Details about the ShipStation Stamps.com integration: Requirements, how to connect, features, services, and troubleshooting.
Stamps.com is a USPS postage reseller that grants access to all standard services offered by USPS, as well as additional international shipping options through GlobalPost and the Global Advantage Program.
US-based ShipStation users can take advantage of a free Stamps.com account which will allow you to create domestic and international USPS shipping labels at a discounted rate compared to USPS retail services. Stamps.com postage funds can be managed within ShipStation and are exempt from ShipStation's Your Carriers add-on fee.
Alerts, Disruptions, and Suspensions to Service
Updated May 1, 2023: The USPS provides updated service alerts on their website for any situation affecting USPS parcel delivery.
If shipping to a country experiencing a USPS service disruption, we recommend shipping packages via UPS or GlobalPost.
Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.
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To connect your own Stamps.com account to ShipStation, you'll need your Stamps.com account username and password.
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If you have not yet connected a Stamps.com account, you can instead create the account right in ShipStation. When signing up for a new Stamps.com account through ShipStation, the account requires verification before you can start creating labels. ShipStation sends the verification code via SMS to your phone during the sign-up process.
If you currently have an active Stamps.com account you want to connect to ShipStation, or if you would like to create a new one:
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Select the Stamps.com tile and click Connect.
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Choose either Set up a new Stamps.com account or I already have a Stamps.com account, depending on which applies.
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For existing accounts: Select the option I already have a Stamps.com account, then click Next to enter your Stamps.com Username and Password. Enter an Account Nickname to identify the carrier account in ShipStation. Click Connect.
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For new accounts: Select the option to set up a new account and click Next. Enter your billing and payment details and click Create Free Account. You will be prompted to enter a phone number for 2-Step Authentication. Enter your phone number and click Next. You should receive a verification code via SMS to the phone number you entered. Enter the code and click Verify.
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Once added successfully, you'll see your Stamps.com account appear in the Your Carrier Accounts settings. You can then add funds to your balance and begin creating labels.
Failed 2-Step Authentication
You will not be able to add funds or create labels on new Stamps.com accounts that have not passed the 2-step authentication process.
If you experience issues with this authentication process, contact Stamps.com Security Support at 866-634-4708.
The ShipStation integration with Stamps.com supports the following standard features:
To learn more about USPS Shipping services, see USPS Domestic Services and USPS International Service pages.
The ShipStation integration to Stamps.com allows for the following additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
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Discounted Rates and cubic pricing |
The free Stamps.com account included with ShipStation comes pre-loaded with access to discounted rates, including cubic pricing! To receive cubic rates in ShipStation:
For more details about how cubic pricing works with your Stamps.com account, review Cubic Pricing in ShipStation. These Rates for Free Stamps Account OnlyYou'll only have access to these rates when using the free Stamps.com account. If you connected a personal Stamps.com account, ShipStation will instead reflect whatever rates are available to that account. |
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GlobalPost Service |
The free Stamps.com account included with ShipStation qualifies for GlobalPost services. |
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Global Advantage Program (GAP) Labels |
All Stamps.com accounts automatically include the Global Advantage Program for international shipments. The following USPS international services automatically provide GAP labels:
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Dangerous Goods |
When you create USPS shipping labels, you can indicate that the package contains dangerous goods. This option is available under Other Shipping Options in the Order Details, if your selected service supports it. Use Automation Rules to apply this setting automatically when an order imports. |
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Scheduled Pickups |
After creating Stamps.com shipping labels in ShipStation, you can schedule a pickup for the next day in the Pickup section of the Shipments tab. |
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Manage funds through ShipStation |
Add funds to your Stamps.com account through ShipStation, using the credit card you have on file with Stamps.com. You can also set up auto-funding and always have funds available to create shipping labels. |
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USPS SCAN Forms |
Use ShipStation to generate USPS SCAN forms for your Stamps.com shipping labels. |
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Other Shipping Options available for Stamps.com shipments. |
The following options will be available to select in the Other Shipping Options panel in ShipStation when a USPS service is selected for the order:
For a full list of the Other Shipping Options and which carriers support them, review our Other Shipping Options by Carrier article. |
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Prepay Duties to Canada |
Pay a flat fee for each shipment you send to Canada using First Class International, Priority International, or Priority Express International services. Use the Duties/Taxes drop-down menu in the Configure Shipment Widget to select the option to prepay. Please note that Medium and Large Flat Rate Boxes are not eligible for the prepaid duties and taxes option and Priority Mail shipments must be under 4 lbs. |
Stamps.com accounts can be enabled to include GlobalPost services for international shipping in ShipStation. In addition to simplifying your international shipping process, GlobalPost services can save you up to 30% off international shipping rates.
For details on shipping internationally with GlobalPost, please see our Stamps.com: GlobalPost Services help article.
ShipStation provides quick-link access to your connected Stamps.com account settings and reports pages.
You may want to access your Stamps.com account to ensure your account is set to the correct plan type, update your payment method, or change your account password. Or, you may want to view your Stamps account transaction reports to view any billing adjustments that have been applied.
To access your Stamps.com settings in ShipStation:
This will open the Stamps.com Settings pop-up in ShipStation. Clicking the Account Settings option will open your Stamps.com account settings in a new tab. Clicking the Reports option will open your Stamps.com account reports page in a new tab.
To see which Stamps.com plan your account is using, click the Account Settings link. This will open the Stamps account settings in a new tab in your browser.
Choose Change/Cancel Plan. If your current plan is the Pro Plan, then you currently have the correct plan type for the Stamps account connected to ShipStation. The Pro Plan has no monthly fee, but only one Stamps.com account per ShipStation account can be a Pro Plan.
