Clear Packing Tape Over Shipping Label Scan Bar

[Cyberger]

While carrying some packages to the post office a couple of days ago, I encountered some sleet that caused the label scan code ink to run/bleed from the moisture (I’m still using a regular/cheap printer for standard paper labels). Although the eBay “print page” says the following:

<li id=”packandship-makeSureLabelIsVisible”>Make sure your label is clearly visible, and that there is no tape over any barcodes.

Has anyone encountered any issues taping over the barcode anyway, especially with USPS? After two recent drop offs at FedEx, they noticed I hadn’t taped the barcode, and they did it for me (and said they have no problem with it, and didn’t want the paper label to tear). Thanks!

[Elle]

Nope been selling for 13 years and always taped my labels on with no trouble.

 

[Antique Frog]

The labels I get have QR codes, which are about 2 inches square with really small pixels, so I don’t tape over them just in case. I do tape over the address part though- HP printer with water-based ink which will run. I import the label into a graphics programme and convert to greyscale before printing.

Sent some parcels with bar codes recently where some of the bars seemed to be grey (Yodel carriers) and I just couldn’t get the codes printed out clearly enough for the shop’s scanner to work.

[So Cal Joe]

There are free scanner apps you can download to your smartphone. I occasionally used them to check the labels, when the printer ink is running low and the labels are a bit faded.

 

[PDX_Cyndy]

I also use paper labels and I try not to tape over the barcodes, but there’s been several times where my head was elsewhere and I put the tape right over the barcode. Those packages arrived at their destination without incident. I assume that the tape makes it more difficult for USPS scanners to read. It would be nice if any postal workers out there could confirm. It rains a lot here and I’m always worried about the barcode smearing.

[workhorse]

My assistant always tapes over the barcodes. At first I didn’t like it because of the warning not to, but I’ve never had a single issue with it come up.  I have had a few issues with torn adhesive labels though, so I figure there’s actually incentive to tape over the label really well.

[Cyberger]

Thanks everyone!  I had the opportunity to pose the question to a counter person at the post office, and also my regular mail carrier today. They both said it wasn’t a problem, and their scanners will read the barcode provided the tape was carefully and smoothly applied (no creases, bubbles, etc.).  Both mentioned that although it’s inconvenient, they can manually input the tracking number, provided it’s legible through the tape. The usps counter person said I’d be doing myself a favor by taping over the barcode, as they see quite a few torn labels, in addition to ink runs.

[Antique Frog]

I did have a problem when I posted two items to the same buyer. The postmaster refused the second parcel on the grounds that the two parcels had the same QR code. I went back home and compared the images of the two codes at 200% magnification- they were four or five pixels different at the lower left corner. Took the second parcel to another post office- no problem.

Same address, same parcel size, same postage rate. Those few pixels must have been something like the purchase time, which was a few minutes different.

[Author]

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