Addressing a package looks like the simplest part of shipping. It is also the part that quietly causes the most failed deliveries, mysterious delays, and surprise fees. A smudged apartment number or a missing suite digit can send your box on a tour of the wrong city, or earn you an address correction fee you never saw coming.
Here is the exact layout all three major carriers want, the formatting rules that keep machines happy, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
The 10-Second Answer
Both addresses go on the same face of the box, the largest clean side:
- Destination address: centered on the box face, the star of the show.
- Return address: upper-left corner of the same face, smaller.
That is the entire layout. USPS, UPS, and FedEx all use it. Everything below is about getting the details right.
The Address Block: Three Lines, Every Time
Each address follows the same three-line structure:
Line 1: Full name of the recipient (or company name) Line 2: Street address, including apartment or suite number Line 3: City, state abbreviation, and ZIP code
Here is what it looks like done right:
JANE CARTER 1420 OAK BEND DR APT 4B KATY TX 77494
Notice three things: everything is in capital letters, there is no punctuation, and the apartment number sits on the street line. That is not a style choice. It is the format sorting machines read fastest, and it comes straight from USPS addressing standards, which UPS and FedEx follow as well.
If the apartment or suite number does not fit comfortably on the street line, put it on its own line directly above the city line. Never bury it, never abbreviate it into mystery ("Apt" is fine, "A" is not).
Handwriting Rules That Machines Can Read
Handwriting a label is perfectly fine if you follow the rules. Sorting equipment and tired humans both need the same thing: clarity.
Use all capital letters. Mixed case slows down automated readers and invites misreads.
Skip commas and periods. Punctuation adds visual noise that machines have to filter out. "KATY TX 77494" beats "Katy, TX 77494."
Use a dark, permanent marker. Ballpoint pens fade and smudge. A thick black marker survives rain, handling, and conveyor belts. Write large enough to read from arm's length.
Use block letters, not cursive. Your beautiful script is a sorting machine's worst enemy.
Keep it flat and straight. Write on the flattest face of the box. Wrinkled tape, seams, and edges distort characters.
Printed Labels vs Handwriting
Handwriting works. Printed labels work better, and here is why: a printed label eliminates legibility entirely, and it usually carries the postage, tracking number, and barcode in one sticker. Everything the carrier needs, machine-readable, in a single rectangle.
Print your label when:
- The address is long or complex (suites, international addresses)
- You are shipping anything valuable (legibility is not where you want risk)
- You want tracking included automatically
- You are shipping more than a couple of packages
Handwrite when it is a simple domestic address, you have a good marker, and you follow the rules above. There is no shame in a well-written box.
Place printed labels on the largest flat face, fully adhered with no curling edges, and never place a label over a seam if you can avoid it. One label per package: old labels and stray barcodes cause misroutes, so remove or cover them.
Apartments, Suites, and PO Boxes
This is where most addressing errors happen, so slow down here.
Apartments and suites: Always include the unit designator. Use standard abbreviations: APT for apartment, STE for suite, UNIT or #. Put it on the street line if it fits, on its own line above the city if it does not. A missing unit number is the single most common reason packages stall at the final facility.
PO boxes: Write "PO BOX" followed by the number. Note that UPS and FedEx generally cannot deliver to PO boxes, only USPS can. If you are shipping UPS or FedEx to someone who gave you a PO box, ask for their street address.
Business addresses: Include the company name on line one and the recipient's name if you have it. Add suite or floor numbers. Mailrooms sort by company first.
Rural routes and highway contract routes: Use the exact format the recipient provides. These addresses are less forgiving of improvisation.
The Mistake That Costs Real Money: Address Correction Fees
Here is the part nobody warns you about: UPS and FedEx charge an address correction fee when they have to fix your address mid-route. The package still gets delivered, but you get billed extra for the carrier doing detective work you could have done with thirty seconds of double-checking.
The triggers are mundane: wrong ZIP code, missing suite number, transposed digits, an address that does not quite exist. The fee is entirely avoidable:
- Verify the ZIP code, especially the full ZIP+4 if you have it.
- Confirm suite and apartment numbers with the recipient before shipping.
- Read the address back digit by digit before you seal the box.
- When in doubt, use the carrier's address validation tool or ask at the counter.
A wrong address does not just risk a fee. It risks the package going to the wrong city, sitting in an exception queue for days, or coming back to you. Thirty seconds of verification is the cheapest insurance in shipping.
Addressing International Packages
International addressing follows the same logic with a few additions:
- Write the destination country in all capital letters on the last line by itself.
- Write everything in English using standard characters.
- Include the postal code in the format that country uses (position varies by country, so check).
- Add your return address the same way, with your country on the last line.
Customs forms are separate from the address block and just as important. If you are shipping internationally for the first time, our guide to avoiding customs delays covers that side of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I write the address on a package?
On the largest flat face of the box. Destination address centered, return address in the upper-left corner, both on the same side.
Do I need a return address?
Yes, always. Without one, an undeliverable package has nowhere to go. Carriers can also use it to contact you about problems. It costs nothing and saves everything.
Can I handwrite a shipping address?
Yes, if you use all caps, block letters, no punctuation, and a dark permanent marker. For valuable or complex shipments, a printed label is the safer choice.
What happens if the address is wrong?
Best case: a delay while the carrier figures it out. Common case with UPS and FedEx: delivery plus an address correction fee. Worst case: the package returns to you or gets lost. Verify before you seal.
How do you write an apartment number on a package?
On the street line if it fits ("1420 OAK BEND DR APT 4B"), or on its own line directly above the city line. Always use a standard abbreviation and never leave it off.
Do I put the country on a domestic package?
No. Country lines are for international shipments only. For domestic packages, the three-line block ending in city, state, and ZIP is complete.
Bring the Box, We Will Check It Free
Addressing rules are simple once you have seen them done right, and checking a label takes seconds. If you would rather not gamble a shipment on handwriting, bring the box to Print N Ship 4u in Katy, TX. We will check your label, print it properly if you prefer, compare carriers for the best rate, and get it out the door in one stop. Call (281) 375-9714 or just stop by.