Automating return labels with PostCo's carrier account

Connecting a PostCo carrier account lets you use our negotiated rates with supported carriers and allows you to begin generating labels without needing your own account.

In the Shipping Settings page, simply click on 'Connect carrier account' and proceed with the following steps:

1. Under the Ship by PostCo tab, choose the carrier you want to enable (e.g. AusPost, USPS, FedEx) and click 'Connect'.

   

2. Some carriers, like USPS, will require you to enter additional details like your name, address, phone number and email address before completing the setup:

   

Once the above is completed, you'd have successfully setup a carrier account and will be redirected to add a shipping method.

You can add a shipping method to a carrier account once it has been connected in the previous section.

To do this, simply locate the carrier account you wish to add a shipping method to, click on 'Add shipping method' and proceed with setting up the following fields:

1. Title - This is only visible to you and helps you keep track of your different shipping methods.

2. Description - This text will appear as a subtitle under the shipping method title, providing customers an overview of what to expect.

3. Ship from countries - Controls whether this shipping method is available to customers based on the country they are returning from.
   Note: Some carriers only support returns from certain countries and cannot be edited by users e.g. USPS, Royal Mail, Australia Post

   • Including: Only customers from included countries are shown this shipping method.

   • Excluding: Only customers from excluded countries are not shown this shipping method.

4. Label pricing - This sets the price customers are required to pay when selecting this shipping method. You can choose to charge customers a fixed fee, or a dynamic price based on the carrier’s actual label cost.
   Note: Some carriers only support charging a fixed price

   • Fixed price: Customers pay the same amount regardless of the label's actual cost.

   • Label cost markup: Customers pay the label's actual cost plus the markup percentage set here.
     (Set this to 0% if you want customers to pay the actual label cost)

5. Printerless - This determines whether the customer is required to print their labels out or not when dropping-off their parcels.
   Note: This feature is supported by USPS, FedEx & Royal Mail

6. Email instructions - The steps that customers receive via email when their return is approved on how to return their items through this shipping method

7. Payment method - This determines how customers will pay for their return labels.

   • Collect payment via Stripe: Customers submit their card details to Stripe and are charged for the labels when their return is reviewed.

   • Auto-deduct from refund: Label costs are deducted from the customer's refund. For exchanges, the label fees are charged through Stripe.

Here's a visual guide on adding a shipping method to a carrier account:

After adding a shipping method above, you can always edit it from your PostCo dashboard.

In the Shipping Settings page, simply click 'Edit' under the shipping method you'd like to make changes to and proceed to update the relevant fields.

Customers will receive an automated email containing detailed return instructions and the return address.

They simply need to follow the steps provided, pack their items securely, print and attach the return label (not needed if a printerless label is issued), and drop the parcel off at the correct facility.

This is how it would look like during the customer returns journey when payment method is set to:

Collect payment via Stripe

Auto-deduct from refund

1. How can I know the cost of a shipment label?
   
   Some carriers vary their label prices by parcel weight & shipping distance. For such carriers, you may use the built-in Rate Calculator to determine an estimate cost of a label. Refer to this article here to learn more.

   

   
   

2. Can I add more than 1 shipping method under a carrier account?
   
   Yes, you can create multiple shipping methods under each carrier account. For instance, this is useful when you'd like to charge customers differently based on their returning method.