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Business Portal

The Business Portal is the USPS website where a business creates and manages its USPS business account and sets up core services. The account gives the business the identifiers it needs for USPS APIs, USPS Ship and Click-N-Ship. Its former name is the Customer Onboarding Portal.

Updated October 31, 202650 sources

What it is

The Business Portal is a self-service website for package shippers. A business reaches it at https://cop.usps.com or through a USPS referral URL.

A business account holds three identifiers. The first is a Customer Registration ID, or CRID, which identifies the company. The second is a Mailer ID, or MID, which can be part of the barcode on a piece of mail. The third is an Enterprise Payment Account, or EPA, the single account a business pays USPS through in the Enterprise Payment System.

A business needs all three to use USPS APIs, USPS Ship and Click-N-Ship. These services cover the shipping process from address lookup and label generation to third-party billing, price adjustments and refund requests.

The portal is also where a merchant authorizes a label provider to create shipping labels for it. Vendors use it to request access to a MID owner's tracking data.

How it works

A new business first creates a user account, and the portal registers the user and the business together.

Creating a business account.

  1. Open https://cop.usps.com or a USPS referral URL.
  2. Enter a business email address and submit it.
  3. Open the validation link USPS sends to that email address.
  4. Enter the business address and continue once the portal verifies it.
  5. Enter a contact name, a phone number with its country code, and an email address.
  6. Create a username, password and security question, and set up multifactor authentication.
  7. The portal proofs the company's identity and assigns it a CRID.

The business then logs in and sets up shipping and payment.

Setting up shipping.

  1. Agree to the BSA terms and conditions, unless the business already uses USPS Ship.
  2. Review the account overview, where the portal generates a CRID and an outbound and a return MID.
  3. Accept the payment account terms and choose ACH Debit or a credit card.
  4. Add more business locations, or skip that step for now.
  5. Start shipping from the Let's Get Started page.

USPS then emails the account information from customeronboardingportal@usps.gov. An existing Electronic Verification System enrollment moves to USPS Ship automatically on the 1st of the following month.

The account's identifiers

Enrolling in USPS Ship gives the business a CRID, two outbound MIDs and one returns MID. The first outbound MID is the Master/Manifest MID for USPS Ship payment authorizations.

A business can add locations under its home CRID by searching for an address. Checking Outbound or Returns for a location creates MIDs for it and enrolls them in USPS Ship.

A user can enroll any CRID whose enrollment status is available. The account overview shows each CRID with one of three buttons:

  • USPS Ship Enrolled: the CRID is already in USPS Ship.
  • Set Up Shipping: the user can enroll the CRID in USPS Ship.
  • Request Shipping Access: a user who is not the Business Service Administrator asks that administrator for access.

The Business Service Administrator, or BSA, is the person in the company who controls access to each service.

Paying

The user reads and accepts the Enterprise Payment System terms, then chooses a payment method. Once the first payment method is set up, the business can add more.

A credit card sends the user to Global Pay to enter the card. Saving the card returns the user to the Business Portal.

ACH Debit starts with two micro debits of less than $1.00 to the bank account within 24 to 48 hours. The user enters the two amounts in the Enterprise Payment System to verify the account.

Until then, the payment account and its verification stay Pending. After verification, the account turns Active and the verification turns Verified.

My Account and Quick Actions

After login, the My Account page lists the services a customer can pick under Quick Actions. Enrolling in Click-N-Ship or USPS Ship also enrolls the user in the Business Customer Gateway and Customer Registration services they need.

Quick ActionWhat it does
Ship NowOpens Click-N-Ship to print labels.
Ship with APIsOpens the Developer Portal on setting up USPS APIs.
Discover APIsShows the USPS API specifications.
Add Business LocationAdds a location and its MIDs and enrolls them in USPS Ship.
Request New Mailer IDAdds MIDs and enrolls them in USPS Ship.
Enroll in a Data FeedOpens Informed Visibility to set up package data feeds.
Enroll in USPS ShipEnrolls another of the user's CRIDs in USPS Ship.
Intellectual Property (IP) AgreementsCreates a MID delegation request backed by an IP agreement.

Manage Locations shows the business's locations and adds MIDs to them. Manage Payments shows the business's Enterprise Payment Accounts.

Authorizations shows third-party billing authorizations, which let other companies ship on the business's behalf using its EPA. It also shows platform authorizations and approved tracking access requests.

Authorizing a label provider

A merchant authorizes a label provider in two steps: it creates a business account, then authorizes the label provider in the portal. The authorization also lets the label provider create labels for an NSA holder at its NSA rates.

An NSA is a Negotiated Service Agreement, a contract between USPS and one mailer.

Authorizing a label provider.

  1. Log in to the portal from the link on the label provider's website.
  2. Grant authorization to the label provider.
  3. Return to the label provider's website, where the portal sends the merchant.
  4. Enter the CRID, MID and EPA on the label provider's website.

A platform can generate the onboarding URL merchants follow, in the Developer Portal inside the Business Portal. A merchant who follows it completes onboarding and authorizes the platform in one flow. The Developer Portal is USPS's site of coding examples and specifications for its APIs.

The platform can generate the URL only when its app has a callback URL. In production, the URL starts with https://cop.usps.com/copnavigator?wf=apis_merchant_user and carries a client_id and a state value.

API apps and tracking access

The Business Portal creates and updates Developer Portal apps, so users manage their apps without switching to the Developer Portal. After creating an app, a user can copy its generated URL or refresh its claims.

USPS has two kinds of authorization over a MID. MID authorization gives label providers and consolidators label generation, rates and tracking for chosen MIDs. Tracking authorization gives service providers and other companies tracking data for chosen MIDs.

