USPS Retires Merchandise Return Service

USPS issued a reminder that it is retiring its Merchandise Return Service and Scan Based Payment services.

Merchandise Return Service is for retailers who want to offer free returns to their customers. Sellers can now use “USPS Returns, which, as EcommerceBytes reported in May, leverages the same technology used by the Postal Service to automatically verify that shippers have paid the correct postage purchased online, called Automated Package Verification (APV).

In the Postal Service’s announcement, it explained, “Merchandise Return Service (MRS) and Scan Based Payment (SBP) are scheduled to be retired on August 28, 2020. All mailers must be migrated to USPS Returns to continue using USPS return service programs. This impacts Priority Mail Return Service, First Class Package Return Service, Ground Return Service and Parcel Return Service Full Network. “

The USPS advised shippers not to wait until the deadline, though it noted legacy Merchandise Return Service labels would be accepted for a short grace period after the retirement of MRS.

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.