Do you guys think it's worth it for you to pay 62 cents per book (delivery confirmation and credit insurance)? 

I sure like getting my credit instantly......but I'm starting to look at the extra cost of 62 cents per book and it's adding up. I know if the book never gets there you do not receive your credit.  And I know you must also have patience (LOL) to wait as long as 26 days to get your credit.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think it's a waste of money or do you like it?

It is definitely worth it when sending multiple books or books to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, etc, that can take longer than normal to arrive. On a daily basis I don't use it because I send out so many books that it would add up. But for someone new to the club, anxious for credits, then yes.

I usually only use it when I ship multiple books or books over 8 ounces going to HI or AK (books 8 ounces or less, I send first class without DC). For me, it's just too expensive and I've only had a few books I sent out go lost but I think secure packaging has helped.

I think it's a waste of money.  Although I thought it was onlly like .47 extra?  Either way-it quickly adds up to more than what a lost book/credit would be. Some people like the printed postage for the convenience. I jsut keep a variety of stamps on hand for mailing books under 13oz.  And even as a full time working single mom, it's not hard to get to the PO if I have a book over 13oz. 

I do use the DC on bulk orders and game books.

I've only had 1 book that I've sent go lost in probably 2,000+ books sent between PBS, games, Box of Books and 2 other trading sites.  If I had used DC on all those-it would have been a few hundred dollars in just DC fees-which could have bought way more books/credits than the 1 that went lost.

Some people use it just to support PBS but there are other ways to support PBS.

I keep a stash of 5-10 credits to cover WL books and don't need a credit in a hurry.  If you keep a healthy TBR at home, you don't need immediately spend every credit and then have to rush to get one for a WL offer.

I just checked the help docs.  It's only .43 to use the printed postage, .19 of which goes to the post office for the DC.  Even so that's $4.30 for every 10 books sent.  You can buy a stack of used books at a thrift store for that. buy 1.5 credits (2 if someone's got them cheap in the bazaar), mail out 2 more smaller books, or half of a new mass market paperback (or a whole one with a Borders coupon).  If you sent out 100 books a year that's $43 a year just in printed postage fee.  Not worth it to me. 

 I thought it was 46 cents.   But then, basing on the last transaction I had, I was charged 19 cents for delivery conf. and 43 cents for PBS postage.

So I don't know if that number changes with every transaction or not.  I had two books in that order, so maybe you get charged more for multiple books.  

So, I guess the question is it 43 cents total?   Or is it 19 cents for DC PLUS 43 cents for PBS postage = 62 cents?

PBS Postage and DC costs 62 cents per package (43 cents to PBS and Endicia; 19 cents to USPS). For that you get Instant Credits and the convenience of not having to deal with the Post Office. Is that worth 62 cents per package to you?

For me it's worth it. The time I save is worth more than the cost of printable postage. If other people have more convenient, less crowded Post Offices with different business hours, and it's not worth it to them, then that's o.k.

If I buy only PBS DC, it costs me the 19 cents to the USPS plus the 27 cent PBS fee.  I usually just buy the PBS DC when I'm sending multiple books or a book to apartment buildings.  For a while, I used PBS DC on every transaction.  Now, I'm not hurting for credits and it is less important to me.

I had always thought that PBS postage was a bad deal.  I have 3 post offices in easy reach and one has an APC machine.  Many of the local grocery stores have an in house postal service that I can use, so I wasn't hurting for convenient mailing.   Now that I think about it, PBS only charges 16 cents to have the convenience of not leaving the house for postage on 13 ounce books with DC.  I think that's a decent deal.

I may even consider using PBS postage when I don't mind paying for the DC.

I use PBS postage for every official transaction.  I don't send many books these days, so it doesn't add up to that much for me.  I love not having to go to the post office.  I also use Stamps.com for other packages.  Love that, too.

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During the snowy frigid cold winter months, I like to use the PBS Postage/DC. I don't mind the higher price at all in comparison to driving to the PO to drop off a book or two. Right now, I have a 2.6 pound book that normally I would have to bring to the PO. Since it is only 12 degrees here, I'm using the PBS postage/DC and placing it in our mailbox. What could be better than that? So, yes in my case it sure is worth the extra cost. Plus, I feel I am saving gas at the high prices of over $3.00 per gallon.

