How long until unpaid USPS label expires?

[djterrum]

I am planning to send a parcel through 'USPS First Class International' but can't dispatch it immediately. The customs form printed a label with the customs information next to it. It also provided a tracking number.

It's a bit strange because the label isn't paid for, and it doesn't show any expiry date on the label, yet a tracking number for 'pre-shipment' is generated with a barcode etc.

Any idea how long these labels (and the tracking number) tend to last? Because it could be months until I actually manage to dispatch this item, and I have very limited access to a printer and car.

[berserkerplanet]

If you printed an eBay or PayPal label it is paid for - there is no way to print or generate a label without paid postage.

There are no expiration dates on labels, only shipping dates, and technically pkgs need to be shipped on the date the label shows. In practice, most of the time a few days are ok. In some cases even one day stale labels are flagged by overzealous USPS employees and rejected.

Not aware of, and have never heard of any automated system parameters where even if a USPS employee accepts it that the scanning systems along the way would flag it and kick it out of the flow for human review and action (again, officially mailings are supposed to be on the label date).

What foreign POs or customs would do, is unknown.

In other words, no idea.

I'm bit confused - you show as in the UK, and you items do also. What is the scenario here? How did you print A USPS label?

[fashions4passionint]

Does the buyer know it “could be months” before you ship?

[johnrj1226]

Here is what  stamps.com says - a recognized & respected company in the US that we  can buy shipping labels thru.

Question asked

Am I required to send my package on the date that is printed on my shipping label?

Stamps Reply

As required by the USPS, shipping labels must be mailed on the date that is specified on the label. If you are preparing your package for shipment, remember that you can postdate your shipping label by using the Mailing Date feature.

More Stamps Information from Search Results

If you have already printed the shipping label but will be unable to mail it on the mailing date, request a refund for that shipping label and print a new shipping label with the appropriate date.

All shipping labels can be postdated 7 days, except for Priority Mail Express and International shipping labels which can only be postdated 3 days.

[johnrj1226]

@berserkerplanet 

I have the same question about a UK buyer  buying a shipping labels from the USPS. 

Could it  be that they  bought teh  label from a company like  stamps.com vs thru eBay.

This is a very  "unique" situation with the 3 month before they ship - guess it is for real but  one might  get am eBay super defect  for being sooooo late on delivery (lol).  In a nutshell - I have been to three county fairs and a goat roping contest and I ain't heard nuttin' like  this b4.

[berserkerplanet]

I suppose there are a lot of ways to purchase a USPS label including stamps, maybe PayPal (don't know if possible if registered in other country but could also have a US PayPal account), having a USPS account maybe.

It is a unique situation. As I mentioned, the only "punishment" I've ever seen for stale USPS labels is over-zealous USPS clerks or carriers, and only a few days stale in those cases. Never gave much thought about if the computer systems do anything about through programming (and have heard nothing about that happening either), or given any thought to months stale labels.

I also mentioned before that foreign PO or customs might get bent about the stale label, but now that I think about it, probably not. It's a USPS regulation, and stuff gets delayed in the USP systems and at their USPS ISC centers all the time - foreign POs and foreign customs likely wouldn't even notice or care.

The eBay impact actually..... nothing mostly, but for it to work, the buyer would have to cooperate totally, giving up eBay buyer protection, and either leaving no feedback within 60 days, not answering the late question if asked, or saying it was on time.

There wouldn't be any late shipment ding - no tracking uploaded, thus no acceptance scan or delivery input, and as long as the buyer either doesn't leave feedback during the 60 day feedback window, or doesn't answer the "was it late question, the transaction gets tossed from the metrics totally and doesn't count at all, or if buyer says it was on-time then it was on time.

If TRS then there would be a ding in the "uploaded and scanned at some point" metric no matter what. eBay wouldn't care about anything else about the transaction unless buyer asked them to (within 30 days of EDD). So basically no eBay impact of concern any different than shipping something in a PWE with no tracking as long as buyer cooperates fully.

Then again, nothing in the OP indicated it was for an eBay sale.

What I'm even more curious about is the "not paid" postage statement.

To my knowledge, it isn't possible to purchase an online USPS label without postage anywhere, and isn't even possible using the old USPS Click' n Ship for Business standalone local computer program (or whatever they are calling it if it is even still being used) any longer - that started requiring a postage meter, permit, or a USPS Business eVS account to pay for postage in 2015 (used to be able to print the labels with tracking numbers, and stick stamps on them or pay at the PO counter. Or use a meter.)

We'll have to wait for enlightenment from OP.

Doh! I just remembered something thinking about this. The "new" USPS International label format that was rolled out a few years ago (2016?) stopped obviously indicating paid postage on it

 https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Shipping-Returns/New-March-2016-USPS-Form-2976-A-and-Uninforme...

That one was a Priority label to Japan, but I have one from mid 2018 to Sweden that is the same format for FCPIS - It's the USPS Click 'n Ship created labels that appear to indicate postage wasn't paid (when in fact it was and shows in the middle right of the label)

Pretty sure someone not in the US can open a USPS.com account as long as they have some sort US address to use (friend or relative or vacation home) and a credit card.

[johnrj1226]

The OP  needs to fill in the  blanks by answering the questions raised by  other posters.

As you previously stated don't know  how one gets a tracking number without  paying for the shipping label up front - especially  the USPS - maybe Royal mail works  different but I would doubt it as the British came up with the  phrase "penny wise, pound foolish".

CIAO!