Our 23 shoeboxes created from Packing Party product profits are ready-to-go for National Collection Week! We purchased the Follow Your Box barcode labels online yesterday and found that they have a cute new design which inspired us to share our top 10 Follow Your Box tips!
Tip #1 - Learn the Destination
By using the Follow Your Box barcode labels instead of the normal Boy/Girl brochure labels, you’ll receive an email from Samaritan’s Purse telling you which country your shoeboxes (once they are processed) were sent to!
Tip #2 - Easily Cover the Shipping Cost
Simply pay the shipping donation per shoebox online through Follow Your Box to receive your barcode label. It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!
Tip #3 - No Checks, No Cash
By using the Follow Your Box barcode labels, the shipping donation is paid online (see Tip #2) so you can avoid the hassle of writing checks or including cash in your shoeboxes!
Tip #4 - One Label, Multiple Shoeboxes
Once you’ve donated money to cover the shipping cost all of your shoeboxes, you’ll receive a Follow Your Box label. Simply print or copy it multiple times for each of your shoeboxes. The specific tracking number on the label is connected to the email address you used to Follow Your Box, so you can use the same label for all of your shoeboxes.
Tip #5 - Track Your Shoeboxes
At the Processing Center, the barcode will be scanned to record the shipping status and country destination. Go to Follow Your Box look-up tool to look up the information for your shoeboxes, once they have been processed, according to your tracking number or the email address you used to donate to Follow Your Box.
Tip #6 - Label Placement is Key
The best place to tape the barcode label is off center on the lid of the shoebox. Avoid placing the label in the center of the shoebox lid because that’s where the shoebox will be taped shut at the Processing Center.
Tip #7 - Watch Where You Tape
Don’t cover the barcode portion of the label with tape! It could affect scanning at the Processing Center. Although make sure the label edges are securely attached to the shoebox so that the label can’t tear off during transit.
Tip #8 - Don't Forget To Mark It
Okay, so you purchased the labels, printed and cut them out, placed them on the end of the shoebox and carefully taped around the barcode, so that means you’re done, right? Not quite! Don’t forget to mark whether the shoebox is for a Boy or Girl and the (one) correct age group!
Tip #9 - Build A Shoebox Online
If you build a shoebox online, it will automatically will be tracked through Follow Your Box. Keep in mind that many of the shoebox gifts built online are delivered to hard-to-reach areas which prevent you from learning the exact country destination.
Tip #10 - Find Previous Destinations
We save a copy of our Follow Your Box labels each year for our records and were able to type in the barcodes to the Follow Your Box look-up tool to find out when our shoeboxes shipped that year and the destination countries (which we already knew). Try it for yourself!
We hope you’ve found these Follow Your Box barcode label tips helpful and will choose to follow your shoeboxes this year!
