The Global Advantage Program (GAP) is an international shipping program through USPS that provides an economical way to ship merchandise internationally.
When you print USPS international labels for First Class or Priority services, you'll automatically receive a GAP label.
GAP benefits include:
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Up to 65% in savings over the retail USPS Package shipping cost
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Free insurance coverage for all shipments with Delivery Confirmation
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No need to print Customs Declaration forms
All international USPS labels created in PayPal will automatically be GAP labels. UPS international services do not generate GAP labels.
The Global Advantage Program (GAP) is automatically enabled for your PayPal Shipping Center account. There is nothing else you need to do.
Similar to many international consolidators, you first send your packages via USPS to a domestic Postal Processing sorting facility. There, your international shipments are relabeled for their destination, receive their appropriate customs forms, and are then sent on to their final destination.
Ship To Address on Label
Your international shipping label will print with two addresses:
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The USPS Postal Processing facility address
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Your international recipient's address
If one of your shipments has insufficient postage due to discrepancies in weight or dimensions, it can be returned to sender, withheld from the recipient until postage is paid, or even destroyed altogether.
The good news is that with the Global Advantage Program, shipments with insufficient postage will be delivered, and an adjustment charge for the remaining postage will be issued to your account.
You can view your post-billing adjustments in your PayPal Shipping Center account.
Dispute GAP Adjustments
If you feel a Global Advantage Program Adjustment to your account may have been made in error, please contact us at paypalsupport@shipstation.com.
Anything deemed illegal or hazardous to ship by mail in the US or in the destination country will not be accepted. Please check for any restrictions when preparing your shipment. We cannot accept responsibility, nor accept coverage claims, for items confiscated by customs authorities.
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The Global Advantage Program offers free insurance coverage up to $200 for USPS Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International shipments with Delivery confirmation.
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The international tracking number on the GAP label will track the package to the sorting facility and may track the package to the destination country, if tracking to that country is supported.
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Do not choose Documents for the content type in your customs declaration if the content does not conform to the USPS criteria for documents.
If the contents of the package do not meet the USPS criteria for documents, the USPS Automatic Package Verification (APV) will post-charge your account the difference between the Large Envelope/Flat rate and the Package rate (which can be $7 or more).
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If you do not wish to participate in the Global Advantage Program, please email us at paypalsupport@shipstation.com
Below are some frequently asked questions regarding GAP:
Any kind of package currently delivered internationally by the USPS, up to 70 lbs.
Yes! With GAP, you can send First-Class Mail International Envelopes & Flats containing merchandise, weighing up to 4 lbs. The USPS no longer offers this very popular service.
There is no minimum number of shipments required to use GAP.
Postage costs for GAP labels are charged to your PayPal Shipping Center payment method.
In general, the USPS does not guarantee service times for GAP.
USPS Priority Mail Express International packages may be eligible for service guarantees if the shipping label is purchased and delivered at a Post Office.
The Global Advantage Program offers free insurance coverage up to $200 for USPS Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International shipments with Delivery Confirmation and up to $100 for USPS First-Class Package International shipments.
You can file an insurance claim directly with GlobalPost. For more information about insurance for GAP shipments, please review the Global Advantage Program Insurance? section of the Global Advantage Program FAQ page.
Global Advantage Program packages can be tracked with either of the options below:
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GlobalPost tracking page located at goglobalpost.com/track
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USPS tracking page at usps.com/manage