Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice

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What Is a SCAN Form?#

A SCAN Form is generated after you print a batch of labels for the day. It rolls all of those tracking numbers into one master barcode. At drop-off or pickup, the postal worker scans the single form rather than each individual package, which records Shipment Accepted on every tracking number the form lists at once.

The procedure USPS published for the form (Postal Bulletin 22194, November 2006) has the employee compare the number of parcels presented with the total on the form, then collect the mail whether or not the two match. That is a check of the count, not of which parcels are in the stack. This is a USPS feature, and shipping software often calls it a manifest or end-of-day form.

For high-volume shippers it saves real time at the counter and gives buyers an immediate tracking event, which reduces "where is my package" messages and "item not received" disputes. Without a SCAN Form, packages sometimes sit without a visible scan until they reach a sorting facility, which makes tracking look stalled even when the package is moving.

With the 2026 rate increases now in effect (USPS +6.6% to +7.8%, UPS +5.9%, FedEx +5.9%), shippers are watching every operational cost, and a SCAN Form is a free workflow win: it speeds up the physical hand-off and improves the customer experience at no extra charge.

What SCAN Form Changes About Your Shipment#

How Each Carrier Handles SCAN Form#

SCAN Form: What Experienced Shippers Do#

• Generate a SCAN Form once per day after you have finished printing labels, not after each individual order
• Hand the SCAN Form to the clerk or carrier first so they scan one barcode instead of every package
• A SCAN Form only covers labels printed before it was generated, so print everything, then create the form
• Keep the SCAN Form on file as proof you handed the batch to USPS, in case a package shows no movement
• If a buyer says tracking has not updated, the Shipment Accepted event from the SCAN Form shows the batch was handed over. It does not show that one parcel was in it, so keep your own count or photo

Related Terms

• Tracking Number
• Shipping Label
• Postage Due / APV Adjustment

SCAN Form: Key Takeaways#

• A SCAN Form is one master barcode: a single scan of it marks every label it lists Shipment Accepted.
• It is primarily a USPS feature; FedEx and UPS reconcile acceptance through driver pickups and daily manifests.
• The biggest benefits are faster drop-off and a Shipment Accepted event on every label the form lists. USPS's published check is of the parcel count against the form's total, so keep your own record of which parcels went.
• That early tracking event reduces premature "item not received" messages and disputes.
• Generating a SCAN Form is free and works best as a once-per-day habit after all labels are printed.

The Order of Operations a USPS SCAN Form Requires#

A USPS SCAN Form only covers labels that existed when it was generated. Print every label for the day first, then create the form last. A label bought after the form was generated is not on it and will need its own acceptance scan, which defeats the purpose.

Hand the form to the clerk or carrier before the packages, so they scan one barcode rather than reaching for each parcel. On a batch of any size this is the difference between a minute at the counter and ten.

Keep the scanned form on file. If a package later shows no movement, the Shipment Accepted event is evidence that the batch was handed to USPS. It is not evidence that a particular parcel was in it, because USPS's published check is of the parcel count, not of which parcels are in the stack. For a claim on USPS insurance bought online, the Domestic Mail Manual accepts a Form 5630 acceptance scan as evidence of mailing only when a valid acceptance scan or a physical scan follows it.

• Print all labels for the day first, then generate the USPS SCAN Form last.
• Hand the SCAN Form to the clerk or carrier before the packages themselves.
• Keep the form on file as proof the batch was accepted by USPS.
• Generate one SCAN Form per day rather than one per order.

Why an Early Acceptance Scan Cuts Buyer Messages#

Without a USPS SCAN Form, packages can sit with no visible scan until they reach a sorting facility, which makes a tracking page look stalled on the day it was actually dropped off. Buyers read that as a package that never shipped, and the support message follows.

The scan of a SCAN Form closes that window. Every tracking number on the form updates at the same moment, so a buyer checking that evening sees movement rather than "Label Created" and nothing else.

• Expect "Label Created" with no movement until an acceptance scan is recorded.
• In a no-movement dispute, the SCAN Form event shows the batch was accepted. Pair it with your own packing record.
• Generate the form even on small batches; the customer-experience benefit does not scale with volume.

Common Mistakes With SCAN Form#

SCAN Form Implementation Checklist#

• Print all of the day's labels before generating any SCAN Form.
• Generate one SCAN Form per printing session to cover the full batch.
• Hand the SCAN Form to the clerk first so they scan one barcode, not every package.
• Save or screenshot each SCAN Form as proof of hand-off.
• Include a tracking link in order confirmations so buyers see the acceptance scan.
• For a USPS insurance claim, keep the label record too: USPS accepts a Form 5630 acceptance scan as evidence of mailing only when a valid acceptance or physical scan follows it.
• For large batches, batch-print in The Workbench and drop the whole run with a single SCAN Form.

SCAN Form: Questions People Ask#

What is a USPS SCAN Form?

A USPS SCAN Form, formally a Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice, is one document carrying a master barcode that represents every package in a shipment. Scanning that single barcode records Shipment Accepted on every tracking number the form lists at once. The clerk scans the form in place of each package.

Does a USPS SCAN Form cost extra?

No. A USPS SCAN Form is free to generate and free to use. It is a workflow document rather than a service, so there is no per-package or per-form charge. The only cost is the order of operations: labels have to be printed before the form is generated for them to be included.

Is a SCAN Form the same as a manifest?

In practice yes. USPS calls it the SCAN Form or PS Form 5630, and shipping software often calls it a manifest or an end-of-day form. The names refer to the same document: one master barcode covering a batch of labels. Other carriers reconcile the day's shipments through scheduled pickups and their own end-of-day manifests instead.

Do I have to use a USPS SCAN Form?

No, it is optional. Packages dropped off without one are still accepted; they are simply scanned individually or not until they reach a sorting facility. The reason to use one is speed at the counter and a Shipment Accepted event on every tracking number the form lists, both of which are free.

What happens to labels printed after I generate the SCAN Form?

They are not on it. A USPS SCAN Form only covers labels that existed when it was generated, so a label bought afterwards needs its own acceptance scan or a second form. Print every label for the day first and generate the form last to avoid splitting the batch.

Can I create a SCAN Form for a large batch of labels?

Yes. A single USPS SCAN Form can cover an entire day of labels, which is exactly where it pays off. The Workbench in I'd Ship That batch-prints labels and generates the form for the batch, so the order of operations is enforced rather than remembered.