Creating an End-of-Day SCAN Form for USPS labels
SCAN Forms: Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notices (or SCAN Forms/ Shipping Manifests) allow you to group multiple labels into a single barcode, which lets USPS® quickly scan in all your packages at once instead of one by one, which saves them a ton of time and can speed up your package's first tracking status updates.
Using SCAN Forms for Multiple Packages: Many local Post Offices require SCAN Forms once you start shipping more than a few packages at once, because it makes their life so much easier. Pirate Ship makes it easy to print these no matter how many packages you're shipping.
How to print SCAN Forms for USPS labels
Creating and Printing SCAN Forms: To create SCAN Forms, go to the Ship page and click the End of Day button.
Pirate Ship automatically groups your labels by their Ship Date. Before the end of each day, you can create a SCAN Form for that day's labels by clicking the Create SCAN Form button next to the group.
If you do not click this button, Pirate Ship will automatically generate the SCAN Form every evening. You don't have to use it if you don't need to!
8.5x11" PDF Documents: SCAN Forms are generated as letter-size 8.5"x11" PDF documents, which you can print with a normal desktop printer. Once a SCAN Form has been created, you can download/open the PDF to print it by clicking Print SCAN Form. Once you've printed the SCAN Form, just hand it to USPS® when giving them your packages.
Available for 2 Weeks: When you create them on your End of Day page, SCAN Forms are available for 14 days (sorted by descending order of Ship Date) 👌
You can't edit SCAN Forms once they've been created... and there's no need to!
SCAN Forms Can't Be Changed: Once a SCAN Form is created, it cannot be changed or edited...but that's usually okay!
If you purchase more labels for the same Ship Date after creating a SCAN Form, you will have to create another SCAN Form for those labels (you'll see them grouped separately). It's okay to give USPS® multiple SCAN Forms 😉
If you decide not to ship a label included in a SCAN Form, there is no need to change the SCAN Form. It doesn't matter if you're just not ready to ship that label yet, or if you will never be shipping that label and are requesting a refund for it.
It is not a problem to include labels in a SCAN Form for packages that you will not be handing to USPS® when you give them the SCAN Form. It does not affect the rest of the labels on the SCAN Form, the ability to use the label separately, or your refund request. Don't worry 👍
You can create SCAN Forms for multiple Ship From Addresses
SCAN Forms for Multiple Ship From Addresses: If you're using multiple Ship From Address, you can create SCAN Forms for all the labels going from each of these addresses.
You'll see an option at the top of your End of Day page to toggle between your different Ship From Addresses. Here's how that looks:
You can also create SCAN Forms for batches of labels, and if you do they are available in the Share Link
SCAN Forms for Batches: Another way to generate SCAN Forms is for a batch of labels. After buying a batch of labels at the same time, when you click the Print Labels button you'll see the Create SCAN Form button. If you click this, it will generate a SCAN Form for just this batch of labels.
Sharing a Batch SCAN Form: If you generate a SCAN Form this way and use the Share Link to send your labels to someone else to print, they will also see the Print SCAN Form button, and will be able to print the SCAN Form for this batch only.
The cut-off time for shipments to be included on a SCAN Form is 8:00 PM local time 🕗
Cut-Off Times for SCAN Forms: If you purchase any USPS labels after 8:00 PM local time, they will automatically populate in the following day's SCAN Form. This may result in you needing to generate two separate SCAN Forms to include all of your labels, which is perfectly fine 😊
Our insurance provider won't accept SCAN forms for proof of the package entering the USPS network
SCAN Forms Aren't Proof of Acceptance: The SCAN form does not qualify as the package actually entering the mail flow, and it is not considered as "proof of acceptance."
A tracking scan showing that the package has entered the mail flow is required for an insurance claim with Shipsurance.
View the Shipping Insurance Terms and Conditions.
You can't create SCAN Forms for UPS labels
No UPS Labels: End-of-Day SCAN Forms only apply to USPS labels! Any UPS labels you've purchased won’t show up in the “Print All” button in your End of Day page 😅
You'll need to print these directly from your Ship page, or from your Shipments Grid. UPS will also scan each of your packages individually.