The Packaging Supplies Checklist for Shipping Online Orders

When you start selling online, the packaging setup is easy to overcomplicate and just as easy to underinvest in. You don't need a warehouse of supplies, but you do need a core kit that covers your parcel types without constant trips to the shops. This is the checklist of what actually earns its place on a dispatch bench, and what you can skip.

Boxes in two or three sizes

You don't need every box size, just the two or three that fit your products. A box that's too big wastes filler and postage, and one that's too small breaks things. Buy the sizes that match your catalogue, and buy them in bulk once you know your volumes, because boxes are one of the few supplies where buying more genuinely saves real money.

Mailers and padded envelopes

For flat and soft items, mailers beat boxes on both cost and postage weight. Poly mailers for clothing and soft goods, padded envelopes for small items that need a little protection. They're lighter and cheaper to send than boxes, which matters because postage is often priced by size band and weight, as our size guide explains.

Tape and how to use it

Buy proper parcel tape, not the thin office stuff, and apply it the H-tap method, one strip down the seam and two across the ends. Weak tape or a badly taped box is the most common cause of a parcel bursting open in transit, and it's a completely avoidable failure. A decent tape gun makes the job twice as fast and is worth the few pounds.

Scales, the non-negotiable

Digital scales are the single most important non-packaging item on the bench, because almost every shipping mistake traces back to a wrong weight. Weigh every parcel before you buy postage and you'll avoid the underpayment surcharges that eat your margin. A cheap set of scales pays for itself within a week of consistent shipping.

A sizing guide or templates

Alongside the scales, you need a way to check dimensions, because size bands matter as much as weight. A cardboard sizing template or a simple ruler for length, width and thickness catches the parcels that are about to jump a band, and it's the cheapest insurance against the surcharges that come from guessing wrong.

The label printer

A 4x6 thermal printer is the upgrade that turns dispatch from a chore into a routine. It prints self-adhesive labels with no ink and no smudging, and it's the standard tool for every marketplace and courier. If you're still using an inkjet and cutting labels out with scissors, this is the single highest-value purchase on this list, covered in our printer buying guide.

Labels to feed it

The printer is only as good as the labels, and the standard is 100 × 150mm direct thermal on a 25mm core. Buy a permanent-adhesive label so it stays stuck through sorting, and keep a spare roll on the shelf, because running out mid-dispatch is a self-inflicted problem. Our adhesive guide covers why permanent matters.

The filler and protection layer

Void fill, bubble wrap or paper, whatever suits your products, plus fragile tape or labels where needed. The rule is simple: enough protection that the item arrives intact, not so much that the parcel gets heavy and expensive. Overpacking costs you postage, underpacking costs you a damaged-item refund, and the sweet spot is worth finding for each product line.

The small extras that save time

Fragile labels, a marker pen, a box cutter, a tape gun, and somewhere to put the scales and printer that isn't the kitchen table. None of these are exciting, but together they're the difference between a dispatch routine that takes five minutes an order and one that takes twenty, and at volume that time is money.

Frequently asked questions

What packaging supplies do I actually need to start? Boxes or mailers in your product sizes, parcel tape, scales, a sizing guide and a 4x6 thermal printer with labels. That core covers most sellers.

Why do I need digital scales? Because wrong weights cause underpayment surcharges. Weighing every parcel before buying postage is the cheapest way to avoid them.

Is a thermal printer worth it for a small seller? Yes, it's the highest-value upgrade on the bench, printing self-adhesive labels with no ink and no smudging, and it pays for itself quickly.