Two inches is a floor, not a target
USPS asks for 2-inch-wide tape and FedEx asks for at least 2 inches on its water-activated grades. Three-inch tape covers a seam faster and needs fewer passes on wide cartons, and no carrier objects to it.
Closures
Packing tape for shipping, and how to close a box
Use pressure-sensitive plastic tape at least two inches wide, run three strips across the top and three across the bottom in the H pattern, and keep duct tape, masking tape, cellophane tape, string and twine off the carton entirely. All three major carriers publish a version of that instruction, and two of them disagree on exactly one material.
Three carriers quotedH pattern in four stepsTape price listed
The seam is where parcels fail
Once it is closed and measured, one description gets you five live services on your lane.
What each carrier says about tape
Three documents, one broad agreement and one genuine conflict. Read them side by side before you buy a case of anything.
| Carrier | What it asks for | What it rules out |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | Enough 2-inch-wide packing tape to close and secure all seams | String, cord or twine, which gets caught in sorting equipment |
| UPS | Pressure sensitive plastic or nylon reinforced filament tape, three strips top and bottom | Masking, cellophane, duct or water-activated paper tapes, string or paper over-wrap |
| FedEx | Pressure-sensitive plastic tape, water-activated paper tape at 60-lb grade, or reinforced water-activated tape at least 2 inches wide | Cellophane tape, duct tape, masking tape, string or rope |
The conflict is water-activated paper tape, the gummed kind you wet before applying. FedEx accepts it and even specifies a minimum 60-lb grade. UPS names it in the same breath as masking and duct tape and tells shippers not to use it. If your parcels move on more than one carrier, plastic tape is the material that satisfies every document at once, and that is what most sellers end up standing on the bench.
Everything else lines up. Duct tape looks strong and fails because its adhesive creeps under warehouse heat. Masking tape has almost no tensile strength. Cellophane tape splits at a corner. String and twine are banned for a mechanical reason rather than a strength one, since sorting equipment catches on it.
The H taping method, four passes
FedEx and UPS both describe the same closure. FedEx calls it the H taping method by name; UPS describes applying three strips of tape to the top and bottom of the box. Done properly it takes about fifteen seconds a carton.
- 1. Close the short flaps first, then the long onesPush the flaps down flat rather than folding them over each other. Interleaving the four flaps feels clever and it breaks the fold lines down, which is why UPS advises against criss-crossing the short and long box flaps in its published box guide.
- 2. Run one strip along the centre seamStart on the side wall about two inches below the flap edge, cross the whole seam, and finish two inches down the far wall. The overhang onto the sides is what carries the load; tape that stops at the corners does not.
- 3. Add a strip at each end, perpendicular to the firstThese two run across the seams where the flap edges meet the box walls, forming the crossbars of the letter H. Together they stop the flaps lifting when the carton is squeezed from above.
- 4. Turn the box over and repeatThe bottom takes more load than the top, because that is the face the weight rests on through every handoff. Both FedEx and UPS ask for the pattern on the top and the bottom, not just the side you happen to be facing.
One thing not to do at the end: never run tape over the shipping label. FedEx states plainly that to avoid scanning issues, you should not apply tape over the shipping label. Our label placement guide covers the rest of that decision, including which face to use and how to handle a label that will not fit flat.
Six strips of tape against the label price
A cube carton at fifteen pounds is about as much load as a single-wall box should carry, and it is the case where a lazy seal actually opens. Here is what the trip costs.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Transit window returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $17.01 | 8-9 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $19.63 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $19.78 | Not returned for this row |
| UPS | Ground | $23.54 | 2-3 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $28.59 | 5-6 business days |
Uline listed its 2 mil, 2 inch by 55 yard clear industrial tape at $2.25 a roll at the 18-roll minimum on 2026-07-28. One 55-yard roll seals a great many cartons, so the closure on that $17.01 parcel costs a few cents at most. There is no version of this arithmetic where skimping on tape is rational.
Reused boxes need fresh tape everywhere
Glue lines that already made one trip have been stressed. Re-tape the bottom seams as well as the top, and check the corners for splits before you load anything. The reuse rules page covers the rest.
Filament tape is for weight, not for seams
Nylon reinforced filament tape appears in the UPS list and it earns its place strapping heavy or awkward loads. It is not a seal on its own; the seams still want a full-width plastic tape over them.
Tape and sealing questions
What kind of tape should I use for shipping?
Pressure-sensitive plastic packing tape at least two inches wide. UPS names pressure sensitive plastic or nylon reinforced filament tape, FedEx names pressure-sensitive plastic tape plus water-activated grades, and USPS asks for enough 2-inch-wide packing tape to close and secure all seams.
Can I use duct tape on a shipping box?
No. FedEx states that you should not use cellophane tape, duct tape, masking tape, string or rope to seal packages, and UPS tells shippers not to use masking, cellophane, duct or water-activated paper tapes. Both documents were read on 2026-07-28.
What is the H taping method?
One strip of tape along the centre seam where the flaps meet, plus one strip across each end seam where the flap edges meet the box walls, forming the shape of the letter H. FedEx asks for the pattern on both the top and the bottom of the outer box.
Can I tape over a shipping label?
No. FedEx states that to avoid scanning issues you should not apply tape over the shipping label. Secure the label edges so nothing lifts, but leave the barcode itself bare so scanners can read it cleanly.