USPS from ShipStation set up, features, notes, and troubleshooting details.
USPS from ShipStation provides access to discounted rates, including ShipStation-specific cubic rates. Ship domestic and international packages with the best rates and a single balance managed directly in ShipStation.
To start creating labels with USPS from ShipStation, add your preferred billing method to ShipStation.
Important
Updated August 24, 2022: The USPS continues to update its service alerts as the COVID situation continues worldwide.
For more details about USPS COVID-related service disruptions, please review our COVID USPS Delays and Outages article or visit the USPS Service Alerts page.
To avoid a disruption in service to affected countries, 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.
If you haven't done so already, you'll be prompted to add your billing information the first time you attempt to create a label. Or, you can follow the steps below to add your billing information in advance:
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Click the Set up carriers button.
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Enter your billing information for the account and agree to the terms and conditions.
This billing information will apply to all labels from ShipStation's carriers. Charges for these labels will appear on your credit card reports with the description “STAMPS."
USPS from ShipStation supports the following standard features:
USPS from ShipStation supports the following additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
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Discounted Rates |
USPS from ShipStation gives you access to discounted USPS rates. It also includes access to ShipStation-specific cubic pricing for USPS Priority Mail shipments. |
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Prepaid postage |
All USPS shipments are prepaid and share a common pool of funds with the other ShipStation carriers. |
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Scheduled Pickups |
After creating USPS from ShipStation labels, you can schedule a pickup for the next day directly in ShipStation. |
To update your payment methods and view your label transactions, go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers, then click the settings icon to open the Settings pop-up.
The Settings pop-up gives you the list of available actions.
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Account Setting Actions |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Update Payment Method |
Enter new credit card details for purchasing labels from ShipStation carriers. |
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View Reports |
View your USPS transactions. This option will open a new window to view the account balance, credits, deductions, and expenses. You can filter by date and create a printable report if needed. |
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Refresh Available Services |
Refreshes the list of available services for each ShipStation carrier. |
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Update Password |
If you connected your own Stamps.com account to ShipStation and have changed your Stamps.com account password, use this option to enter the new password into ShipStation so ShipStation can continue to access the Stamps.com account to purchase labels. |
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Update Account Nickname |
Change the name that displays for the account in the Services drop-down when configuring your orders. |
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Account Settings |
Opens the expanded settings page for the account on the Stamps.com website. |
You can request a free USPS pickup for the next shipping day (Monday through Saturday) directly in ShipStation for any USPS shipment you've created.
Saturday Pickup
Certain USPS Post Office locations do not support Saturday pickup, so a pickup request placed on Friday would be scheduled for Monday with these locations. Please contact your local Post Office to confirm their pickup schedule.
To schedule a pickup in ShipStation:
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Select USPS, FedEx, DHL Express or UPS from the Schedule a Pickup drop-down menu.
Each option will only be available if the carrier is set up in your ShipStation account.
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Fill in the required information: Ship From location, the Pickup Contact for this shipment, date of pickup, and time frame.
When scheduling a pickup for the first time, you must create a Pickup Contact. For DHL Express pickups, it must include Location Notes, even if it is simply "no notes".
Add More Contacts
After you create a contact, you can create additional contacts by clicking the Pickup Contact drop-down menu and selecting Add new Shipment Contact. This will create a list of contacts within the Pickup Contact drop-down.
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Click the Schedule Pickup button to submit the pickup.
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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 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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USPS labels created through ShipStation will not show postage amounts.
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To receive a refund for unused postage, you must void the label within 28 days. The cost of the label will be credited back to your ShipStation balance. Most funds are credited back the same day but can take up to 21 business days to process.
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All USPS shipments are subject to the USPS Automatic Package Verification System (APV). Any adjustment applied through APV will be either added or deducted automatically to/from your ShipStation balance. USPS reserves the right to apply APV adjustments at any time.
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To report a lost USPS shipment created via ShipStation, you must file a claim with USPS.
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If you have questions about your account or encounter any billing issues, please contact the ShipStation Merchant Success team.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
|
Issue |
How to troubleshoot or resolve |
|---|---|
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When I try to void a label, I receive the error message 'Authentication Failed'. |
If you void a label and receive this error message, it could be that you have updated your Stamps.com password but haven't updated the password in ShipStation. To fix this error, go to Settings >> Shipping >> Carriers & Fulfillment and 'Edit' your Stamps.com account. You can 'reauthorize' using your updated password and confirm when you are done. |
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First Class Mail International (FCMI) shipments' tracking numbers not sent to marketplaces or customers. |
What it means: The tracking number provided for FCMI shipments is not always fully trackable and will often not provide any additional tracking details beyond the shipment leaving the country. Since these tracking numbers do not always provide full delivery information, ShipStation considers them to be "non-trackable" and will not include them in notifications by default. What to do: If you want ShipStation to include FCMI tracking numbers in notifications, go to Despite the wording of the setting, it applies to both marketplace and customer notifications. |
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My Priority Mail Express shipment arrived late, how do I get a refund for the late delivery? |
Contact the ShipStation User Success team with the tracking number(s) and created date(s) for the shipment(s). The ShipStation User Success team will evaluate the claim and respond within 24 hours. |