To create a FedEx label, open FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, enter the sender and recipient addresses, the package weight and dimensions, choose a FedEx service and any options, then pay and print the label. You don’t need a FedEx account number for a one-time shipment: FedEx Ship Manager Lite lets you pay by credit card, and FedEx says an account is charged only when a FedEx agent scans the label.
The steps below follow that flow from start to finish, with the details that most often cause delays or billing adjustments: dimensions, service choice and how the label is printed and placed.
What do you need before you create a FedEx label?
Gather everything before you start, because the Ship Manager screens ask for it in one pass and a wrong detail is the usual reason for an address correction or a billing adjustment after pickup.
| Information | What to have ready |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Full name or company, street address with suite or apartment, city, state, ZIP code and phone number |
| Sender | Your name, return address and phone number |
| Package | Weight from a scale and length, width and height in inches, measured after packing |
| Contents | A description, plus a declared value if you want coverage above FedEx’s default liability |
| Payment | A FedEx account, or a credit card for a one-time shipment |
Packaging affects the price as much as the address does. Check the FedEx box sizes guide before you pack, and if the item is bulky, confirm the measurements in our FedEx Extra Large box dimensions guide or the FedEx Large Box guide. FedEx bills dimensional weight when it’s higher than the actual weight, so a box that’s bigger than it needs to be costs more.
Which FedEx tools can create a shipping label?
FedEx offers several ways to create a label, and they differ mostly in whether you need an account and how much you ship.
- FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com: the standard web tool for anyone with a fedex.com login. It keeps an address book and a Ship History tab where you can reprint, cancel and track shipments.
- FedEx Ship Manager Lite: FedEx’s option for a one-time credit card shipment without an account number. FedEx notes that you can’t reprint a Ship Manager Lite label, so save the file as soon as it’s created.
- FedEx Ship Manager Software: a desktop application for businesses that ship regularly and want batch processing and reporting.
- A FedEx retail location: staff can create and print the label for you at the counter, at retail pricing.
Signing in or opening an account gives you, in FedEx’s words, “discounts, an address book and faster shipment setup,” which matters if you ship more than a few packages a month.
How do you create a FedEx label step by step?
Step 1: Sign in or start a one-time shipment
Go to fedex.com and choose Create a Shipment. Sign in to use FedEx Ship Manager, or use Ship Manager Lite to pay by card without an account number.
Step 2: Enter the sender address
Enter your full return address and phone number. This is where FedEx returns the package if it can’t be delivered, so it has to be complete.
Step 3: Enter the recipient address
Type the delivery address carefully, including the apartment or suite number. If a package still goes astray, our guide to steps to take when FedEx delivers to the wrong address explains how to get it back.
Step 4: Enter weight and dimensions
Weigh the packed box and round each measurement the way FedEx does, up to the next whole inch. If you use FedEx packaging, select it from the packaging list instead of entering your own dimensions.
Step 5: Choose a FedEx service
Pick the service that matches how soon the package has to arrive. The FedEx services and transit-time overview compares every tier in detail.
| FedEx service | Delivery commitment | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx Ground / Home Delivery | 1 to 5 business days in the contiguous U.S. | Most non-urgent parcels |
| FedEx Express Saver | 3rd business day | Faster than Ground at the lowest Express level |
| FedEx 2Day | 2nd business day | Orders that need a firm two-day date |
| FedEx Standard Overnight | Next business day by end of day | Next-day delivery without a morning deadline |
| FedEx Priority Overnight | Next business day by mid-morning | Urgent business shipments |
Step 6: Add options
Choose any extras: a signature option, declared value, Saturday delivery where offered, or an email notification to the recipient. Our guide on how to tell if a FedEx package requires a signature explains which signature types apply.
Step 7: Pay, print and attach
Review the summary, pay and print. FedEx lets you edit a label immediately after creating it from the confirmation screen; after that, our guide on how to edit a FedEx shipping label after printing covers your options.
How should you print and attach a FedEx label?
A label that won’t scan is the most common reason a correctly created shipment stalls. These habits prevent it.
- Print at 100% scale, never “fit to page,” on a laser or inkjet printer or a FedEx-compatible thermal label printer.
- Put the label on the largest flat surface, away from seams, edges and tape.
- Tape around the edges of the label, not across the barcode.
- Remove or cover every old label and barcode on a reused box.
If you don’t want the instruction page printed with the label, our guide on how to print a FedEx label without instructions shows the settings. When a label is damaged or lost before drop-off, our guide on how to reprint a FedEx label walks through the Ship History reprint; FedEx warns that reusing a reprinted label to ship additional packages is fraudulent.
What happens after you create the label?
Nothing is billed until the package moves. FedEx’s FAQ states that “your FedEx account only gets charged once when the FedEx agent scans the shipping label,” and you can cancel a shipment before it’s scanned from the Ship History tab in FedEx Ship Manager.
Once the package is dropped off or picked up, the scan activates tracking. If a driver can’t complete a delivery that needs someone present, you’ll see a FedEx door tag with instructions, and an undeliverable package may come back as a FedEx return to sender. Our FedEx labels and supplies guide collects the rest of FedEx’s labeling options in one place.
Is there a cheaper alternative to a FedEx label?
If you aren’t tied to one carrier, a UPS or USPS label often does the same job for less. If you’re open to UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath is a free UPS and USPS shipping platform with no subscription, no per-label fee and no contract, offering up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS.
It also handles the no-printer problem: UPS Mobile Barcode labels are printed at The UPS Store, and USPS Label Broker labels are printed at the Post Office. You can compare live UPS and USPS prices for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator before you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you create a FedEx label without a FedEx account?
Yes. FedEx says you can make a one-time credit card shipment using FedEx Ship Manager Lite without a FedEx account number. The trade-off is that Ship Manager Lite labels can’t be reprinted, so save or print the label right away. A free fedex.com account adds an address book, Ship History and access to discounts.
Are you charged when you create a FedEx label?
No. According to FedEx’s shipping FAQ, your FedEx account is charged only once, when a FedEx agent scans the shipping label at drop-off or pickup. If you create a label and never ship the package, you aren’t charged, and you can cancel the shipment from Ship History before it’s scanned.
Can you change a FedEx label after you create it?
You can edit a label immediately after creating it from the confirmation screen in FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com. Once you’ve left that screen, cancel the shipment in Ship History before it’s scanned and create a new label with the correct details, then print and attach the replacement.
Do FedEx labels expire after you create them?
FedEx states that printed return labels don’t expire while the account that created them is in good standing, and U.S. email return labels can stay accessible for up to two years. For outbound labels, ship soon after creation; our guide on whether FedEx labels expire explains the validity rules for each label type.
Sources
- FedEx: U.S. and International Shipping FAQs (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/faqs.html)
- FedEx Service Guide 2026, U.S. delivery commitments and terms (fedex.com)
Part of our FedEx Shipping hub.
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