Test Labels

You can test Sendcloud APIs without running the risk of being charged for any shipping labels you create in the process.

There are two methods of creating test parcels:

  1. Create a test label using the Sendcloud shipping method Unstamped letter. You won’t be charged for any parcels which are created using this method.
  2. Create a label and cancel it within the deadline
For testing purposes, we recommend you create parcels with the request_label property flagged as false. This will prevent labels from being created at the same time as the parcel and avoid potential charges.

Create a test label

The shipping method “Unstamped letter” is a Sendcloud method which allows you to create test parcels without being charged.

Tip: If you’re creating a number of test parcels, you may find it helpful to set “Unstamped letter” as your default shipping method in your Sendcloud account settings.

You can specify the shipping method Unstamped letter in your API requests within the shipment object. Note that the id for this method is 8 at the time of writing.

Example:

1{
2    "shipment":
3    {
4        "id": 999999999,
5        "name": "Unstamped letter"
6    }
7}
It’s not possible to use “Unstamped letter” to create return parcels. To test return parcel creation, you should use a suitable return method and then cancel the label before the cancellation deadline, as described here.
Note: Shipping method ID’s are volatile, and should not be saved for more than an hour. The list of available methods and their associated ID’s change frequently, as we continually add new methods and update existing ones in our system.

Cancel a label within the deadline

When you want to test outgoing or return parcel creation, and the “Unstamped letter” method isn’t applicable, it’s possible to create shipping labels and then cancel them within the cancellation deadline.

Not all carriers support cancellation requests. Carefully consult the list of carriers on our Help Center before you request a label for a particular shipping method to be sure that cancellation is possible.

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