How do I purchase a shipping label QR code?

[treasur75]

I can't figure out how to ship without a printer.  How do I pay for the shipping label and then get a QR code so the post office can print it out for me?  I thought that it was possible to do this but all I can see is "print shipping label" and then I get a pdf of a shipping label. 

[treasur75]

I guess it can't even be done. The first time I looked it up I found that it can be done and now I'm reading a differen't thread that says it can't be done. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@treasur75 wrote:

I guess it can't even be done. The first time I looked it up I found that it can be done and now I'm reading a differen't thread that says it can't be done. 

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@treasur75 

The only way would be if you purchased directly through CP vs ebay Labels. You would pay a slightly higher amount. If you don't have one you can sign up for a Solutions for Small Business account and that will get you the level 1 discount. It will give you option then to generate the QR code. If you plan on listing and hopefully selling lots, a printer is a good investment. I have always included a packing slip with orders so the buyer can confirm what they purchased is what they receive.  1 copy for your customer and 1 for your own records. You may also run across a depot that is crazy busy and not so willing to print for you.

-Lotz

Laserjet printers can be purchased at London Drugs fairly reasonable along with other places. 

[treasur75]

Oh I miss London Drugs from when I lived in Vancouver.  I'm back in Ontario now and haven't seen one in years. 

I actually bought a label from Ebay and thought I'd be able to get a QR code but now I can't and apparently wasted my money. I downloaded it as a pdf and no longer see anything about refunding. The postal system is a nightmare here.

I got a solutions for small businesses account but I don't think the lady at the post office told me I could use a QR code with it. 

She said I would get great discounts and then was suprised to find how small it was on the item I was shipping. it was practically nothing.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@treasur75 wrote:

Oh I miss London Drugs from when I lived in Vancouver.  I'm back in Ontario now and haven't seen one in years. 

I actually bought a label from Ebay and thought I'd be able to get a QR code but now I can't and apparently wasted my money. I downloaded it as a pdf and no longer see anything about refunding. The postal system is a nightmare here.

I got a solutions for small businesses account but I don't think the lady at the post office told me I could use a QR code with it. 

She said I would get great discounts and then was suprised to find how small it was on the item I was shipping. it was practically nothing.

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@treasur75 

Do you have a friend or acquaintance with a printer you can email the pdf to for this situation? With eBay labels the discount is much better than direct to CP. A printer is just the cost of doing business. Unless you are only sending items in Canada that can go letter mail. There are limits to what is allowed. Check CP page for exceptions.  With eBay labels you can mail up to 200 grams by expedited lite at a substantial discount. Includes tracking. Letter does not. 

If you end up not using that label, you are able to void. It will take approx 3 weeks for funds to be returned to your account but that way it wont me money down the drain. Then you could just go to post office and purchase postage in person. 

[zee-chan-jpn-books]

Do you have a Staples nearby? I think you can bring a USB to print at the copier there (please double check with the store though as I haven't done it in a long while). I haven't printed with their online printing function for a long while but you can also look into that, I used to send colour printing stuff there as I only have a BW printer.

Edit: meant to reply to OP @treasur75 

[byto253]

Inkjet for $60, free shipping from Staples.  Ok if just using it for labels, since inkjet carts can be pricey.   If anyone is going to do much on eBay, you really need some kind of printer.  Also, if shipping to other countries there should be a copy of the receipt in the package. 

[flipistics]

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@zee-chan-jpn-books wrote:

Do you have a Staples nearby? I think you can bring a USB to print at the copier there (please double check with the store though as I haven't done it in a long while). I haven't printed with their online printing function for a long while but you can also look into that, I used to send colour printing stuff there as I only have a BW printer.

Edit: meant to reply to OP @treasur75 

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Apparently you can do it online with Staples now. You upload the file, get a code, then use that at the store to print it out.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

If you plan to sell even a few items a month, buy a printer. The amount of time you will waste going to Staples to print a label, or the amount of money you will waste not getting the deepest discounts on Canada Post Labels (usually printing directly on eBay) isn't worth the hassle.

