A valid shipping label can be created online in minutes through three main routes: a carrier's own website, an online label generator or marketplace tool, or an aggregator platform that auto-generates labels across several carriers, such as Simply Parcel. Whichever route you pick, you will need sender and recipient addresses, package weight and dimensions, a service level, and a payment method, plus customs details for international mail. The finished label downloads as a PDF for office printers or a file formatted for thermal printers.
TL;DR:
- For a single domestic parcel, use the carrier’s site; marketplace tools suit occasional sellers, while aggregators compare carriers and prepare international customs forms.
- Weigh and measure packages instead of estimating, verify postal codes, and print one test label to check that its barcode scans before printing a batch.
- For international parcels, enter item descriptions, quantities, values, origin, and requested tariff codes; vague declarations can delay, refuse, or return shipments.
- Regular shippers can import sales data by CSV or automate label creation, but should confirm address and weight columns map correctly before batch printing.
Table of Contents
- Which method should you use to create a shipping label online?
- Steps to create a correct shipping label online
- Printing formats that scan and clear customs
- International customs requirements tied to your label
- Automating and bulk-creating labels as a seller
- How Simply Parcel handles online label creation
- When should you DIY a label versus use a platform?
- Get your shipping label and pickup arranged in one step
- FAQ
- Sources
Which method should you use to create a shipping label online?
The right tool depends on how often you ship and where your package is going. Carrier websites work well for a single, official shipment because they use the carrier's own forms and connect you directly to that carrier's support if something goes wrong. They tend to be the simplest choice when you already know exactly which carrier you want and only need one label.
Label generators and marketplace tools, built into platforms like e-commerce stores, offer convenience and editable templates, letting you add your logo or adjust layout before printing. They suit sellers who already have an established workflow with one marketplace and do not need to compare rates across providers.
Aggregator platforms sit above both of these. They let you compare rates across multiple carriers, generate labels automatically, and, for international parcels, produce customs documentation alongside the label itself. Some aggregator platforms pull in various service options so you can weigh speed against cost in one place.
- Single domestic parcel: a carrier site is usually fastest.
- Occasional online seller: a marketplace's built-in label tool saves steps.
- International or multi-carrier shipper: an aggregator saves time on rate comparison and customs paperwork.
Steps to create a correct shipping label online
Getting the label right the first time avoids returned mail, failed scans, and customs holds. Work through these steps in order.
- Verify sender and recipient addresses. Double-check postal codes and, for international addresses, confirm the correct format for that country since street order and code placement vary widely.
- Weigh and measure the package. Use a scale and tape measure rather than estimates, and choose the packaging type (box, poly bag, envelope) that matches what you are sending.
- Select a service level and declared value. Add signature on delivery for higher-value items, and decide whether you want optional insurance coverage.
- Complete customs fields for international shipments. This includes item description, quantity, value, and origin before you move to payment, since incomplete data is the most common cause of delays.
- Pay, download the label, and save the tracking number. Do a single test print first to confirm the layout fits your label size and the barcode is sharp before printing a full batch.
Pro Tip: Print one label first and scan it with a phone barcode app before committing to a full print run. It catches scaling errors before they cost you reprints.
Printing formats that scan and clear customs
A label that looks fine on screen can still fail at the carrier's scanner if it prints wrong. PDF labels suit standard office printers and let you fit several on one page, while thermal labels print one at a time on dedicated label printers, with no ink to smudge.
- Keep barcodes high-contrast with no smudging, and leave the margin space the label template specifies.
- Attach the label to a flat, non-seamed surface since curved edges and tape ridges distort barcode readings.
- For international mail, place customs paperwork in a transparent pouch rather than taping it directly to the box, which keeps the form visible and dry in transit.
- If you lack a printer, many retail shipping counters and copy shops can print a label file from a USB drive or an emailed PDF.
Our guide to printing shipping labels in Singapore walks through local printing options step by step, and our notes on attaching a label so it scans cover pouch placement in more detail.
Pro Tip: Store a few spare transparent document pouches with your shipping supplies. They cost little and solve the single most common cause of damaged customs paperwork.
