You may need to void a label if, for example, a shipment was cancelled or a label was created by mistake. The process is similar for any label, but the refund process may differ depending on the carrier.
Not all carriers allow for voiding labels!
For more information, contact the carrier directly to see how their void and refund policies work.
ShipEngine offers a void label endpoint that accepts a label_id so we know which label you would like to void. The response body will include a boolean value to indicate if the void request was approved and a message from the carrier. The message value will vary depending on the carrier used to create the label.
{
"approved": true,
"message": "Request for refund submitted. This label has been voided."
}
The process of refunding a label will have requirements or restrictions based on the carrier the label was originally purchased from.
ShipEngine Carriers
To receive a refund for labels created with ShipEngine Carriers, you must meet the following criteria:
The label must be unused. This means that the label was not scanned by either USPS or UPS to ship a package.
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You must void the label within a certain number of days after generating the label:
USPS = 28 days
UPS = 30 days
USPS Labels Created with Stamps.com and Endicia
To qualify for electronic reimbursement:
The shipment must not have been scanned by USPS.
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The refund must be requested within a certain number of days after generating the label:
Stamps.com = 28 days
Endicia = 30 days
For Stamps.com and Endicia labels, the refund will be credited to your postage account within three to four weeks of the request. When voiding UPS labels created with ShipEngine carriers, the label fee will be instantly refunded to your ShipEngine Carriers balance.
Important
If you use ShipEngine to void a USPS label that has already been scanned, your request will be ignored by USPS and you will NOT receive a refund.
Errors are generally returned by the carrier when the label has passed the void deadline or the shipment was already delivered to its final destination.
Post-billed carrier accounts, like UPS and FedEx, do not charge for shipping labels that are not used and scanned into the carrier's system.
Voiding labels for a post-billed carrier is not necessary, if the labels are unscanned. Labels can still be voided for these carriers for reporting purposes if desired.
