In short
- An ordinary home printer can print the 1 shipping label needed for each parcel; colour is not required by AirPost’s sender setup. You do not need to buy a thermal printer before agreeing your first shop partnership.
- Follow the actual carrier label’s printing and attachment instructions.
- Check the complete workflow from opening the label to handing over the parcel.
- The shop pays for the label and supplies packaging, unless you make a separate materials agreement.
- AirPost is a peer-to-peer fulfilment network: online shops have their orders packed and dropped at a parcel point by verified people near their customers, who earn a fee per parcel from home. No warehouse, no minimum order volume.
A printer purchase can make a small side activity feel like a business before there is any work to do. For AirPost’s standard sender setup, an ordinary home printer is enough. The useful first task is seeing whether the printer you already have produces a clear label you can attach correctly. This article is about that decision for UK readers. The broader earn from home page explains the stock, orders and account checks; a printer solves one part of that arrangement.
Do you need a thermal printer to start?
No. AirPost’s sender requirements describe an ordinary home printer and a dry place for stock. Colour printing is unnecessary for the shipping label. A thermal printer is an equipment choice you can consider later, when you know your actual volume and workflow. It is not evidence of being ready for a partnership. A clear ordinary print and a reliable handover routine matter more at the beginning than equipment bought for an optimistic forecast.
Check what “having a printer” means in practice. Can you access it when an order arrives, without waiting for another household member? Can your phone or computer open and print the label? Are paper and the right consumables available? A working device on a shelf does not answer those questions. Test the connection and a non-shipping sample document first. Do not buy a live label merely to discover whether the printer connects to your phone.
What should you check on the actual label?
Use the file produced for the order and follow the service’s instructions. Check that the address, routing details and barcode are complete and readable. Do not treat a screenshot of part of the label as the full document. Look at the print preview for clipping, blank areas or a second page that contains information you need. If the requested size or layout is unclear, resolve that with the shop or support before taking the parcel to a point.
Keep the label associated with its order while you print. For a small batch, finish checking one parcel’s item and destination before attaching its label. Printing several pages at once may be convenient, but loose sheets can become mixed. A printer that works perfectly cannot prevent you from putting the correct label on the wrong box. Use a simple order sequence and stop if a parcel or file cannot be identified confidently.
Can you attach plain paper to the box?
Use the attachment method accepted for the actual carrier service. An ordinary printer can produce the document, but that does not make every way of attaching it suitable. Keep the full label secure and visible, and follow instructions about barcodes, folds and protective coverings. Avoid putting a label over an opening where it will be torn when the box is handled. Ask the shop how it wants the packaging prepared, including any packing slip that should go inside rather than on the outside.
If you reuse a carton, remove or cover old routing labels so the new parcel is clearly identified. Check the box itself as well: damage or an unsuitable size does not become acceptable because the new label is clear. Printing and packaging are connected tasks. Confirm that the shop provides boxes, tape and protection, or agree exactly which materials you buy and how that purchase is handled. Do not assume the packing fee includes unlimited supplies from your household.
Who pays for the label, paper and packing materials?
In the standard arrangement, the shop pays the shipping label. The sender earns the agreed preparation fee; the label’s face value is not that income. Packaging comes from the shop unless you agree otherwise. Paper, printer consumables and any equipment you choose to buy deserve a clear discussion too. Distinguish what the shop supplies, what you already own and what you would purchase specifically for the activity. A small cost repeated across every order still affects your result.
AirPost’s reference small-parcel fee is €2.25. It is not a budget that automatically covers every purchase you could make for packing. Your own fee and the real work decide whether the activity is worthwhile. Compare proposed equipment spending with confirmed work, rather than a maximum earnings figure from a calculator. If you have no shop partnership yet, buying a dedicated printer does not create orders or guarantee that a shop will choose you.
| Stage | Check before the first dispatch |
|---|---|
| Access | You can use the printer when an accepted order needs dispatch |
| File | The whole label opens and the correct order is identified |
| Text and routing details are complete, clear and correctly laid out | |
| Attachment | The carrier’s method is followed and old routing labels are removed |
| Handover | The posting point accepts the selected label and finished format |
What happens if your printer stops working?
Have a way to tell the shop promptly. A label problem can affect a dispatch deadline even when the product is packed. Do not mark the job as complete just because the document exists in your account. The parcel still needs the correct label and carrier handover. Before the partnership begins, discuss whether the chosen service offers another supported printing method. Do not assume a phone barcode or a point’s printer is available for every label sold through a carrier or platform.
If a page jams or prints badly, distinguish printing again from purchasing another label. Reprinting the existing correct file is a different operation from creating new postage. Check the order before taking any action that changes its shipping purchase. If you accidentally attach a label to the wrong parcel, stop the batch and correct the association before anything leaves. A quick pause is easier to handle than several parcels travelling under each other’s tracking records.
When might a dedicated label printer be worth considering?
After you have completed enough real orders to understand the repeated task. Record time spent opening files, printing, cutting where applicable and attaching labels. Note consumable use and any failures. Then compare the equipment options against your own evidence, including compatibility with the files you actually receive. There is no universal order count in this guide at which a purchase pays for itself. Products, workflow, prices and existing equipment differ, so a threshold without those inputs would be misleading.
Storage and handover capacity still matter if printing becomes easier. A faster routine does not expand a dry cupboard or shorten a trip to the parcel point. Increase accepted work only when you can complete the whole process. For the rest of the setup, see what you need to pack parcels from home. That checklist covers requirements beyond printing, including the agreement with the shop and the space for its goods.
How should you prepare your first working order?
- Agree the product, packaging, dispatch day and actual packing fee with the shop.
- Check the printer connection using an ordinary document before stock arrives.
- For the real order, match the item, quantity and destination before printing its label.
- Follow the service’s printing and attachment instructions, then check the finished box.
- Hand over at an accepted point and keep posting evidence with the order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a black-and-white printer?
Yes. AirPost’s ordinary sender requirements do not require colour printing. The actual shipping label still needs to be clear, complete and prepared according to the selected service’s instructions.
Can I start with just my phone and no printer?
The standard setup calls for a printer. Alternative printing depends on the specific service and label. Confirm that support before agreeing orders; a carrier’s general label-free offer may not apply to this label.
Should I buy a label to test the printer?
Test connectivity with a normal document first. A real shipping label is a purchase for an order. Do not create unnecessary postage to test equipment.
Does a thermal printer guarantee better earnings?
No. Earnings depend on the work, fee, demand and your complete costs and time. Equipment can change a workflow, but it does not create shop partnerships or remove storage and dispatch limits.
Sources
Create a sender profile with the equipment and capacity you already have, then agree a manageable first batch with a shop.
Sign up with your current setup