Sip and Ship

Sip & Ship is a first-rate business run by longtime local owners, with a top-notch staff that goes above and beyond to provide great mailbox and shipping services — and excellent coffee! — to their customers. I have been a customer of Sip & Ship in Ballard for more than a decade, using both shipping and (more recently) mailbox services. I especially appreciate the fact that I can bring in something that I need to have shipped, hand it over, and know that it will be packaged and shipped with a great deal of competence and care, using whichever shipping or mailing service matches my needs for delivery time and cost. It's also a great place to pick up a card or gift and mail it on the spot. They are true professionals, and an asset to the community.

FYI you can print for free at the library. Re the owners reply b/c it’s incredibly disingenuous: The “sign” is a wrinkled piece of paper taped to the back of your computer monitor. When I asked to get something printed, the worker told me to email it. Another option wasn’t offered, nor was the fee mentioned. Out of curiosity, what is the marginal cost to your business to receive an email? < $0.01? The fact the fee doesn’t apply if you bring a flash drive in 2024 proves the duplicity of the fee. Give me a break. —————— But today the library printers were down so I went to get something printed here. They quote a black and white print at 30 cents per page but actually end up charging you $2.83 because they charge a $2.50 “email fee” when you send them the document you want printed. The only way to avoid this hidden fee that they don’t tell you about until after printing is if you bring a physical flash drive. Clever. The library front desk actually had a sign up during the outage that said Sip and Ship charges 30 cents per page. For the good of humanity, I hope Sip and Ship didn’t intentionally lie to the librarian over the phone. Not a good look.

Stopped by this place after a recommendation. Unique shipping store with good selection of cards, candles, T shirts and other gift items. Also has a cafe with variety of beverages and snacks. The barista was friendly and our latte tasted great made fresh. Limited parking behind the store.

This store is a neighborhood treasure... actually a 2 neighborhood treasure (needed both locations). Just love, love love these people. At some point or another, we've used just about all their mailing and professional services... plus had more than a few of their delicious cookies. Trusted them with both time sensitive and sensitive stuff (important/valuable to us)... even while traveling... and they ALWAYS come through in a way you that you can count on AND doesn't make you feel like a number. Never write reviews, but we can't recommend the Sip and Ship enough.

Good for gifts but hard to use for shipping services or coffee as they don’t open until 10am. If they eventually opened for standard working hours they would receive more patronage from us and other Ballard area employees and businesses.

Packed up and shipped a birthday gift for me. Reasonable prices! Happy to support a local shop

It is a great store with helpful workers, but please avoid if you have urgent shipping needs. I went there on Saturday, and I had a very urgent shipment to SF. I told them over and over that I had a very urgent shipment, I did not care how much it would cost as long as I used the fastest service. They told me that the USPS service I bought would ensure my package would get to SF on Monday. My envelope was not picked up until MONDAY EVENING from the store, and it made it to SF on Wednesday. Now, I understand if USPS had a delay — there is nothing they could do about that. But they should have known my package would not be picked up until Monday evening, and I am very angry. I wish I just went to a UPS store instead. They presumably costed me to miss a very important work meeting because my package had visa application materials.

Sadly this place has some very nice staff, wonderful merchandise, and delicious lavender lemonade. It's just not that warm of a place for everyone. I paid a lot to receive packages and an important Fedex was lost and placed into a different customer's box. I was handed boxes belonging to another customer, and somehow my boxes were often opened and vandalized with 666s written and blood and holes vandalized on items. When I brought up the magnitude of the financial losses with the owner and that my boxes had been opened, she shrugged and asked me if my dog would like a treat. 'Sip and Ship is one more adorable business that's just not welcoming to you if you happen to not be the right religion or person.

As a current customer and former employee, I can attest to Sip and Ship's integrity and efficiency as a business. Amazing management and ownership, constant dedication to their employees, and a drive to enhance customer experience were just a few things I noticed during my time there. As an employee, Sip and Ship truly engages with you as a member of a wider family and strives to build your character. I still go into the shop and am greeted with the same generosity as before. I would recommend Sip and Ship to anyone looking for employment. As a customer, Sip and Ship offers services I can't find anywhere else. It truly is a one-stop-shop, which can be hard to find (not to mention the additional customer service!). I see people connecting over coffee, hurrying to print out flyers for their band, and businesspeople shipping items internationally simultaneously. Pretty cool mix! To anyone considering Sip and Ship, remember that they're extremely adaptable. They can easily find a solution that fits whatever package or issue you may have, no matter the complexity. That is what I believe separates them from a conventional store.

