PayPal Shipping Label: How to Create One (and the Best Alternatives)

If you're looking to create a shipping label through PayPal, you've run into a complicated situation. PayPal still sells shipping labels — but through a new tool. On September 18, 2025 PayPal retired its old ShipStation-powered label service and moved sellers to its own PayPal Shipping Center. This guide explains how the new tool works, what changed, and when a free alternative is the better fit.

What Happened to PayPal Shipping Labels?

PayPal had a popular shipping label service for years. Sellers could go to a dedicated shipping page on PayPal, enter their order details, and get a discounted USPS label with postage included. It was simple, tied directly to PayPal payments, and widely used by eBay sellers (back when eBay and PayPal were the same company) and anyone selling through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or direct PayPal transactions.

For years that service ran on ShipStation. PayPal retired the ShipStation-powered version on September 18, 2025, and sellers could reprint, void or claim on old labels until January 16, 2026. In its place, PayPal now runs its own PayPal Shipping Center.

The change also reflects how PayPal's seller base shifted: PayPal and eBay split in 2015, and eBay later moved sellers to its own payment processing, so far fewer eBay labels run through PayPal today.

Does PayPal Still Offer Shipping Labels?

Yes. According to PayPal's help center, here's how the PayPal Shipping Center works today:

• Three ways in:“Buy a shipping label” in the Shipping Center, the “Buy a shipping label” button on an order's detail page, or “Print shipping label” next to a payment in your Activity list.
• Carriers: USPS, UPS and DHL Express. PayPal says you cannot create FedEx labels there.
• Cost:the tool is free; you pay the carrier's postage, at discounted rates, from a funding source in your PayPal Wallet.
• Label sizes: 8.5×11 (two 4×6 labels per sheet) or 4×6 for thermal printers — change it under Account Settings → shipping preferences.
• What it doesn't do: FedEx labels, or a label without buying postage through PayPal.

The bottom line: if you were happy buying postage through PayPal, the Shipping Center still does the job. If you need FedEx, want to compare more postage options, or just need a free label document, one of the alternatives below fits better.

How to Create a Shipping Label Through PayPal (What Still Works)

Here are PayPal's own steps for a domestic label:

1. Open the Buy a Label page — from the Shipping Center, an order's detail page, or “Print shipping label” in Activity.
2. Pick your shipping location. The customer's address fills in from the order.
3. Add any confirmations, insurance or special handling.
4. Click Calculate rates and choose a service.
5. Click Buy Label and pay from a funding source in your PayPal Wallet.
6. Print it from your browser, or download and save the PDF.

If you don't see the label option on a payment, open the Shipping Center directly, or use one of the alternatives below.

Note: older guides (including earlier versions of this one) said PayPal had shut labels down. That was the ShipStation-powered tool; the PayPal Shipping Center replaced it.

Best PayPal Shipping Label Alternatives (2026)

Here are the actual replacements, ranked by ease of use and relevance to different use cases:

1. ShippingLabel.co (Free, No Account Required)

The closest thing to what PayPal's label tool used to be: simple, fast, and doesn't require creating yet another account. Create a fully formatted shipping label in under two minutes:

• Works for USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL (not just USPS like PayPal)
• 4×6 thermal or 8.5×11 letter size
• No account required — just enter addresses and download PDF
• Bring the label to the post office and pay postage at the counter, or buy postage separately through Pirate Ship

Create a free label now →

2. Pirate Ship (Free + Discounted Postage)

Pirate Ship is the most popular PayPal shipping replacement for sellers who want discounted postage built in — the same kind of postage-included label that PayPal used to create. Pirate Ship gives you USPS Commercial Plus rates (up to 89% off retail) and UPS Ground Saver rates. Free to use — they earn on the postage margin.

• USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Express at commercial discount rates
• UPS Ground and UPS Ground Saver
• Requires a free account (email signup, no subscription fee)
• Excellent for eBay, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace sellers
• 4×6 thermal or letter paper labels

If you were using PayPal shipping primarily for the discounted USPS rates, Pirate Ship matches or beats those rates.

3. USPS Click-N-Ship (Official USPS Tool)

USPS's own label creation tool. Free USPS account required. Retail rates, not commercial discounts — so typically more expensive than Pirate Ship for the same service. Best if you want to stay with official USPS infrastructure.

• USPS services only
• Includes scheduled pickup feature (free)
• Retail rates
• Works with 4×6 thermal or letter paper

4. eBay Shipping Labels (For eBay Sellers)

If you're selling on eBay, eBay's Seller Hub has integrated shipping labels through their managed payments system. The labels are discounted (often cheaper than retail), and they auto-populate with your buyer's address. This replaced PayPal's old eBay-linked shipping tool.

• Works only for eBay orders
• USPS, UPS, FedEx, and other carriers depending on your region
• Integrated with eBay order management
• Discounted commercial rates

5. Shippo (For Volume Sellers)

Shippo offers a free tier for low-volume shippers and paid plans for higher volume. Multi-carrier (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and more), discount rates, address validation, and tracking. More features than you need if you're shipping casually, but good if you're running a small store.

