Getting started with Pirate Ship is so easy, you can do it with two eyepatches on 😉

This quick guide outlines everything you need to sign up and start purchasing labels for your packages at the cheapest possible rates.

Pirate Ship’s software is available only through the cloud, so you don’t need to download anything. Since our software is cloud-based, you can access it anywhere with an internet connection. Your home, your office, the hotel lobby…it’s all fair game!

You can access Pirate Ship’s website through a computer or a mobile device. All you need to do is log in to www.pirateship.com and you’ll be able to buy labels 🎉

When you create an account, you’ll be prompted to enter your name and physical address. You must enter your legal name and/or the name of your business! This will help you avoid any issues with your account down the road.

Your physical address is your primary residence or the office you’re shipping your boxes from (it cannot be a PO Box). You can set your physical address as your “Ship From Address” during the signup process, which means it will be the origin address we use to calculate your postage costs.

You’ll also be prompted to add a payment method to purchase your labels. Pirate Ship accepts the following payment options that you can configure in your Settings:

Similar to how you enter your name (or your business name), you must only use payment methods that belong to you or your business.

Even in cases when your recipient offers to pay for a label with their credit or debit card, you should still use a payment method in your name to prevent any holds on your Pirate Ship account.

To get accurate quotes for your packages, you need to weigh them and measure their dimensions properly. This is where tools like scales and rulers come into play.

We have some recommendations for shipping scales, but any bathroom or kitchen scale should do the trick. Just make sure its measurements include ounces!

As far as dimensions go, you’ll want to use a ruler or measuring tape to measure your packages in inches and centimeters.

You can’t ship your items unless you’ve got something to pack them in! Cardboard boxes and poly mailers are the most common types of outer packaging that you’ll need.

In terms of size, we generally suggest your packaging fits as snugly around your items as possible. For instance, if you’re sending a small pack of golf balls, you probably won’t need a box big enough for a basketball. The smaller your packages are, the cheaper it will be to ship them!

If you want to save money on packaging, you can order free boxes from USPS and free UPS Express boxes. The only thing to note is that when you use USPS and UPS packaging, you’ll be required to pay for specific services.

Packing materials aren’t required to start shipping, but if you’d like to ensure your contents don’t take damage during transit, we recommend investing in protective materials such as bubble wrap, air pillows, crinkle paper, or Styrofoam sheets (you can find any of these materials by going to Amazon or ULINE and searching for them).

Once you purchase your labels, you need a way to print them out! You can use any desktop printer for printing 4x6” labels, as long as it’s connected to your computer or mobile device via a USB cable or the internet. If you’re using a desktop printer, you can print your labels on regular 8.5x11” paper.