Anytime Mailbox + Pirate Ship: Buy Your Own Discounted USPS/UPS Labels, Step by Step

What this covers

If you receive packages at a US address such as Anytime Mailbox, forwarding them normally means the store buys the label and sets the postage. The alternative is to buy a prepaid USPS or UPS label online yourself, email the PDF to the store, and let staff print, attach, and hand it to the carrier. It is usually cheaper than a store-bought label.

Pirate Ship is a popular discounted-label platform. It runs in the browser, is free to join with no monthly fee, and you pay per label. This guide goes from sign-up to drop-off, with a focus on what to confirm with an Anytime Mailbox store first.

Before you start

• The store must agree to let you supply your own label. Not every Anytime Mailbox location accepts third-party prepaid labels, so ask before you pick an address
• Pirate Ship requires users to live in the US; sign-up needs your real name, a qualifying US address, an email, and a payment method
• Payment options: credit card, debit card, PayPal, Venmo, and US bank ACH. Use a method in your own or your company's name to avoid review flags
• Only USPS and UPS labels are offered; no FedEx
• Enter true weight and dimensions. Carriers re-check in transit and bill adjustments for under-declared packages

Steps

1. Sign up and add payment

1. Create an account on the Pirate Ship website; no app needed
2. Go to Settings → Payment Method → Add New

2. Create a single label and enter Ship To

After logging in, choose Ship → Create a Single Label. For personal shipping this is all you need; skip bulk import.

Fill in the Ship To address accurately: name, street address, Apt / Suite, city, state, ZIP, and phone or email if asked. When shipping to another US forwarding warehouse, include the Suite, PMB, or customer ID they assigned you.

3. Set the Ship From address

This is where most mistakes happen. Pirate Ship separates two addresses:

| Field | Meaning | |------|------| | Physical / Origin Address | Where the package actually ships from; used for postage | | Return Address | The return address printed on the label |

They can differ. If the package sits at a US receiving store, set the origin to that store's real location, and confirm the store is fine with it. Edit or add addresses under Settings → Ship From Addresses; uncheck "Use this address as the Return Address on my shipping labels" if you need a different return address.

4. Enter package size and weight

Under Package Information, enter packaging type, weight, and dimensions. For example a regular box: Box, 2 lb, 12 × 8 × 5 in (illustration only; use real numbers).

• Use the packed weight, including box, padding, and tape
• Measure the outside of the box; printed box sizes are often inside dimensions
• Light but bulky parcels may be billed by dimensional weight

5. Compare USPS and UPS

Click Get Rates to see available services, prices, and delivery estimates. Common domestic options:

| Service | Good for | |------|------| | USPS Ground Advantage | Everyday parcels, economy shipping | | USPS Priority Mail | Faster postal delivery | | UPS Ground | Domestic ground shipping | | UPS Ground Saver | Not urgent, lower-cost UPS option | | UPS 2nd Day Air / Next Day Air | Time-sensitive packages |

USPS is not always cheaper, and UPS is not always better for heavy items. Price depends on weight, size, distance, destination type, and add-ons, so compare both for the same package.

Note: with UPS Ground Saver, hand the package to UPS first, even if USPS may handle the final leg.

6. Buy and download the label PDF

Before paying, double-check the recipient, origin, weight and size, service, and that the Ship Date is close to the real drop-off day (up to 5 days ahead). Then click Buy Label and Print Label to get the PDF.

Print on a 4 × 6 in thermal label or plain US Letter paper. If you ship it yourself, stick it on a flat side and keep the barcode clear.

Buying a label is not the same as shipping. The package is only in transit once the carrier shows its first acceptance scan.

7. Ship through your Anytime Mailbox store

1. Ask the store first: will they accept a customer-bought USPS / UPS prepaid label, and can you email the PDF instead of coming in
2. Get final weight and size from the store: if it needs unboxing, repacking, or consolidation, have that done first
3. Create the label on Pirate Ship using the store's origin and the confirmed package details
4. Email the PDF with your Anytime Mailbox mailbox number, package ID, and instructions
5. Have the store print and ship it: confirm the right carrier, and ask for a drop-off scan or receipt
6. Track it on Pirate Ship or the carrier's site

Also ask about store fees: label printing, labeling and handling, packing materials, consolidation or repacking, carrier handoff or pickup scheduling, and storage overages. The real comparison is total cost: your label + store handling + packing + any surcharges.

8. Refunding a wrong label

If the address, weight, or service is wrong, do not try to edit a purchased label. Go to Ship, find the label, click Refund Label, and create a new one. Under Pirate Ship's public rules, unused labels are also refunded automatically about 28 days after purchase.

Never use a refunded label. If you already sent the PDF to a store, tell them to discard it so it does not ship after the refund.

Carddoger summary

The hard part of buying your own label is not Pirate Ship itself; a label takes minutes. What matters is whether you meet the platform's eligibility rules, whether you know the package's true origin, size, and weight, and whether the store holding the package will accept a customer-supplied prepaid label.

If you are renting a US address through Anytime Mailbox or similar, check the store's self-label policy before you sign up. An address that receives packages is not the same as one that ships them cheaply on your terms. Postage, refunds, and store fees follow Pirate Ship's site and the store's own answers.