The barcode scans at home but not at the counter
Almost always scaling. Reprint at 100 percent with no page fitting, and check the label measures what it should on the page. A ruler settles it faster than a second trip.
Getting it onto paper
How to print a return label with whatever you have
If a retailer emailed you a return label, open the PDF and print it on plain paper at actual size; that is the whole job. If you have no printer, every major carrier will print it for you at a counter from a code on your phone, and USPS does that free at participating Post Offices. The paid options only matter when nobody has sent you a label at all.
Four printing routesCounter printing rules citedPlain paper is fine
Paper, tape, done
A laser printer and a roll of tape handle almost every return. The rest of this page covers the almost.
Route 1: the printer you already own
- Print at actual size. Turn off fit to page and scale to fit. A shrunk barcode is the single most common reason a counter rejects a home-printed label.
- Plain office paper is fine. No special label stock is required for a taped-on label, and our plain paper guide covers the details.
- Tape the whole perimeter, not the barcode. Clear tape over a thermal or inkjet barcode can create glare that defeats a scanner. Frame it instead.
- One live label per box. Cover or remove whatever was on the carton before. Two scannable barcodes on one parcel is how a return ends up in the wrong state.
Route 2: no printer, let the counter do it
All three major carriers run a version of this, and the rules differ enough to matter.
| Carrier | What you show | Where | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | A Label Broker QR code, or the 8 to 10 character Label Broker ID at a kiosk | Participating Post Office locations, at the retail counter or a self-service kiosk | Free at participating locations |
| FedEx | A QR code on your phone | FedEx and participating retail locations | Not published as a separate charge |
| UPS | A mobile barcode | A UPS location | Not published as a separate charge |
Show your QR code, and a team member will print the label for you on the spot.Per fedex.com, checked 2026-07-28
USPS also sells Label Delivery Service, which mails a printed label to you for $1.65 per label, retrieved from usps.com 2026-07-27. That is the option for somebody with no printer and no easy trip to a Post Office, at the cost of waiting for the post. Our Label Broker guide covers the QR mechanics in full, and the QR label page explains how the code itself works.
Route 3: nobody sent you a label
Private sales, expired windows, warranty returns and marketplace sellers taking stock back all start with no label to print. Buying one takes the two ZIPs, the box measurements and a weight. Here is what that came to for one real box on 2026-07-28, at the full checkout price.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Window returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $8.48 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $12.07 | No window supplied |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $12.42 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $12.47 | 2-3 business days |
The label arrives as a PDF you can print yourself or email to whoever is holding the box, which is the usual arrangement when a seller is paying for a customer's return. There is no account to create and tracking comes with the purchase.
When the print goes wrong
Streaky or faint print
A low toner cartridge produces a barcode that reads on a screen and fails under a laser. If the black looks grey, print it somewhere else rather than gambling on the drop-off.
The PDF has expired
FedEx publishes roughly two weeks of validity for a printed label against up to two years for an emailed one, retrieved 2026-07-27. If a stored PDF is old, ask for a fresh one before printing rather than after.
Printing questions
Can I print a return label on regular paper?
Yes. Plain office paper taped to the box works at every major carrier, and no special label stock is needed. The one setting that matters is scale: print at actual size with page fitting turned off, because a shrunk barcode is the usual reason a counter refuses a home-printed label.
How do I print a return label with no printer?
Show a code at a counter. USPS prints Label Broker codes free at participating Post Offices, either at the retail counter or at a self-service kiosk that accepts the QR code or the 8 to 10 character Label Broker ID. FedEx prints from a QR code on your phone at FedEx and participating retail locations. UPS prints from a mobile barcode at a UPS location.
Is there a way to get a label mailed to me?
USPS Label Delivery Service posts a printed label to you for $1.65 per label, retrieved from usps.com 2026-07-27. It suits somebody with no printer and no convenient Post Office trip, with the trade-off that you wait for the mail before you can ship.
What if nobody has sent me a return label at all?
Then you buy one. Our checkout takes the two ZIPs, the box measurements and a weight, and returns the label as a PDF you can print or forward. A 13 x 8 x 5 in box at 3 lb from Atlanta, GA to Newark, NJ quoted $8.48 with USPS Ground Advantage on 2026-07-28, at the full checkout price.