Can UPS Print a Label for Me?

Anish

May 24, 2023

Accuracy is crucial when shipping a parcel because incorrect information can delay your shipment. So if you’re planning on shipping with UPS (United Parcel Service), carefully review your label shipment details.

But what do you do if you don’t have a printer for your UPS shipping label? Can UPS help you print labels for your parcel? If not, where else can you print your shipping labels? How do you create a UPS shipping label? And how much would it cost to print it at UPS?

This guide will walk you through printing your shipping label with UPS. This article will also answer whether you can print at UPS and where you can do it if they offer such services. Additionally, this write-up will also help you create a UPS shipping label and discuss the cost of printing a label at UPS.

Shipping labels ensure that the correct information is sent to the right place at the right time. Knowing where or how to print shipping labels can help you prepare your shipment.

Another way to print shipping labels is by going to your local post office. If you need directions to the nearest post office, check out FindPostOffice.org. This website can help locate all 31,330 post offices in the United States.

What Happens if You Don’t Have a Printer for UPS Label?

If you don’t have access to a printer, you can scan and print your label using your mobile barcode at any UPS location in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and other states including Alaska and Hawaii. You can also email the label to yourself and print it at your convenience.

Will UPS Print the Label?

Yes, UPS offers printing services. If you created a label online, you could scan and print your shipping label using a mobile barcode at a UPS location. Just remember to take your package to a UPS store so you can ship it right away.

Can UPS Drivers Print a Shipping Label for You?

UPS drivers won’t print a label for you, but they can carry one when they pick up a return package. With UPS Returns Plus, the driver carries a preprinted return label when collecting packages being sent back. UPS Returns Plus has two options to choose from:

1 UPS Collection Attempt. The shipper can request their package to be collected and returned only once. If the UPS driver cannot collect a package, the recipient is left to return it through any of UPS’ listed methods.
3 UPS Collection Attempts. The shipper can request three attempts to collect a returned UPS package. After the third collection attempt, the label is returned to UPS.

Note that the driver bringing your label may or may not be available for all services and destinations.

Where Can You Print a Shipping Label if You Don’t Have a Printer?

If you do not own a printer, here are some options to consider:

Forward the confirmation that contains the label link to someone who can print it for you
Visit your local library for access to a public printer
Print your label at work
Bring your mobile barcode for your shipping label at any UPS store

Can You Print Shipping Labels at UPS?

Yes, UPS provides printing services. You can walk in with a label saved on your USB drive or email the label to UPS when you’re at the store. UPS representatives will then print the label and attach it to your package.

How to Create a UPS Shipping Label

Here are tips to help you create an online shipping label from UPS:

To create a shipping label, go to the shipping tab at the top of UPS.com and select “Create a Shipment.”
When you fill out the “Ship From” and “Ship To” sections, be sure to list yourself as the sender and your package’s recipient as the receiver.
Fill in the information about your package, then choose from various shipping services that meet your needs.
Select your preferred payment method and print your label.

Requirements for Shipping Labels

All domestic shipments sent by air require a shipping label printed from the UPS air shipping document (ASD).

The air shipping document is a form used to ship packages via air transport. The ASD contains all the information relevant to your shipments, such as your address label, tracking label, and shipping record. There are particular ASDs available for the services listed below:

UPS Next Day Air Early
UPS Next Day Air (available for UPS Worldwide Express)
UPS Next Day Air Saver
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.
UPS 2nd Day Air

Does UPS Charge to Print a Label?

Creating a shipping label through UPS is free, but you will still need to pay for postage and additional services.

How Much Does UPS Charge to Print a Label?

UPS doesn’t charge when printing a label. The company offers free printing services for shipping labels.

Will UPS Print My Label for Free?

Yes. UPS will print your label for free, but you must still pay for your parcel’s postage and other additional services.

How Do You Print a UPS Label With a Tracking Number?

UPS automatically prints a package’s tracking number on the label, above the main barcode, and below the shipping service used (an example is UPS Ground or UPS 3 Day Select).

If you have a UPS My Choice account, which is free to create here, you can print or reprint a shipping label using only the tracking number. Once you create an account with UPS My Choice or log in to your existing account, all packages sent to that address will be visible.

From there, you can search for the package whose tracking number matches the one you want to reprint or visit “shipment history” and find your label.

Is It Possible for You to Print UPS Tracking Labels?

Yes, you can print a UPS tracking label yourself. UPS usually prints the tracking number on a sticker and puts it on the package.

Consumers can easily find the tracking label by looking at the larger barcode. Take note that you need a UPS My Choice account to print the tracking number.

UPS Thermal Printers

A thermal printer uses heat to produce black text or images on paper. Thermal printers use a heating element in their printheads to activate special chemically treated paper (called thermal paper).

Thermal printers can also transfer solid ink from ribbons onto the medium, depending on the printer used. Thermal printers are commonly used to make labels, receipts, and barcodes for various products.

There are two distinct types of thermal printers: direct-thermal and thermal transfer. Here’s how each one works:

Direct thermal printers use special paper that darkens when heated. Unlike other types of printers, direct thermal models don’t need separate ink cartridges or ribbons. These printers are used to create shipping labels and receipts.
Thermal transfer printers use a thermal print head to produce permanent labels on thicker materials, such as vinyl, polyester, and nylon. The most common ribbon materials are either wax and resin or a combination of the two. These ribbons are bonded using heat and pressure.

