Self-Ship, Printerless Returns and Packing Slips
Updated 11 November 2026
Overview
This article explains self-ship returns, where the shopper posts the parcel back at their own cost with a carrier of their choice instead of receiving a label from you. It covers which settings make a return self-ship, what the shopper is told, and how you track and process the parcel.
Use the menu on the left to quickly navigate this article.
Self-ship returns
How it works
When a return is self-ship. A return is self-ship when its policy has Generate return labels off on the Labels & shipping tab, or when the policy is the catch-all with Rest of world (no label generated) ticked under Policy name & zone. A rest of world policy never generates labels; its Labels & shipping tab says so. A workflow with the No label provided action also makes a return self-ship. While EasyPost is switched off under Tools > Integrations, or has no saved key, a return that would get a label is self-ship instead: the shopper gets the self-ship method and your return address, and a return you create in the admin is self-ship too. A return whose label failed is handled the same way for the shopper; see When a Label Fails.
Note: A rest of world policy needs a destination, because that is the return address shown to the shopper. The policy editor refuses to save without one.
What you see. On the return page, the Return method information card reads A shipping label was not created for this return, shows the parcel's Total weight, and offers Create Shipping Label if you decide to buy one after all. While EasyPost is switched off or has no saved key the button is disabled, with a sentence saying why and a link to the EasyPost page. Until the shopper adds a tracking number the card reads The shopper has not added a tracking number yet; afterwards it shows Shopper's tracking number. The returns list shows Box and ship in the Return method column. A return where nothing comes back, for example a keep item return, reads Nothing is shipped back on this return. No label is needed. and has no button.
The shopper's tracking number. The status page has a Tracking number card where the shopper picks the carrier and pastes the number of the parcel they posted. ReturnZen follows it through EasyPost and the return's timeline records Shopper added tracking number. It drives the progress bar on the status page, and it can trigger a policy's In transit processing event, but only when the carrier's scan shows your return address. A scan that does not show your address, or shows no destination, waits for delivery instead, and the timeline says so.
In the policy editor, the Pre transit, In transit, Out for delivery and Delivered processing event options each carry the line Applies when EasyPost tracks the return: an EasyPost return label, or a tracking number the shopper entered. EasyPost has to be following the shopper's number for this to work, and ReturnZen checks those numbers a few times a day, so the event can come some hours after the scan. A shopper's own tracking number can trigger In transit and Out for delivery when the carrier's scan shows your return address, and Delivered always.
The return page, Return method information card on a self-ship return, showing Total weight, the shopper's tracking number and the Create Shipping Label button
What the shopper sees
The confirmation page is headed Return submitted. Below it are your self-ship return instructions, a Return address card with the policy's destination (name, street, city, state, zip and country), and the Print Packing Slip button when the policy offers slips. They receive the Return confirmation without shipping labels email, which repeats the return address.
The default self-ship instructions, used until you save your own on the policy's Return instructions card, are:
- Fold the items carefully and pack them securely. All packaging, tags, and accessories must remain attached and untampered with.
- Ship the package to the return address shown below using a carrier of your choice.
- Keep your tracking number until your return is processed.
- We'll issue your refund, credit, or exchange once we approve your return.
The status page then shows the Tracking number card with a Save Tracking Number button.
The shopper status page on a self-ship return, with the Return submitted card, the Return address card and the Tracking number card
Printerless returns
This section covers USPS Label Broker QR codes, which let a shopper without a printer show a code at a USPS Post Office or to their letter carrier and have the return label printed for free. It covers the setting, the choice the shopper makes at submit, and the limits.
Before you start: EasyPost connected under Shipping > Shipping Services, with USPS among the carrier accounts. A return policy with Generate return labels on.
USPS Label Broker
In the admin, go to Shipping > Shipping Services, the USPS Label Broker card.
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Enable USPS Label Broker QR codes: if toggled on, shoppers can choose a QR code to show at the post office instead of a printed label. If toggled off, shoppers get a printable label. Default: off.
Note: QR codes work only for USPS labels. If the rate chosen for the return is from another carrier, the shopper gets a PDF label even if they asked for the code, with no message about it.
To make the code reliable, either connect only USPS in EasyPost or choose Specific carriers only on the policy's Labels & shipping tab and select USPS alone.
Shipping > Shipping Services, the USPS Label Broker card with the Enable USPS Label Broker QR codes toggle on
What the shopper sees
With the toggle on, the review step asks How would you like to ship this back? and offers two cards: Print label at home (You'll get a PDF label to print and tape on the package) and QR code at any USPS Post Office (Show the QR code on your phone. A USPS clerk prints the label for free. No printer needed).
When they choose the code, the confirmation page is headed Your QR code is ready, with the code, the Label Broker ID underneath, the date to drop the package off by, a Find a USPS Location button, and a Print return label instead link that opens a PDF if they change their mind. The body reads: Show this QR code at any USPS Post Office or to your letter carrier. A USPS clerk will print your shipping label for free. Drop off your package by the date shown.
