Why aren’t Etsy USPS letter shipping labels showing up on a SCAN form?

Question

I recently started buying USPS “letter” postage through Etsy for lightweight orders to keep shipping costs down. When I try to create a USPS SCAN form in Etsy, it says there are no eligible labels available, even though the orders are selected and I’m not using any filters.

Should USPS letter labels purchased through Etsy be included on a SCAN form, and if not, what’s the best way to handle acceptance scans for these shipments?

Mustafa Aydemir · Answer

Hi! Nope—those Etsy USPS “Letter” (and “Flat”) labels generally won’t appear on a USPS SCAN form, because SCAN forms are meant for USPS package tracking barcodes that get a single “Shipment Accepted” event when the carrier scans the manifest. Etsy’s letter-rate labels use Pitney Bowes–provided tracking info and don’t behave like normal USPS package labels at acceptance, so Etsy will often show “no eligible labels” when your batch is all letters.

If you want the best option for “acceptance proof,” here are the practical ways sellers handle it:

- **Upgrade the shipping method for orders where proof matters**: Use a true parcel service (like USPS Ground Advantage / Priority Mail). Then you can use an Etsy SCAN form and you’re much more likely to get a clean acceptance scan trail.
- **Use USPS retail proof-of-mailing services for letters** (when you really need it): Bring them to the counter and ask about a **Certificate of Mailing** (or similar proof-of-mailing). This is separate from Etsy labels and costs extra, but it’s the more reliable “I mailed it” documentation for letter mail.
- **For everyday low-cost sticker/flat orders**: Many sellers simply **drop them in a USPS slot/collection** (or hand them to a clerk) and accept that these letter labels may show limited/odd tracking updates (or no acceptance scan). In that case, the main “proof” you’ll have is that you **purchased the Etsy shipping label on time** and shipped by your stated processing time.

One extra tip: if you mix shipments, you can still generate a SCAN form for your **package labels** that day—just don’t expect the letter labels to be included. If you tell me what service your other labels are (Ground Advantage vs letters only) and how you’re handing them off (carrier pickup, blue box, counter), I can suggest the smoothest workflow.