Where does my postage actually come from?
PostalPoint has built-in support for EasyPost as its main postage provider. EasyPost is a certified, carrier-approved provider that supplies US postage plus labels for over 100 carriers worldwide. You create an EasyPost account, copy an API key from your EasyPost account settings into PostalPoint's Shipping settings, and you're printing labels.
Plugins can add other carriers or replace EasyPost as the main postage provider entirely.
Do I need my own USPS account?
Not to get started. A USPS account through EasyPost is available immediately on signup, with no volume minimums and no contract, and that's what most stores use.
Can I use my existing UPS and FedEx accounts?
Yes, including UPS ASO and FedEx Authorized ShipCenter (FASC) accounts. Add them to your EasyPost account after deleting the built-in UPS and FedEx accounts EasyPost provides by default. Support for UPS is also built in to PostalPoint separately (you can use either option).
Note that EasyPost charges a monthly fee to bring your own carrier accounts. Check their current pricing before you budget for it.
Why don't I see all my rates? I'm getting a "hidden rates" warning.
EasyPost provides discounted shipping accounts by default, but those accounts typically don't permit reselling or marking up their rates. To protect your business, PostalPoint hides them and shows a message like "Hid 2 rates from carrier accounts that don't allow resale."
If you're certain you want those rates - for instance, you're an office shipping your own packages, not reselling to customers - you can force-enable them two ways:
Copy the EasyPost carrier account IDs (they start with
ca_) from EasyPost's Account Settings → Carriers into Carrier Account IDs on the Shipping tab of PostalPoint's settings.Or go to System Menu → Settings → Advanced → Manual Configuration, enter the key
easypost_allow_wallet_billingand the value1, and click Set.
How do I set up Endicia, Stamps.com, PirateShip, etc.?
You don't. PostalPoint uses EasyPost, a competitor, which supports roughly 100 carriers - meaning PostalPoint supports them too.
How do I set my prices and markup?
By default PostalPoint tries to use the carriers' published retail prices as the sale price. In practice, most carriers don't publish retail rates in a format any software can consume reliably; USPS is the exception. You'll almost certainly want to set your own margins.
You can set a single flat margin for everything and refine it later, or set specific margins per carrier and per service class.
How do postage rate changes get handled?
PostalPoint refreshes the USPS price chart (Notice 123) automatically, and other rate and carrier data downloads from PostalPoint's servers without a software update.
Can I print USPS First-Class Mail and Certified Mail?
Yes. First-Class Mail prints two ways: as a 6x4 label with the to and from addresses, or in bulk - up to 20 identical-weight letters or large envelopes at once on smaller stamp-sized labels. PostalPoint runs dozens of checks against USPS rules before the postage prints.
Certified Mail prints on your shipping label printer with postage, barcode, and address all on one label. No paper green cards to fill out by hand.
A customer brought in something with stamps already on it. Can I sell them the difference?
Yes - use the Postage Calculator under Tools. Click the stamps they've used and PostalPoint calculates exactly how much postage is still needed. Note that the calculator gives the USPS retail requirement; it doesn't add your store markup or apply discounted rates from your postage account.
How do carrier pickups work?
PostalPoint doesn't handle pickup scheduling. Set up recurring pickups directly with each carrier:
USPS - free next-day pickup at usps.com, no account or tracking number needed. Or just arrange it with your regular carrier when they deliver your incoming mail.
UPS - daily pickup, charged as a fee, requires a billing account number
FedEx - recurring pickup, also fee-based with an account
You can also request a pickup from the EasyPost dashboard using a shipment ID.
Can I ship internationally and handle customs forms?
Yes. Enter a foreign destination in the "To" address and describe the contents in the built-in electronic customs form system. Required forms print automatically alongside the label, and customers can sign electronically on a customer-facing touchscreen - no paper copies. EEI/ITN/AES numbers are supported.
We provide an International Data Package from the Downloads page, which has enhanced global information such as postal codes and address formats. It installs automatically on Linux and is a one-click download for Windows and macOS.
Does PostalPoint handle freight?
Yes, to the extent that EasyPost does. You will get freight rates if a package requires freight shipping and you have a freight carrier account set up in EasyPost.