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Prepaid Shipping Label: How to Create and Send One

A prepaid shipping label is a normal label that you pay for, so someone else can ship a package to you without paying anything. You buy it on a postage tool such as USPS Click-N-Ship, ups.com or fedex.com, put the other person's address as the sender, and send them the label as a PDF, a QR code or a printed sheet. They pack the box, attach or show the label, and drop it off. It costs the same as any other label — a 1 lb USPS Ground Advantage label is $8.74 to Zone 5 at July 2026 online prices — and a USPS label should be mailed on the ship date printed on it.

Step-by-step

1
Open a postage tool and start a new label
Use USPS Click-N-Ship on usps.com, ups.com, fedex.com, or a marketplace's own label tool if the sale happened there (eBay, for example, can send a buyer a return label for you). The postage tool is what charges you; ShippingLabel.co makes label PDFs but does not sell postage, so it cannot make a paid prepaid label on its own.
2
Put their address as the sender and yours as the recipient
This is the step people get wrong. The 'From' address is where the package starts — the buyer returning an item, or the person sending something to you. The 'To' address is where it should arrive: you, your shop or your warehouse. If you put your own address in both fields, the label is useless.
3
Enter the weight and size, then pick the service
Ask the sender to weigh the packed box, or use the weight of the original shipment plus the box. If the box weighs more than the label says, the carrier can charge the difference or send the package back, so round up. For light returns, USPS Ground Advantage is usually the cheapest tracked option; compare Priority Mail, UPS Ground or FedEx Ground for heavy boxes.
4
Pay and get the label
You pay when you buy the label. You get a PDF, and with some tools a QR code instead. USPS calls its QR code a Label Broker ID: a QR code with an 8–10 character code under it.
5
Send it: email, QR code or mail
Email or text the PDF if the sender has a printer. Send the QR code if they don't — they show it at a carrier location that prints labels (see the table below). If they have neither email nor a printer, print the label and mail it to them. If you have no printer either, USPS Label Delivery Service (an extra service in Click-N-Ship, $1.65 a label) has your letter carrier deliver the printed label to you.
6
They drop it off — then watch the tracking
The sender attaches the label (or has it printed from the QR code) and drops the package at a Post Office, UPS location or FedEx location, or books a pickup. USPS Package Pickup is free; UPS charges extra for a pickup. Once the package gets its first scan, tracking shows up under the tracking number on your label. If it doesn't, check with the sender before you assume it is lost — some packages are dropped in a box and only scanned later.

Good to know

•USPS: mail a Click-N-Ship label on the ship date you chose — USPS says stale-dated labels may be returned. Set the ship date to the day the sender will really drop it off.
•USPS refunds: an unused Click-N-Ship label can be refunded up to 60 days after you print it — in Shipping History for the first 30 days, then by emailing the Click-N-Ship Help Desk for days 31 to 60.
•UPS: you can void a label yourself for 90 days after you create it; from 90 to 180 days you must ask UPS; no voids after 180 days. UPS does not publish one expiry date for labels, so don't rely on a label you made months ago.
•FedEx does not publish a general label-validity period. Void an unused label in the FedEx tool you made it in, and make a new one if the sender waits a long time.
•Give the sender a deadline — for example 'please drop it off by Friday' — so the label is used while it is still valid.

When do you need a prepaid label?

Returns: a buyer wants to send an item back, and you pay the return shipping so they don't have to. Buying from someone: you want an item shipped to you and the seller has never bought postage. Repairs and trade-ins: a shop sends customers a label so they can mail in a device. In each case you control the carrier, the service and the cost.

Marketplaces often handle this for you. eBay lets a seller send a return label through the return request, and Amazon creates return labels itself. Outside a marketplace — a private sale, a website order, family — you make the label yourself as shown above.

How much does a prepaid shipping label cost?

Exactly the same as any other label. There is no prepaid fee; you just pay before the package ships. USPS online (commercial) prices from July 12, 2026, which Click-N-Ship charges:

Weight	Ground Advantage, Zone 5	Ground Advantage, Zone 8	Priority Mail, Zone 5
8 oz	$7.69	$8.40	$12.97
1 lb	$8.74	$10.67	$12.97
2 lb	$9.95	$12.87	$13.17
5 lb	$13.48	$19.19	$21.52

Prices change for the holidays

USPS holiday prices apply from October 4, 2026 to January 17, 2027 and add a little to each label. UPS and FedEx prices depend on your account and the route, so get a quote on their sites before you buy.

What if the sender has no printer?

If the sender has a printer and you sent a USPS Label Broker ID, they can also download the PDF: enter the ID and their ZIP Code in USPS's Label Broker tool and print it at home.

Carrier	No-printer option	Where it works
USPS	Label Broker ID (QR code) — the clerk prints the label free	Post Offices that offer Label Broker, and Label Broker kiosks (not every Post Office — use USPS's location finder)
USPS	Label Delivery Service — USPS prints the label and your carrier delivers it to you	$1.65 per label, added in Click-N-Ship; you then pass it on
UPS	Mobile barcode or QR code for eligible returns	Participating UPS locations, such as The UPS Store
FedEx	QR code — a team member prints the label	FedEx and participating retail locations (the QR email lists nearby ones)
Any	Print the PDF elsewhere, or you print it and mail it to them	A library or print shop; or by mail (adds a few days)

USPS vs UPS vs FedEx prepaid labels

A USPS prepaid label is usually the cheapest for small, light packages, and the sender can drop it at any Post Office or book a free pickup. A UPS prepaid label or FedEx prepaid label makes sense for heavier boxes or if you already ship on those accounts — UPS and FedEx both have QR-code options for returns. Whatever the carrier, the steps are the same: their address as sender, yours as recipient, then send the label.

Frequently asked questions

What is a prepaid shipping label?

A shipping label whose postage is already paid by someone other than the person mailing the package. The person who drops it off pays nothing. To the carrier it is an ordinary label: it scans the barcode and the package moves.

Can I send a prepaid label by text message?

Yes. Send the PDF or the QR code as an attachment in any messaging app. A QR code is easiest for someone without a printer: they show it at a carrier location that prints labels.

Do prepaid shipping labels expire?

A USPS Click-N-Ship label should be mailed on its ship date; stale-dated labels may be returned. UPS lets you void a label for 90 days (up to 180 with UPS's help) but publishes no single expiry. FedEx publishes no general window. Make the label close to when it will be used.

What happens if the prepaid label is never used?

Ask for a refund or void it. USPS refunds unused Click-N-Ship labels up to 60 days after printing; UPS voids within 90 days on ups.com. If you never void it, you may keep paying for postage nobody used.

Can I make a prepaid label on ShippingLabel.co?

No — ShippingLabel.co does not sell postage. Buy the prepaid label from USPS, UPS, FedEx or your marketplace. Use ShippingLabel.co when you only need a clean label layout, such as a return-address label or a label for postage billed to your own carrier account.