Why Peak Season Preparation Matters
Last Black Friday, an unprepared seller watched their rating drop from 4.8 to 3.9 stars. The reason was simple. Shipping delays affected 30 percent of their 2,000 orders.
Black Friday represents the biggest sales opportunity of the year for ecommerce sellers. But it is also the highest risk period. Without proper preparation, your shipping system can turn holiday sales into customer complaints and negative reviews.
The stakes are clear:
- 84 percent of customers will not return after just one poor delivery experience
- Peak season surcharges can add 0.30 to 8.75 dollars per package
- Carrier capacity limits mean last minute shipments may not get picked up
This checklist helps you prepare before the rush begins. Let’s make sure you are ready.
Step 1: Confirm Your Carrier Capacities and Holiday Cutoffs
The Problem
During Black Friday week, carriers adjust pickup restrictions, change cutoff times, and apply peak season surcharges. If you do not confirm these details early, you risk delays and unexpected costs.
What You Need to Do
Check the key holiday deadlines:
USPS Priority Mail: December 18 for Christmas delivery
USPS Ground Advantage: December 16 for Christmas delivery
FedEx Ground: December 11 for Christmas delivery
UPS Ground: December 13 for Christmas delivery
Understand peak season surcharges:
- Peak season surcharges range from 0.30 to 8.75 dollars per package
- Demand based surcharges apply to high volume zones
- Residential delivery adds an additional 4 to 6 dollars per package
Use ShipBae's multi carrier rate comparison:
- Compare real time rates across USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL
- Identify the most cost effective option per shipment
- All fees are calculated upfront in ShipBae so you avoid surprise billing
Step 2: Set Up Real Time Tracking for All Orders
The Problem
WISMO inquiries (Where Is My Order) skyrocket during peak season. Without tracking visibility, customers panic and your support team becomes overwhelmed.
What You Need to Do
Enable real time tracking inside ShipBae:
- Track shipments across USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL in one dashboard
- Monitor automatic status updates
- Identify delays before customers notice
Share tracking with customers immediately:
- Send tracking numbers right after label creation
- Direct customers to carrier tracking pages
- Proactive communication reduces ticket volume
Monitor shipment exceptions:
- ShipBae flags delayed or stuck packages
- Intervene before customers complain
- Keep your team updated on risk shipments
The impact:
- 98 percent of consumers say delivery experience affects loyalty
- Proactive tracking communication significantly improves satisfaction
Step 3: Build Your Multi Carrier Strategy and Backup Plans
The Problem
Using a single carrier during Black Friday is risky. Weather, outages, and volume spikes can shut down a carrier for hours or days.
What You Need to Do
Recommended strategy for peak season:
- Primary options:
USPS Priority Mail (fast and reliable)
UPS Ground (stable, peace of mind)
- Economical options:
USPS Ground Advantage
UniUni (ultra cheap, covers about 65 percent of US territories, great for major metro areas)
- Backup option:
FedEx Ground (stable during peak season)
- Express option:
UPS 2nd Day (time sensitive orders)
Use ShipBae to switch instantly:
- Compare rates across USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL
- Pivot carriers with one click
- Avoid managing multiple carrier accounts
Diversify volume:
- Do not put all orders through one carrier
- Spread shipments across USPS, UPS, and FedEx
- Use UniUni for cost saving lanes where service is available
Real Seller Example:
"When FedEx went down during Black Friday, we switched to USPS instantly using ShipBae. Zero delays. Customers never felt it."
– Sarah J., Etsy Seller
Step 4: Verify Your Marketplace Integrations and Order Sync
The Problem
Black Friday increases order volume from all channels at once. If integrations fail, orders get missed and inventory errors multiply.
What You Need to Do
Test all marketplace connections:
- Verify Shopify, TikTok Shop, Temu, and others sync into ShipBae
- Confirm orders appear correctly
- Ensure inventory updates reflect across platforms
Run test orders:
- Place a test order on each marketplace
- Confirm it imports accurately into ShipBae
- Print a label and verify tracking syncs back
Enable address validation:
- ShipBae automatically catches input errors
- Reduces undeliverable packages by up to 8 percent
- Saves money on returns
Use bulk printing:
- Print 100 or more labels at once
- Pair labels with packing slips
- Speed up fulfillment dramatically
Quick Checklist:
[ ] Integrations active
[ ] Test orders sync correctly
[ ] Address validation on
[ ] Bulk printing tested
[ ] Packing slips ready
Step 5: Run a Full End to End Test Today
The Problem
Black Friday is not the time to discover that your printer, integrations, or carrier setup is broken.
What You Need to Do
Run a complete workflow test:
- Place 5 to 10 test orders
- Import them into ShipBae
- Compare rates across USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL
- Print labels and packing slips
- Confirm tracking syncs back to each store
Check your hardware and supplies:
- Test your thermal printer
- Stock up on label rolls
- Verify label size and printer settings
- Have a backup printer when possible
Prepare your team:
- Share this checklist
- Review ShipBae dashboards
- Assign clear roles
- Have backup communication ready
Verify backup systems:
- Confirm stable internet
- Set up a mobile hotspot
- Test access from multiple devices
- Prepare customer service scripts
System Test Checklist:
[ ] 10 test orders completed
[ ] Integrations working
[ ] Labels print correctly
[ ] Tracking syncs back
[ ] Address validation working
[ ] Rate comparison accurate
[ ] Team trained
[ ] Backup systems ready
Bonus: How ShipBae Saves You During Peak Season
- Multi carrier flexibility with USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL
- Real time rate comparison with full fee transparency
- Bulk label printing for high volume days
- Marketplace integration with Shopify, TikTok Shop, Temu, and more
- Centralized order and tracking management
- Address validation to reduce returns
- BaeGuard Insurance (coming soon) for fast claims
Your Black Friday Action Plan
Prepared sellers achieve:
- Zero delays
- Lower costs
- Fewer complaints
- Higher repeat purchase rates
- Maximum peak revenue
Unprepared sellers experience:
- Missed deadlines
- Surprise fees
- Overwhelmed support teams
- Negative reviews
- Lost sales
Get ShipBae Ready Now
Run this 5 step checklist today to ensure your shipping is bulletproof.
5 Steps to Peak Season Success:
- Confirm cutoffs and surcharges
- Enable real time tracking
- Build multi carrier and backup plans
- Verify integrations
- Run a full end to end test
Ready to survive and thrive this Black Friday?
Log in to ShipBae and get ready.
Not using ShipBae yet?
Start your free trial and unlock multi carrier rate comparison, bulk label printing, and real time tracking.
ShipBae is a multi carrier shipping platform for ecommerce sellers. Compare rates across USPS, UPS, FedEx, UniUni, and DHL, print labels in bulk, track shipments in one dashboard, and connect your marketplaces in minutes.
Visit http://shipbae.com