A vendor asks for tracking-only authorization through Quick Actions and IP Agreements, and sends the URL to the MID owner. Full MID authorization goes through the Customer Access Technology team instead.

Granting tracking access.

  1. The vendor creates a tracking access request, which makes a link.
  2. The vendor forwards the link to the MID owner.
  3. The MID owner opens the link and selects the MIDs to delegate.
  4. The MID owner selects Save and Authorize MID delegations.
  5. Both sides then see the pending and completed delegations.

Rules

Customers need a CRID, MID, and EPA to access USPS solutions and services, such as USPS APIs, USPS Ship, and Click-N-Ship.

A business needs a CRID, a MID and an EPA to use USPS APIs, USPS Ship or Click-N-Ship.

Before April 1, 2026, customers who use label providers, consolidators, and/or enterprise software vendors must confirm proper authorization through the Business Portal for their MIDs.

A business whose label provider, consolidator or software vendor uses its MIDs must confirm that authorization in the Business Portal before April 1, 2026.

Takes effect April 1, 2026

Before the merchant’s account can be used by Label Provider, Label Provider must be authorized.

A label provider must hold the merchant's authorization before it can use the merchant's account.

Ask your USPS Sales Representative to link your EPA as a payment method on your contract and your Returns MID as a payment method for the Returns products on your contract, if applicable.

A merchant that holds an NSA asks its USPS Sales Representative to link its EPA to its contract as a payment method, and its Returns MID for any Returns products. The merchant goes on to authorize a label provider once the representative confirms the link.

Request Shipping Access: NonBusiness Service Administrator (BSA) users need to request access from BSA to enroll into USPS Ship.

A user who is not the BSA must ask the BSA for access before enrolling a CRID in USPS Ship.

The user must have an IP agreement signed and executed using their Enterprise Payment Account (EPA).

A vendor must sign an IP agreement under its EPA before it can request tracking access.

Before providing this URL to merchants, platforms: a. Need to dynamically generate the ‘state’ value for each merchant session on the platform site.

A platform must generate a new state value for each merchant session before it gives merchants the authorization URL.

If You have knowledge of Your credentials or data from the Services being transferred to systems and platforms outside of Your control, you must notify the USPS immediately.

An API user who learns that its credentials or USPS data have moved to systems it doesn't control must tell USPS at once.

What goes wrong

An address that doesn't validate stops registration, and USPS sends the user to the USPS Helpdesk.

An existing CRID at the address means the company is already registered with USPS. Using that CRID may need the company's BSA. Choosing the entered address instead generates a new CRID and MID.

A customer who logs in with USPS.com personal account credentials sees a You have a USPS.com Personal Account message. The portal then sends the customer to USPS.com.

Skipping payment sends the customer to My Account and skips enrollment in USPS APIs and USPS Ship. A merchant who gets no confirmation email asks its USPS Sales Representative to confirm its USPS Ship enrollment.

For other registration problems, the USPS Sales Representative asks the Technical Integration Support team for help under the description XXX Activation Assistance, naming the label provider.

The USPS APIs have a daily limit on requests. USPS may limit API usage or credentials it believes are used for data mining or address lists. Failing to keep non-public rates confidential may suspend access to preferred rates or end the account.

Terms

Customer Registration IDCRID, Customer Registration Identification Number, Customer Registration Identifier, Customer Identifier, Customer Reference ID, Customer Registration Identifications
a USPS-generated numeric code of up to 15 digits that uniquely identifies a business at a specific location
Mailer IdentifierMID, Mailer IDs, Mailer Identification, Mailer Identification Number, USPS Mailer ID
MID is a unique 6- or 9-digit number that identifies the mailer or the mailer’s client.
Enterprise Payment AccountEPA, Electronic Payment Account, EPS Account Number
The Enterprise Payment System (EPS) allows customers to pay for Postal products and services through a single account, called the Enterprise Payment Account (EPA).
Enterprise Payment SystemEPS, Electronic Payment System, EPS system, Enterprise System
allows customers to pay for Postal products and services through a single account, called the Enterprise Payment Account (EPA).
Business Service AdministratorBSA, Business Services Administrator, Business Server Administrator, Business Systems Administrator
a representative within your company, for each service
USPS ShipPPC, Package Platform Concept, Package Platform
The USPS payment and verification platform for outbound packages is called USPS Ship. This platform provides reporting, pricing and visibility as packages move through the mail stream.
Click-N-ShipCNS, Click-N-Ship (CNS)v2 / Enhanced Click-N-Ship
allows submission of an electronic SSF with manifest, tracking, and postage payment. Available for smaller mailers who do not use a software vendor and do not presort their mail.
Business Customer GatewayBCG, BCG (Business Customer Gateway)
where shippers can manage their mailing activity
Negotiated Service AgreementNSA, Negotiation Service Agreements
A customized and mutually beneficial contractual agreement between USPS and a specific mailer (customer or organization).
Developer Portal
provides coding examples and downloadable specifications to accelerate integration
MID authorization
provides label providers and consolidators with access to label generation, rates and tracking for select MIDs
Tracking authorization
provides service providers and other companies with access to tracking data for select MIDs

Documents

Tech Guides

User Guides

Contacts

  • The USPS Helpdesk, through Email Us at https://emailus.usps.com/s/usps-APIs, helps when a business address doesn't validate.
  • The USPS Sales Representative helps with the account and with label provider authorization.
  • The Customer Access Technology team, at https://emailus.usps.com/s/web-tools-inquiry, handles full MID authorization.
  • USPS starts the order form and IP agreement for tracking data access through Email Us at https://emailus.usps.com/s/web-tools-inquiry.

Sources