Post-billing or postage adjustments are changes to the amount paid for a particular shipment by a carrier, such as USPS, FedEx, or UPS. These adjustments can result in additional charges or refunds to your account, depending on the nature of the adjustment.
There are various reasons why a carrier would make postage adjustments, including:
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Incorrect package weight or dimensions: If the weight or dimensions of a package are inaccurately measured or reported, the carrier may adjust the postage to reflect the actual weight or dimensions.
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Incorrect package type: Certain carriers may have specific rules regarding the package type shipped, such as envelope or box, and may adjust the postage accordingly.
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Incorrect destination or address: If the destination or address of the recipient is inaccurate or incomplete, the carrier may adjust the postage to reflect the correct destination.
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Additional services requested: If additional services are added, the carrier may adjust the postage to reflect the cost of these services.
We recommend carefully reviewing and accurately reporting all package details when sending shipments to avoid unexpected postage adjustments. Additionally, it helps to familiarize yourself with the carrier's specific rules and requirements to ensure your shipments meet all necessary criteria and avoid unnecessary adjustments.
Review the criteria for potential adjustments from:
The following sections provide more information on how to view adjustments to your account, as well as specific kinds of adjustments that may occur with different carriers.
You can view adjustments of your USPS shipments by date in CSV files from PayPal Shipping Center.
UPS and DHL Express Adjustments Not Available in Reports
Details of adjustments for UPS and DHL Express labels created in the PayPal Shipping Center are not available in Adjustment Reports at this time.
Please contact our support team to request UPS or DHL Express adjustment details.
To download your Adjustment Reports:
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Select the Account Settings tab.
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Under Available Credits and Adjustments, click Adjustment Reports.
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On the Adjustment Reports page, locate the report you would like to download by date and click Download CSV to download the Adjustment Report.
Adjustment Amounts Appear After 24 Hours
It may take up to 24 hours for the amount to appear in the Adjustment Report. An email will also be sent with the adjustment details.
The reason for the adjustment will appear in the ReasonCode column of the Adjustment Report.
You can pay an outstanding adjustment balance through the PayPal Shipping Center in one of two ways.
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Pay with your next label purchase: When you purchase your next label, the adjustment cost(s) will be automatically added to the postage costs.
For example, if you owe $2.00 for an adjustment and you are purchasing a label for $7.29, the total amount charged to your account payment method will be $9.29.
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Automatic charge from the PayPal Shipping Center: The PayPal Shipping Center will automatically charge your account payment method for the outstanding balance at the end of each business day.
For example, if you owe $1.00 for an adjustment, the PayPal Shipping Center will charge your credit card $1.00 to return your balance to $0.00.
The USPS uses an Automated Package Verification System (APV) to verify that all shipments match the details on the label, including:
If the weight, dimensions, and packaging details on the label do not match your package, or the selected mail class is not valid for the package, USPS will automatically either charge or refund the difference of the correct rate to the account used to create the label.
Without APV, improperly-applied specifications would result in a shipment being returned or, in some cases, delivery charges for the recipient. With APV, the USPS will instead deliver the package but will then issue cost adjustments.
Adjustments for undercharged shipments created in the PayPal Shipping Center will be collected with your next label purchase after the adjustment is charged. Adjustments for overcharged shipments will be refunded to your PayPal Shipping Center account as an Account Credit.
You will receive an email from the PayPal Shipping Center alerting you of USPS adjustments.
Manual Rate Adjustments at the Post Office
On rare occasions, if your shipment does not go through the APV system, any adjustments will be charged by the USPS to the recipient when they collect the shipment from their local post office.
If you wish to dispute an Automated Package Verification (APV) adjustment for a USPS shipment, you must email USPS directly. They have an email address specifically for this purpose: VerifyPostageHelp@usps.gov
When emailing the Verify Postage Help department, include the following details:
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The package's Tracking Number
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Adjustment ID
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The reason for disputing the adjustment (be as detailed as possible!)
You can locate your Adjustment ID for a specific shipment in the Adjustment Report downloaded from your PayPal Shipping Center account settings.
If the USPS requests more information, they'll contact you via email. Once a decision is made on the status of your dispute, they'll contact you via a forwarded email.
Disputing DHL Express Adjustments
If you wish to dispute an adjustment for a DHL Express label purchased in the PayPal Shipping Center, please contact our support team.
Shipping companies like UPS offer additional services like Saturday pickup. However, this service comes with an additional fee.
A Saturday Air Processing fee (formerly the Saturday Pickup charge) is when a package is picked up on a Saturday and is eligible to advance through the network for a Monday delivery.
A post-delivery fee of $16.00 per shipment applies for these UPS premium services and international packages with a Saturday ship date or if the shipment is dropped off at an Access Point on a Saturday.
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UPS Next Day Air®
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UPS Next Day Air Saver®
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UPS 2nd Day Air AM®
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UPS 2nd Day Air®
Understanding these costs can help you make informed decisions about your shipping and delivery strategy and ensure your business remains profitable and competitive.
If you wish to dispute an adjustment for a UPS from PayPal Shipping label purchased in the PayPal Shipping Center, fill out our form: UPS From PayPal Shipping Adjustment Dispute.
Once you have submitted the form, a representative will reach out to you about the dispute.