Bathroom scales are not meant to weigh items below several pounds. I would not trust one below 20 pounds. Even if you stand on the scale and pick up and put down your package and hope that the difference is the weight of the package, you may be fooling yourself. Stand on the scale. Move your arms around. Lean to one side. Flex your knees. See how the scale changes? Probably much more than the 18 ounce weight of a package.

Digital kitchen scales these days automatically tare themselves (adjust to zero weight) when they turn on. If you want to make sure, or if you move the scale, press tare again. Digital scales do not have a knob to tare (not calibrate) the scale.

For any of you want to feel really good about your diet, go to a truck scale. Ask them politely to tare the scale. Then stand on it. You will weigh ZERO pounds. Eat as much as you want for the next month and then go back. You will still weigh ZERO pounds. Pat yourself on the back for having found a world class diet. Warning - don't actually try this. 1) They will probably laugh at you. 2) You may get hit by a semi while you are playing on the scale.

You need a scale with a range in line with what you are measuring. I am trained as an analytical chemist. When I need to weigh 10 mg (milligrams), I can not use a truck scale, a bathroom scale, or even one of the kitchen scales that we are discussing, I need an analytical balance.

I know that my postal scale weighs perfectly. When my package is 1 lb. 13 ounces at home, it is exactly the same at the post office when they weigh it.

I assume that your postal scale is not digital? I am frankly curious, because i have not seen a digital scale with a know, just an electronic tare button, but one could exist. I had an analog postal scale about 30 years ago, and it had a pointer and a knob to tare it. At some point, I switched to a digital kitchen scale Your instructions are perfect for anyone with a non-digital postal or bathroom scale.

@sandyf wrote:

My postal scale and my bathroom scales too have a knob to calibrate the scale. Look to see if your scale has one and if so every once in a while put your scale on a level hard surface and make sure it reads 0 with nothing on it. Mine has sometimes been set to over or under up to one or two ounces and I did not notice until I did the check.

@myst4au wrote:

I am trained as an analytical chemist.

Twin!!!! My research was in inorganic & metals chemistry actually.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2019 04:19AM by SoCalMama.

Isaiah, many years back I got a postal scale from stamps.com for free with one of their introductory offers and canceled within the 30 day intro period. They have a few different promos that will net you a scale right now, although the days of totally free are probably long gone, so double check the fine print if you go the stamps.com route.

My shop was approved.

Great to hear !

@eyelove2shop wrote:

My shop was approved.

Ive had the same experience.

@whiterosie wrote:

I do 60-80 of these shops a month. The only one ever rejected was the one that weighed in at less than 8 oz.

Wow! You must the scheduler's hero. That's a lot of packing.

I was accepted for a Hazmat job just a few days ago. Along with an acceptance email was a list of things to be careful of that are mistakes often made by shoppers. Prominent on the warning list was the warning to make sure your package is over one pound or the job will not be accepted and you will not get paid.