# Pirate Ship vs platform labels: which to use > Poshmark's fixed label, Mercari and eBay labels, Whatnot's per-show labels, and the orders where Pirate Ship's free USPS and UPS rates save money. Updated October 9, 2026 Most US marketplaces sell you a shipping label inside the app. Pirate Ship is a free label site that passes on USPS and UPS commercial rates with no monthly fee. Each wins on different orders. Rates and rules change, so check the label price on the screen before you print. Every price below is a typical band, not a quote. ## Poshmark: one label, paid by the buyer Poshmark emails a prepaid label for every sale and the buyer pays for it at checkout. You do not pick the carrier or the service, and the label covers packages up to a set weight. That makes off-platform labels pointless for most Poshmark orders. Use the Poshmark label and spend the time on the next listing. ## Mercari, eBay and Etsy labels Mercari, eBay and Etsy each sell discounted labels inside the order screen, with USPS and usually UPS or FedEx. The cost comes out of your payout or the buyer pays at checkout, depending on how you listed it. In-app labels keep tracking linked to the order, which helps when a buyer opens a case. That protection is worth a few cents on most sales. ## Whatnot: labels per show Whatnot generates labels after a show, grouping each buyer's wins into one package, and the buyer pays shipping. You print them in a batch from the seller app or desktop. Off-platform labels make no sense here either. A thermal printer that takes 4 × 6 in labels cuts a 40-order show to a few minutes of printing. ## Where Pirate Ship pays off Pirate Ship helps on sales where you control the label: Facebook Marketplace shipped orders you arrange yourself, your own website, local buyers who pay by app, and eBay listings where its rate beats eBay's. It also suits heavy or bulky items. Comparing USPS and UPS on one screen often finds a cheaper option for a 6 lb box than the platform shows. ## Weighing and measuring right Off-platform labels price on the weight and size you type in. Guess low and USPS can charge the difference back to your account later. A small digital scale and a tape measure fix that. Weigh the packed box, not the item, and round up. ## Keeping the paper trail A label bought off-platform still needs the tracking number in the order. Paste it into the marketplace the same day so the sale shows as shipped and your seller protection stays in place. Save label receipts with your other costs. On Schedule C, shipping you pay is a business expense. ## Checklist - [ ] Use Poshmark and Whatnot labels for those orders - [ ] Compare eBay's label rate with Pirate Ship on heavy items - [ ] Weigh every packed box and round up - [ ] Measure boxes over a cubic foot - [ ] Paste off-platform tracking into the order the same day - [ ] Keep every label receipt for your records ## Kit for this - **[MUNBYN thermal label printer](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/munbyn-thermal-printer)** ($60 to $100): It takes the standard 4 × 6 inch labels that eBay, Poshmark, Mercari and Whatnot all generate, and generic labels work, so the running cost stays low. - **[4 × 6 in thermal labels, 500 fanfold](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/thermal-labels-fanfold)** ($8 to $16): Fanfold stacks feed flat behind the printer and hold more labels than a roll. 4 × 6 in matches the label size USPS, UPS and the marketplaces print. - **[500 g precision pocket scale](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/pocket-scale-500g)** ($8 to $15): Card orders often sit a fraction of an ounce from a postage price break. A precise small scale tells you whether a mailer stays in the cheaper weight step. ## Questions ### Is Pirate Ship free? Pirate Ship says it charges no monthly fee and no markup. You pay only the postage on each label. ### Can I use Pirate Ship for Poshmark sales? Poshmark sends its own prepaid label that the buyer already paid for, so there is no reason to buy another. ### Are eBay labels cheaper than Pirate Ship? Sometimes. Both use commercial rates. Compare the two on the order screen for anything over a pound or two. ### Which carriers does Pirate Ship offer? USPS and UPS, from US addresses. ### Do I need a thermal printer? No, a home printer and tape work. A thermal printer that takes 4 × 6 in labels saves time once you ship several orders a day. ### What if I enter the wrong weight? USPS can bill the shortfall later as an adjustment. Weigh the packed box and round up.