You can’t edit a FedEx shipping label after printing it. The fix is to cancel the shipment in your FedEx account (Ship History, select the shipment, then Cancel) and create a new label with the correct details, which FedEx allows any time before it scans the package. If the package is already in FedEx’s hands, you can request an address change from the tracking page instead.
The right move depends on where the package is: still on your desk, already dropped off, or out for delivery. This guide walks through each case, explains why a handwritten correction doesn’t work, and shows how to avoid being billed twice.
Why can’t you change a FedEx label once it’s printed?
A FedEx label is a printout of an electronic shipment record. When you create it, FedEx Ship Manager sends the recipient address, service, weight and dimensions to FedEx and assigns a tracking number, and the barcode on the label points to that record. Printing it a second time, or writing on it, doesn’t change what’s stored.
That’s why crossing out an address or writing a new ZIP code by hand is a bad idea. FedEx’s sorting and billing rely on the electronic data and the barcode, so a handwritten change can send the package to the original address or trigger an address correction charge. FedEx’s own packing advice is not to tape over or obscure the label, which matters for a corrected label too.
How do you fix a FedEx label before you drop off the package?
If FedEx hasn’t scanned the package yet, cancel and replace it. FedEx’s label help page says you can cancel a shipment any time before FedEx scans your package:
- Log in to your FedEx account on fedex.com and open the Ship History tab. Our walkthrough of how to find shipping history on FedEx shows where it sits.
- Select the shipment with the wrong label and click Cancel.
- Create a new shipment with the corrected address, service, weight or dimensions; our step-by-step FedEx create label guide covers each screen.
- Print the new label, remove or fully cover the old one, and attach the new label to the largest flat side of the box.
- Use only the new tracking number. The canceled one won’t update.
If you made the label as a guest with a credit card in FedEx Ship Manager, you can’t cancel it from an account. FedEx’s label help says to call customer support for those, at 1.800.463.3339. For a clean printout without the instruction page, see how to print a FedEx label without instructions.
Will you be charged for the label you didn’t use?
Not if it never ships. FedEx’s label help page says that if a label goes unused or expires, you don’t need to cancel it: create a new one and you won’t be charged for the original. FedEx’s Service Guide still puts the burden on the shipper to delete electronic shipments that were never handed to FedEx, and a refund for a wrong charge has to follow its invoice-adjustment rules, so canceling the old shipment is the safer habit. Our guide on whether FedEx labels expire covers how long an unused label stays valid.
What are your options at each stage?
| Package status | What you can do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Label created, not printed | Edit the shipment details before printing | FedEx Ship Manager |
| Printed, not yet scanned by FedEx | Cancel the shipment and create a new label | Ship History, then Cancel |
| Need another copy of the same label | Reprint (only if the details are correct and it isn’t scanned) | Ship History, then Reprint |
| Scanned and in transit | Request an address change or a return | Tracking page, then Manage Delivery |
| Delivered | No label or address change is possible | Contact the recipient or FedEx |
Reprinting is only for a correct label that got smudged, lost or jammed in the printer. FedEx says the Reprint option should be used only when the label has been created but not yet scanned, and FedEx Ship Manager Lite can’t reprint at all. Our guide on how to reprint a FedEx label covers the steps.
Can you change the address after FedEx has the package?
Yes, until it’s delivered. Log in to your FedEx account, enter the tracking number on the FedEx tracking page, choose Manage Delivery, then Edit Delivery Address, enter the corrected address and submit. FedEx gives you a case number and warns that the change may affect the delivery date. You can also request the change in the FedEx mobile app.
Changes made this way are handled as a reroute or an address correction, and FedEx bills a fee for them to the account on the label. Its Service Guide allows one reroute per package; a change that isn’t a reroute or a correction counts as a new shipment with new charges. To bring the package back instead, the same Manage Delivery menu has a Return to Shipper option, which our guide to FedEx address corrections explains alongside the fee rules.
How do you avoid label mistakes in the first place?
Most label errors come from three fields: the address, the package dimensions and the service. A minute of checking before you print saves the cancel-and-reprint cycle.
- Verify the address with the recipient, including suite or apartment numbers, and let FedEx Ship Manager’s address check flag anything it can’t match.
- Measure and weigh the packed box rather than estimating, since FedEx can audit dimensions and adjust charges.
- Pick the service last, after you know the delivery deadline, so you don’t have to cancel a label just to switch from Ground to Express.
- Keep labels and pouches on hand. Our list of FedEx labels and supplies covers what FedEx provides, and our shipping resources library covers boxes, cushioning and packing.
If you ship UPS or USPS as well, ParcelPath offers printer-free labels: a UPS Mobile Barcode you scan at a UPS Store, or a USPS Label Broker code at the Post Office, so a corrected label never needs a home printer. For more FedEx questions, see the FedEx frequently asked questions page or the FedEx shipping hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a FedEx shipping label after printing it?
No. A printed FedEx label reflects an electronic shipment record, and the barcode can’t be changed. Instead, cancel the shipment in Ship History before FedEx scans the package and create a new label with the right details. If the package is already in transit, request an address change through Manage Delivery on the FedEx tracking page.
How long do I have to cancel a FedEx label?
FedEx lets you cancel a shipment any time before it scans the package. Log in, open Ship History, select the shipment and click Cancel. Labels created as a guest with a credit card in FedEx Ship Manager can’t be canceled online; FedEx says to call customer support at 1.800.463.3339 for those.
Will FedEx charge me for a label I printed but never used?
FedEx’s label help page says you won’t be charged for a label that goes unused or expires, and you can simply create a new one. Its Service Guide still asks shippers to delete electronic shipments that were never tendered, so canceling the unused shipment in Ship History is the safest way to keep it off your invoice.
Can I change the delivery address after dropping off a FedEx package?
Yes, until the package is delivered. Log in, track the package, choose Manage Delivery and then Edit Delivery Address. FedEx assigns a case number, may adjust the delivery date, and bills a reroute or address correction fee to the account on the label. Only one reroute is allowed per package.
Sources
- FedEx: Create a shipping label (cancel, reprint and unused-label answers), fedex.com/en-us/shipping/create-shipping-label.html
- FedEx Customer Support: How do I change or correct the delivery address?, fedex.com/en-us/customer-support/faqs/sending/shipping/correct-shipping-address.html
- FedEx Customer Support: How do I stop the delivery and have my package returned?, fedex.com/en-us/customer-support/faqs/sending/shipping/cancel-shipment.html
- FedEx Service Guide, effective January 5, 2026 (Reroute of Shipment, Address Correction, Liabilities Not Assumed, Invoice Adjustments), fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/Service_Guide_2026.pdf
- FedEx: How to ship a package (label placement tips), fedex.com/en-us/shipping/how-to-ship.html
Part of our FedEx Create Label guide. Related: How to Reprint a FedEx Label, Do FedEx Labels Expire.
