How the Pitney Bowes No-Box/No-Label Returns Service Works

Did the holidays leave you with one too many things to return? Does the thought of packing it all up for shipping make you consider just keeping it?

Pitney Bowes and PackageHub are the latest companies to team up to help you with that decision with their newly launched no-box/no-label returns service.

Pitney Bowes said its partnership with PackageHub, the second-largest franchisor of retail shipping stores, establishes a returns drop-off network at nearly 1,000 locations nationwide and adds to its existing network of 30,000 postal locations where Pitney Bowes already offers no-label returns. In addition, there are no subscription or shipment fees for the service, the company said.

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Here's how it works

If you shop at an e-commerce brand that uses Pitney Bowes’ return service or one of its platform partners, you can get immediate access to the network.

To start the process, you'll be sent a QR code online. You then take your return to a drop-off location, scan the QR code, hand over the return and you’re all done.

“By aligning with Pitney Bowes, we are poised to deliver a premium returns experience to both merchants and consumers through PackageHub Returns, ensuring a mutually beneficial outcome,” Brandon Gale, CEO of PackageHub, said in a statement.

Joining the drop-off returns bandwagon

The companies join a growing list of others offering to make returns easy, including Amazon, which offers drop-off services at Kohl's, Staples and Whole Foods. Amazon said the returns are free for most items delivered in the U.S., but that you should look for a "Free Returns" badge under the item's price to confirm that it qualifies for this.

In October, Uber launched a return-a-package feature that will send a courier to pick up your prepaid and sealed packages and drop them off at a local post office, UPS or FedEx location for a flat $5 fee, or for only $3 for Uber One members.

DoorDash offers a package pickup service  similar to Uber's that also charges a flat fee of $5 or $3 for DashPass members.

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