A USPS Modern manifest, which USPS calls a SCAN Form, is a single barcode document that summarizes all the packages the carrier picks up from your warehouse that day. ShipHero supports End of Day Manifests for USPS Modern. USPS does not require manifests but highly recommends them.
Before You Begin
- Feature access: This feature is currently in beta. To produce USPS Modern scan sheets, ShipHero Support must enable it on your account.
For USPS Modern setup and service levels, see Overview: USPS Modern Integration with ShipHero. For manifests across all carriers, see Understanding Carrier Manifests in ShipHero.
Table of Contents
- What a USPS Modern Manifest (SCAN Form) Does
- USPS Modern Manifest Timelines and the shipDate Rule
- Manual vs. Automated USPS Modern Manifest Generation
- USPS Modern Manifest Label Scenarios
What a USPS Modern Manifest (SCAN Form) Does
A USPS Modern manifest lets the USPS driver scan one barcode instead of every package. Instead of manually scanning dozens or hundreds of individual packages, the driver scans the manifest once. This single scan automatically marks all included packages as "Accepted" in the USPS tracking system.
The benefit is twofold:
- Time savings: Your carriers spend less time at your dock, speeding up your end-of-day operations.
- Faster visibility: Your customers get their first tracking update ("Accepted") sooner, improving the post-purchase experience.
USPS Modern Manifest Timelines and the shipDate Rule
ShipHero uses each label's shipDate to decide which USPS Modern manifest the label can be included in.
Critical Rule
A manifest (SCAN Form) can only include labels whose shipDate matches the day the manifest is created. This is a strict USPS requirement.
The shipDate is the key piece of data that determines which manifest a label is eligible for. ShipHero assigns the date using the earlier of two potential cut-off times:
| Scenario | Cut-off Mechanism | What Happens After the Cut-off? |
|---|---|---|
| A. USPS Default Cut-off | 10:00 PM Local Time (Generally) | Labels created after this time will automatically be assigned the next calendar day's shipDate. |
| B. Carrier Account Cut-off | A Specific Time Set in Settings (e.g., 4:00 PM) | If the account has a cut-off set, any label created after this time will automatically be assigned the next calendar day's shipDate, overriding the 10:00 PM default. |
Manual vs. Automated USPS Modern Manifest Generation
You can generate a USPS Modern manifest manually or let ShipHero generate it automatically, and the two work together.
- Manual generation must be on the current day: A manual manifest can only include labels with the current calendar date as their shipDate. If you do not generate it before the end-of-day cut-off (generally 10:00 PM local time based on your account settings), you cannot create it the next day. The USPS carrier must scan the packages that are not on a manifest individually.
- Automated manifest timing: The auto-manifest runs twice: a first run at 10:00 PM and a second run at 11:00 PM. The auto-manifest includes only labels with a shipDate of that day. Labels generated after the carrier account cut-off time are included in the next day's auto-manifest.
- Manual and auto combination: ShipHero fully supports using both. A manual manifest includes labels up to that point. The auto-manifest creates a second SCAN Form for all labels created since the manual manifest, up to the earlier of the two potential cut-off times. If the previous day's labels were not all manifested during manual generation, you may have two separate SCAN sheets to present.
Auto-generated manifests are created after carrier pick-up times, so you provide those SCAN Forms to the driver on the following business day. The driver then scans the unmanifested packages from the previous shipDate and the SCAN Form for packages in the current day's shipDate. Scanning a manifest generated for a shipment with a prior shipDate is at the discretion of the carrier and the pick-up driver.
USPS Modern Manifest Label Scenarios
The following example shows which labels created between Monday and Wednesday go on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday USPS Modern manifests, based on the rules and times above. In this example, the carrier account cut-off is 3:00 PM. Any label generated after the cut-off time has a shipDate of the following day.
USPS Modern Manifest Example Labels
- Label A: generated 9:05 AM Monday; shipDate = Monday
- Label B: generated 2:58 PM Monday; shipDate = Monday
- Label C: generated 3:02 PM Monday; shipDate = Tuesday
- Label D: generated 9:30 AM Tuesday; shipDate = Tuesday
- Label E: generated 2:45 PM Tuesday; shipDate = Tuesday
- Label F: generated 10:00 AM Wednesday; shipDate = Wednesday
Monday's USPS Modern Manifests
Manual manifest created: 3:00 PM Monday
Carrier pick-up: 3:00 PM Monday
| Manifest Type | Labels Included | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Manifest (Generated at 3:00 PM Monday) | Label A and Label B | A manual manifest includes labels with the current day's shipDate (Monday) generated up to the manual manifest time (3:00 PM). Label A (9:05 AM) and Label B (2:58 PM) both meet this criteria. |
| Automated Manifest (First run 10:00 PM Monday) | None | All labels with a Monday shipDate generated before the 3:00 PM carrier account cut-off were already included in the manual manifest. |
| Automated Manifest (Second run 11:00 PM Monday) | None | Same as above. Label C is generated on Monday, but its ShipDate is Tuesday, so it won't be included in Monday's auto-manifest. |
Summary for Monday: The carrier receives one SCAN Form from the manual manifest, containing Label A and Label B.
Tuesday's USPS Modern Manifests
Manual manifest created: 2:30 PM Tuesday
Carrier pick-up: 3:00 PM Tuesday
| Manifest Type | Labels Included | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Manifest (Generated at 2:30 PM Tuesday) | Label C and Label D | A manual manifest includes labels with the current day's shipDate (Tuesday) generated up to the manual manifest time (2:30 PM). Label C (ShipDate Tuesday) and Label D (9:30 AM Tuesday ShipDate) both meet this criteria. Label E is generated after the 2:30 PM manual manifest time. |
| Automated Manifest (First run 10:00 PM Tuesday) | Label E | The auto-manifest creates a second SCAN form for all labels generated since the manual manifest up to the cut-off time, provided the ShipDate is Tuesday. Label E was generated at 2:45 PM (after the 2:30 PM manual manifest time) and has a Tuesday ShipDate. |
| Automated Manifest (Second run 11:00 PM Tuesday) | None | All eligible Tuesday ShipDate labels generated up to 10:00 PM (including Label E) were included in the first auto-manifest. |
Summary for Tuesday: The carrier receives one SCAN Form for Tuesday's pick-up.
Wednesday's USPS Modern Manifests
Manual manifest created: 2:30 PM Wednesday
Carrier pick-up: 3:00 PM Wednesday
| Manifest Type | Labels Included | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Manifest (Generated at 2:30 PM Wednesday) | Label F | A manual manifest includes labels with the current day's shipDate (Wednesday) generated up to the manual manifest time (2:30 PM). Label F meets this criteria. |
| Automated Manifest (First run 10:00 PM Wednesday) | None | All labels with a Wednesday shipDate generated before the 3:00 PM carrier account cut-off were already included in the manual manifest. |
| Automated Manifest (Second run 11:00 PM Wednesday) | None | Same as above. |
Summary for Wednesday: The carrier receives two SCAN Forms for Wednesday's pick-up: the automated manifest from Tuesday and the manual manifest generated on Wednesday.