LetterAgent

Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.

Status: LetterAgent is currently in private testing ahead of public launch. Everything on this page describes the service as it works today.

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Can I handwrite a shipping label?

Yes, you can handwrite a shipping label, and carriers will accept it, but a printed barcode label is far more reliable. Handwriting introduces misreads at every sorting step, while a barcode lets machines read the address instantly. If you must handwrite, print clearly in block capitals and double-check every character before you hand the parcel over.

Will a carrier accept a handwritten label?

Yes, in most cases. A parcel with a handwritten address can still enter the mail stream, because a human can read it and key it in, or a clerk at the counter can print a barcode label for it. The catch is that every hand-off becomes slower and riskier. Sorting machines are built to read printed barcodes, not handwriting. A handwritten parcel often gets pulled aside for manual handling, which adds time and raises the chance of a wrong turn.

In Canada, a parcel dropped off with only a handwritten address may be processed differently depending on the service. Counter staff can usually generate a proper label on the spot, but that depends on the location and the service you choose. Do not assume a handwritten address alone gives you tracking: tracking comes from the barcode, and a parcel without one may travel with little or no scan history until someone creates a label for it.

Why does a barcode matter so much?

A barcode carries the full routing data in a form machines read without guessing. The destination postal code, the service level, and the tracking number all travel with the parcel as data, not as handwriting someone must interpret. That is why printed labels move faster through sorting plants and why their tracking updates more often.

Handwriting also fails in ways people do not expect. A "7" that looks like a "1", a "5" that looks like an "S", or a hurried street name can send a parcel to the wrong city. Postal codes are the worst spot for this: one wrong digit can route a parcel hundreds of kilometres off course, and the error may only surface when a carrier in the wrong town tries to deliver it.

Feature	Handwritten label	Printed barcode label
Machine sorting	Often diverted to manual handling	Sorted automatically at full speed
Tracking	May be partial or absent	Scanned at each major hand-off
Misread risk	High, especially digits	Low, barcode carries the data
Proof of mailing	Counter receipt only, if you get one	Tracking record from drop-off onward
Cost to fix an error	Return or re-mail, often at your expense	Label can be reprinted before drop-off

How do I handwrite a label that survives sorting?

If printing is not an option, these habits cut the risk a lot:

Print in block capitals, one letter at a time, with a thick black permanent marker. Cursive is the fastest way to get misread.
Put the postal code on its own line and write each digit with space around it. This is the line machines and humans check first.
Write the recipient name, street address, city, province or state, and postal code in that order, exactly as the recipient wrote it to you.
Add your own return address in a corner. If delivery fails, a parcel with no return address may be held or discarded instead of coming back.
Cover the writing with a strip of clear packing tape once the ink is dry. This stops rain and rubbing from smearing it in transit.
Read the label out loud, character by character, against the original address before you seal the box. Most errors are caught at this step.

When should I print instead of handwriting?

Print whenever the parcel has real value, a deadline, or a buyer waiting on the other end. Anything sold online, anything time-sensitive, and anything crossing a border deserves a printed label. The same goes for parcels going to apartment buildings or businesses with suite numbers, where one missed digit means a failed delivery.

Handwriting is a reasonable fallback for a low-stakes parcel to someone you know well, where a delay would be an annoyance rather than a problem. Even then, a printed label is worth the small effort: many libraries and copy shops will print a label file for a small fee, and a label bought online can be printed at a counter in some locations.

If you want a printed label without owning a printer, you can get a Canada Post Xpresspost shipping label by asking your AI assistant through LetterAgent. The flow is a per-label quote, you approve the exact price, a one-time payment, and a label PDF is provided. LetterAgent shipping labels are Canada-only, flat-rate Xpresspost, with a 5 kg maximum.

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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.

Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com