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Home > Guides > Refunding unused labels
Usually yes, if the label was never scanned into the carrier network. Most carriers and label sellers refund unused labels when you request it within days or weeks of purchase. Once the parcel is scanned at a facility or picked up, the postage counts as used and no refund is available. Request the refund from whoever sold you the label, not necessarily the carrier.
| Where you bought it | Refund route | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Directly from the carrier (USPS Click-N-Ship, Canada Post online) | Request through your account on the carrier's site | A defined window (often around 30 days) as long as the label shows no scans |
| A label reseller (Pirate Ship, NetParcel, Stallion) | Request through the reseller's support | Varies by reseller; some offer instant self-serve voiding within hours of purchase |
| An online marketplace (eBay, Etsy labels) | Void through the marketplace's shipping dashboard | Usually a short same-day or next-day void window |
The carrier's scan history decides, not your intentions. A label is unused if it was never scanned at a post office, depot, or pickup. The moment a facility scans the barcode, the postage is consumed, even if you later intercept the parcel or the recipient refuses it. Here is the catch people miss: some carriers treat a scheduled pickup scan as usage too. If you booked a pickup and the driver scanned the label when collecting it, that label is spent, even if you grab the box back. If you change your mind, cancel the pickup before the driver arrives.
Sooner is always better, and some sellers give you a same-day void button that is instant and free. After that, you are in refund-request territory with a time limit measured in days or weeks from purchase, and the money comes back to the original payment method. Two practical notes: first, a label that simply expired (past its ship-by date) is not automatically refunded: expiry and refund are different things, and an expired label usually needs an explicit refund request too. Second, refunds through a reseller take longer than direct carrier refunds, because the reseller has to get the money back from the carrier first and then pass it to you.
Do not try to fix it by editing the printed label. The standard move is: void or refund the wrong label, then buy a fresh one with the correct details. Reprinting the same label PDF after voiding it is fine (it is the same purchase), but hand-editing the address on a printed label creates a mismatch between the barcode data and the printed text, and the sort reads the barcode. If the mistake was the carrier's (a misprinted label from their system), say so in the refund request: those are usually approved without argument.
LetterAgent's shipping labels are Canada-only flat-rate Xpresspost for parcels up to 5 kg: you ask your AI assistant, get a per-label quote, approve the exact price, pay once through Stripe, and receive the label PDF. If you have not used the label, ask your assistant about a refund before the label is scanned into the network. Since the pricing is flat rate, there is no adjustment math to worry about: the question is simply whether the label was used. Decide before you hand the parcel over, because a scanned label is a spent label.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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