Love having this cute little coffee shop and shipping center nearby. It is great for dropping off packages through ups or fedex. They are always very friendly when I have visited. The retail section has lots of fun stationery and other products for gift giving. I also enjoy their coffee and pastry selection. They even have sandwiches which are quite good when toasted!

I went there to get some documents notarized today and the notary wouldn't do it because the fields for notary info were wrong. I told her she could just write it in the ample space I left for the notary info, but she said she was uncomfortable doing that. This is the same document I've gotten notarized before for my kids to travel internationally with their grandmother. It's the exact same document, just with different dates. I've even gotten it notarized at this exact same place with a different notary. After she refused, I told her we could just take it somewhere else. She told me they probably won't do it either. We went to The Mailbox where they notarized it without issue.

Sip and Ship is such a godsend. I have had a few stressful personal situations over the past few years where I have had to get something notarized and mail it in a hurry and just haven't had the emotional energy or time to wait on an endless line at the post office. Sip and Ship has notary and mailing services and I am in and out quickly. Yes there is a markup on certain services but sometimes it is just worth it. Staff is so helpful and kind and it's just a pleasant environment. And you can get a delicious coffee or cute gift on your way out. I am so glad to be near the Ballard location!

Ever had that doubt? What if it was cheaper to send via USPS or what if that other service got there faster? This place solves the question because you can COMPARE prices & speed, buy a local item to throw in with your package to aunt Barbara, & get a cappuccino while you're doing it. Pretty great.

I really wanted to like this place - how convenient is it to be able to send Fedex, UPS, USPS all at one place, and order coffee too? Though the people there are friendly in general; unfortunately I found them to be VERY dishonest. They charged me 35% more than what would have cost me at a local post office without being transparent about the fee EVEN THOUGH I HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED whether they had the same price as USPS! Do yourself a favor and go to the local post offices instead. I had a package that I needed to send through a USPS priority mail flat rate box. Called ahead specifically to ask them "do you charge the same price as postal offices if I send USPS mail with you". The guy that replied me said "Yes, we do USPS here" (now thinking back I think he purposely avoided my direct question) - I then followed up and asked again "So it'll be the same price no matter I send through you or the post offices?" and GOT A SECOND "YES" from him. Then I went to the store to send my box - tuned out they are charging a priority Medium box for almost $23! That is a 35% up charge from $17.05 that is charged at the local post offices! You could have been honest with me regarding the charge. This is such disappointingly dishonest business and it really gave me some sour taste. I used to come by to get coffee sometimes now I'll actively avoid them. Reading through some previous reviews from others I realized that many ppl had been surprised by these fees as well. What I dislike is that they weren't transparent as they claimed to be. Say how much fee you are charging without trying to hide it or dodging the questions! Then we as customers can decide whether your service is worth this fee.

Sip and ship is amazing! I had to get a stack of documents notarized and witnessed quickly and they were super professional and helped me through the whole process, also got them mailed out for me. I love the coffee shop and gifts too they offer. Such a wonderful business!

Wish I visited sooner! I had to ship six large boxes because I was moving out of Seattle. I had a ton of questions, and the Sip and Ship Ballard team was super transparent and accommodating in making it a smooth experience. I wasn't in a rush to receive the boxes, but 5/6 boxes arrived to my intended destination in great condition within two days, with the 6th box scheduled to arrive tomorrow. It also ended up costing me a couple hundred dollars less than I expected. Thanks for the help!

This place is a toss up for me. I love the staff. They are so nice. They have some fun curio presents, and the bakery is numm numm! But their rates are ridiculous for anything I have attempted on the shipping/office side. Post office boxes are $150 for 3 months (vs $140 for a year at the post office). Faxing is $1.50 a sheet, and I had 2 stacks of insurance paperwork, each at least 15-17 pages. No freaking way could I afford them for what I need, which is a shame b/c i'd rather support them than the chains.

