I was charged for shipping labels in test mode

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment

Topic summary

A user was charged for shipping labels created during test orders before launching their website. The labels were printed to test a thermal printer but never actually used.

Actions already taken:

  • Marked the shipping labels as “voided”
  • Processed refunds for the test orders

Key clarification provided:
Shipping labels on Shopify are always purchased in live mode—there is no test mode option for labels. However, unused labels can be voided for a refund.

Refund process:

  • Navigate to Orders > Shipping labels
  • Select and void the unused labels with a reason
  • Refunds are typically processed within 14 days as account credits
  • Credits can be applied to future Shopify Shipping purchases

Next steps:
Monitor the refund status under Orders > Shipping Labels. If the refund doesn’t appear within 14 days, contact Shopify Support for assistance.

Summarized with AI on October 31. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I did a test order before launching my website and I printed a shipping label for fun to test my thermal printer. I never used the shipping label. And when I saw my billing, I realized that Shopify charged me for the shipping labels used for test mode.

Here’s what I did:

  • I went to the Shipping labels and mark the labels “voided”

  • I went to the test orders and did a “refund”

After doing this, I don’t know what’s next.

How can I fix this? I don’t think I should pay for shipping labels on test mode.

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2

Shipping labels on Shopify are always purchased in live mode since there’s no test option. If you haven’t used a label, you can void or cancel it, and Shopify will refund/credit the charges back to your account. This credit can be applied to future shipping label purchases through Shopify Shipping.

To cancel/void your shipping labels, follow these steps:

  • Go to Orders > Shipping labels in your Shopify admin.
  • Select the shipping labels you want to void.
  • Click Void shipping labels and choose a reason.
  • Click Void XX labels to confirm.

Once voided, the refund should be processed within 14 days. You can check the status under Orders > Shipping Labels. If the refund isn’t processed within that time, I recommend contacting Shopify Support for assistance.