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eBay to Expand Shipping Label QR Codes to Returns

Ina Steiner
eBay
eBay to Expand Shipping Label QR Codes to Returns

eBay announced today that its QR feature is now available for all users in the US for USPS domestic shipping labels. It also said it plans to expand the use of QR codes into its return-label flows.

Last month, it launched the QR code feature so sellers could bring their package to their local Post Office and show the clerk the code on their mobile device, allowing the clerk to print the shipping label on the seller’s behalf.

eBay did not reveal how many post offices are currently equipped with this feature. eBay explained that the seller is notified about the QR code option in My eBay and via email. “When entering the shipping flow, the seller is guided to check for the nearest post office equipped with this feature. The seller can select a QR code as the label format and receive it via email or download it directly from the shipping flow.”

If plans change, QR codes can easily be voided or reprinted at no additional cost, eBay said.

“While the initial version involves a close partnership between eBay and USPS, we wanted to use an API integration model that would simplify onboarding other carriers in our global marketplace,” according the announcement. “By introducing a new service which receives data from our carriers and translates it into consistent-looking QR codes on the eBay Labels platform, we’re able to guarantee a consistent user experience for our sellers.”

eBay said it will expand the feature to other carriers in the US and to other global markets. “Additionally, we’re planning to expand the use of QR codes into our return label flows,” it wrote in Monday’s announcement, found on the eBay corporate blog.

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Ina Steiner
Ina Steiner
Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

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Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

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2 thoughts on “eBay to Expand Shipping Label QR Codes to Returns”

  1. eBays insane crush on returns continues ….

    If they spent 1/2 as much time fixing the site as they do obsessing about returns (and finding ways to increase them) …… the site may actually start to run well.

    Of course the total summation of the number of people that care about this “improvement” is between +1 and -1 (although come to think of it – theres probably a few Wall Street turds who will say eBays a long term “BUY” cause of it …. but then again Lehman etc so …..

  2. I’m sure the postal clerks will be thrilled with this

    they have a hard enough scanning packages, now they also get to print the labels

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