You might be able to find a printer on clearance where the pre-supplied ink will cover you for a few years if you are only printing a handful of sheets per month.

If this is an infrequent thing, everybody else has covered your options reasonably well. Use Canada Post Snap Ship and get a QR code, or use eBay and save the label as a PDF so that you can print it at Staples. Whichever makes the most sense economically when considering both your time and cost. 

[recped]

The last laser printer (monochrome) I bought was a Brother from Costco, don't remember the exact price but it was about $100, the included toner cartridge could probably print 5000+ labels and you can get aftermarket toner for those cheap Brother printers on eBay (from a Canadian based seller about $25 shipped).

Definitely worth buying a laser over a ink jet, better print quality and much lower cost per page.

A few years ago I switched to a thermal label printer, that is the best option but they are useless for anything except labels.

[recped]

Forgot to mention....I think the QR code system is only for USPS labels, I don't think Canada Post provides that option or if they do then not via eBay.

[dinomitesales]

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@recped wrote:

Forgot to mention....I think the QR code system is only for USPS labels, I don't think Canada Post provides that option or if they do then not via eBay.

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They do, but only if you buy the labels directly from Canada Post through SnapShip - when you get to the point where you need to print it will give you the option of having a QR code emailed to you that you can have scanned at the post office to have the label printed off.

eBay could implement this functionality into their label system, but they haven't, and I have to imagine it isn't too top of mind for them.

[star-la]

That is a shame. I have a printer and normally do it that way but I am on vacation and brought the package with me that I have to mail out because the auction was going to end while I was away and had a bid on it. Poshmark who is a much smaller company I think has the QR code thing implemented but it looks like Ebay doesn't. I'm going to have to drive around Peterborough looking for a Staples or maybe a library to print this out or suck it up and pay the extra shipping myself. *sigh*

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@treasur75 wrote:

Oh I miss London Drugs from when I lived in Vancouver.  I'm back in Ontario now and haven't seen one in years. 

I actually bought a label from Ebay and thought I'd be able to get a QR code but now I can't and apparently wasted my money. I downloaded it as a pdf and no longer see anything about refunding. The postal system is a nightmare here.

I got a solutions for small businesses account but I don't think the lady at the post office told me I could use a QR code with it. 

She said I would get great discounts and then was suprised to find how small it was on the item I was shipping. it was practically nothing.

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@treasur75 

@star-la 

Unsure if this will work but when you create a label using eBay you should be able to see a view of the label to be printed. On it on the right side there is a QR code. Have you tried to take a screen shot and bring that with you to the post office for them to print. It's their data. They should be able to read. Maybe they can print? Hey...just a thought. -Lotz

[dinomitesales]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
Unsure if this will work but when you create a label using eBay you should be able to see a view of the label to be printed. On it on the right side there is a QR code. Have you tried to take a screen shot and bring that with you to the post office for them to print. It's their data. They should be able to read. Maybe they can print? Hey...just a thought. -Lotz

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Are you talking about the little QR code printed directly on the shipping label? Those won't do anything to print a label, they're just there for the sorting machinery to more quickly locate the destination address positionally on the label.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@dinomitesales wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
Unsure if this will work but when you create a label using eBay you should be able to see a view of the label to be printed. On it on the right side there is a QR code. Have you tried to take a screen shot and bring that with you to the post office for them to print. It's their data. They should be able to read. Maybe they can print? Hey...just a thought. -Lotz

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Are you talking about the little QR code printed directly on the shipping label? Those won't do anything to print a label, they're just there for the sorting machinery to more quickly locate the destination address positionally on the label.

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@dinomitesales 

Thanks for the clarification. That's what I figured. Betting for the many that don't have printers the option to sending a QR code to a phone would be helpful. To my way of thinking having a printer is just the cost of doing business. For labels & packing slips.  Not including a ps....no comment!!!