What is a Shipping Label?

Attaching your shipping label to your package is an important part of package preparation and a task you should do with great care if you want your package to arrive at its destination safely and in one piece. Learn all about shipping labels so you understand this important step in your international shipping experience!

What Are They Used for?

Shipping labels are found on shipment boxes and they carry the most important information about the item(s) that you’re shipping. Without a shipping label, your package will have no destination, no recipient, and no way out of the country!

They serve to help carriers to ensure the safe arrival of your package. Each carrier has their own template/way of designing labels so they can be read by both people and machines. Every shipping label is unique and can only be used once.

What Information Does the Average Shipping Label Hold?

Usually, a shipping label has the following information:

• Name and address of the shipper
• Name, address, city and state of the receiver (postal codes included)
• Date, routing code, maxicode and tracking number
• Weight and quantity of the package
• Method of shipping, so carriers can place the package in the category it was paid for (standard, express, priority, etc.)
• Barcode for carriers to scan in and out of destinations
• Additional labels are a must if the package is fragile, flammable, etc.

Pack, Print, and Dispatch

Once the package is packed and ready for shipment in accordance with the carrier’s standards and protocols, it’s time to print the label before sending the package off to its destination.

PackageHopper makes it easy to get your shipping label for shipment! You’ll just need to print it out and attach it to your packages. The label we provide you includes all the information the carrier needs to get your package delivered to a friend—or customer—overseas.

There are numerous free label templates online if you prefer to make your own address/recipient label—but you’ll still need to use your carrier’s shipping label to actually ship it out.

And of course, don’t forget to stick your label to the package! Make sure it’s placed in a visible area, unobscured, and secure. Bumps or loose corners might lead to potential damaging, making the label unintelligible and thus useless.

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