I've used Sip and Ship for shipping, inventory management + fulfillment, and mailbox services since 2014. Diana and her team are exceptional -- professional, efficient, and bring great energy to their work and to the shop(s). The coffee shop + boutique is really well curated and always full of good fuel + treasures. Highly recommend as a personal and business resource!

Just a treasure of a place! When we moved out of Seattle one of the things we really missed was Sip and Ship! So much better than any combination of FedEx UPS and USPS! Really a gem.

I was excited that they accept different packages for to be dropped off (which is weird being so close to FedEx (two doors down)), so I came here with my prelabeled UPS shipment. When you walk in (probably for COVID protocols) there are a set of arrows on the ground directing you to the ship counter (to your right) and another set of arrows directing you to the sip counter (straight ahead). There are also items for purchase throughout the place - cards, mugs, little knick-knacks, etc. A very small store, but I would find it cute and quaint. They offer lots of beverage options and even a small pastry collection to choose from on the sip side. Today when I was in there I ordered a snickerdoodle latte (12 oz) and it had a very subtle flavor of snickerdoodle. Also it was $5.06 and yes, they took cash! I had exact change so I don't know if anything else would have been an issue. Fantastic service from both counters. If I have a package drop off again I will be more than happy to return and grab a coffee on the way out!

Completely useless. Asked questions that they just ignored. Seemed to not want to help us because we're from NJ.

This team is the best! The virtual mailbox program is brilliant. Also very cool to see a local business that loves supporting other local businesses and their community.

The "flower power" coffee is soooo good! And the customer service is so good! Super under rated.

So the people here are nice but they charge for USPS boxes that are FREE at the post office which is literally two blocks away (nothing but the box was used for shipping, no padding or bubble wrap or anything). They're not the most attentive when it comes to labels either, they shipped something my girlfriend had forgotten to put a label on because their mail person was there to pick packages up and rushed her to finish so it could ship out. The coffee is just ok but the store has a bunch of cool little things around

Love it! I was staying nearby and was looking for a breakfast joint and a quiet place to gather my thoughts. S&S was right across the street from me. Such a unique concept. Why rush through the day? Come it for a sip (oh there's food too), write a note, fuel the body, then send that note out. Greet upon entering by Diana, who is so welcoming that even if you are undecided, her gentle smile and manners will draw you in. She said there was fresh scones today and that thought drew me in further. I'm a sucker for scones so after my classic breakfast, I had that scone and it was good. The classic breakfast sandwich was served hot and the ingredients tasted "healthy", if you know what I mean. The selection of cards were also very good. Where else can you find a card that said "someone in Ballard loves you"? The sign outside is appropriately worded "Mail made fun! Your modern day post office" sip shop shop.

I come here for all of my shipping and some of my sipping needs. Everyone is friendly and competent. They have notary services here as well, which I have used in the past. **COFFEE SNOB OPINION AHEAD** Espresso is a little hit or miss. I've had a dynamite latte, but I've also had some borderline bitter/acrid ones too. I like my coffee to taste like coffee, so mine aren't sugary which means any unwanted bitterness has no where to hide. Definitely better than Charbucks, and the pricing here is phenomenal. For a sure bet I'd go to Ballard Coffee Works, but I'll definitely keep trying here too.

A Ballard staple. Solid coffee and whatever pastries they have on hand will not disappoint. It's also a fun store to poke around, and you can even get quite a bit done there if you are in a shipping mood. Everyone who works here is extremely pleasant and helpful.

Had to get something shipped in a hurry, so I walked in with my item not sealed or packed. The kind folks at the register understood my rush, and very quickly got me the best shipping option (with insurance!) for my needs, assured me everything would be packed & sealed safely, and got me back on my way in just a couple minutes. The package arrived at its destination safely -- a testament to these folks' professionalism, efficiency, and packing ability! Thanks!