At the counter they show the code on their phone, or hand it to their letter carrier, and USPS prints the label. The Label Broker ID is the fallback if the code will not scan.
The shopper confirmation page headed Your QR code is ready, with the QR code, the Label Broker ID and the Find a USPS Location button
On your side, the return page's Return method information card shows Label type: USPS QR.
While EasyPost is switched off under Tools > Integrations, or has no saved key, no label is bought, so there is no QR code. The shopper gets the self-ship method and your return address instead; see Self-Ship Returns.
Packing slips
This section covers packing slips: a printable page the shopper puts inside the parcel, showing the order, the ship-to address, the items with their return reasons, and optionally a barcode your warehouse scans at receiving. It covers the per-policy switch, the formatting options and what the shopper sees.
Before you start: A return policy under Policy > Return Policies for the shopper's country.
Generate packing slips
In the admin, go to Policy > Return Policies, open the policy, then the Labels & shipping tab.
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Generate packing slips: if toggled on, shoppers get a packing slip to print with their return. If toggled off, no packing slip is offered. Default: off.
Note: This is per policy, not store-wide. A shopper in a country served by a policy with it off gets no slip, even if another policy has it on.
A policy's Labels & shipping tab with the Generate packing slips toggle on
Packing slip formatting
In the admin, go to Shipping > Shipping Services, the Packing slips card.
These options decide how the slip looks. They do not switch slips on; the card itself says: Turn slips on or off in each return policy, under Labels & shipping.
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Show tax-inclusive pricing on the packing slip: if toggled on, item prices on the packing slip include tax, and the column heading changes from Base item price to Price (incl. tax). If toggled off, the slip shows the base item price. Default: off.
Tip: Turn it on in VAT or GST regions, where the price the shopper recognises includes tax.
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Include barcode: prints a scannable barcode on the packing slip. Default: on.
- Barcode content: Return ID (RMA) encodes the return's RMA number; Shopify order number encodes the original Shopify order number. Default: Return ID (RMA).
Shipping > Shipping Services, the Packing slips card with the tax-inclusive toggle, Include barcode and the two Barcode content options
How it works
The slip carries your store logo, or your store name when no logo is set, the instruction Include a copy of this packing slip in each package, then Order, Return ID, Customer and Ship to, a table with Item, Description, the price column and Reason, and Total items at the foot. A quantity above 1 prints under the item as Qty and the number. The barcode encodes the RMA number or the order number as plain text, so a handheld scanner that reads Code 128 can look the return up.
What the shopper sees
A Print Packing Slip button on the confirmation page, beside Print Return Label, in every case where something is being sent back: a printable label, a QR code, a self-ship return, and a return whose label failed. It opens the slip in a new tab with its own Print Packing Slip and Back to Return buttons. The shopper can reprint it from the status page at any time before the parcel ships.
The button is not shown on keep item returns, where nothing ships, nor on a return that is cancelled, rejected, under review, in transit, delivered, processed or expired.
The shopper confirmation page with the Print Return Label and Print Packing Slip buttons side by side
FAQ
Do self-ship returns expire? Yes. An open self-ship return the carrier has not scanned gets the 21 day reminder and expires at 28 days, like a return with a label, as long as its page shows a return address. See Expiry and Reopening a Return.
Why does the Carrier tag print nothing in my instructions? The Carrier tag prints the carrier on the return label, and a self-ship return has none, so it is blank. Write the self-ship steps on the Self-ship tab of the policy's Return instructions card so they read correctly without a carrier name.
Why did a self-ship return not process on the In transit event? The shopper's tracking number counts as in transit only when the carrier's scan shows your return address. Open the return and read the timeline: it says whether the scan showed another address or no destination. The return then waits for delivery, or for you to process it by hand.
Can the shopper switch from the QR code to a printed label later? Yes. The Print return label instead link stays on their status page, and Email Shipping Label on the return page sends the same label link.
Why did a shopper who asked for the code get a PDF? The cheapest rate for that return came from a carrier other than USPS, so the label is a PDF. Limit the policy to USPS under Specific carriers only if you want every return on it to offer the code.
Why does the packing slip button not show on the confirmation page? Generate packing slips is off on the policy that matched the order. Open Policy > Return Policies, find the policy for the shopper's country, and turn it on under Labels & shipping. The options under Shipping > Shipping Services only decide what the slip looks like. If the toggle is on and the button is still missing, check whether the return is a keep item return or has already moved past the point of shipping, because the button is only shown while something is still to be sent.
Which barcode content do I choose? Return ID (RMA) opens the right return directly, so it suits a warehouse that works from ReturnZen. Choose Shopify order number if your receiving process keys off orders rather than returns.
Please reach out to support@returnzen.app with any additional questions.