Pirate Ship: what it is and how to start

Free shipping software that gives small sellers access to discounted commercial USPS and UPS rates, and prints the labels — with no fees and no markup.

Who it is for

Anyone in the United States shipping parcels, from a few a month upward. Particularly worth it for sellers currently buying postage at retail counter prices, which is most people who have never looked into it.

What it costs

Free, with no monthly fees, no payment fees and no markup on postage — the company is paid by the carriers rather than by you. You pay only the actual discounted rate for each label. Note the geographic limit: it primarily serves the United States, and UPS discounts apply only to shipments originating in the US.

Quick facts

Category: Shipping & Fulfilment — Postage & Labels
Pricing model: free
Runs on: Web
Difficulty for a beginner: beginner
Official site: https://www.pirateship.com/

How to get started with Pirate Ship

Weigh and measure a real packed parcel: Pack the item exactly as you would ship it, then weigh and measure the finished parcel. Rates depend on both weight and dimensions, and estimating from the product alone always understates both.
Compare USPS and UPS for that exact parcel: Enter the real weight and dimensions and compare. Which carrier wins varies by size, weight and distance, so there is no universal answer — check per parcel shape rather than picking one and staying loyal.
Check whether a cubic rate applies: For small, heavy, compact parcels, specialty services such as Priority Mail Cubic price on size rather than weight and can be much cheaper. This is the single biggest saving most small sellers are unaware of.
Buy the label and print it: Any ordinary printer on plain paper works; tape it on securely. A thermal label printer becomes worth it once you are sending parcels daily, not before.
Save addresses and use bulk printing: For repeat customers and batches, saved addresses and bulk label printing turn a per-order chore into one short session. Batching is the main time saving available in shipping.
Reduce your box size and re-check: After the first few parcels, try a smaller box and price it again. Because carriers charge on dimensions as well as weight, trimming a couple of centimetres sometimes drops a whole price tier.

Should you use this instead of something else?

Buying postage at a post office counter means paying retail rates, which are substantially higher than the commercial rates available here for free. Paid platforms such as ShipStation add inventory, multi-channel order syncing and automation, which matter at higher volume and cost a monthly fee. Pirate Ship does one thing — cheap labels with no subscription — which is the right trade for most small sellers. Its clear limitation is that it is US-focused.

Common beginner mistakes

Continuing to buy postage at the counter, paying retail rates on every parcel for years.
Estimating parcel weight instead of weighing it, resulting in either overpayment or parcels returned for underpayment.
Ignoring dimensions and shipping light items in oversized boxes, where you pay for the empty space.
Not checking cubic or specialty rates for small heavy parcels, which is often the largest available saving.
Assuming commercial discounts need volume. They apply from the first label with no minimum.
Expecting it to work outside the United States. It is US-focused, and UPS discounts require US-originating shipments.

Last verified: 2026-08-07. Source: https://www.pirateship.com/

Read the full Shipping & Fulfilment guide for how this fits into the wider process.