USPS Stricter Acceptance and Compliance Policies

USPS has announced and begun enforcing stricter acceptance and compliance policies that may impact your shipments. This article outlines the three major policy changes and provides actionable steps to ensure compliance and avoid shipment delays or rejections.

Post Office Drop-offs: Payment Status Verification

What Changed?

Postal employees have been instructed to verify that label payment is showing as valid in their system before accepting packages at Post Office counters or during scheduled pickups.

Requirements

• 60-Minute Buffer: USPS recommends creating/purchasing prepaid labels (such as those generated within shipping platforms) at least 60 minutes before pickup or drop-off to ensure their systems reflect an active, paid status
• Payment Verification at Counter: If USPS cannot verify payment in their system, postal employees may refuse package acceptance or ask you to return later once payment verification is confirmed

Action Items

1Create labels at least 60 minutes before your planned drop-off or pickup time.

2Ensure your weekly shipping platform invoice payments are processed successfully to maintain uninterrupted service.

3Keep payment methods up-to-date in your shipping account to avoid payment failures.

4If refused at counter: Wait for system synchronization (typically 60 minutes) and return with the same label.

Refunds for Voided USPS Labels: Same-Day Void Requirement

What Changed?

To receive a refund credit for a voided USPS label, USPS now requires that the label be voided on the same calendar day it is created.

Requirements

• Labels must be voided before midnight (11:59 PM) on the day of creation to qualify for refund
• Labels not voided on the same day may not be eligible for refund credit
• This applies to all unused labels that have not been scanned by USPS

Action Items

1Void labels immediately if you determine they won't be used.

2Establish end-of-day label review process to identify and void any unused labels before midnight.

3Train staff on the importance of same-day voiding to prevent revenue loss.

4Set calendar reminders if creating labels early in the day that may not be used.

Best Practices

• Create labels only when you're certain they'll be used
• If uncertain about usage: Wait to create the label until you have package confirmation
• Review all created labels at end of business day and void any that weren't used
• Document void reasons for internal tracking and process improvement

International Shipments: Recipient Phone Number Requirement

What Changed?

USPS and other carriers are increasing enforcement of the recipient phone number requirement for international shipments. This requirement is now strictly enforced during label generation and customs processing.

Requirements

• Valid phone number required for all international shipment recipients
• Phone numbers must be in proper international format
• Missing or invalid phone numbers will result in: failed label generation, processing delays at customs, or package rejection or return

Common Issues

• Label Generation Failures: Rate calculation and label creation will fail if recipient phone data is invalid
• Cryptic Error Messages: Carriers often return vague error messages that don't clearly indicate the phone number is the issue
• Customs Delays: Packages may be held at customs if recipient phone number is missing or cannot be validated

Action Items

1Update eCommerce platform settings to make phone number a required field for international orders.

2Validate phone number format before transmitting order data to your shipping platform:

• Include country code (e.g., +44 for UK, +91 for India)
• Remove special characters if required by your platform
• Ensure minimum/maximum digit requirements are met

3Test international orders with various phone number formats to identify validation issues.

4Communicate with customers about the importance of providing accurate phone numbers for international shipments.

5Create data validation rules in your order management system to catch invalid phone numbers before shipping.

Phone Number Format Guidelines

Recommended Format

• Country Code + Area Code + Phone Number
• Example: +442071234567 (UK), +911123456789 (India)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Missing country code
• Including spaces or special characters (check platform requirements)
• Using placeholder or dummy numbers
• Incomplete phone numbers