Pirate Ship charges no software fees. What you do pay for: postage, carrier adjustments, insurance, UPS pickups and brokerage fees abroad.
By LedgerSupply · Published 2026-09-29
Pirate Ship is free to use. There is no subscription, no per-label fee and no markup on postage. You pay for the labels you buy, at discounted USPS and UPS rates.
Pirate Ship states that it is 100% free, with no markups, fees or minimums, and that the only thing you pay for is your labels. [1]
The carriers pay Pirate Ship, not you. It earns its money through official partnerships with USPS and UPS.
Pirate Ship says it makes its money "through our official partnerships with USPS® and UPS®", and that it runs as a lean business that can operate on that partnership income alone. [2]
"Free" covers the software. Some costs can still reach you after you print a label:
None of these come from Pirate Ship. Each is explained below.
Yes. Pirate Ship is a licensed USPS Connect eCommerce Platform and has operated since 2014. It offers two carriers: USPS and UPS. It does not offer FedEx or DHL.
Pirate Ship's homepage describes it as a licensed USPS® Connect™ eCommerce Platform, says it has saved shippers $705,000,000 since 2014, offers email and chat support 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, and states that its UPS discounts are off Daily Rates and limited to shipments originating in the United States. [3]
The discounts are real, but "up to 87% off" is a best case. Pirate Ship measures its savings against retail prices, the rates you would pay at a Post Office or UPS counter.
| Service | Pirate Ship's maximum stated saving |
|---|---|
| USPS Priority Mail and Priority Mail Cubic | 87% |
| USPS Ground Advantage | 86% |
| UPS Ground | 81% |
| UPS 2nd Day Air and Next Day Air | 75% |
| Simple Export Rate (international) | 63% |
Pirate Ship's rates page lists maximum savings by service compared to retail pricing: Priority Mail and Priority Mail Cubic 87%, Ground Advantage 86%, UPS Ground 81%, UPS 2nd Day Air and Next Day Air 75%, and Simple Export Rate 63%. [4]
These are maximums. Most packages save less.
You can open an account without payment details. To buy labels, Pirate Ship asks you to keep a debit or credit card on file, even if you pay another way.
Pirate Ship says you do not need to provide payment information to sign up, that you are charged only when you buy postage and only the exact amount of the postage, and that it accepts cards, PayPal, Venmo, bank accounts (ACH) and an account balance. Its FAQ adds that it requires a debit or credit card on file. [5]
Why every label shows up as its own charge. By default, Pirate Ship charges the exact cost of each label when you buy it. Ten labels can mean ten small charges on your statement, and some banks decline cards after many small charges. The Default Payment Amount setting fixes this: it adds a set amount to your balance ($20, $50, $100, $250, $500 or $1,000) and takes labels from that balance.
With Default Payment Amount, funds are added to your account in a chosen amount instead of paying per label. Without it, each label purchase is charged separately at its exact cost. A label that costs more than the chosen amount is still charged on its own. [6]
Why a label can look charged twice. A failed purchase can leave a pending authorization on your bank statement. Pirate Ship says it drops off within 24 hours. The Reports page lists every purchase, refund and adjustment.
Refunds for unused labels. Request a refund within 28 days of buying the label. By default the money goes to your Pirate Ship balance, not back to your card, unless you ask for it.
USPS and UPS labels must be refunded within 28 days of purchase. Unprinted USPS labels are refunded at once; printed USPS labels are usually approved in about two weeks; UPS refunds process within about an hour. Refunds are credited to the Pirate Ship balance by default and can be sent back to the original payment method on request. [7]
When you buy a label, the price is based on the weight, size and address you enter. USPS and UPS check packages on their machines. If their measurement is higher, they charge the difference after the package ships. This is a carrier adjustment.
Pirate Ship explains that USPS and UPS may charge after shipping, in the form of carrier adjustments, when their checks of weight, dimensions, service, package type, origin, destination or zone differ from the label. None of these charges come from Pirate Ship. USPS adjustments can be disputed up to 60 days after notice and UPS adjustments up to 120 days. [8]
Dimensional weight got stricter in July 2026. On July 12, USPS changed the divisor it uses for dimensional (DIM) weight from 166 to 139, and started rounding every fractional dimension up to the next whole inch. DIM weight applies to packages larger than one cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches), when it is higher than the real weight.
From July 12, 2026, USPS lowered the DIM divisor from 166 to 139, rounds fractional package dimensions up to the next whole inch (cubic pricing rounds to the nearest quarter inch), added a $200 fee for packages over 70 lbs or over 130 inches in length plus girth, and added a $50 fee for undeclared hazardous materials. [9]
15 lb billed for a 5 lb package in a 14 x 12 x 12 inch box (USPS, from July 12, 2026)
The box measures 14 × 12 × 12 = 2,016 cubic inches, more than one cubic foot, so DIM weight applies. At the new USPS divisor: 2,016 ÷ 139 = 14.5, rounded up to 15 lb. At the old divisor of 166: 2,016 ÷ 166 = 12.1, rounded up to 13 lb. The same 5 lb package is now priced as 2 lb heavier. A box measured as 14.25 inches long is priced as 15 inches.
Measure the box, not the product
Enter the outside dimensions of the packed box, rounded up to the next whole inch. A label priced on the wrong size is the most common cause of a carrier adjustment weeks later.