Came here to get some documents notarized. Staff was very friendly and helped me quickly - without me needing an appointment. Shop is pretty cute and has some great items to browse as well as a cute coffee shop. Would certainly recommend! There is a small parking lot directly behind the shop that is accessed from the main road - otherwise need to find street parking.

I have used a local shipping business just blocks from my home but instead I've been shipping and shopping at Sip & Ship for years. Why? Quite frankly, it's the service. They are SO friendly and lovely and really work hard to find me the best rate to ship--which I really appreciate. This photo (which I snagged off their website) of the owner says it all; friendly and professional. This, plus the coffee, snacks and the gift shop make this little shop a place I actually look forward to visiting because they really take care of you. What's not to love about

Just got thoroughly scammed by this place. They quoted me $23 to ship a box. Woman rings me up and the total is $31. I have a confused look on my face, so she tells me "oh yeah, the box is 8 dollars". 8 dollars! For a used piece of cardboard that someone else's mail came in and they got for free. On top of that they also charge a significant service fee, so just go to UPS/FedEx/USPS directly and you'll definitely pay less. Enjoy the 8 bucks. Definitely won't be back.

My now wife and I recently had to ship a lot of boxes for our destination wedding (including many breakables). The woman that helped us at Sip and Ship was incredibly helpful and very delicately wrapped everything by hand to ensure safe travels. All of our boxes arrived to our destination unharmed. I'm so grateful for their attentiveness and professionalism. I also stopped in to Sip and Ship to pick up some thank you notes. It happened to be Customer Appreciation Day and Sip and Ship was giving out free lattes to all customers! Such great service! I will certainly continue to use Sip and Ship for my shipping needs.

Great neighborhood spot for treats, gifts and all of your mailing needs. Fast, friendly service.

Caffeine and connection! A brilliant way to send out love. Cards and gifts and postage all in one.

Amazing customer service , reasonably priced and a homey environment you don't find in most stores these days . Will definitely be coming back

Any time I need to mail or ship something, my go-to is Sip and Ship! Their staff is always SO HELPFUL and friendly -- exactly what you'd imagine from the local neighborhood business. They have a café, beer/wine selection, and small gift shop that you can peruse while you wait in line for shipping. I love this place and can't recommend enough!

I do all my shipping at Sip & Ship in Ballard. The store is delightful and full of fun last minute items I often buy to add to the gifts I send. The staff is super helpful and kind. Such a pleasure to support this local spot!

Really is a one stop shop for all of your office needs! I needed to print something for work, ship a gift to a friend and a cup of coffee. I was in and out, completing all of my tasks within 10 minutes! Super friendly service and filled with great gift items! Thank you for making my life easier!

Sip and Ship is great. The team at Ballard helped me package up and ship out holiday gifts this year. So helpful with finding a box for an awkward shaped gift. And they got gift boxes to my team spread across 3 states in time for our work Zoom holiday party. AND I got myself a coffee each time so I had the full "Sip" and "Ship" experience. Highly recommend Sip and Ship and their friendly and efficient staff.

Always friendly and an amazing place to drop off packages. Smells amazing as you walk in- fresh brewed coffee is amazing. (Plus you can print labels at FedEx next door.)

Ok like the coffee is totally 2 thumbs up. Like the lines can be long and seat space is like limited. Can be like confusing when you look upstairs toward the loft it like looks like a 2nd level to sit maybe it's just me but it's not more seating. Wish they had more space dig the concept. I may try the ship one day to the sip, for now like I totally like the espresso. The ladies behind the counter are friendly so I say like good service.

The coffee and food are awesome, the gifts are mediocre, the mail service ranges from meh to HORRIBLE. They checked my ID maybe 1/6th of the times I picked up my mail, and it was almost never someone I had seen enough that I would believe they recognized me. Not at all secure. Plus, their markup on shipping is obscene. They wanted over $10 for books that would cost $3-5 to ship at the Post Office. No thank you. I understand that they have to have SOME markup, but 50-70% is a bit steep. Only ship there if you are desperate and can't go into the Post Office or directly to FedEx (about a 5 minute walk away) or UPS. Worse, one of the managers was verbally abusing her employees at Christmas time, was incredibly rude to us, and was parked in one of their "15-minute" spots and refused to move to allow us to pull our car through. "You'll have to back out." Back out??? INTO MARKET ST??? That's not safe for ANYONE. Not for the person in the car, not for people on the sidewalk, not for people driving in the street. We closed our mailbox as soon as we had obtained a REAL secure box at the Post Office and changed our address and have not set foot in there since.

