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Void a Label

Under certain circumstances, you may need to void a label you have created. For example, a customer cancels a shipment or a label was created incorrectly. Another common reason to void a label is for unused return labels that are charged on creation -- you will need to void that label to get a refund for it.

You'll use the label_id to identify which label you would like to void. The void process is similar for any label but the refund process may differ depending on the carrier.

Requirements

  • You will need the label_id for the label you wish to void. You can get your label_id from the create a shipping label response, or list labels to find a label_id based on query parameters.
  • The carrier must support voiding label. If you are unsure if your carrier supports this action, contact them directly to find out their label voiding policy.
  • The label must be within the carrier's allowed void timeframe. If you are uncertain about your carrier's allowed timeframe, check their void and refund policies for specific deadline details.

Example Request & Response

PUT /v1/labels/:label_id/void

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PUT /v1/labels/se-421351/void HTTP/1.1
Host: api.shipengine.com
API-Key: __YOUR_API_KEY_HERE__

Response

The response body will include two items:

  • A true/false boolean value to show if the void request was approved, and
  • A message from the carrier. The message value will vary depending on the carrier used to create the label.
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{
  "approved": true,
  "message": "Request for refund submitted. This label has been voided."
}

Refunds

For a voided label to qualify for a refund the label must be unused. This means that the label was not picked up or scanned by the carrier.

Any additional refund requirements and restrictions to the process of refunding a label will depend upon the policy of the carrier from whom the label was originally purchased.

ShipEngine Carriers

You must void the label within a certain number of days after generating the label:

  • USPS = 28 days
  • UPS and other carriers = 30 days

In most cases, the refund will be instantly refunded to your ShipEngine account balance. However, in some cases the refund can take up to 28 days to apply to the balance.

Stamps.com or Endicia USPS Label Refunds

To qualify for electronic reimbursement, the refund must be requested within a certain number of days after generating the label:

  • Stamps.com = 28 days
  • Endicia = 30 days

Post-Billed Carrier Refunds

Post-billed carrier accounts, like UPS and FedEx, do not charge for shipping labels that are not used and scanned into the carrier's system. Therefore, no refunds need to be applied to your account.

Voiding labels for a post-billed carrier is not necessary if the labels are unscanned. However, you can still void labels for these carriers to help with your reporting if desired.

Denied Requests

If your voide request is denied, please refer to the message returned in the response. You can always contact support to figure out why you are unable to void a label.

Possible reasons a carrier may deny a void label request include:

  • The label is too old to be voided.
  • The label has been scanned in by the carrier already.
  • The label has left the originating facility and is already en route to the destination.