FedEx Labels and Supplies: What’s Free and How to Order

FedEx labels and supplies are the shipping labels you print for each package plus the FedEx-branded envelopes, paks, boxes and tubes FedEx provides. Branded packaging is free with a FedEx account, but only for FedEx expedited (Express) services, and you print labels yourself on a laser or thermal printer from FedEx Ship Manager. Boxes for FedEx Ground come from you or from a FedEx Office store.

Getting the labels and packaging right avoids rejected packages and surprise charges. This guide covers which supplies are free, how to order them, which label formats FedEx supports, and the special labels needed for dangerous goods, dry ice and international shipments.

Which FedEx Supplies Are Free?

FedEx states that complimentary packaging is only available for shipments using FedEx expedited services, along with Express Saver and select international services. Envelopes, paks, poly bags, boxes and tubes are all included. Here’s how the main supply types compare:

Cushioning and packing material inside the box aren’t included with free packaging. Our guides to the FedEx Large Box and FedEx Extra Large Box dimensions list the inside measurements, and our FedEx envelope sizes guide covers the Envelope and Pak.

How Do You Order FedEx Shipping Supplies?

1. Log in to fedex.com. Free packaging requires a FedEx account, and the supplies page offers sign-up if you don’t have one.
2. Open the order supplies page through the “Log in to order” option and pick the packaging you need.
3. Check the service. Order branded packaging only for packages you’ll send with an expedited FedEx service.
4. Buy anything else separately. Plain boxes, tape, envelopes, labels and cushioning are sold at FedEx Office locations and online.

For packages that don’t fit FedEx’s standard sizes, FedEx also offers custom packaging with your own graphics, shapes and sizes. Our FedEx custom boxes ordering guide explains that process, and our FedEx box sizes guide compares every branded box.

What Kinds of FedEx Labels Can You Print?

Every FedEx package needs a label with its own tracking number, created in FedEx Ship Manager, another FedEx shipping tool or approved shipping software. How you print it depends on your volume:

• Laser or inkjet printer. FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com prints domestic labels from your browser on a regular printer, which suits occasional shippers.
• Thermal label printer. FedEx Ship Manager software supports Zebra thermal printers, including the ZP 505, ZP 506 and ZT 411, which suit high-volume shipping.
• Return labels. FedEx Print Return Label and FedEx Email Return Label let you send a customer a prepaid return label.
• Printing at a store. FedEx Office locations can print and pack shipments, and FedEx offers QR codes for some drop-offs, such as returns at participating Walgreens, where the store prints the label.

Labels you create aren’t valid forever, and our guide on whether FedEx labels expire explains when to make a new one. If a label is damaged or lost before pickup, our guide on how to reprint a FedEx label walks through the steps, and our FedEx shipping hub covers canceling a label you won’t use.

What Labels Do Dangerous Goods and Dry Ice Need?

Dangerous goods must be properly classified, packaged, marked, labeled and documented before FedEx accepts them, and federal rules require job-specific dangerous goods training for anyone who prepares them. FedEx packaging may not be used for dangerous goods, with a few exceptions: permitted IATA Section II lithium batteries in FedEx boxes and tubes, Biological Substance Category B (UN 3373) in approved clinical packaging, and dry ice in FedEx Temp-Assure dry ice cooled packages.

FedEx offers a dedicated dry ice label that you can use instead of marking the box by hand, and you can order it by calling 1-800-463-3339 and saying “dangerous goods.” The same hotline answers labeling questions. Lithium batteries that need an A88 or A99 special provision also require FedEx Dangerous Goods Administration approval before you ship.

What Do International FedEx Labels Require?

An international package needs its shipping label plus customs documentation that describes the contents, their value and their country of origin. Creating the shipment in FedEx Ship Manager or another FedEx tool generates the customs paperwork with the label, so complete every field rather than writing “gift” or “merchandise.”

Dangerous goods rules are stricter for air shipments abroad, and some destinations restrict items that ship freely within the U.S. Our list of FedEx abbreviations decodes the service and document codes on international labels and invoices, and our FedEx frequently asked questions guide covers common international questions.

How Can You Cut Costs on FedEx Labels and Supplies?

• Use One Rate for dense items. FedEx One Rate prices FedEx packaging by box and zone, not weight, for First Overnight, Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, 2Day A.M., 2Day and Express Saver.
• Right-size your box. Most light-weight shipments are billed by dimensional weight, and FedEx packaging can be subject to dimensional-weight pricing too.
• Watch the size limits. Large or long boxes trigger extra handling and oversize charges, which our guide to FedEx oversize dimensions explains.
• Don’t overstuff. FedEx rates an overstuffed Envelope or Pak as a One Rate box based on its cubic volume.
• Print in batches. A thermal printer cuts per-label time once you ship more than a handful of packages a day.

If you’re open to UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath is free, with no subscription, no per-label fee and no minimums, and offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS. You don’t need a printer either: ParcelPath supports UPS Mobile Barcode labels at The UPS Store and USPS Label Broker at the Post Office. Compare both carriers for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are FedEx labels and supplies free?

FedEx-branded envelopes, paks, poly bags, boxes and tubes are free with a FedEx account, but only for FedEx expedited services such as overnight, 2Day and Express Saver. Labels you create in FedEx Ship Manager cost nothing beyond your paper or label stock. Plain boxes, tape and cushioning for FedEx Ground are sold at FedEx Office and online.

Can I use free FedEx boxes for FedEx Ground?

No. FedEx limits complimentary packaging to its expedited services, Express Saver and select international services, so FedEx-branded boxes aren’t meant for FedEx Ground or Ground Economy. For Ground, use your own box or buy one at a FedEx Office location. One Rate, which uses the same packaging, also covers only expedited U.S. services.

What printer do I need for FedEx labels?

Any laser or inkjet printer works for occasional shipping, since FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com prints domestic labels straight from your browser. High-volume shippers usually switch to a thermal printer, and FedEx Ship Manager software supports Zebra models including the ZP 505, ZP 506 and ZT 411. You can also print and ship at FedEx Office locations.

How do I get FedEx dry ice labels?

Every dry ice package needs dry ice marking and labeling on the outside, applied by the shipper by hand or with a self-adhesive label. FedEx offers a specialized dry ice label, which you can order by calling 1-800-463-3339 and saying “dangerous goods.” You also have to enter the dry ice details on the shipment when you create the label.

Sources

• FedEx: Packaging and complimentary packaging rules
• FedEx: Packing and shipping supplies
• FedEx: One Rate packaging, weight limits and eligible services
• FedEx: Ship Manager software, printers and reports
• FedEx: How to ship dangerous goods, including dry ice labeling
• FedEx Service Guide 2026 (U.S.): dangerous goods packaging rules and return labels

Part of our FedEx Box Sizes guide. Related: FedEx Oversize Dimensions, FedEx Custom Boxes, FedEx Envelope Sizes.