simpler and cheaper: no label, no packing, no damage risk in transit, and cash or e-transfer on handoff. Shipping widens your buyer pool dramatically, which matters for niche items (vintage electronics, collectibles) where the right buyer is three provinces away. Many sellers do both and let the buyer choose.
If you ship, build the cost into your pricing decision up front. Either charge the buyer the label cost, offer free shipping and bake it into the price, or split it. The mistake is eating the label cost by accident because you priced the item for local pickup and then agreed to ship.
When a buyer pays for shipping at checkout, the platform generates a label you print and stick on the box. The tracking number flows into the order automatically, which is the real benefit: both sides can see movement, and delivery confirmation protects you if the buyer claims the item never arrived. Keep the receipt from the drop-off until the tracking shows delivered; the scan at acceptance is your proof you handed it over.
Canadian sellers shipping within Canada can also buy their own Canada Post labels outside the platform, which is where a service like LetterAgent fits: ask your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price for a Canada Post Xpresspost label, pay once, and get the label PDF. Note the constraints: Canada-only, flat-rate Xpresspost, 5 kg maximum. Heavier or US-bound parcels need a different provider.
Under-weighing the parcel is the classic error. Bathroom scales are fine for this if you weigh yourself with and without the box, but remember to include the box, tape, and cushioning, not just the item. Dimensional weight bites on large light boxes: carriers charge by size when size exceeds what the weight implies, so a big empty-ish box costs more than its scale weight suggests.
The second classic is the handling window. Three business days sounds generous until a sale lands Friday night and the post office is closed Sunday. Pack the night of the sale and drop off the next morning the carrier runs.
Third: prohibited items. Lithium batteries shipped loose, aerosols, and flammables have strict rules, and some cannot go by air at all. Check the carrier's dangerous-goods list before listing anything battery-powered, because "it sold, now what" is a bad time to discover your item cannot legally ship.
Photograph the packed item before sealing the box. Message the buyer the tracking number even though the platform shows it; the personal touch cuts down on "where is my package" messages. And for fragile or valuable items, consider the carrier's declared-value coverage: it costs a little extra and it is the only thing standing between you and a total loss if the box vanishes.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com