Reliable shipping and logistics are inseparable factors for small and mid-size businesses. If you own a small business, you must depend on a trusted shipping company, and UPS might be your top choice. However, shipping labels are something that you need to ship your packages to the right customers.
Does UPS print labels for free? Or, you might be eager to learn how to create a shipping label at the UPS website if you are just a beginner with shipping and everything in between. This guide will help you understand how UPS shipping labels work, what they cost, and how you can create one.
So, let’s get started.
What are Shipping Labels for UPS?
The United Parcel Service, or UPS, is known for its massive shipping and worldwide supply chain management systems. Not to mention, they are one of the greatest shipping careers in the globe. UPS started its journey in 1907 and remained one of the most convenient and reliable shipping companies.
With digitisation, creating and printing UPS shipping labels at home is now possible for easy logistics facilities. What’s a shipping label, by the way? A shipping label is a slip containing important information about the parcel to be shipped. On the other hand, a shipping label has numerous uses, such as:
- Inventory management
- Tracking of the package
- Inspection
- Keeping records and more
Additionally, a shipping label generally contains the following information to make the delivery easier:
- Source address
- Destination address
- Shipment’s weight
- Unique tracking code
- Additional shipping details
Therefore, a shipping label helps a parcel to reach its destination within the promised timespan. If any information needs to be corrected on the shipping label, the end customer might not receive it, or the courier can even discard it. Hence, it’s important to clearly print UPS shipping labels if you consider UPS as the courier partner.
In addition, your customer will be impressed by the service provided because of the right tracking information and swift shipping. Therefore, a shipping label plays a hidden yet great role in customer satisfaction and retention.
Will UPS Print You a Shipping Label for Free?
No, UPS charges a certain amount for creating and printing a shipping label. You can walk into the nearest UPS office or browse its official website for a shipping label. Moreover, UPS will print you a shipping label if you can’t proceed with it alone.
However, this might charge you up to $5 depending on the destination, shipment size, and weight. Also, note that UPS shipping label costs for Domestic Ground and Domestic air services will differ. For example, you can choose from the following labels according to your urgency under Domestic Air, and they might charge you differently:
- UPS Next Day Air Early
- Next Day Air
- Next Day Air Saver
- UPS 2nd Day Air
- UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.
However, you can request the courier to come with the shipping documentation and label if you opt for a doorstep pickup. A domestic shipping label might cost you US$0.50. At the same time, an electronic label can charge you US$1.00.
Printing and mailing UPS shipping labels may cost you US$2.25 per shipment. Moreover, you can visit a UPS store or UPS official website to know the exact cost of creating and printing a shipping label.
How to Create UPS Shipping Labels?
Remember, UPS lets you create a shipping label for free. However, you have to pay for printing the label and including additional features like postage, insurance, real-time tracking, and more. On the other hand, you must have a valid account with UPS. Otherwise, go to any UPS store to create an account before proceeding with how to create a UPS shipping label.
After that, here’s what you need to follow:
- Log into your UPS account after browsing UPS.com on your computer.
- Next, locate the option that says, “Create a shipment”.
- The portal will ask for your name and address under the ‘Ship from’ column. Hence, provide all the required information.
- Afterwards, you have to fill in the ‘ship to’ section. This section requires the recipient’s name and destination address.
- Now, you must provide the product details, such as:
- The product description or package content
- Package weight
- Volume or size
- After that, the portal will ask you to choose the delivery option. Select the service that suits your needs the best.
Then, all you have to do is pay to print the UPS shipping label. You can see multiple options for payment, so choose one. And, your shipping label will be ready to download.
Steps to Print UPS Shipping Labels
Perhaps you might have created a UPS shipping label but don’t know how to print it. You must print the shipping label, or else you can’t post the parcel. Here’s how to print UPS shipping labels with account number:
- Hopefully, you have generated the required shipment with UPS. Now, log into your UPS account if you have signed out.
- Next, navigate to the option called Manage Shipments.
- You can see all the shipments and respective shipping labels listed there. Next, select the shipment whose shipping label is required.
- Click the Download button next to the shipping label after choosing the right shipment.
This will download the shipping label on your mobile device or computer. You can print it as usual with your home or business printer. If you don’t have a printer and want that shipping label, you must visit a nearby UPS store.
How to print UPS labels from the tracking number? Ensure you visit the UPS store with all the required shipping information generated on the official UPS site. Ask any UPS store staff to print the shipping label for you, and they will.
Ways to Manage UPS Shipping Labels Efficiently
You can imagine how tedious it will be to walk into a UPS store every time your business gets an order. So, you need to manage something more to handle a large number of deliveries every day. Here are some practical tips that can help you keep track of your UPS shipping labels and more logistics-related.
- You can opt for third-party software to tackle shipping and labelling functions. The software will take care of regular creating, printing, and managing shipping labels.
- Additionally, you can partner with a third-party logistics provider that integrates with UPS. thus, the logistics provider will handle everything and you don’t have to step out every time to create a shipment.
- Lastly, it’s better to own a thermal printer. This is the best for printing shipping labels, signs, stickers, and more business merchandise at your home. No doubt, you will save time and money with a dedicated thermal printer.
Can You Arrange a UPS Pickup?
Yes, it’s possible that UPS will pick up the shipment from your location and post it to the destination. Here’s how you can claim it:
- Sign into your UPS account and choose ‘Payment Options’ from the drop-down menu.
- Next, opt for your account from the given choices.
- After that, click on Actions and choose Edit. Then, hit ‘Pickup Options’.
- Select the required option thereafter.
After all, fill out the form with the necessary details along with driver instructions. And, you can keep your package ready for pickup.
Summing up….
Hopefully, it helps with how to create and print a UPS shipping label for your business. You can use a UPS Prepaid Label for Worldship, UPS Internet Shipping, UPS CampusShip, and more. So, establish a standard shipping experience with UPS and a trusted third-party involvement.
