 Unlike other sites which facilitate direct sales between users (such as Half.com), Lala.com paid shipping costs, which were recovered as an additional fee to the trade brokerage fee.As the site initially launched, members used envelopes pre-stamped with traditional postage (a $0.65 postage stamp) and a $0.49 shipping charge was added for each received disc.In addition to the gap between the actual cost of envelopes and postage and the fee charged, this approach represented a significant potential for lost revenue, as members in possession of these envelopes might not use them or could misplace them, with the postage having already been spent.