Full Disclosure: I have been a Shyp Brand Ambassador (contractor) for a few months (I should have written this post a long time ago) and I am responsible for educating people on how Shyp works.  I receive a bonus for every user who joins and uses Shyp for the first time.  Shyp provided me with a sweatshirt, business cards, and postcards.  All views and opinions are 100% my own.

Shyp’s mission is simple: take the pain out of shipping.  Do you hate shipping items?  Do you hate returning online orders?  Do you hate going to the post office and waiting in line?  If you said yes to any of those questions, then Shyp is for you.  As of July 20, Shyp is only available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami.  However, Shyp will be launching service in many more cities across the US over the next few months, so stay tuned.

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How much does Shyp cost?

That is always the first question I get asked.  The cost to ship a package with Shyp is based on 2 things: the actual cost of postage (what USPS, UPS, and FedEx would charge you) and a $5 flat pickup fee.  Shyp compares the prices for USPS, UPS, and FedEx and automatically selects the cheapest option for each shipment.  Shyp can ship just about any item (except drugs, alcohol, and living things) to just about any address in the world.

The $5 flat pickup fee covers 1 item up to 20 items, shipped to one address up to 20 different addresses.  By shipping more than 1 item at a time, you spread the $5 flat pickup fee across multiple items. The $5 flat pickup fee includes a custom made box (perfectly sized for your item, packaging materials, and up to $1,000 of insurance.  Depending on your location, a Shyp bike messenger or vehicle will arrive at your location in 10-20 minutes, 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm.  USPS, UPS, and FedEx can’t touch that!

If you work, live, or plan to visit one of the cities that Shyp is currently operating in, download the app (iOS, Android) and check it out.  When you sign up, enter referral code FREESHIPPING1009 (all caps with no spaces) to receive $10 of Shyp credit for free.

Here are some screenshots of my Shyp account.  Make sure you add a credit card to your Shyp account before your first shipment.  You will be charged the difference if your package costs more than the initial $10 Shyp credit.

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How do I ship an item using the Shyp app?

Open the Shyp app and click Add Shipment.  Then start typing the shipping address into the search box.  You will start to see the top results appear and then select the correct address.  You can then enter the person or business’s name along with an apartment/suite number.  Review the full address and click OK.

You then need to take a picture of the item you are shipping.  This is to identify the package and tells Shyp if they need to send over a bike messenger or a vehicle to pick up your item.

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What shipping options are available?

By default, the cheapest shipping option is selected.  If you want the item to be delivered faster, you can view faster delivery options and select the delivery date that works for you.  The 3x and 6x are just estimates, you will only be charged according to the actual cost of shipping.  If you want to get a quick estimate, click Get Estimate, enter the dimensions and weight of the item, and click Done in the upper right corner.  Select whichever shipping speed you want for the item.  If you want to ship another item, click the Add Shipment button at the top, otherwise, click the Pickup Now button at the bottom.

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How do I schedule a pickup?

You can manually enter an address or use an address that is nearby.  The Shyp app will send a signal to Shyp and assign you a Shyp Hero (a Shyp Hero is the person who picks up your item).  The Shyp Hero will go to your location right away and you can track their location in the app.  Once your Shyp Hero arrives, you will get a text or push notification.  Find your Shyp Hero and hand them your item.  They will place the item in a bag and scan the QR code on the tag.  You will then get another text or push notification that your item was picked up.

The Shyp Hero will then take your item to the processing center to be professionally packaged.  A few hours later, you will get a text, push notification, or email with details of your shipment.

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How can I track my shipment?

Open the Shyp app and click the bell icon in the upper right corner.  You can view all of your notifications.  You can track your shipments by clicking the Track Item button.

You can see all the tracking updates and delivery date for your package without leaving the Shyp app.

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Are there any drawbacks to Shyp?

I’ve only used Shyp to send small items under 5 pounds domestically, so I don’t have any experience with larger, heavier, or international shipments.  With that said, if you select the cheapest option for domestic items, the package will be shipped via USPS First Class Mail if the package is under 13 ounces.  Anything above that will most likely be shipped via USPS Priority Mail.  Shyp does not use USPS Media Mail (discounted rate for books) or USPS Parcel Post (discounted rate for larger items).  Both options are cheaper, but much slower than USPS First Class and Priority Mail.

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How does Shyp make money?

You might assume that Shyp is losing money by only charging an additional $5 fee for each pickup.  How can they possibly pay the Shyp Heroes, the professional packers, the cost of the box and shipping supplies, insurance for each item and still make money?  It’s all about small profits and huge volumes.  Like any high volume shipper, Shyp has negotiated bulk shipping rates with all 3 major carriers (USPS, UPS, and FedEx).  Shyp makes the majority of their money by keeping the spread between the “consumer” price and the bulk shipping price for each item.

If you want to check out Shyp (iOS, Android), don’t forget to enter FREESHIPPING1009 as the referral code to get $10 of Shyp credit for free.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.  Have a great day everyone.

P.S. Do not post your Shyp referral code below, it will be deleted.  Feel free to share your Shyp referral code with friends or family members to receive a free shipment (up to $30 of value).