Shippo labels

Falcon buys prepaid return labels on your own Shippo account. Labels are billed by Shippo at your Shippo rates. Falcon doesn't add a fee. The customer gets the label on their return page and in the approval email.

You'll need a Shippo account, a return address with a phone number and email, and the Use a return label from us shipping option turned on.

Get your Shippo API token

1. Sign in to Shippo and open Settings → API. No account yet? Create one free from the link in Falcon.
2. Copy your token. A live token starts with shippo_live_. A test token starts with shippo_test_.

Try it with a test token first

A test token lets you try everything with sample labels that cost nothing. Switch to the live token when you're ready.

Connect Shippo

1. In Falcon, go to Settings → Carriers and labels.
2. On the Return labels tab, click Connect next to Shippo.
3. Paste your token. Falcon shows Test key or Live key as you paste.
4. Click Connect. Falcon checks the token with Shippo before saving.

You'll see Shippo connected, or Shippo connected in test mode. Your token is stored encrypted. Nobody can see it again, including Falcon.

When you connect, Falcon also:

• reads the carriers active on your Shippo account
• asks Shippo to send tracking updates. If Shippo accepts, the bar shows Live tracking. If not, it shows Tracking on page view, and Falcon checks tracking when a return is opened.

Then check that your return address has a phone and email, and choose your label settings. See Carriers and labels.

Test mode

With a test token, the bar shows Test mode and "Sample labels, nothing is charged". Labels work the same way, and the return timeline says Test return label created.

To go live, open the … menu, choose Replace key, and paste your live token. Your label settings stay the same.

How labels are bought

Falcon creates labels only for approved returns that use Use a return label from us.

Automatically when you approve Growth plan and up

With When set to Automatically, Falcon buys the label right after you approve. The approval email goes out once the label is ready, with the label attached. If buying fails, the email still goes out without the label, and the error shows on the return.

Manually

With Manually, or on plans below Growth, open the approved return and click Create label. You'll see "Return label ready and sent to the customer".

Which rate is bought

1. Falcon gets rates from your Shippo account, using your default package size.
2. It keeps only the carriers you selected, or all of them if you selected none.
3. It drops rates above your Spending limit, if you set one.
4. It picks the Cheapest or Fastest rate, based on your setting.

The return number is printed on the label. Within the US, USPS, UPS and FedEx labels are only charged when the customer ships. Other labels are charged when they're bought.

Falcon buys one label per return. Double clicks and automations can't buy a second one.

When you reject a return

If you reject a return that already has a label, Falcon cancels the label with Shippo. The timeline says "The return label was cancelled with the carrier."

If the cancellation isn't confirmed, the label is still removed from the return. The timeline tells you to request a refund for it in Shippo if needed.

Tracking updates

Tracking moves the return forward as the carrier scans the parcel:

• Label ready
• "The return parcel is on its way."
• "The return parcel was delivered."

With Live tracking, Shippo sends updates as they happen. Otherwise Falcon checks when you view the return, at most every six hours. Tracking never moves a return backwards.

International returns

International return labels aren't supported yet. If the customer is in a different country from your return address, no label is bought. You can upload a label with Add tracking, or ask the customer to ship it themselves.

Troubleshooting

Message	What to do
That doesn't look like a Shippo API key. It starts with shippo_live_ or shippo_test_.	Copy the token again from Shippo Settings → API.
Shippo didn't accept this API key. Check that it's copied in full.	The token is wrong or incomplete. Paste it again.
Shippo is not responding. Try again in a minute.	Shippo is slow or down. Try again later.
Shippo is limiting requests right now. Try again in a minute.	Wait a minute, then try again.
Carriers need a phone number and email on your return address.	Add both in Return addresses.
Add a return address in Settings → Return addresses.	Add at least one return address.
This order has no shipping address to send a label from	The order has no address. Upload a label with Add tracking.
This address needs a 2-letter country code	Enter the country as a 2-letter code, such as US, on your return address.
Every rate for this return is above your limit of…	Raise the Spending limit, or upload a label with Add tracking.
Shippo quotes this return in… but your spending limit is in…	Turn the limit off, or upload a label with Add tracking for now.
None of the carriers you picked offered a rate for this return.	Allow more carriers, or check the parcel size.
No carrier on your Shippo account offered a rate for this return.	Check the return address, the parcel size, and the carriers on your Shippo account.
The carrier didn't create the label…	The carrier refused. The message includes their reason. Fix it and click Try again.
We couldn't confirm with Shippo whether the label was created…	Wait a few minutes and click Check again. Falcon looks for the label in Shippo first and only buys if there is none.
The label provider key can't be read anymore.	Reconnect Shippo with Replace key.
A different Shippo account is connected than the one used for the earlier attempt.	Check the earlier account for a label, then reconnect it, or add the label yourself with Add tracking.

Related

• Carriers and labels
• Return addresses
• Approve or reject returns
• Troubleshooting