To view your Stamps.com account transactions, click the Reports link. This will open the Stamps account Reports page in a new tab in your browser. Adjust the Date to view transactions during a specific time frame.
Choose Balances from the left-hand sidebar and set the Report Type to Transactions.
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USPS labels will no longer display the transit time for Priority Mail shipments in the label banner.
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USPS pickups can only be scheduled for one day in advance. For example, if you schedule a pickup on the 5th, for the 7th, the pickup date scheduled by Stamps.com will be the 6th.
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USPS does not support Signature or Adult Signature confirmation for shipments to international addresses.
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USPS SCAN forms must be created before 9pm local time.
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Label Messages are not available for international shipments or domestic First-Class Mail shipments using the Letter package type.
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Due to the discounted rates you receive through ShipStation, it's not possible to show the postage cost on Stamps.com shipping labels.
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All Stamps.com shipping labels are prepaid. In order to receive a refund for unused postage, void the shipping label within 28 days of creating the label.
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Stamps.com has a postage-purchase minimum of $10 for a single transaction.
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Each Stamps.com account can hold up to a maximum of $10,000 in available funds.
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To report a lost USPS shipment created via ShipStation, you must file a claim with USPS.
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Large Envelopes/Flats shipped via First-Class Mail are not eligible for tracking and will not include a barcode on the label.
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All international shipments using USPS First-Class Mail Int'l, Priority Mail Int'l, or Priority Express Int'l services will use Global Advantage Program labels by default.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
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Issue |
How to Troubleshoot or Resolve |
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Error: Requested value 'Cubic' was not found |
What it means: This error appears if you attempt to use the package type Cubic with a Stamps.com service. What to do: Change the package type to Package, then fill in its dimensions + weight, and make sure to select a Priority service. |
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Error: One or more of these packages have already been scanned by USPS |
What it means: End of Day forms can only be closed for orders that were created on that date, for that date. You will not be able to close an End of Day form for shipments that have a ship date in the past. In this case, the packages must be individually scanned by USPS. What to do: You can change your shipping cut-off time in If this error message appears when you try to close your manifests, you can log into your Stamps.com account and and try to print the EOD from there directly. If this still does not work, please contact ShipStation support. |
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First Class Mail International (FCMI) tracking numbers not sent to customers or selling channel |
What it means: FCMI shipments are considered non-trackable and will not be included in marketplace notifications by default. What to do: To include FCMI tracking numbers in marketplace notifications, go to Despite the wording of the text, this setting also applies to email notifications sent to customers, as well. |
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Error: "Authentication Failed" when attempting to get rates or create shipping labels |
What it means: This error message will occur if you've updated the password for your Stamps.com account. It means that ShipStation no longer has the proper password for your account and is unable to communicate successfully with Stamps.com. What to do:
If you are still unable to use your Stamps.com account, contact Stamps support at 1-855-889-7867 for further assistance. |
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Credit Card Declined |
To update the credit card used for your Stamps.com account:
You can then go back to ShipStation, refresh your screen, and attempt to make your purchase again. If you are unable to access the Stamps.com account page, you must contact the Stamps.com Trust and Safety team for assistance at (866) 634-4708. |
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Locked out of Stamps.com account and need to reset account password or update billing details. |
If you are locked out of your Stamps.com account or unable to purchase postage on your account, you must contact the Stamps.com Trust and Safety team for assistance at (866) 634-4708. They will verify you and be able to release your account, help you reset your Stamps.com account password, or update your billing details. |
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My Priority Mail Express shipment arrived late, how do I get a refund for the late delivery? |
You will need to contact Stamps.com directly to claim a refund for late delivery. Email shippersupport@stamps.com with the tracking number(s) and created date(s) for the shipment(s). Stamps.com will evaluate the claim and respond within 24 hours. |
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Error: Invalid SOAP message due to XML Schema validation failure.....The actual length is less than the MinLength value. |
What it means: This error may occur when attempting to get a rate for international orders shipping to a country that does not use postal codes. What to do: Enter 00000 in the Ship To address Postal Code field to receive a rate and create the label successfully. |
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Domestic shipping label when using the First Class Mail International (FCMI) service and the Large Envelope or Flat package type. |
USPS requires all "Merchandise" shipped using FCMI to use the Package package type. The Large Envelope or Flat package type is only valid if the content type for the shipment is "Documents." Stamps.com allows its users to use the Large Envelope or Flat package type for any kind of FCMI shipment, but in order to do so, the shipment must go through GlobalPost. The domestic shipping label you received is used to ship your package to the GlobalPost sorting facility. Once received, GlobalPost will relabel the shipment with the international label and any necessary customs information, and send the package on its way to its final destination. Please review our Global Advantage Program help article for more details. |
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Error: Account is set to a closed plan |
What it means: The connected account has been either closed or removed from the ShipStation Pro plan. What to do:
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Error: An unexpected error occurred while creating the SCAN form. The size necessary to buffer the XML content exceeded the buffer quota. |
What it means: There is an unknown error on the Stamps side when attempting to close the SCAN form in ShipStation. What to do: Close the SCAN form directly in your Stamps.com account. |
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Error: Ship From Name must contain at least two words. Each word must be at least two characters long, separated by a space. |
What it means: For International and Military Shipments, USPS requires a first name and last name separated by a space for all Ship From locations and recipient addresses. Each name must be at least two characters long. What to do: For all International or Military shipments, ensure all Ship From locations and recipient addresses include a first name and last name separated by a space in ShipStation's Name field. |