You can use several thermal printers to make shipping labels on your computer. Inkjet and laser printers can also produce labels.

Check the compatible printers listed below to see whether your printer supports UPS shipping. Here’s a list of compatible printer models:

Bixolon SRP 770III
Eltron 2442
Eltron 2543
Eltron 2844
OKI Data LD620
Zebra S4M
Zebra ZP450
Zebra ZT230
Zebra ZT410
Honeywell Intermec Thermal Printer PM43A
Honeywell Direct Thermal LCD PC43
Zebra ZM400
Zebra Z4M
OKI Data LE810
Star TSP800L
UPS Thermal 2844
UPS Thermal 2543
UPS Thermal 2442
UPS Thermal 2348

If you’re printing a UPS label, ensure that the UPS thermal printer driver is installed. For Chrome, Safari, and Edge browsers, here’s what you should do:

Install the UPS thermal printer driver by downloading it from the manufacturer’s website or a list of drivers on the UPS website
Download the UPS Thermal Printing App
Start installing your thermal printer
Make sure your printer is selected and pop-ups are not blocked when printing labels

The UPS Thermal Printer App requires the recent Java update to run. You can check your device’s Java version at https://www.java.com.

Does UPS Send Labels?

Yes, but only in select situations and services. If you’re an online retailer, you can provide your customers with a preprinted label if they need to return items.

You can print return labels for your customers when you create outbound shipping labels. If you select UPS Electronic Return Label, the shipping company will email your customer a return label and a barcode that UPS can scan.

Customers can also print the label at home and attach it to their boxed item before sending it back.

A UPS driver will collect the return shipment from your customer’s address using UPS Returns Plus. UPS prepares the return label and includes it with your shipment when they pick up the package.

Pro Tip

If you register with UPS.com and log in each time you ship packages, you’ll be able to take advantage of many time-saving tools.

UPS accepts credit cards, PayPal, and other forms of payment. Transactions made on UPS.com are encrypted to ensure privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a UPS prepaid label?

Using prepaid shipping labels when you make returns can help prevent address mistakes and speed up the process. The seller can control the return costs by choosing the cheapest shipping option.

eCommerce merchants can create prepaid return labels by doing the following:

Select a delivery service and shipping option according to the size of their budget
Provide the business address where they want their returns delivered and any information that will help with inventory management
Make arrangements to pay for the return shipment

Online merchants can also choose between two options for providing their customers with a prepaid shipping label:

Include the label with the shipment: Returning a package can be easier. Just include a return shipping label with the customer’s order. All the customer needs to do next is take the item to their courier.
Have the customer print the label: Sellers can also email their customers a return shipping label or have them access the label on the shipping company’s website and print it out at home. Then, they can take the parcel to the courier for shipping.

UPS offers return shipping options in a select number of countries only. If you’re running a large business, UPS CampusShip is a shipping service that allows you to create and manage UPS labels for efficient and centralized shipping. You can choose the shipping option that best suits you, whether in terms of price or speed.

Here are four return shipping options for you to choose from:

UPS Returns – Print Return Label
UPS Returns Plus
UPS Electronic Return Label
UPS Print and Mail Return Label

Other mailing services, such as USPS and FedEx, have prepaid shipping that also requires labels. For example, USPS uses Click-N-Ship to help customers create labels to print at home.

If I have my item but need the label printed, does UPS offer this service?

Yes. UPS can help you print your shipping label using their printing services. You can visit a UPS branch with your label saved on a USB drive or email your shipping label to the UPS store.

A representative will print the labels for you and affix the shipping label to your package.

What shipping method requires ASD label print?

Here are the services that require an ASD label print:

UPS Next Day Air Early
UPS Next Day Air (available for UPS Worldwide Express)
UPS Next Day Air Saver
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.
UPS 2nd Day Air

Do I need a UPS.com username to order UPS shipping supplies?

Yes. UPS.com requires a registered account to place supply orders on its website. You can easily create your UPS account here.

References

How to Return a Package
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/print-shipping-labels/how-to-write-address/how-to-return-a-package.page
Frequently Asked Questions
https://www.theupsstore.ca/63/onlineprinting/frequently-asked-questions/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20with%20our%20Printing%20Services,attach%20it%20on%20your%20item
What are the various return services, and how do they work?
https://www.ups.com/at/en/help-center/sri/ret7.page
Customer Help Center
https://www.upstoday.com/help-centre/answer/23#:~:text=If%20you%20do%20not%20have,a%20printer%20for%20public%20use
Create and Print Shipping Labels
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/print-shipping-labels.page
What is Air Shipping Document?
https://www.ups.com/re/en/help-center/sri/glo-asd.page#:~:text=The%20Air%20Shipping%20Document%20(ASD,tracking%20label%2C%20and%20shipping%20record
Using a Thermal Printer for UPS Shipping
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/print-shipping-labels/thermal-printing-of-labels.page
Simplifying UPS Returns for Your Customers
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/print-shipping-labels/thermal-printing-of-labels.page
UPS Packaging and Shipping Supplies
https://www.ups.com/us/en/shipping/order-supplies.page