How to (Correctly) Write a Shipping Label? | Easyship Blog (2024)

Key Points:

• A shipping label provides all the necessary information to identify and deliver a package to its requested destination
• Ensuring you printed and filled out the correct shipping label protects you from financial loss because you know your parcel is delivered to its correct address
• An alternative to generating your shipping labels is through software solutions

Shipping labels might appear like irrelevant pieces of stickers glued to packages. But, they are much more important than just sticks glued to packages. Shipping labels provide the necessary information to the supply chain and help courier workers identify a package's origin and destination.

If there are no well-written shipping labels attached to the packages, the orders by the customers can get lost or mishandled, and this will lead to a poor reputation for the business.

This article will discuss everything you need to know about shipping labels, how to write a shipping label, and how Easyship can help ease the process of generating them.

What is a Shipping Label?

A shipping label, also known as a package label, provides all the necessary information to identify and deliver a package to its requested destination. The shipping label includes all vital details about the package, such as the departure location, destination address, weight, and content.

Shipping labels are used by all major couriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and virtually every courier across the globe. Although they have slight variations, they all contain crucial information about the shipping parcel. Without an accurate shipping label, packages will be delayed, delivered to the wrong address, or lost in transit.

Ensuring you printed and filled out the correct shipping label protects you from financial loss because you know your parcel is delivered to its correct address.

How to Write a Shipping Label: Explained

Generally, all major couriers contain the same information on a shipping label. We'll go over how to write a shipping label and address an envelope in this section.

How to address an envelope

Mailing an envelope requires less information than a package. For instance, the required information includes the following:

• Mailing/street address: This is the address for the intended recipient
• Stamp: This is an adhesive stamp to show the amount of money paid for a particular postage stamp
• Return address: This is also known as the mailing address. The mailing address can be used as a return address in the case of no delivery

How to write a shipping label on a box

While there may be slight differences among couriers, all shipping labels contain the same information, such as:

1. Service type: This is the method of shipping (i.e., Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express)
2. Sender name and address: This is the person who is sending the package to the recipient. This part is also used for the return address just in case
3. Recipient name and address: This is the destination of the package
4. Tracking number: This is the number that merchants and customers use to track the package online
5. Package weight: This includes the approximate weight of the package
6. Postal barcode: This is a scannable zip code used by postal workers to scan the package at checkpoints

Overall, writing the correct shipping address ensures your mail gets from point A to B. Without the right label, your package might be delayed, misplaced, or sent to the wrong address.

Related post: How to Create Shipments on Easyship

How to Create Shipping Labels

There are a couple of ways merchants can fill out and generate shipping labels. Couriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and others allow customers to quickly fill out shipping information for packages. Or, you can use a shipping platform with address validation features and automatic label generation.

Generated by the carrier

If you are shipping a few packages, you can create your shipping label manually on your carrier's website. Major carrier services like USPS, FedEx, UPS, eBay, DHL, and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) allow you to do this.

Although it is not the fastest means to get your shipping label, it'll work if you send a low volume of parcels or you're a small business.

You can create a label by visiting the carrier's website. Then, fill out the shipping label template, and save or print the file. Alternatively, you can visit your local post office and purchase USPS labels, place them on the side of the package, and send them off from there.

Creating labels online through a software/shipping platform

Another alternative to generating your shipping labels is through software solutions. There are several shipping label software options that you can easily integrate with your business. You can either pay-as-you-go or pay per month for their services. This cost usually depends on the size of your business.

Besides creating shipping labels, using a shipping platform comes with tools and features designed to help make your shipping experience easier. For instance, with a shipping platform for your business, you can validate your customers' shipping addresses with address validation software. This tool helps to fix errors, misspellings, or omitted data.

Automatically Generate Shipping Labels with Easyship

As an eCommerce merchant, you must be concerned about your customers receiving their products quickly and accurately, or you might lose them to your competitors and make a bad reputation for your business.

Besides potentially losing customers, shipping labels provide the necessary information to ensure a smooth supply chain. Plus, every piece of information written on a label contributes to fast parcel delivery to the destination.

However, manually generating a shipping label can be tedious, especially when you have thousands of packages to ship within the United States or internationally.

With Easyship, you can automatically generate and print shipping labels easily for all your shipments. Easyship users enjoy the premium shipping features such as the following:

• Shipping Dashboard: Manage orders and create shipments instantly in the Shipping Dashboard. Plus, keep track of all your delivery lead times in one place for your business
• Automatic Label Generation: Printed labels for shipping, packing slips, and customs declarations are all generated for your shipments with Easyship.
• Address Validation Software: Reduce the risk of failed delivery by ensuring customer addresses are complete with Easyship's address validation software

Users can simplify their shipping process by using a shipping platform like Easyship, especially with automatic label generation software and address validation software. Instead of running the risk of having incomplete or inaccurate shipping labels, Easyship does that – in seconds.

Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and access automatic label generation for all your domestic and international shipments.

Shipping Label FAQ

Can you handwrite a shipping label?

You can (as long as it's eligible). Ensure that you write the address and name in the upper left corner and the name and mailing address in the center-right of the package box. Also, note that you will need to get a generated barcode from your chosen courier.

Do you have to print shipping labels?

Yes, you do, except you want to handwrite the label on the parcel.

If you found this article informative, you may enjoy the following:

• What's the Cheapest Way to Ship Internationally in 2022?
• How To Deal With Shipping Delays (and Keep Your Customers Happy)
• Improve Your Shipping Process for Your Small Businesses