The baristas have no training and can't pull a perfect shot to save a life. The manager and owner degrade their staff in front of customers. The store is constantly changing employees, so nothing ever goes right the first time. No one remembers you or what you order nor do they care. My biggest pet peeve about this store is when someone brings a box to drop off, the manager and owner and even staff just point you to where the drop off area is without taking it from you with a smile You have to pay for your package to be picked up and you might even have it lost! Thanks guys! I really hope to see this place close down in 2018 or just change the ownership and management. Your company is a joke. I wish I couldn't give a star at all. You deserve negative points

As someone who likes to send letters this is the perfect place for me! A cozy neighborhood coffee spot with a very practical twist! I also love their gifts -- I can tell they strive to support local businesses.

Sip and Ship rocks!!! We use this place for our business and they've always been reliable, before and during COVID. Thank you!

LOVE this place! Over the summer, their lavender lemonade is THE BEST! I also love everything they choose to sell- if you are ever in need of mermaid trinkets, this is your one stop shop. I can't say enough good things about this place, and that doesn't even include their mail services. I will say I like this one better than the Greenwood location- this one is much bigger!

Shady business practices when shipping items via USPS. I went there today to get postage for an item, and was given a quote on postage, based on weight. I paid the quoted amount, and when the postage was printed, I realized that they charged me 42% more than the actual price of postage. I asked if this was a mistake, and was told rudely, by the male employee, that this was the cost of doing business. I asked for a refund, and was told that they don't do refunds... and if I wanted to try, I would have to come back and talk to another staff member. Reading the reviews now, I realize many people have been tricked by this hidden fee. I see responses from the business saying that they are "transparent about their fees," but this is not the case. Being transparent would be telling the customer, "postage cost this amount, but we have some fees, so we'll charge your card this other amount." What they did was the opposite. Do yourself a favor and walk around the block to the post office, go to FedEx down the street, or go to UPS down 15th... They have better customer service and won't price gouge you.

I spoke to a woman who I assumed was the owner today who was very friendly and helpful and who assured me that they could look after all my needs, but unfortunately needed my husband to notarise a document. I left. My husband returned after work only to be charged $10 per document to notarise and was advised that he needed to write all language or another $28 fee per page would also be charged. The notary had to be reminded several times to do it correctly (forgot to stamp a page, wrote the wrong information in the section and I have just discovered it wasn't initialed as a correction either but who's nit picking...). We are also just talking about certifying a photocopy is a true and accurate copy of the original here. Not buying a house. She was not pleasant throughout the encounter at all. As my husband was leaving he was then told he needed to add 2 more stamps to each letter. This was totally inaccurate information as a quick google and weigh can tell me that the amount was correct. Thankfully he was so furious with the entire encounter that he didn't buy more stamps, he just left. I appreciate that this took time for their staff member. I appreciate that I should pay for a service but this price per page seems spectacularly unreasonable. Go somewhere else you might ask? Well I will next time. Unfortunately we have not been in the USA long and had no idea about the process here (coming from a country where the service of a notary is a public (free) service provided to the community. Woman who I assume is the owner - thank you for being friendly and offering a great little store in my community. I wish you all the best. We will however not be returning here.

Absolutely fabulous. Amazing munchies ($$) and even better espressos ($$)...add those to a super chillax post office visit and it's a definite score. Keep it up gang, just keep wowing me .

Went in here with a friend because he had to ship an odd shaped and heavy object to Portland. He wasn't sure about prices so we planned to weigh out all the options, but the friendliness of the staff and inexpensive price (some 3rd party shippers inflate their price like crazy) we were sold! They've got coffee to drink, and a small area to work. Only one hipster with a laptop! There are lots of weird kitschy gifty items too like lavender soaps, greeting cards, wines.. anyway. Great place to ship something. There are boxes everywhere!