• Multi-carrier support
• 5 free shipments/month, then $0.05/label
• Address validation included
• API available for custom integrations

6. Stamps.com (Best for USPS Power Users)

Stamps.com is a long-established USPS-authorized reseller with the highest available USPS discounts. It has a monthly subscription fee (from $14.99/month; $29.99 for unlimited labels) but includes a free starter kit. Good for businesses shipping 20+ USPS packages per month who want maximum USPS rates.

Comparison Table: PayPal Shipping Alternatives

Specific Use Cases: Which Alternative to Use

Facebook Marketplace Sellers

Facebook Marketplace has its own integrated shipping through ShipBob/ShipStation/GoShip depending on the listing type. For items marked as “Offer Shipping” on Facebook Marketplace:

• Facebook Marketplace shipping (available for eligible listings): Buyer pays, Facebook sends you a prepaid label via email. This is the easiest option — no third party needed.
• If using PayPal for payment (non-FB integrated): The buyer pays via PayPal, you create a label through Pirate Ship or our free label maker using the buyer's address from the PayPal transaction.

eBay Sellers (Who Used PayPal Shipping)

eBay Managed Payments replaced PayPal on eBay in 2021. If you were creating labels through PayPal for eBay sales before then, that workflow is gone. Now:

• Use eBay Seller Hub → Orders → Print Shipping Label for eBay orders. This gives discounted rates.
• For non-eBay orders, use Pirate Ship or our free label maker.

Craigslist / Direct PayPal Transactions

If you accept PayPal for private sales and need to ship, your workflow should now be:

1. Buyer pays you via PayPal (Goods & Services — never Friends & Family for shipping).
2. Open the PayPal transaction and check if the “Print shipping label” option is available. If it is, use it.
3. If not: go to Pirate Ship, enter the buyer's address (copied from the PayPal transaction), enter your return address, buy postage, and print the label.

Note: For PayPal Goods & Services transactions, the buyer is protected against non-delivery. Make sure you always ship with tracking and keep your tracking number.

Occasional Shippers (1–5 packages/month)

Use our free label maker. No account needed. Print the label, take it to USPS/UPS/FedEx and pay at the counter. This is the most frictionless option if you don't want to create accounts with yet another platform.

Step-by-Step: Create a Label Using Pirate Ship (PayPal Equivalent)

For most people who used PayPal shipping, Pirate Ship is the closest replacement. Here's the exact workflow:

1. Go to pirateship.com and create a free account (just email + password).
2. Click Ship in the dashboard.
3. Enter the Ship From address (your address). Pirate Ship saves this for future use.
4. Enter the Ship To address(buyer's address, copied from PayPal or your marketplace order). Pirate Ship validates it against USPS's database.
5. Enter package details: weight (weigh your package before creating the label — you're paying based on weight and destination), dimensions, and whether it's a flat rate box.
6. Select USPS service: Ground Advantage (cheapest, 2–5 days), Priority Mail (1–3 days), or Priority Express (overnight). Pirate Ship shows you the rate for each service.
7. Review the rate and click Buy Postage. Payment is via credit card or PayPal.
8. Download the label PDF and print on 4×6 thermal or letter paper.
9. Apply to package and drop at any USPS location, hand to your mail carrier, or schedule a free pickup at usps.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PayPal still have shipping labels?

Yes. The PayPal Shipping Center replaced the old ShipStation-powered tool on September 18, 2025. It sells USPS, UPS and DHL Express labels — not FedEx — and the tool itself is free; you pay for postage.

Where is the PayPal shipping label link?

Log in and open the PayPal Shipping Center, then choose “Buy a shipping label”. You can also start from an order's detail page, or click “Print shipping label” next to a payment in your Activity list.

How do I print a shipping label with PayPal?

Open the Buy a Label page → confirm the addresses → add any extras → Calculate rates → pick a service → Buy Label → print or download the PDF. Choose 4×6 or letter size under Account Settings → shipping preferences.

If the option isn't available, use Pirate Ship or our free label maker — both give you the same result (or better, since they support more carriers).

Can I create a USPS label for a PayPal sale?

Yes. Go to Pirate Ship (free account), enter the buyer's address from your PayPal payment notification, choose USPS service, and buy the label. The label is identical to what PayPal used to create — both use USPS tracking and the same barcode format.

Are PayPal shipping rates competitive?

When PayPal offered shipping labels, they provided standard USPS retail rates — not commercial discounts. Pirate Ship's Commercial Plus rates are typically cheaper. So switching to Pirate Ship isn't just a workaround; it's actually a better deal than PayPal shipping ever was.

What about PayPal shipping for international packages?

PayPal's label feature (even when it worked fully) only covered USPS domestic shipments. For international shipping, you need a tool like Pirate Ship (supports USPS First Class Package International, Priority Mail International) or Shippo (supports DHL, FedEx International, and others).

Related guides:

• How to Create a Shipping Label (complete guide)
• Cheapest Way to Ship a Package
• How to Ship on eBay (eBay Managed Payments guide)
• Free USPS Shipping Label Maker