Click-N-Ship Field Information Kit
General Overview
To enhance customer convenience, the Postal Service has introduced Click-N-Ship, its easy-to-use online shipping label on www.usps.com. National advertising for Click-N-Ship began in September with the Mail Room ad found on the cover of this issue of the Postal Bulletin. The ad was featured in several national publications: Newsweek, Business Week, Priority Magazine (Pitney Bowes), Time Business, DMA Business, and U.S. News & World Report.
Customers seeing these ads will want to know more. This Field Information Kit will assist postmasters, managers, supervisors, and employees in telling their customers about the convenience of Click-N-Ship. Included in this Postal Bulletin is a Stand-Up Talk, a copy of a Priority Mail online shipping label with PC Postage service, and Frequently Asked Questions for Retail Units. There also will be a more detailed article in an upcoming issue of the Postal Bulletin.
Click-N-Ship provides customers the convenience of Internet label printing and postage payment from their or office computer. Customers can calculate and compare rates, find ZIP Codes, validate and save addresses, print shipping labels with or without PC Postage® service, and pay for postage with their credit card - all in one easy process. Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Global Express Mail, and Global Express Guaranteed shipping labels can be printed. Online Priority Mail labels include electronic rate Delivery Confirmation for no additional fee.
The revenue generated by the online shipping labels with PC Postage service is allocated to the office of mailing. Revenue allocation is based on the 5-digit "Mailing From" ZIP Code provided by the customer at the time of creating their label.
For more information visit www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm, or enter "Click-N-Ship" in the search box.
Stand-Up Talk
Did you know that customers can now print shipping labels with postage right from their or office personal computer. Thanks to our new Click-N-Ship service, all they need is a computer, a printer, and an Internet connection. The online shipping labels can easily be printed on regular 8 1/2" x 11" paper or, if they prefer, self-adhesive labels. So no special equipment or supplies are needed.
Most importantly, customers can print a shipping label with PC Postage® indicia from the convenience of their or office at www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm. Then they register and use their credit card to pay for postage. Or, for no charge, they can choose to print a shipping label without postage.
Customers can print an online shipping label for these domestic services:
- Express Mail®
- Priority Mail®
Since customers get Delivery Confirmation service at no additional cost when they print an online shipping label for Priority Mail, this is what we believe you will see the most. This is a great benefit for any business.
For added convenience, customers may drop pieces with domestic Express Mail and Priority Mail online shipping labels with PC Postage, regardless of weight, into a collection box. This is not in violation of the aviation security policy. Since customers are required to register with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and use a credit card to purchase postage, the FAA requirements are met.
Online shipping labels are also available for these international services:
- Global Express Mail
- Global Express Guaranteed
For more information, or to check out Click-N-Ship yourself, visit our Web site at www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm, or enter "Click-N-Ship" in the search box. National advertising starts this month, so be prepared for customers who want to know more.
Think of this - our customers are now able to create labels with postage using their own personal computer and regular printer paper; pay for postage with their credit card; and drop their items in a collection box, give it to a delivery employee, or drop it off at the Post Office.
Click-N-Ship provides important ease-of-use benefits for our customers. It also provides you with a great opportunity to do your customers a favor. Let them know about the convenience of Postal Service online shipping - it's just a Click-N-Ship away!
Frequently Asked Questions for Retail Units
Q. What is Click-N-Ship? A. Click-N-Ship describes our easy-to-use online shipping at www.usps.com. The main feature is the online label and address book. You can calculate rates, find ZIP Codes, validate and save addresses, and print labels with or without postage - all in one convenient process.
Q. For what services can I print an online shipping label? A. You can print an online shipping label for Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Global Express Mail, and Global Express Guaranteed services at www.usps.com.
Q. What kind of postage can I use with my online shipping label? A. You can print an online label without postage and use stamps or a postage meter - or you can print a label with postage purchased right from our Web site. To do this, you will need to register at www.usps.com and pay by credit card for PC Postage® service. There is no additional cost for your labels, all you pay for is the postage. Express Mail Corporate Accounts are not allowed for payment of Express Mail items.
Q. What credit cards can I use to pay for postage on www.usps.com? A. We accept all five major credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. Sorry, we cannot accept debit cards online.
Q. What is PC Postage service? A. PC Postage service is a Postal Service product that lets customers purchase and print postage using personal computers. There are a variety of products available from a number of companies, marketed under different product names. The Postal Service licenses authorized providers to use the PC Postage service brand (and logo) to distinguish their product as being compliant with Postal Service criteria.
Q. Can I cut-off the PC Postage indicia and use it separate from the online label? A. No. Online labels with PC Postage service can be used only as a whole, the way they were printed. Packages with postage cut from an online label or with labels that are manipulated in any manner will be returned to the sender.
Q. Why isn't there an additional fee for Delivery Confirmation when I print a Priority Mail online label? A. When you print an online label, an electronic record of your transaction is sent to the Postal Service. This meets the requirements for electronic rate Delivery Confirmation service which requires no additional fees when used with Priority Mail service. The retail rate (when purchased at a Post Office) is currently 45¢.
