Refunds FAQs

← Accounts FAQs

On this page

How do I request a refund for a USPS prepaid label?

There are three ways to submit a refund request to USPS®. You must submit the request within 30 days of printing the label.

Note

You cannot request refunds for First-Class Mail (FCM) letters and flats.

To submit the request, do one of the following:

  • Global Ecommerce APIs

    Cancel the label using the Void a Shipment API.

  • Developer Hub

    Log into Developer Hub, view your Transaction History, locate and select the label, and click Request Refund.

  • Merchant Portal

    A merchant can log into Merchant Portal, view transactions, locate and select the label, and click Request Refund.

How do I view refund status?

Issue the Get Transaction Reports API with the transactionType query parameter set to POSTAGE REFUND.

If a refund request has been resolved, the API returns two records: one for the initial request and one for the resolution. To view the current status of a refund request, find the more recent record and see the refundStatus field. A resolved request will have a value of ACCEPTED or DENIED.

The following example shows a refund with two records: one for the initial request and one for the resolution. Not all fields are shown:

{
    "transactionId": "12345678_a7-4bc2-a17a-02a37ad84a5d",
    "transactionDateTime": "2020-08-02T00:00:00.000+0000",
    "transactionType": "POSTAGE REFUND",
    ...,
    "refundStatus": "REQUESTED",
    "refundDenialReason": null,
    "shipmentId": "USPS2200487400865080",
    "refundRequestor": "Shipper Requested",
    "externalId": null,
    "adjustmentReason": null
},
{
    "transactionId": "12345678_a7-4bc2-a17a-02a37ad84a5d",
    "transactionDateTime": "2020-08-14T11:19:20.864+0000",
    "transactionType": "POSTAGE REFUND",
    ...,
    "refundStatus": "ACCEPTED",
    "refundDenialReason": null,
    "shipmentId": "USPS2200487400865080",
    "refundRequestor": "Shipper Requested",
    "externalId": null,
    "adjustmentReason": null
}

How are USPS refunds processed?

When a merchant cancels or voids a shipment with USPS, the transaction’s refundStatus is set to REQUESTED in transaction reports.

Once the request is made, USPS takes several steps in its process to cancel/void the transaction, including waiting up to 14 days to make sure the parcel was not submitted to USPS for delivery. Once Pitney Bowes receives notification from USPS, the refundStatus field records the refund as either ACCEPTED or DENIED. If the latter, a reason is recorded in the refundDenialReason field.

If the status is ACCEPTED, the money is credited back to the PB Postage Account. If the status is DENIED, the money is not credited back.

If there is an ACCEPTED or DENIED record in transaction reports, it supersedes the REQUESTED record. The ACCEPTED or DENIED record generally appears several days to two weeks after the REQUESTED record. Use date and time to compare records.

Are refunds for FCM letters and flats supported?

No. You cannot request refunds for First-Class Mail (FCM) letters (LETTER, NMLETTER) or flats (FLAT).