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.

Home > Guides > Where to place a shipping label

Where exactly should the shipping label go on a box?

Put the shipping label flat on the largest face of the box, entirely on one side: never across a seam, never wrapping around an edge or corner, and never over packing tape. The barcode must lie flat so sorting scanners can read it in one pass. The label should sit on the same side as the customs pouch for international parcels, and nowhere near old labels from previous shipments.

Why does label placement matter so much?

Sorting facilities scan parcels at speed: a barcode reader gets one fraction of a second as the box slides past. A barcode stretched over a box edge or wrinkled across tape cannot be decoded in that window, so the parcel gets kicked out to manual processing. Manual processing adds delays measured in days, not hours, and a repeatedly mis-scanned parcel is the one that ends up touring the wrong depot. The placement rules exist to keep your box in the fast lane.

The same logic applies to the address text. Handlers and delivery drivers read the address when the scan fails; if the label sits on the bottom face, or the address portion is torn because it bridged a seam, the person making the decision has nothing to work with.

What are the placement rules, exactly?

Largest flat face, fully on one side. The whole label, barcode included, must sit on a single face of the box.
Never across a seam or edge. A seam splits the barcode; an edge curves it. Both break the scan.
Never over packing tape. Tape reflects scanner light and can bubble the label.
Keep the barcode horizontal and flat. Wrinkled, folded, or curled barcodes misread.
Remove or cover old labels completely. Two barcodes on one box is how parcels get misrouted: cover the old one with opaque tape or a blank sticker so only your label scans.
Customs forms go in a clear pouch on the same face. For international shipments, the customs declaration sits next to the label where border officers expect it.

What if the label is bigger than the box face?

This happens with small boxes and flat-rate label sheets. Do not fold the label around the box. Print it smaller if your printer allows (most label PDFs print fine at reduced scale as long as the barcode stays crisp), or switch to a box with a face large enough for the label. A folded barcode that wraps a corner is effectively an unreadable barcode.

Placement mistake	What happens	The fix
Label across a seam or edge	Barcode can't be read in one scan; manual processing	One face, fully flat
Label over packing tape	Glare and bubbling break the scan	Apply the label to clean cardboard, then tape around it
Old labels still visible	Parcel can be routed to the old address	Cover old labels completely with opaque tape
Barcode wrinkled or curled	Misreads and delivery delays	Smooth it flat; reprint if it won't lie flat
Label on the bottom face	Handlers can't see it during sorting	Largest face, visible when the box sits naturally

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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.

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