Create Return to Supplier Label

Distinguish a supplier return from a new order

A purchase order, delivery note and supplier return can each have different identifiers. Decide which reference the receiving team needs on the outside of the parcel before entering the barcode field. Use the note to add a related purchase-order number or a concise quantity when that helps the supplier understand the arrival. The template does not decide which goods are accepted or reconcile quantities against your stock system. Obtain the agreed receiving details from the supplier and keep those instructions with your own return records so the label reflects an actual arrangement.

Give receiving staff enough context to route the box

A supplier may handle new deliveries, repairs and returns at different desks. Name the right department and include any unit or bay information that belongs with the address. Keep the sender business recognisable even if several branches use one central return process. If several cartons are involved, use the note for box numbering consistently across the set. Do not put a long dispute history on the package; a clear reference and appropriate paperwork are easier for a receiving team to use. Revise the PDF if the supplier changes the return location.

A supplier-return dispatch list

• Confirm the supplier's agreed return destination.
• Choose the reference its receiving team expects.
• Keep the sending branch or business identifiable.
• Add related PO or carton information briefly.
• Check the label against the return paperwork.

Connect the package with the return record

The barcode can hold your short supplier-return reference or another agreed internal identifier. Keep any related purchase-order number in the note when it is not the main code value. If you use a separate QR destination, check that it is appropriate for an external supplier to see. The PDF does not transmit an advance return notification or update stock records.

The generator creates QR codes and Code 128 barcodes locally. Both use your reference by default; optional custom QR text can instead contain your own short URL or text. A blank reference produces a stable internal ID derived from the submitted label details. These are your identifiers, not official carrier tracking numbers. The tool does not buy postage, reserve a shipment or send the encoded data to a code-generation service.

Make a useful receiving copy

Choose the black-and-white palette for a restrained dispatch label, or a colour accent if that fits your packing process. The codes retain their white margins. Print the single 4 by 6-inch file at its actual size, or use a repeated landscape sheet for spare copies of the same label. Keep those spares associated with the correct return rather than mixing them with a different supplier's paperwork. Test the reference from a physical print, and review the human-readable number as well as the address before the carton leaves your business.

Supplier return questions

Can I include a purchase-order reference?
Yes. Use the main reference if that is what the supplier expects, or put a related PO in the short note. Keep one clear identifier for scanning instead of combining several long numbers into the barcode field.

Does this replace a supplier's own return label?
No. Follow any label or authorisation requirements the supplier gives you. This template is for a clear address and internal reference when that is useful alongside your agreed return process.

Find related address layouts and supplementary stickers in our Shipping & Packaging Labels collection.