Can I change an Etsy free shipping order from Priority Mail to Ground Advantage?

Hi! If the buyer paid extra for Priority Mail at checkout (i.e., it was a shipping upgrade charge), you should ship using Priority (or faster), not downgrade to Ground Advantage—otherwise you risk an “item arrived late/not as expected” complaint and it can also throw off Etsy’s estimated delivery dates. If Priority was shown/selected but it didn’t actually cost the buyer more (because your Etsy free shipping covered it), it’s still best practice to ship the service they chose or message them first and get an “OK” in Etsy Messages before switching—some buyers pick Priority for timing.

To keep buyers from choosing Priority when you’re offering free shipping, you’ll want to limit what services you offer in the listing’s shipping settings/shipping profile:

• If you use fixed shipping (including “Free shipping”): edit the shipping profile and set just one “standard” service (your cheapest/typical one). Only add Priority as a shipping upgrade if you actually want to offer it.
• If you use calculated shipping: edit the calculated shipping settings/profile and uncheck the services you don’t want buyers to see (leave only the ones you’re willing to use as your standard option).

As for why “USPS Ground Advantage” might not appear in your Etsy shipping profile: Etsy’s wording/options can be inconsistent, and in some places it may still show older names (like First Class Package/Parcel Select Ground) even though the label you purchase ends up being Ground Advantage. Also, certain package details (weight, size, domestic vs. international) and occasional Etsy UI glitches can make Ground-type options disappear in the profile even though you can still choose Ground Advantage when you actually buy the Etsy shipping label.

If you tell me whether you’re using calculated shipping or fixed/free shipping profiles, and whether the buyer paid anything extra for “Priority,” I can point you to the exact place in your setup to remove Priority from checkout.