Announcements
New Address Verification Process for Etsy Shipping Labels
This discussion is public.
Original Post
Hello Etsy Sellers,
We’ve made a change to the address verification process when you purchase Etsy Shipping Labels, and we’ll be releasing it over the course of the day.
- Why we made this change -
When you go to purchase a shipping label, the buyer-entered address is verified using the USPS address database. This is done to correct minor errors in the address and to ensure that USPS has the correct address for shipping.
Previously, the address that was initially presented when you purchased shipping labels was the USPS-verified version of the address your buyer entered. In some cases, affecting a small percentage of labels, the USPS dropped some information from these addresses, typically apartment or suite numbers. In some instances, this resulted in delivery issues for those orders.
We made this change because it’s important for you to see when there is a difference between what the buyer enters and what the USPS recommends. This way, if there are significant differences between the two, you will be able to decide how you would like to proceed, and whether or not you need to contact your buyer for additional information.
- The Change -
Now, when you purchase your shipping label, and the buyer-entered address doesn’t match the USPS recommendation, there will be a notification beneath the ship-to address.
You have the option to view the two addresses and decide which version you would like to use for your label. It’s also possible to edit the original version, if you choose not to use either one. Most of the time, the differences between the two addresses will be minimal. For example, Street may change to ST. If you’re ever in doubt about the buyer-entered address, you can contact them to confirm their information before shipping out.
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We want to make sure sellers are aware, and in control of, the addresses used in their shipping labels. Let us know if you have any questions here: www.etsy.com/teams/7718/site-help/discuss/11453886/
Happy Shipping!
Posted at 12:28 pm Dec 19, 2012 EST