When purchasing a label, do you have to send the package by the send by date exactly?

[nach-8518]

I'm new to selling, and I sold something today. However, when I went to purchase a shipping label, it said: "You have purchased a label
Use the button below to print your label so you can send your parcel by Thu, Jul 8."

Do I have to literally send it today? Or can I wait?

[forward-motion · Accepted solution]

I don't always. Sometimes I pack at night and ship the next day. 

[nach-8518]

Thank you

[bigdeals.etc]

No. But USPS might raise a brow if you wait too long.

[katzrul15]

What date is on your label?  I do the same thing, but I use tomorrow's date for the shipping label.

1 day is likely not a big deal, but would not wait much more than a day or so......

[mtgraves7984]

^^^ Good idea, @nach-8518. Being new, you might not have known that you can change the date before buying the label.

[nach-8518]

Oh, you can change the date before buying it? I really didn't know that lol

[nach-8518]

Thank you all for helping me 🙂

[bimm_corp]

@nach-8518 

>Do I have to literally send it today?

If you use eBay labels, the date on the label page has a drop-down where you can set a date, usually 4-5 days in the future. I always set it to the latest date as here in the winter big snow can make it hard to get to the PO.

Also depends on your PO clerk; some will let you ship anytime but the difficult ones will not let you ship a package just a day late.

BTW, when you print the label, choose to download the PDF first, then print it. If something goes wrong you will have the PDF to print the label again. HTH.

[highscoreusa]

Years ago, USPS would return international mail if the date written was different than the actual ship date, sometimes not even refunding the label cost.

For at least the last 5 years though, no package have been returned when the date on the label has not matched the actual shipment date.

[1tuna]

if you want to know when  to ship then looking at a label is not going to help you

you need to look at the ready to ship column in seller hub.

the seller hub tells you when to ship.........its not left up to guesswork

your shipping policy is one of three buisness polices that ebay requires you to have

your handling time is supposed to be stated ahead of time