I just recently met the Divine Diana in person after years of watching her biz grow. She is a powerhouse of connection and helpfulness. It makes sense that she be the powerhouse behind Sip n Ship! Years ago, I regularly used the Ballard location for a client's shipping needs and always found it to be a pleasant experience. I loved standing in line and admiring the gifts for sale, as well as the opportunity to grab a snack! It's a pleasant and happy environment - and your blood sugar will never drop while you're waiting with the cafe there! Recently, I learned that they are launching a package pick up service, which is a great asset to my services as a professional organizer for my clients! I am excited to be reconnected to Sip N Ship and to now know Diana in person. WOOT WOO!

I love this place. They hire the nicest people that are also super helpful and knowledgeable. Special thank you to Amanda who took great care of my notarizing and certified mail. I love dropping my packages off there, it's super convenient and they are so much better than the UPS Store. If you live by a Sip and Ship I urge you to support this great local business and these fantastic local people.

Had a great experience for my first ever visit here. They helped me to get everything taken care of. Definitely recommend going here instead of a standard FedEx or UPS shipment location.

As far as I'm concerned, Elijah is the reason "sip" comes before "ship" in their name! I came in a month ago before an important interview elsewhere. He took my coffee order, wished me luck, and without a thought, I downed the doppio and departed. Last week, I came in to find Elijah back on the grinder right where I'd left him. Sure enough, he gave me an inquisitive look and said, "Hey! How was your interview?" After 3 whole weeks? Incredible! In a city of (more often than not) cold baristas, it was so heart-warming to be recognized and valued. He then proceeded to make an exquisite double espresso, the quality of which I was presumably oblivious the first time. Did I mention they have adorable gifts, supplies, wine, chocolate, and shipping services? Oh, you bet I'll be back. Often. I also heard a rumor they have wine tastings...

This week I've come to Sip & Ship twice. The first time, I brought all my Christmas gifts for the in-laws and had them box and ship it for me. The lady at the counter gave me options with prices and was even able to advise me which courier is more gentle with packages. I was very pleased with how easy the transaction was and felt that in comparison to the shipping I did last Christmas at the UPS Store, that this was much less expensive. The second visit was to grab a mocha and a pastry for my husband before I ran to the gym. He is very picky, and tends to complain about every place I get his coffee drinks from unless it's Starbucks but I did not want soy milk in my chai this morning so I went to Sip & Ship. To my surprise, he liked his mocha!!! Woohoo! The lady at the coffee counter was nice to chat with and while I was there I was able to pick up a few greeting cards also!

I love coming here! I've unfortunately been moving back and forth a lot over the past couple years, and if anyone has ever been in the same boat, you know how frustrating it can be to have to constantly change your address and have to keep everything filed away in your memory. I was tired of having to think about it each time my address was needed and decided to open a mailbox here. I'm so glad I did! While everything else has been topsy-turvy and super stressful, I know I at least only have one address to keep in mind and that I have a secure place my mail and deliveries can be held at. The few shipments I've done here have always been reasonably priced, and it's nice that they do not charge for tape like they do at the post office or UPS store. They'll even put your prepaid return labels on for you so you don't have to wait in line. Plus they serve HERKIMER coffee!! I can come in to check my mail, return that jacket I ordered on Amazon that's too small, have a tasty latte, and pick up a birthday card for my bff. How many places can you think of where you can check 4 errands off your list at once? Sometimes I even come in when I know I don't have mail, just because it's a pleasant place to be. :)

Convenience thy name is sip & ship! Love that this place is right around the corner from my house. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. The coffee is delicious. They have a notary available almost all the time. This is the only place I go for all my shipping needs!

I haven't reviewed this?? I AM an A-HOLE! I go here mainly for the "ship" part of the store, but the "sip" is good, too. Do you know that they have spare boxes laying around for your disposal? And they'll even put your item in, wrap it up, AND find the best deal / fastest way to send without even asking?? I brought a monchhichi in to be sent to my hubby's sister back east. No box, just an address. Within no time flat, it was in a box, addressed, and on it's way. These people are really helpful, and super friendly! The other stuff they sell in here is really awesome (little pricey) and the coffee is pretty good, too! Now go!