Create a 2nd shipping label for an order

Jim_Drysdale
Tourist
9 0 14

Would love to have the option to create another shipping label for an order.  Useful in 2 cases:

1. Buyer returns item for an exchange and i have to ship the new items out

2. When i have forgot something in an order and need to ship the missing items

Is this something that can be handles by an app?

 

Replies 29 (29)

Nick
Shopify Staff (Retired)
4531 434 1024

Hi Jim,

Nick here from Shopify. 

Really good question. After reading your question, I feel the best workaround for the two scenarios you presented might not be another shipping label for the order but by creating a draft order. Once you have created a new draft order for the instances where the scenario's above occur, you can create and apply the new shipping labels to those. 

There are a couple of apps in the Shopify app store which might be useful when it comes to the actual shipping label aspect of your orders which you can see below:

You can also find the Shopify help guide on Shipping Labels here

Another way you can do this also is by breaking the order up by product. For example, if someone purchases multiple products from your store you can edit their quantity and break up the shipping labels as well as offer individual tracking numbers should you wish. Once in an order with multiple products, you will see something along the lines of the image below:When you click on create shipping label it will give you an option to select the quantities for each product. You will click zero for the products you want to break away from the first label/ tracking number and continue the process to make as many different aspects of the order as you need. Once you fulfill the item it will give you an action item where you can print a unique packing slip for each part of the order which you can see below: I know there is a lot of information and different methods around this. But I do believe with the scenario's you asked about originally a draft order is the best way forward. But I also wanted to show you how to create multiple shipping orders for one order also. 

Hope it all helps and don't hesitate to ask any other questions should you have any. 

All the best, Nick

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

MilitaryInc
Visitor
2 0 1

You can use a Paypal account to print the second shipping label if it was a Paypal payment.

kriegsende
Visitor
1 0 25

These work arounds may work but they do create many extra steps, each of which open up opportunities for human error like entering a customers information wrong in a draft order (happens all the time). Shopify should absolutely listen to this problem and add a simple "create additional label" button which allows seller to make new labels with new shipping details like box size and weight while automatically filling in the buyers other info. This isn't a question of there being a work around or not, this is an incredibly useful tool that would be easy enough for Shopify to add and it should. I used to use a similar feature on Shippo all the time until they eliminated it. Now I have to manually enter peoples information and screw around with layers of complication for absolutely no reason other than I have to work around a poorly designed system. It has the ability, it just doesn't care. This is not a rare problem, it is a stupidly easy thing for Shopify to make that would solve a very common and unnecessarily complicated problem.

I need to use this feature right now, twice, for two different orders because the shipping warehouse accidentally fulfilled all the items when one of those items (which must ship as 2 separate packages because of size and weight) when they did not have all the bits to ship at that warehouse. These small features are what make the sellers on your platform more efficient, which makes their businesses run better, which brings in more sales, which directly benefits Shopify. Its not just a kindness, it literally helps your bottom line and you have people on staff already that could know this out in a couple hours. I love Shopify, I hate inefficiency and unnecessary complication.

TLDR: Just make it happen Shopify, we would all benefit. Build the best product you can especially when its so simple to make better.

travis-mc
Tourist
4 0 4

I am new to Shopify.. Is this still not fixed?

pedalpython
Tourist
4 0 5

Apparently not! This was very easy to do on Godaddy, Shipstation and Paypal.

JaambEnterprise
Tourist
3 0 1

I had customer order quantity of 3, when I print shipping label they are all the same tracking code.  What i should do is do one of 3, print, 2 of 3, print, 3 of 3, print.  And that is the workaround vs just hit shipping label and it prints the same one 3 times?  why not print the same one 3 times, if that is the way the system does it, then ups and shopify can argue about system use.

JaambEnterprise_0-1700496866144.png

 

TheHotWick
Visitor
1 0 5

I followed the steps exactly and ended up spending double on shipping then I would have just because it requires that I buy another one. I don't know how other sites handle this but as a small business owner, it sucks. i lost most of my profit due to this issue. PLEASE FIX IT!

mandd
Tourist
11 0 10

there's no way to generate/buy another shipping label

That's pretty big shortcoming. 

 

banned
CustomPrint
Visitor
1 0 7

Really, as one of the biggest ecommerce platforms you haven't solved how to create a second shipping label for an order and are recommending duplicating orders to distort analytics data? 

mandd
Tourist
11 0 10

Lol nope they didn't.

there's a "solution"  make new order for $0 with address, mark fulfilled and then label can be generated.

 

now of someone could tell the prince to take it easy with photoshoots and fix up the basics in Shopify, that would be great...

 

 

 

banned
LittleWedgies
Visitor
1 0 5

Is there still no option to generate a shipping label without producing a draft order?  This is a VERY necessary option and kills shipping efficiency without it.

goodcamo
Visitor
1 0 9

Here we are in 2023 almost 5 years after OP posted this inquiry and I'm here to say it still hasn't been addressed!

aliska
Visitor
1 0 3

yup still no update, it's frustrating that there's been no updates for so many years.

