With the rise in eCommerce, people are buying more stuff online. And this includes office and paper supplies. In Australia, retailers like CraftOnline and others facilitate online sales of business supplies, school supplies, craft items, and other goods at affordable prices.
Among other things, you can purchase cardstock papers online. It’s a medium-weight paper with varying uses. In this article, learn about five things to remember when buying cardstock paper online.
Select the Type
There are different types of papers available at online stores. And you’re required to select the right type. If you’re buying cardstock paper, then you need to choose the cardstock paper type before placing the order.
The paper types you’re going to find are:
- Standard
- Cover or Cardstock
- Vellum Bristol
- Kraft
As you can see, cardstock paper is also known as cover paper. It’s lighter and thinner than cardboard but heavier than printer paper. In an online store, you must shop in the category that reads “cardstock paper” or “cover paper.” Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of receiving a completely different type of paper.
Select the Size Too
Along with the type, you’d also have to specify the size. Cardstock is available in different sizes, and the options would be:
- Letter size – This is the most common size used in letterheads, copy papers, and flyers. The size is 8.5X11 inches. It is almost identical in size to an A4 paper.
- Legal size – The legal size cardstock papers measure 8.5X14 inches and are slightly bigger than the letter size. These are ideal for folded brochures or bulletins.
- Ledger size – Also known as Tabloid size, ledger size measures 11X17 inches. It’s ideal for poster printing purposes.
- Digital format – Digital format cardstock paper measures 12X18 inches, and as the name suggests, it is used for digital printing.
- A1 – There are two types of A1-sized cardstock papers. The A1 Flat measures 3.5X4.875 inches, and the A1 Folded measures 4.875X7 to 3.5X4.875 inches.
- A2 – A2 flat measures 4.25X5.5 inches, and A2 folded measures 5.5X8.5 to 4.25X5.5 inches.
There are other paper sizes like A4, A6, A7, A9. You need to specify the dimensions accordingly.
You Can Get Free Shipping in Certain Cases
Most online retailers levy a shipping fee to cover the shipping cost. This cost is added to the product cost before you make the payment.
But you can avail of free shipping in some instances. For example, if you shop for more than a specific amount mentioned, the retailer will ship to your address free of cost. This might be AUD 50, AUD 100, or anything else.
Similarly, there are promo offers where you can avail of free shipping irrespective of the total price. So look out for such opportunities.
Be Prepared for Returns if Needed
Online retailers do an excellent job in shipping the right products that you’ve ordered. But at times, they end up sending the wrong packages. So instead of cardstock, you may receive construction papers. In such cases, you should opt for a return or exchange. This will likely cause some delays. So be prepared for such events.
Beware of Overseas Online Businesses
On the internet, you can buy from anyone in this world. While living in Australia, you can also buy from a retailer based in the US, UK, Vietnam, or anywhere. But take more precautions when dealing with them.
You should know about your online shopping rights and what you can do in case your products ordered from overseas turn out to be faulty and defective. As much as possible, you should purchase from local, national online retailers.
Australia has seen tremendous growth in online retailers allowing people to buy online and get the products delivered quickly.