USPS by Endicia provides real-time shipping quotes from USPS to shoppers on the cart page and at checkout. By providing real-time shipping quotes, some shoppers (especially those in nearby shipping zones) may be able to get lower shipping costs than they would with flat-rate shipping. With USPS by Endicia, you are able to serve Endicia's discounted USPS rates to customers, then print shipping labels using the shopper's selected USPS service directly from your control panel.
For more information about buying postage and printing shipping labels with Endicia, see USPS by Endicia Shipping Labels.
Do I have to set up label printing? You don't need to set up label printing if you just want to use Endicia to serve real-time USPS shipping quotes to shoppers on the storefront.
Requirements
- You must have an Endicia account.
- You must have the Manage Shipping user permission enabled to set up USPS by Endicia.
- You must have a US shipping origin address.
- Your store have USD set up as a transactional currency.
Enabling USPS Real-Time Shipping Quotes
To enable USPS Real-Time Shipping Quotes, follow the steps below.
1. Go to Settings › Shipping.
2. Click Edit or Configure next to a shipping zone.
3. Scroll down to Real time shipping quotes, and click Connect next to USPS.
4. Enter your Endicia account username and password, then click Link Account.
5. Specify a Display Name, which is shown to shoppers on the cart and checkout pages. Select your Delivery services and Packaging type. Additionally, you have the option to Show the estimated delivery date, which will display how many business days a particular service will take. Note that this feature is only available for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express rates.
6. Click Submit to save your changes.
Should you need to change your service or package type, click Edit from the zone page. Toggle the ON/OFF switch to enable or disable this shipping method.
We recommend adding physical dimensions (width, height, and depth) for your products. Some real-time shipping providers require these in order to provide your shoppers with an accurate shipping quote during checkout. Typically, the narrowest dimension should be set as the factoring dimension in your physical dimension settings.
Additional Settings
Once you set up USPS by Endicia in a shipping zone, you can modify settings such as your company name, displaying the estimated delivery date at checkout, delivery services, and more. To modify these settings, follow the instructions below.
1. Click Edit or Configure next to the shipping zone.
2.Click Edit next to USPS by Endicia.
You will see the following tabs:
Settings
The Settings tab contains the following settings:
- Display name
- Show estimated delivery date
- Delivery services
- Packaging types
Storefronts
If you have more than one storefront, you will see an additional tab. Storefronts allows USPS quotes to be toggled on or off per storefront. See our Multi-Storefront guide for more information.
Connection
The Connection tab is where you enter your account information. It contains:
- Username
- Password
Quote
The Quote tab lets you test your connection and get a quote. Enter your destination country, state, and zip code, followed by your package weight, value, and dimensions. Click Get Quote, and you will see a shipping quote for all valid services.
Postage Balance
The Postage Balance tab shows your current account balance on Endicia.
- Current Postage Balance — the current balance on your Endicia account
- Add to balance — by adding funds here, the credit card you have listed on your Endicia account will be automatically charged.
Password
The Password tab allows you to change the password you set up in your Endicia account. Enter the following information, then click Confirm.
- Current password
- New password
- Confirm new password
Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy tab will have a link to the Endicia privacy policy
3. Click Submit once you have made your changes.
Global Endicia Settings
USPS by Endicia global settings allow you to edit your company name, change your password, and more. To modify these settings, follow the instructions below.
1. Click Edit next to USPS by Endicia, located under Shipping Labels.
2. Click Edit next to USPS by Endicia
You will see the following tabs:
Settings
The Settings tab contains the company name.
Connection
The Connection tab is where you enter your account information. It contains your:
- Username
- Password
Password
The Password tab allows you to change the password you set up in your Endicia account. Enter the following information and click Confirm:
- Current password
- New password
- Confirm new password
Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy tab contains a link to the Endicia privacy policy.
3. Click Submit once you have made your changes.
Resources
- USPS support
- USPS weight and dimensional limits
- Service specifics and rate calculation
- USPS real-time quotes common issues
USPS Support
The USPS support website provides many helpful resources, including refund and insurance claim information, and other frequently asked questions.
- Phone support: 1-800-275-8777
- Web support
- Business Mail 101
USPS Weight and Dimensional Limits
Package terms
- Length — the longest edge of a package
- Width — the second longest edge of a package
- Height — the shortest edge of a package
- Girth — (2 x width) + (2 x height)
- Machinable — parcels that can be processed by Postal Service equipment
Domestic Weight and Dimensional Limits
| Service | Weight Limit | Dimensional Limit |
| First-Class Mail | 13 oz | NA |
| Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Media Mail, Library Mail | 70 lbs | Maximum length plus girth must not exceed 108 in |
| USPS Ground Advantage | 70 lbs | Maximum length plus girth must not exceed 130 in |
International Weight and Dimensional Limits
Some USPS services have different weight limits when delivering internationally. Check the postal service’s listing of Country Price Groups and Weight Limits for more information on specific countries.
USPS’s website provides a guide to preparing packages with helpful tips on packing and shipping best practices, and even offers free shipping supplies, including boxes, that they will ship to your home or business.
Service Specifics and Rate Calculation
The Postal Service provides a comparison of services on their site, which can help you decide which services are the best fit for you, your products, and your customers. For example, Standard Post and Media Mail are not available for international shipping. Generally for shipments under 6 ounces, First-Class Mail offers the lowest cost solution
Take note! Restricted products such as ammunition cannot be shipped by USPS.
You can use the Postage Price Calculator to simulate shipments, in order to see what each service would cost and get delivery time estimates.
There are several factors that can affect what a shipment will cost:
- Content: What class of mail is it?
- Size: How big is it?
- Shape: Is it a letter, flat, or parcel?
- Weight: How heavy is it?
- Distance the mail travels: How far is it going?
- Quantity: How many pieces do you have?
- Nonprofit status: Does your organization qualify for nonprofit prices?
- Speed of delivery: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and First-Class Mail.
- Mail entry point: Are you mailing from a postal facility?
USPS Real-Time Quotes Common Issues
Symptom: Returned quotes on the storefront don’t match what is displayed on the USPS postage calculator.
Possible causes:
- Depending on the size of the package, USPS could be assessing a fee using its dimensional weight or balloon weight. Packages that are larger than the length plus girth limits can be charged an oversized rate.
- Physical dimensions aren't defined for the product. Some real-time shipping providers require these in order to provide your customers with an accurate shipping quote during checkout. Typically, the narrowest dimension should be set as the factoring dimension in your physical dimension settings.
Symptom: Certain services completely fail to return a quote.
Possible causes:
In this instance, it would trigger an error in the store logs when making the quote request. There’s no error reporting on the storefront for this, so there would just be the absence of a First-Class Mail quote.
- The package might be exceeding the limits of that service. For example, if your product weighs 4 ounces, and a shopper adds 4 of them to the cart, the combined weight is 16 ounces, and would not qualify for First-Class Mail.
- The origin zip code may be wrong or incomplete. Where possible, use the full nine-digit zip code for your origin address in the Shipping page.
- The destination address or country may fall outside of that particular service's specific service area.
FAQ
I have multiple storefronts, can I use a different Endicia account for each storefront?
No. While you can toggle shipping methods on or off per storefront, the Connection tab is a global setting. You can only connect one Endicia account per store.
