Shipping labels

After you receive and process an order, the next step is to ship it. In order to ship your products, you will need to choose a shipping carrier and print a shipping label. A shipping label works like a stamp in that it shows that you’ve paid the proper amount of postage, but it also provides the relevant information necessary for the carrier to perform the delivery, like the address of the sender, the address of the recipient, the weight and dimensions of the package, and the requested service.

Merchants based in the United States can buy and print shipping labels for USPS domestic shipments right from the Ecwid admin. Order details are inserted automatically. Rates are lower than retail rates at the post office.

If you are not from the USA, or using another shipping service, or shipping internationally, you can buy shipping labels using apps from our App Market or directly on your shipping carrier’s website.

Buying and printing shipping labels from the Ecwid admin

You can buy and print a shipping label for domestic shipments via USPS from the Ecwid Admin. The cost is billed to you through your Ecwid account as the same payment method that you use to pay for your Ecwid subscription. Learn more in your Ecwid admin → My Profile → Billing and plans page.

To buy and print a shipping label:

1. From your Ecwid admin, go to My sales → Orders.
2. Click the order that you want to buy a shipping label for.
3. On the right, in the Shipping details section, click Buy shipping label:

4. Check the shipping address, select the type of packaging for this order, and specify the package details.
5. Select a shipping service from the suggested options.
6. On the right side, pay attention to the setting “Mark order as shipped and notify the customer by email.” If you select this option, the order status will automatically update to “Shipped” immediately after the shipping label is purchased, and the customer will receive an email with a tracking number. If you want to change the order status to “Shipped” manually after you’ve actually shipped the product, untick the checkbox.
7. Select a shipping service.
   Our reseller prices for shipping labels differ from the USPS retail prices. Some services are discounted and others are not.
8. In the Printer settings section, select your printer type and print a shipping label of the appropriate size: Regular laser (label size is 8.5 x 11 inches) or Label printer (label size is 4 x 6 inches).
9. Click Buy Shipping Label. Once the purchase is complete, you will see the shipping label details and a tracking number.
10. Click Print Shipping Label.

That’s it! You’ve printed a shipping label.

What’s next:

1. Place the printed shipping label on the box with the order and affix it securely with tape.
2. Request a pickup or find the nearby post office to hand over the package to the carrier. You can click "Schedule a pickup" or "Find a post office" on the shipping label details page to be redirected to the USPS website to finalize shipping.
3. Ship the order.

Other ways of buying shipping labels

If you ship internationally, or within the USA using carriers like FedEx, UPS, etc., (not USPS), you can’t currently print shipping labels from your Ecwid admin. You can print shipping labels directly on the carrier’s website. However, that will take extra time as you will need to manually enter the addresses, the order’s weight/size, etc.

You can save time by using apps from our App Market to buy and print shipping labels. The order details from your Ecwid admin will sync with the app, and you won’t have to enter the details manually.

The following apps can help you buy and print shipping labels:

• ShipStation
• ShippingEasy

FAQ

How do I print shipping labels for international USPS shipments?

For international USPS shipments, use apps from the App Market or print directly on the carrier’s website. From the Ecwid admin, you can print shipping labels only for USPS domestic shipments.

How do I print shipping labels for UPS, FedEx, etc.?

Currently, from the Ecwid admin, you can print shipping labels only for USPS. To print shipping labels for other carriers, consider using apps from the App Market or print directly on the carrier’s website.

How do I buy USPS insurance and extra services?

Currently, if you buy a shipping label from the Ecwid admin, there is no option to buy insurance or extra services. You can buy these extra services if you print a shipping label directly on the USPS website or by using apps from the App Market.

How do I void a shipping label purchased in the Ecwid admin?

First of all, do not use a shipping label that you want to void: don’t put it on a box and don’t get it scanned at a post office as it can’t be refunded at that point. Ideally, contact the Ecwid support team immediately after the purchase, and include the following details in your email:

• Your store ID (in the bottom left corner of your Ecwid admin).
• The order number with the shipping label you want to void.

The refund will be issued to the payment method that was charged for the voided shipping label. You can see it in your Ecwid admin → My Profile → Billing and plans.