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No. One shipping label equals one shipment: each label carries a unique tracking barcode that the carrier scans at induction. Reusing a label on a second package is postage fraud. If a label goes unused or has a mistake, void it and buy a fresh one instead. Note up front: LetterAgent labels are Canada-only Xpresspost, and the one-label-one-shipment rule applies to them too.
A shipping label is not a sticker with an address on it. It is a single-use payment instrument. The barcode encodes a unique tracking number tied to one paid postage transaction: the origin, destination, weight, service level, and amount paid. When the carrier scans it at induction, that transaction is marked as used in the carrier's system. A second package carrying the same barcode shows up as a duplicate the moment it is scanned, and the carrier treats it as unpaid postage. The package gets held, returned, or delivered postage-due to the recipient, and the shipper's account gets flagged.
Any second shipment on the same barcode. Peeling a label off a box that never shipped and sticking it on a new box is reuse, even though the first shipment never happened. Photocopying a label to use the copy is reuse, and worse, because the duplicate is detectable instantly. Reprinting the same label PDF twice and shipping both copies is reuse. The carrier does not care about your intent or whether the first attempt "didn't count." One barcode, one induction scan, one shipment. There are no exceptions for honest mistakes.
| Situation | Allowed? | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Label printed but never shipped | No reuse on a new box | Void it, buy a new label |
| Address wrong on the label | No, do not cross it out and reship | Void and rebuy with the right address |
| Same label PDF printed twice | No, the second copy is a duplicate | One print, one shipment |
| Old label still on a reused box | No, cover or remove it fully | Remove old labels before reusing boxes |
Yes. Reusing postage to avoid paying is postage fraud, and carriers pursue it. The postal service treats it as a federal offense in the US, and private carriers handle it as fraud against their terms, with account suspension and back-billing. This is not a gray area like reusing a cardboard box, which is perfectly fine as long as old labels are removed. The box is packaging. The label is payment. Reusing payment is theft of service, full stop.
Void it and rebuy. Most label platforms let you void an unused label for a refund within a window, typically around two to four weeks from purchase, as long as the barcode was never scanned. That is the legitimate path for every scenario above: the label with the wrong address, the shipment that got canceled, the duplicate print. It costs you nothing but a minute, and it keeps your account clean. Crossing out an address with a marker and hoping the carrier does not notice is the version of this story that ends badly.
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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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