International customs requirements tied to your label
An international shipping label is never just a label. It travels with customs data that determines whether your parcel clears quickly or gets held. UPU guidance places responsibility for accurate customs declarations on the sender and recommends structured electronic data such as CN22, CN23, or ITMATT formats over handwritten forms, since electronic data is read and processed automatically rather than keyed in manually by a customs officer.
The WCO–UPU postal customs guide maps the familiar paper CN22 and CN23 forms to their electronic equivalents and encourages senders to use online systems that capture this data directly rather than filling out a paper slip by hand.
Fields you will typically need to complete include:
- Item description, quantity, and declared value for each item.
- Country of origin and, when requested, a tariff or HS code.
- Any license or permit numbers for restricted goods.
- Confirmation of whether the shipment is delivered-duty-paid or postage-only, since this determines who pays taxes and duties at the border.
Missing or vague customs data is one of the most common reasons international parcels are delayed, refused, or returned, according to joint UPU and WCO guidance, which stresses precise descriptions and values over generic labels like "gift" or "documents."
Automating and bulk-creating labels as a seller
Once you are shipping regularly, printing labels one at a time stops making sense. Most marketplace and aggregator platforms support bulk workflows that save real time and cut errors.
- Import orders by CSV into your label platform, checking that address and weight columns map correctly before you generate a batch, since a misaligned column is the most common bulk-printing mistake.
- Use APIs or built-in automation where available, since these send advance electronic data to customs systems and reduce the manual re-entry that causes delays on individual shipments.
- Plan your printing hardware for volume, pairing a label-roll thermal printer with a barcode scanner so you can verify each label against its order before it ships.
Our guide to automating shipping labels for sellers covers the setup in more depth for anyone moving from occasional to regular shipping.
How Simply Parcel handles online label creation
We built our platform around the same workflow this guide describes, but with the rate comparison and documentation steps handled automatically. Our platform generates the shipping label and the required customs paperwork together, and provides options to compare different speeds before you commit to one. Real-time tracking and pickup scheduling are part of the same booking, so you are not juggling separate tools for each step.
This suits individuals sending a parcel abroad for the first time just as well as small businesses that want pickup arranged and documentation handled without manually filling in customs fields each time. Our printing instructions for Singapore and label attachment guidance cover the practical side once your label is generated.
When should you DIY a label versus use a platform?
A single domestic parcel rarely needs more than a carrier's own site. International shipments, multiple orders, or tight time constraints are where an aggregator or pickup service earns its place, since rate comparison and customs handling get harder to manage manually as volume grows.
— SP
Get your shipping label and pickup arranged in one step
We handle the parts of international shipping that cause the most friction: generating your label, preparing customs documentation, and comparing Priority, Connect Plus, and Economy rates before you pay, with a practical guide to printing shipping labels to streamline Australia shipments. Pickup service is part of the booking process, and shipment tracking is available from the dashboard once it is on its way.
If you ship occasionally or you are sending your first parcel abroad, this removes the guesswork around which customs fields to fill in and which carrier to pick. Get a shipping quote and see your options side by side before you book.
FAQ
Can you create your own shipping label for free?
Yes, most carrier websites let you generate a basic domestic label at no extra charge beyond postage, and some marketplace tools include free label creation for registered sellers. International labels usually carry the courier's postage cost but rarely a separate fee for generating the label itself.
Can I handwrite a shipping label for a package?
Domestic labels can sometimes be handwritten if a carrier accepts them, but international shipments increasingly require electronically generated customs forms rather than handwritten declarations. USPS Postal Explorer notes that international mail needs a fully completed electronically generated customs form, with retail counters able to produce one from a paper worksheet if needed.
Will the post office print me a shipping label?
Many postal retail counters can print a label and the matching customs form if you bring the shipment details, or generate one from a paper worksheet on-site under the PS Form 2976 series described by USPS. Printing a label ahead of time online usually moves faster since you avoid filling out forms in person.
Can I make a UPS shipping label online?
Yes, you can generate a label directly through a carrier's own website by entering sender and recipient details, package weight, and a service level, then paying and downloading the file. An aggregator platform can also generate carrier labels for you while comparing rates across multiple couriers at once.
Sources
- 123 Customs Forms and Online Shipping Labels | Postal Explorer
- UPU customs guidance
- WCO–UPU postal customs guide