Package In-Transit Coverage offers discounted insurance for packages shipped via major carriers, including UPS and U.S. Postal Service. The company has been providing package insurance since 1989 and has been helping online auction sellers for 4 years.

When you ship a package with a major carrier, USPS for example, you can purchase insurance coverage from Package In-Transit Coverage. The company offers insurance often less than that of the carriers, depending on the quantity of packages you ship and the value of the items.

Package In-Transit Coverage has a program for every size shipper. There are no minimum requirements. You can determine the program you should use by visiting http://www.u-pic.com/upic_products.asp. If you are a volume shipper (approximately 20 packages/day with an average value of $300 per package), the company recommends you use their Offline program. This gives you the best discounts, and you pay once a month.

If you ship approximately 5 packages/day with an average value of $150, they recommend you use their Stamp program. You pre-order a book of stamps and use them as you need them.

And if you ship between 1 and 5 packages/day, they recommend using the Online Ordering Program. You can see the rates for the Online Ordering program here: http://delta.u-pic.com/upic_online_rates.asp. (To compare to USPS rates, visit http://tinyurl.com/7fu4.)

For the Online Ordering Program, you must ship using a tracked method for USPS service, and no international insurance is available. There is a 50-cent fee per transaction. A spokesperson explained:

"Total fees works out to be 20 cents more than carrier rates for USPS shipments valued under $50. Otherwise it is 10 cents cheaper for all other carriers and USPS shipments valued over $50. We still insure thousands of pieces under $50, as most feel the 20 cent difference is their time to fill out PO forms, wait in line and hope to get paid on a claim."

What if you have to file a claim for a package that was sent via USPS? You must wait 30 days before submitting a claim to Package In-Transit Coverage. You must also submit a signed affidavit from the consignee (if you were the shipper), or the shipper (if you were the consignee) stating the item was damaged or lost.

Package In-Transit Coverage insures packages with a value of up to $1,000, while the USPS insures up to $5,000. Learn more at the Web site: http://www.parcelcovg.com.