PS Form 5630, SCAN Shipment Manifest: Generate, Submit, and File Claims

PS Form 5630, the Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice, is a single-barcode manifest that links a whole batch of prepaid USPS packages so one scan gives every package an “Acceptance” event at the same time.¹ You generate it inside your shipping software after you finish printing labels, then hand the printed sheet to a postal employee with the packages. The form covers both domestic and international labels and is never a blank document you fill in by hand.²

Which Labels Qualify

Any package with an electronically generated prepaid label is eligible. That includes labels created through Click-N-Ship, eBay, and third-party PC Postage vendors like Pirate Ship and ShipStation.² Postage bought at a retail counter, metered postage, and stamped mail cannot be added, because the system needs the label tied to the form’s master barcode.

Services that can be linked include Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, Express Mail, mail with extra services, and international mail.² In practice, that covers Priority Mail, First-Class Package, and Ground Advantage labels generated through those platforms.

How To Generate the Form

Finish creating all your labels for the day, then close out the batch inside your shipping software before handing packages to USPS. The workflow varies slightly by platform, but the sequence is the same everywhere.

In Click-N-Ship

Open the SCAN Forms tab on the Click-N-Ship landing page and select “New SCAN Form.” Review the labels listed under “Labels Available to Add to SCAN Form,” then add them individually or click “Add All.”³ A separate form is generated automatically for each combination of ship-from ZIP Code and ship date, so if you ship from two locations or have labels for different days, multiple forms will appear.

Before clicking “Create SCAN Form,” check the box acknowledging that labels included on a SCAN form are nonrefundable if not shipped with it, and that no changes can be made after printing.³ The form downloads as a PDF with one large barcode and a summary of the packages included.

In Third-Party Software

ShipStation, Pirate Ship, and Shippo each have their own “End of Day” or “SCAN Form” button. Finish your labels, hit the closeout button, and the software transmits the manifest data to USPS and produces a printable barcode sheet. Some platforms separate different service types onto different forms, so check your manifest history and print every form that appears.⁴

Rules That Apply on Every Platform

Every label on a single form must share the same ship-from ZIP Code and the same ship date.² Two warehouses means two forms. Labels dated for tomorrow go on their own form.

Once you close out and print, you cannot add more packages to that form. You can create a second form for the same day, but USPS asks that you make every effort to provide only one PS Form 5630 per day. If you don’t print the form by midnight on the ship date, it closes automatically and is no longer available.² At that point you have to create new labels for the actual mailing day and generate a fresh form.

Handing the Form to USPS

You have three options for getting the form scanned: give it to your letter carrier during a scheduled pickup, bring it to the retail counter with your packages, or drop packages at the back dock of your local post office.¹ Keep the printed form on top of or alongside the stack so the postal employee can reach it easily.

When the master barcode is scanned, every linked tracking number updates to show an “Acceptance” event at the Post Office.² That single scan replaces what could be dozens or hundreds of individual scans. Recipients see the tracking update right away.

Make sure every package listed on the form is physically present when the barcode is scanned. The form is a declaration that this specific group of items is entering the mail stream right now. If a package is missing, the tracking data won’t match reality, and you may get questions from customers whose orders show acceptance but weren’t actually tendered.

Ship Date Has To Match

The ship date on your labels must match the date you hand packages to USPS. If you print labels on Monday but don’t get to the post office until Tuesday, the SCAN form generated for Monday’s labels won’t work. Shipments whose ship date has already passed are no longer eligible for inclusion on a SCAN form.⁵ Many platforms let you set an automated cutoff time so labels created after, say, 4:00 PM roll to the next day’s ship date, which prevents the mismatch.

Scheduling a Pickup

USPS offers free Package Pickup for most services. Schedule one at usps.com/pickup by entering your address, selecting a pickup date, and noting where the packages will be left. Have your printed SCAN form with the packages so the carrier scans it on arrival.

Why the Form Matters for Insurance Claims

If a package goes missing and you file an indemnity claim, you have to prove the item was actually mailed. For insured packages purchased online, the Domestic Mail Manual requires both a printed electronic label record and evidence that the package was accepted into the mail stream. An electronic shipment acceptance scan generated from Form 5630, followed by a valid acceptance scan event, satisfies that second requirement.⁶

Without a SCAN form, your only proof of mailing is a round-dated receipt from the retail counter or an individual scan somewhere down the route. If neither exists and a package vanishes, the claim has no foundation. For anyone shipping insured items regularly, the daily SCAN form is cheap insurance for your insurance.

Common Problems and Fixes

Labels missing from the form. The usual cause is a mismatch between the label’s ship date and when you’re creating the form. Every shipment on the form must share the same ship date, and labels post-dated more than five days into the future may be excluded until closer to their ship date.⁵
Multiple forms print for one day. Your software may split shipments by service type or origin ZIP Code. Check your manifest history and print every form listed; each needs to be scanned separately.⁴
Barcode won’t scan. Print at full size on clean white paper. Scaling, smudging, or folding through the barcode area can make it unreadable. If the carrier can’t scan it, they may end up scanning packages individually.
You forgot to print before midnight. The form auto-closes at midnight on the ship date. Create new labels with the correct date and generate a new form. A daily reminder or your platform’s automated cutoff prevents it.²
The carrier refuses to scan. Newer carriers may not know the form. The USPS Postal Bulletin instructs employees to scan these forms to provide acceptance events for all linked packages. Point that out politely; most carriers appreciate it once they realize it saves them from scanning every box.¹

Keeping Your Records

Save a copy of every SCAN form you generate, either as the PDF your software produces or as a printout. That record, together with your electronic label history, is the backbone of any insurance claim or shipping dispute later on. USPS service agreements for manifest mailers include provisions for document retention, though no universal retention period is published for SCAN form users specifically.⁷ A practical rule of thumb: keep records at least 60 days past the last expected delivery date in a batch, since domestic USPS indemnity claims must generally be filed within that window.

1
United States Postal Service. PS Form 5630, Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice
2
United States Postal Service. Field Information Kit: Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice (SCAN)
3
USPS. Enhanced Click-N-Ship: SCAN Forms User Guide
4
Shippo. USPS SCAN Forms – How to Generate a USPS SCAN Forms
5
ShipStation Help. Troubleshoot Shipments Missing from USPS SCAN Form
6
United States Postal Service. 609 Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
7
USPS Postal Explorer. Manifest Mailing System (MMS)