Generating shipping labels for your shoppers is one of Returnly's key features. Below, we'll describe what happens each time one of these labels is generated for your shoppers, and how you can go about regenerating labels if they expire.
Shipping Label Generation Process
To generate most of our shipping labels, Returnly utilizes EasyPost as our shipping broker. By leveraging their APIs, Returnly is able to query and retrieve the best rates for your return shipping labels to purchase.
These would be the steps for the label generation process:
- Returnly provides EasyPost with parcel details (weights, origin address, destination address, carrier, and dimensions[if applicable]).
- EasyPost returns Returnly the carrier rates for each available service.
- Returnly compares and identifies the service with the cheapest rate.
- Returnly then issues a request to EasyPost to purchase the label from the carrier.
- EasyPost returns the requested label image file to Returnly.
- Returnly generates the return shipping label file that is provided to the shopper.
Returnly enjoys a very high rate of successful shipping label generation. However, there are several points of failure that can prevent a shipping label to generate successfully. A few examples:
- EasyPost's API is overburdened with requests and thus will have delays in shipping label generation
- The Shipping Carrier Integration (eg: USPS for example) is having some issues on their end and are not responding to our requests for information
- Returnly's systems can be having some issues and cannot pass the shipping label file onto the customer
Whatever the case may be, we will do its best to notify our customers if an issue is observed and potential timelines until resolution. In the following article, we will go more deeply into the most common shipping label generation areas as well as potential resolution steps.
Regenerating Shipping Labels (USPS only)
When a RMA is created, but the shopper doesn't follow through and package up and send the return back using the shipping label that Returnly generates, those unused labels are typically voided or refunded 28 days after they were first generated.
In these cases where the labels have been voided and the shopper requests a new one past the original 28 day label, you or your customer support representatives will be able to generate a new USPS shipping label. The following criteria must be met before you are able to generate a new USPS shipping label:
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RMA is in status
AuthorizedorMissed Delivery Deadline. -
Shipping label has been
Refunded. -
There are no newer Shipping Labels available for the same package.
To regenerate a USPS shipping label, follow these directions:
- Navigate to the specific RMA in question (or the order, if it has multiple items in it). You will now see the New button with the refresh icon next to it.
- You will get a message saying that the shipping label is being generated from your shipping provider.
- You can then refresh the page, and then you can download the new label by clicking (download). For reference, you can view the previous/expired label for your reference.
- After downloading the label, the shopper should automatically receive an email containing the new label so they can complete their return! You can also download and email the new label to the shopper if they never received the automated email.
Frequently Asked Questions for Regenerating Shipping Labels
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What Shipping Carrier does this apply to?
This is only available for shipping labels generated through Returnly’s USPS account (which is the default carrier that the majority of Returnly users are set up on). -
What happens when the generation of the new shipping label fails?
When no tracking number is available for the new shipping label, the merchants will be able to retry the generation of that shipping label.
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In case of multi-label RMAs, does the action generate a shipping label for all refunded shipping labels in the RMA or just one of them?
The action to generate a new shipping label is related to one shipping label only. If there are multiple shipping labels that are refunded, the Merchant should generate a new one for each one of them.
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Is the Shopper informed that a new shipping label is generated?
Yes - they are automatically sent an email with the regenerated label attached to it.
