With the rising shipping prices and inflation, many business owners are looking for new ways to cut expenses. If you are just starting your business, you may not have the extra funds to buy or rent the machinery needed to smoothly run your business. This is when business owners start to get savvy and look for ways to save money without additional costs.
So, what is the solution? Find ways to print your own shipping labels to lower printing costs and help save money. After all, most shipping companies will give you discounted rates if you use them regularly for your shipments.
Many shipping companies, including UPS, USPS, and FedEx, offer a free thermal printer, but there are stipulations. In this article, we will discuss if these companies still offer free thermal printers and why investing in a premium shipping printer, such as Rollo may be better.
Can You Get A Free Thermal Printer From UPS?
If you are just starting your business, you may not realize the importance of owning a shipping label printer. It is an expense that most business owners think they can live without. However, owning a thermal printer can help you save a lot on ink and cartridges since thermal printers print using heat. If you are unable to buy a printer, some shipping companies will supply you with one free of charge and also provide free printing supplies.
UPS offers the Zebra LP 2844 free of charge or at a small weekly fee depending on your shipping volume. In addition to the free printer, they also offer free printing supplies including branded boxes, shipping tags, customs forms, label pouches, and blank thermal printing labels free of charge which can save you a ton of money. This printer is very basic and will not offer fancy features such as wireless printing.
How To Get The Zebra LP 2844 For Free?
Below we will go step by step to help you get the zebra thermal printer for free through UPS.
- Create an online business account with UPS.
- Enter all of the information that is required.
- Once the account is fully set up, you will have to call UPS customer support at 1-800-742-5877. You can reach them Monday through Friday from 7 am to 9 pm EST.
- There will be an automated system that will ask if you are looking for “Shipping Information” or if you want to “Track a package.”
- Enter 0 on your keypad to skip this and be directed to a customer service representative.
- Ask the rep to speak with an account manager to get your account fully set up and activated.
- The Account manager will step you through the process of opening an account with them.
- Once the account is open, you can discuss with your account manager about renting a printer from UPS.
- Typically, UPS will charge a weekly $3 fee to rent their printer, but the account manager will have the ability to waive this fee if you are shipping at high volumes.
Qualifying for a free thermal printer through UPS will be determined by the amount you are shipping in a month. You can expect to pay a weekly fee if you are not shipping often.
Note that while you can get a free or discounted printer in exchange for shipping with UPS, Rollo offers discounted shipping rates that are up to 90% off. It is important to consider the whole picture when considering expenses for your business.
Can You Get A Free Thermal Printer From USPS?
At this time, USPS does not offer a free thermal printer option. However, this does not mean they will not in the future. Check in with your local post office to see if they have programs that may qualify your business for a free printer.
If you want to primarily ship through USPS you may be better off investing in a thermal printer with a brand that contains all the features you need.
Rollo is a premium brand with advanced technology. The recently launched WiFi-enabled Wireless thermal printer gives you the ability to print labels from any device without the need to be plugged in or install any drivers. This is a feature that business owners have been waiting for.
Can You Get A Free Thermal Printer From FedEx?
It’s unclear if FedEx truly offers a free thermal printer to business account owners and if there is a weekly or monthly fee. If you can set up a business account with FedEx, you should be able to confirm this with an account manager.
A Comparison of the Zebra LP2844 and Rollo Wireless
Free is great, but you can expect the printer to have basic features. For example, you will not have access to using any brand of labels, adjusting label sizes, WiFi-enabled printing, and much more. Let’s do a quick comparison to see why it’s better to invest in a high-quality Rollo printer versus using a free or cheaper printer.
Zebra LP2844 Label Printer Features:
- Direct Thermal (LP)
- ABS double-walled casing
- OpenACCESS™ design
- Zebra Printer Management
- 32 bit RISC processor
- Resident scalable font
- Head-up sensor
Zebra LP2844 SPECIFICATIONS:
- Maximum Print Area Width: 4.09″/104 mm Length: 39″/990 mm (with standard memory)
- Print Speed: Maximum print speed 4″/102 mm per second
- Resolution: 203 dpi/8 dots per mm
- Memory Standard: 8MB SDRAM; 4MB Flash Optional: 8MB Flash with real-time clock (12 MB total)
- Programming Language: EPL
- Label and liner width: 1″/25.4 mm to 4.25″/108 mm
Rollo Wireless Label Printer SPECIFICATIONS:
- Printing Life: About 650,000 shipping labels (327,360 ft)
- Resolution: 203 dpi
- Max Printing Speed: 150 mm/second
- Supported Type: Direct Thermal
- Paper Width Supported: 4cm (1.57″) – 10.4cm (4.1″)
- AirPrint Certified (Apple Corporation MFi Program, 2021)
- Wi-Fi Certified (Wi-Fi Alliance, WFA110800, 2021)
- FCC ID: 2AWBKWFM1MW
- IC: 26068-WFM1MW
Why You Should Buy A High-Quality Direct Thermal Printer From Rollo Instead
It all comes down to longevity and the features you are looking for in a thermal printer. However, most business owners would agree that buying your own thermal label printer will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Below we will go over some of the pros and cons of going with a free printer supplied by UPS or FedEx.
Pros
- Low weekly fee (or possibly free) – This means you do not have to come up with a large sum of money all at once.
- You can order your labels for free right through the shipping company’s website.
- If something does go wrong, the shipping company will send you a new printer.
Cons
- You will get a very basic printer that does not contain advanced features such as wireless printing.
- You have to pay a weekly fee and the printer is not truly yours at the end of the day.
- You are locked into shipping from one shipping company rather than choosing who you want to ship with. This is especially true if you get the printer free as you will have to ship high volumes through that specific company. The shipping rates you negotiate with that specific company are unlikely to be cheaper than rates through Rollo Ship platform due to Rollo’s large user base which gives it a heavy leverage to negotiate lower rates.
In the long run, spending the extra money upfront and investing in a Rollo printer is much better. These printers are built for longevity and utilize the newest technology. Plus, Rollo has an amazing customer support team ready to help you with any issues you may encounter.
Rollo’s setup is extremely easy, allowing you to connect to your device and print labels within minutes quickly. Check out videos on the Rollo website and social media pages to help guide you.
While free is great, you have to consider the future of your business. No one wants to be tied to a thermal printer with limitations. Investing in a Rollo Wireless printer is investing in the future of your company. Plus, Rollo offers easy monthly payments through Klarna to make owning a Rollo printer possible for any business.
