LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Yes, remove or fully cover every old label and barcode before you reuse a box. A scanner reads the first barcode it sees, and an old one can send your parcel to the wrong address or back to the previous sender. Peel off what comes away cleanly and cover the rest with opaque tape or paper.
Sorting machines do not read addresses; they read barcodes. When a parcel passes under a scanner, the machine picks up a barcode and routes the parcel according to the data behind it. If your reused box still carries an old shipping barcode, the machine may route your parcel to the old destination, or flag it as a duplicate of a parcel that was already delivered. Either way, your parcel goes the wrong way, and the error may not be caught until it has travelled a long distance in the wrong direction.
Human handlers can also be misled. A box with two address labels forces a person to decide which one is current, and under time pressure they may pick the wrong one. Old "this side up" arrows, handling marks, and customs stickers add to the confusion, since they describe a previous shipment, not yours. A clean box with a single label removes the guesswork entirely.
Peel off anything that comes away without tearing the box or leaving a sticky mess: old shipping labels, retailer stickers, and loose tape. A hair dryer on low heat softens stubborn adhesive and makes labels lift cleanly, and a little cooking oil on a cloth removes leftover residue. Work slowly: tearing a label in half leaves the barcode behind, which defeats the purpose.
For labels that will not come off, cover them completely. A piece of plain paper taped down on all four sides works, as does a strip of opaque packing tape, as long as no part of the old barcode shows through. Clear tape over an old barcode does not count as covering it: a scanner can read a barcode through clear tape, and even through a single layer of thin paper if the print shows through. Opaque means no light and no print visible from any angle.
| Mark on a reused box | Peel or cover? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Old shipping label with a barcode | Peel, or cover fully with opaque material | A scanner may route the parcel to the old destination |
| Old address label, no barcode | Peel or cover | A handler may deliver to the old address by mistake |
| Retailer or brand stickers | Peel if easy, otherwise leave | Harmless unless they carry a barcode or an address |
| Printed box branding or logos | Leave | Not machine-readable, and carriers accept branded boxes |
| Hazard markings from a previous shipment | Cover or remove | An old dangerous-goods mark can trigger inspection or refusal |
Mostly, no. Old packing material and notes inside the box do not affect routing, since scanners and handlers only see the outside. One exception is worth knowing: if a previous shipment's paperwork, such as an old customs form or a packing slip with another person's address, is still in the box, remove it. If the box is opened for inspection, that paperwork can confuse whoever handles the parcel next.
Also check the box itself before reuse. A box that has already made one trip may have crushed corners, a weakened bottom, or tape that has lost its grip. Re-tape all seams with fresh packing tape, even if the old tape looks intact, and reject any box with soft spots or torn flaps. A box that fails in transit undoes all the care you took with the labels.
Put the new label on the largest flat side of the box, away from seams, edges, and tape lines, where a scanner can read it without the box being turned. Keep it flat: a label wrapped around a corner or creased over an edge may not scan at all, and a parcel that cannot be scanned is handled by hand, which is slower and more error-prone. If you print the label at home, check that the barcode is crisp and dark, since a faded print from a low-ink printer can fail to scan just as surely as an old barcode can misdirect.
For domestic Canadian parcels up to 5 kg, a Canada Post Xpresspost label from LetterAgent arrives as a PDF: ask your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, pay once through Stripe, and print the label before you seal the box. Print it on plain paper, tape it down fully, and make sure it is the only scannable barcode on the outside of the box.
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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