USPS wants you to use labels as close to the Ship Date as possible
The best practice for USPS labels is to use them as close to the Ship Date as you can. Here are some things to keep in mind around Ship Dates:
Setting a future Ship Date: When purchasing a label in Pirate Ship, you can select a Ship Date for up to 7 days in the future 🎉
This is a great option when you know you won't make it to the Post Office for a while, or just want to allow yourself that extra wiggle room!
Old labels are subject to discretion: Generally, you can still use a label a few days after the Ship Date - but, it is up to your local postal worker's discretion, so make sure you're super nice to them about it 😊
Using a label before the Ship Date: Unlike packages you drop off after the ship date, USPS doesn't mind if you try to use the label earlier than the chosen Ship Date.
Request a refund for old labels: If you plan to use your label more than 2-4 days after the Ship Date, your Post Office might still accept it, but it's not always likely.
We always recommend playing it safe by requesting a refund for that label and creating a new one with the updated Ship Date.
UPS prefers labels to be used soon after you purchase them
UPS® also prefers that you use your labels as soon as possible after purchasing them. Here's what you need to know:
Old UPS labels may be routed to Overgoods: If UPS considers a label too old to use, there's a chance that the package will be routed to a UPS Overgoods location, which is a facility where UPS holds packages that are unable to be recovered 🙈
Refunding old UPS labels: If a UPS label has been sitting without being used, the best practice is to simply recreate it and pay for a new one!
Labels are auto-refunded after 28 days: Pirate Ship's software automatically refunds labels after 28 days. If your UPS label is auto-refunded, you'll need to recreate that label and not use the original refunded label when shipping your package.
Don't use refunded or duplicate labels: If you use a refunded label or if you use a label more than once, that package will get sent to a UPS Overgoods location and will be unable to be recovered.
Unused labels are automatically refunded after 28 days
Pirate Ship will automatically refund you for any USPS or UPS label purchases that don't have tracking updates after 28 days 💰
Recreating refunded labels: If your label has been automatically refunded, it is no longer valid. You'll need to recreate and repurchase it.
USPS return labels expire later: Our software only auto-refunds prepaid shipping labels after 28 days! Pay-on-Use USPS Return Labels are valid for up to 90 days 😃
Similar to regular labels, if your USPS return label has been auto-refunded, your only option is to create a new one and buy it again.