A smaller share of packages is caught at the local Post Office instead of by machine. In that case USPS can ask your customer to pay "Postage Due" on delivery. The fix is the same: accurate weight and dimensions when you buy the label.
| Cost | Who charges it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance above included coverage | InsureShield, through Pirate Ship | $1 per $100 of coverage |
| UPS pickup, next day | UPS | $4.75 |
| UPS pickup, same day | UPS | $10 |
| UPS brokerage fee on international shipments | UPS | Varies by country; usually paid by the recipient |
| Duties and import taxes abroad | Destination country | Not included in any Pirate Ship service |
Insurance. Most USPS and UPS services include $100 of coverage from the carrier; UPS Ground Saver includes $50. For more, Pirate Ship sells InsureShield coverage at $1 per $100.
Pirate Ship offers InsureShield insurance at $1 for every $100 of coverage, up to $10,000 for domestic UPS, $5,000 for domestic USPS and $2,500 for most international shipments. USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Cubic and Priority Mail Flat Rate include $100 of USPS insurance; most UPS services include $100 of carrier liability and UPS Ground Saver $50. [10]
UPS pickups. Dropping packages at a UPS location is free. Scheduled pickups cost extra.
Pirate Ship lists UPS next-day pickups at $4.75 and same-day pickups at $10, and more than 85,000 free UPS drop-off locations. [11]
International brokerage fees. Every international UPS service is subject to UPS brokerage fees, which UPS charges for clearing the package through customs. Your customer usually pays them on delivery, which can come as a surprise. USPS international services and Pirate Ship's Simple Export Rate avoid them, except Simple Export Rate shipments to Canada valued above $40 CAD.
Pirate Ship explains that brokerage fees are service fees UPS charges for acting as customs broker, that the recipient usually pays them, and that they vary by country. First Class Package International, Priority Mail International, Priority Mail Express International and Simple Export Rate avoid brokerage fees, except Simple Export Rate to Canada above $40 CAD. [12]
Duties are never prepaid
No Pirate Ship service includes duties and import taxes. If you sell abroad, tell customers they may owe them on delivery.
The other popular label tools charge a monthly fee once you pass a small free allowance, and support more carriers.
| Tool | Software cost | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| Pirate Ship | $0 | USPS and UPS |
| Shippo | Free up to 30 labels a month; Pro from $17 a month | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL Express and more |
| ShipStation | Starter from $14.99 a month; 30-day free trial | Many carriers |
| Stamps.com | Basic $14.99 a month (up to 10 labels); Professional $29.99 a month | USPS, UPS, FedEx and more |
Shippo's Starter plan is free for up to 30 labels a month, with a $0.05 fee per label on your own carrier accounts. Pro starts at $17 a month for up to 10,000 labels. [13]
ShipStation lists Starter from $14.99 a month, Standard from $29.99 and Premium from $349.99, with prices rising with monthly shipment volume, 20% off for annual billing and a 30-day free trial. [14]
Stamps.com lists Basic at $14.99 a month for 1 user and up to 10 shipping labels, Professional at $29.99 a month with unlimited labels, and Multi-Location at $49.99 a month. [15]
0-360 USD a year in software fees at 50 labels a month
At 50 labels a month, monthly billing and the lowest plan that allows that volume: Pirate Ship $0; ShipStation Starter $14.99 × 12 = $179.88; Shippo Pro $17 × 12 = $204 (the free plan stops at 30 labels); Stamps.com Professional $29.99 × 12 = $359.88 (Basic stops at 10 labels). Postage prices are not included and differ between services.
What you give up for the $0: FedEx, DHL and other carriers; shipping from outside the United States (Pirate Ship's UPS discounts apply to US-origin shipments); phone support, since Pirate Ship offers email and chat 14 hours a day, 7 days a week; and the order-routing and automation rules that paid tools sell. If you ship only USPS and UPS from the US, those gaps may not matter.
Is Pirate Ship free? Yes. No subscription, no per-label fee and no markup. You pay only for postage.
How does Pirate Ship make money? USPS and UPS pay it through official partnerships.
Is Pirate Ship approved by USPS? Yes. It is a licensed USPS Connect eCommerce Platform.
Do I need a credit card? Not to sign up. To buy labels, Pirate Ship requires a debit or credit card on file, even if you pay by PayPal, Venmo, bank account or balance.
Why is every label a separate charge? Each label is charged at its exact cost when you buy it. Turn on Default Payment Amount to add funds in larger amounts instead.
Can I get my money back for a label I did not use? Yes, if you request it within 28 days. The refund goes to your Pirate Ship balance unless you ask for it on your card.
Does Pirate Ship charge extra later? Pirate Ship does not. USPS and UPS can, as carrier adjustments, if the package is heavier or larger than the label says.
Does Pirate Ship support FedEx? No. USPS and UPS only.
Sources. Pirate Ship's homepage, rates page and support articles on cost, payments, refunds, carrier adjustments, dimensional weight, the July 2026 USPS changes, insurance, UPS services and brokerage fees; the pricing pages of Shippo, ShipStation and Stamps.com. All checked on September 29, 2026.
Calculations. The DIM weight example uses the formula and divisors in Pirate Ship's support articles. The yearly software costs use each vendor's listed monthly price at monthly billing.
What we did not check. We did not buy labels or compare postage prices across tools for the same package. Savings percentages are Pirate Ship's own maximums, not our measurements.
Affiliate relationships. We have no affiliate relationship with Pirate Ship, ShipStation or Stamps.com. We have an affiliate relationship with Shippo. The Shippo review linked above contains an affiliate link: if you sign up through it, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. No vendor pays for placement.
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