Generating a return label

You can use either the Shipping SOAP API or Delivery Manager to generate a return label.

API method

Metapack recommends using either of the following methods for generating return labels:

Note

You need to use the Printing Properties within each call to generate the relevant documentation.

In each of the above calls, a labels element is created at the end of the response containing a string from which the label can be generated.

In addition, if the return is from one trading bloc to another (including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland), note the following:

  • If the consignment is going by means of a postal carrier and is under 270 GBP, an encoded CN22 is returned automatically as part of the labels element. This will either be in the form of a second label or integrated with the delivery label. The documents element will then be empty.

  • If the consignment is going by means of a postal carrier and has a value of 270 GBP or more, an encoded CN23 is returned automatically in the documents element.  

Note

If the consignment is going by DHL, a waybill is generated.

If the carrier integration supports paperless trade, the documents element is empty.

Tip

You create a text file from the string in the labels element and (if generated) the documents element. You then upload each text file to a Base64 decoder to generate the labels/customs documents. For more information about this, refer to Example: Use Shipping SOAP API to create a label.

GUI method

For information about using Delivery Manager to generate a return label, refer to Generating returns labels.