Financially I don't think it ever works out - you'd need to lose one in every 5 to 6 books to lose enough credits to outweigh the cost. But for most people who use it, the convenience is what makes it worth the cost. I rarely used it when I drove within 2 blocks of the post office every day to and from work. Now that we've move I use printed postage much more often so that I can drop them in the blue box or my mail box instead.

We don't have APC machines in my area so I often use regular stamps for books 13 ounces or under. Then I just drop it in the blue box outside the post office or put it in my mailbox with the flag up if I'm not going past a post office. It's probably best to use a scale or the receiver could end up paying for additional postage. I figured out the stamps I need for 7 ounces (5 forever stamps plus a 4 cent stamp) and 8 through 13 ounces (5 forever stamps a 17 cent stamp and 1 one cent stamp) and try to keep those stamps on hand. Anything over 13 ounces, I need to go to the post office or sometimes I use paypal shipping service (which includes a 19 cent charge for DC). I use printable postage when I get multiple book requests because the money that I save by combining books into a single shipment usually exceeds the cost to use the sites printable postage, plus I'd hate to loose a couple of credits at one time should the package go lost.

It's all about the convenience for me. Weigh, print, wrap and drop in the mailbox. Easily worth the extra few dimes to me as opposed to the hassle of going to the PO.

I send out an average of 3 books a week and use PBS postage/DC almost exclusively because it works for me.  

The nearest post office is about 13 miles away, and it's out of the way for me to go there.  Nearby, I have only a small contract post office that usually has a long line all the time.

So it's super convenient for me to use PBS postage.

I'd be spending that extra on gas getting to the PO so I just use PBS postage. The only chance I get to get to the PO is during my work hours, so would be going in at lunch when everyone else is there too.  Much easier to just print it and put it out with the work mail, and get my credit plus DC so I can see it on its way.

Not worth the cost of buying a printer for me.

I only pay for DC...and to me it's worth it...I've had two books go "lost" because the receiver was too lazy to mark the book received.  (Thankfully an email from PBS and a PM from me, and they marked the books received.)  And I've only been swapping since July 2010. 

I use it sometimes, mainly if my books weigh over 13 ounces.  I'm lazy and would like to be able to just stick it in the mailbox here at home and have the carrier pick it up.  For lighter books, though, I don't print the DC, and often use stamps for postage. 

If you think about it though, if you did not print any kind of DC here at PBS and went to the PO for the DC, then you'd be charged 80 cents for DC.  It's only if you have the pre-printed electronic DC barcode already printed that you get charged 19 cents.  Even when you add in the 43 cents PBS & Endicia charge for the printing, it's still less than a straight DC green & white sticker from the PO.

Another option is to use Paypal for shipping.  I use it and there are NO FEES to print a DC label, even for media mail.  The only charge in addition to the regular postage is the 19 cents electronic DC fee, which you'd pay here anyway.  There's no additional printing fee, though.  On the other hand, if you want DC without the postage, Paypal will not print JUST the DC barcode like PBS will.

For me, if the services had been available at these rates when I joined, and I used them consistantly...

PBS postage and DC at 62cents per book, sent out 905 books... $561.10 extra charge. (not counting batch mailings.)

For just DC, at 43cents per book, sent out 905 books... $389.15 extra charge. (not counting batch mailings)

Either way, I have to make a trip to the P.O. since we have no drop boxes and no outgoing mail bigger than a medium sized envelope in our area. So no gas savings there.

Books From Me, lost on the way to receiver out of 905 shipped = 1.

For me, there's just no way in the world that comes close to being cost effective. So I'm glad we can opt out all together.

I use it on multiple book mailings or just when I don't have time. I usually use PayPal to print my postage (which doesn't have any fees) but then I have to type the address every time and double check it's fine. Sometimes I don't even have time to do that, so I just print the postage on PBS and the convinience is worth those $0.43 for me (the USPS requires DC on all electronic postage so the postage I buy via PayPal has that too.)

It simply doesn't make sense, financially, for me.  I've mailed over 300 books, two have gotten lost in the mail.  I would have paid way over what those two credits cost me, in PBS postage and DC.  Yes, I know it helps support the site.  I support this site in other ways.

I do live within a mile of a post office so it's no bother for me to mail my books from there.

I send out about 10-15 books a week, and use DC whenever I'm sending more than one book, sending to PO Boxes, or HI, AK, PR or VI or APO/FPO/DPO addresses.  Otherwise, I just mail from the PO, and sometimes they'll catch that the postage is too high.  Pat