Sewmagicmama
Visitor
1 0 5

How is this still not a thing?  I have 4 separate orders that the post office lost and i need to replace and I am unable to get labels for these packages.

pedalpython
Tourist
4 0 5

Here's what I do....

Do you have a PayPal account? Login here

https://paypal.shipstation.com/orders

and select "Create New Quick Label" and copy/paste your buyer's address. You will get shipping rates at or below Shopify's shipping rates. 

retrogameboyz
Excursionist
28 1 20

So......I love how Shopify does not give a hoot. Obviously I am here as others were, because I need to print a new label for an exchange. I hate every time I search for something the response is - "check out these pay for apps" - or "try these extra steps". Shpoify is all about introducing more work for us - I am strongly considering moving to another e-commerce platform. Thanks Shopify for nothing! 

AudraAzoury
Tourist
3 0 3

This is something that Shopify needs to remedy. This is necessary for many reasons and a complete pain every time this issue comes up.  I won't run through all of the scenarios where your suggest work-arounds simply don't work. This is one of the biggest downsides to Shopify and should become a priority. You can easily buy multiple shipping labels through Etsy.

Bree
Visitor
2 0 4

I found this thread because I also have to create a second shipping label for an exchanged item. 
Very, very odd that this does not get addressed by Shopify. A bit disappointing, really. 

JanetSnakehole
Visitor
1 0 2

Here's how I have worked around this issue when I had to replace an item I had already sent:

  1. Unarchive the order
  2. Edit the Order
  3. Add a product to your order
    1. If sending for free - give it a 100% discount
  4. Update the order
    1. (uncheck box if you don't want to send the customer a notice)
  5. Now the new item is unfulfilled, and "Create Shipping Label" is enabled for it.
  6. Click Create Shipping Label and go thru the usual process 

 

Now, it's showing up as a 2nd part of your order and you can track the progress of that package as well.

 

 

Worked like a charm for me!

travis-mc
Tourist
4 0 4

That'll throw off the inventory.

Evolution_Music
Visitor
1 0 1

This is the best solution I've seen. 

JaambEnterprise
Tourist
3 0 1
That's what I ended up doing. it was easier than I thought.

travis-mc
Tourist
4 0 4

My orders typically contain many small heavy items, and sometimes it's cheapest to ship an order in two large flat-rate boxes.  I can't even properly ship one of those orders using Shopify.  It's not even an exchange or forgotten item.

Mirdas
Shopify Partner
416 43 70

Hello @travis-mc 

 

Shopify Shipping doesn't support combining multiple packages into one label.

 

However, the Multi Carrier Shipping label app allows you to create Multi Piece Shipments (MPS).

 

The app automatically selects the right box based on weight, volume or maximum weight, offering rates at checkout and generating shipping labels using multiple boxes.

 

Keep in mind that for specific or complex packaging needs, approximate rates may be offered at checkout, and you might need to adjust package dimensions when generating the shipping label, as full automation may not be possible in such cases.

Co-Founder / CEO @ PluginHive
Shipping Automation | FedEx shipping | Multi-carrier shipping | Shipment Tracking | Australia Post shipping

pedalpython
Tourist
4 0 5

FIXED - Found the easy solution today! ✌️

 

On the customer's original order, click "More Actions>Duplicate"

pedalpython_0-1707082326647.png

The duplicate order will retain all the customer's address info and items. You may adjust the items on the order if needed to calculate weight correctly for the new package. 

Click Add Discount and discount the full amount before tax. Then under Collect Payment, Mark as Paid

pedalpython_1-1707082606076.png

Now you can print a new packing list and create your shipping label liek a normal order!

You'll even be able to utilize cheap USPS Standard First Class (no tracking) if desired for low value items that aren't worth tracking. In my case, a sheet of stickers that was less than an ounce I was able to ship for $1.27 instead $3.55. This method isn't available if you use Paypal/Shipstation like I was using previously. 

 

Hope this helps, everyone! 

 

travis-mc
Tourist
4 0 4

Creating a duplicate order is not ideal for bookkeeping purposes (when you have shopify connected to your accounting software).  They just need an option like "Create another shipment for this order".

pedalpython
Tourist
4 0 5
If you duplicate the order and zero out the amount, it should show a $0.00 transaction amount so I can't imagine how that would affect your bookkeeping since there is no money going in or out of your account. Sorry this did not help you.
Ka1ser
Visitor
1 0 1

Because inventory will be thrown off. If you put a fake item, the customer will be confused and you have to email them. There is no clear solution.

 

There needs to be a proper solution for this from Shopify's end. Even eBay lets you do this. The customer orders a large quantity of the same item, and it exceeds the standard box size we use. In this case, we need to use 2 or more of the standard box to fulfill the order. It is not rocket science, Shopify. 

cassetteplace
Excursionist
27 2 10

Thanks very much!