Q. What if the retail associate charges Delivery Confirmation fees for my online label? A. Since the online label is still a new feature, some Postal Service employees may not yet be familiar with it. Point out the "e/" endorsem*nt on your label next to the Delivery Confirmation or Signature Confirmation text above the barcode. This indicates that this item is an electronic rate confirmation services mailpiece. Regular Priority Mail postage rates apply.
Q. Why can't I purchase insurance online to add to my Priority Mail label? A. Only confirmation services are available online at this time. Unlike insurance, they can be offered at a reduced fee because an electronic record is generated each time a label is created. If you require insurance for your item, you can purchase it separately at the retail counter.
Q. Can I drop my online label package in a Postal Service collection box? A. Yes, if it's an Express Mail or Priority Mail package and you have paid for postage online and printed a label with PC Postage service. If you use a postage meter, you can drop your Priority Mail item in a collection box as long as it doesn't weigh more than 5 pounds. Items without PC Postage service and international pieces must follow existing aviation mail security requirements.
Q. What if I print a label and don't use it on the ship date I selected? A. In these cases, it would be best to use your label on the next available shipping date. When creating an online label, you are responsible for providing accurate information when selecting the day of mailing. An electronic record is generated on the ship date indicating that your package has been mailed and the Postal Service is expecting to see your package that day.
Q. Can I print my label on regular printer paper? A. Yes! You can print your labels on 8 1/2" x 11" paper, or you can purchase self-adhesive labels that meet the size requirements of the label.
Q. How should I attach the labels to the packaging? A. The label should be securely affixed on all sides and must be fully placed on the address side of the package. It is recommended that clear shipping tape be used. Try to cover more than half of the label; however, the "Postal Use" area on the Express Mail label and the barcode on all labels must not be covered with tape. Labels should not be folded over or around package corners or edges. Self-adhesive labels are recommended and will be available for online purchase in the near future.
Q. Why can't I tape over the entire label? A. Taping over the barcode will make it unreadable. It is recommended that you use a self-adhesive label. If you cannot, you should tape all edges securely to the package. Remember, you cannot tape over postage stamps.
Q. What if I accidentally print a second online label with PC Postage service after a first one also printed? Can I use both labels? Am I charged twice? A. You must destroy the duplicate label because you are charged only once for postage. The postage is linked to the label number, which is unique and also can be used only once. The label number will appear in a duplicate postage list in the Postal Service database that is monitored by the Postal Inspection Service. Intentional use of a duplicate label constitutes fraud.
Q. If I'm mailing several items to the same person, why can't I make photocopies of the same label? A. Shipping labels with PC Postage service must never be photocopied. Each label has a unique barcode and number assigned to it allowing our system to detect duplicate mailings. Also, if you use photocopied labels with identical numbers, you will not get valid delivery information. Intentional misuse of labels constitutes fraud and is punishable by law.
Q. Why was the delivery address changed from what I entered? A. Addresses are compared to the Postal Service current address database and standardized. Standardized addresses help us process and deliver your mail more efficiently. Although no system can be up-to-date 100 percent of the time, this system is very accurate and is updated regularly to include new delivery addresses.
Q. What Internet browser do I need to print an online label? A. You can use Internet Explorer 5.0 and later, or Netscape 4.7 and later.
Q. What kind of printer should I use? A. You can use a laser printer or a high-quality inkjet printer. For inkjet printers, 600 dots-per-inch (DPI) is recommended. Our scanning equipment is not capable of reliably reading labels generated using low-quality inkjet or dot matrix printers.
Q. Can I get a refund for an online label with PC Postage service that I printed but didn't use? A. Yes, if you did not use your label with PC Postage service you may be eligible for a refund when the following requirements are met:
- You submit your refund request on the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com.
- You submit your request within 10 days of date that you created your label (Print Date).
- Our Track & Confirm system does not indicate any scan events such as a delivered or attempted scan for your label number.
To request a refund, go to www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm; click on Frequently Asked Questions about labels, then Refunds. You will need your transaction and label numbers from your label record (or in your confirmation e-mail). Once completed, your refund request will be verified and, if approved, your credit card account will be credited (within two billing cycles). Requests for online postage refunds can be submitted online only.
Q. How do I receive service refunds for domestic Express Mail and Global Express Guaranteed items with online labels that are delivered after the guaranteed time? A. The refund process for service failure for domestic Express Mail or Global Express Guaranteed items with online labels is the same as for traditional labels. Submit requests for Express Mail service refunds at your local Post Office. Once verified, your claim will be paid by cash or money order. For Global Express Guaranteed service failures, call 800-222-1811. The claim will be handled over the phone and paid by check.
See the frequently asked questions on the Postal Service Web site, www.usps.com, for additional information.
- Product Information Requirements, Product Development, 9-19-02
