USPS Web Tools API Retirement: What to Move To
The old XML APIs are gone. The new USPS APIs are free for valid USPS shipping and mailing use, but their terms limit what you can use them for. Here is what changed and how to decide where to move.
USPS retired its Web Tools APIs on January 25, 2026. The replacement is the USPS APIs platform at developers.usps.com, where address validation is the Addresses API. It is free for valid USPS shipping and mailing use, and USPS limits it to that use: its migration FAQ says the Addresses API is only for validating shipping addresses during label generation, and bulk use, batch reporting or mailing list generation is not permitted. If you validate addresses for signup, checkout, CRM cleanup or another carrier, outside a USPS shipping or mailing transaction, the USPS API terms do not give you a license for that use.
Old Web Tools vs the new USPS APIs
| Legacy Web Tools | New USPS APIs (Addresses API) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Retired January 25, 2026. USPS says service disruptions are underway and availability may be degraded or interrupted at any time | Current |
| Sign-up | Web Tools user ID | USPS Business Account through the Customer Onboarding Portal. Web Tools credentials are not compatible |
| Authentication | User ID in the request | OAuth 2.0 client credentials, Bearer token on every call |
| Testing | Test server with your production user ID | TEM test environment (apis-tem.usps.com) with your production credentials |
| Cost | Free | Free for valid USPS shipping and mailing use |
| Address validation use | Retired | Shipping addresses during label generation only |
| Bulk and lists | Retired | Bulk use, batch reporting and mailing list generation not permitted |
| Limits | Retired | 60 calls per hour per API in the default product (as listed on the older devs.usps.com portal; the current portal gives no number); HTTP 429 when exceeded; higher limits by request |
| Labels | Retired | Labels APIs need USPS Ship enrollment and an Enterprise Payment Account; Addresses is in the default product |
The date never moved
| USPS alert | What it said |
|---|---|
| November 7, 2024 | Web Tools will be retired on January 25, 2026 |
| February 5, 2025 | Same date |
| June 13, 2025 | Same date |
| January 15, 2026 | Same date |
| March 2026 | Retired; migrate now |
| Today (read October 3, 2026) | Retired; service disruptions underway; a Web Tools extension request form is linked from the release notes |
Retired, but still patched
USPS kept shipping changes to the retired platform. Its 2026 Web Tools release notes (version 1.17) list nine production releases after January 25, 2026. Most carry price changes the old shipping and price APIs still need; none adds anything new. For planning, treat the old endpoints as borrowed time: USPS gives no end date for these releases and says availability may drop at any time.
| Web Tools release | What USPS changed |
|---|---|
| February 19, 2026 | Customer Registration interface updates, maintenance |
| March 26, 2026 | Customer Registration interface updates, maintenance |
| April 23, 2026 | Time-limited price change from April 26, maintenance |
| May 14, 2026 | Priority Mail Express Sunday and holiday options; customs form and returns label APIs retired; registration page decommissioning |
| June 25, 2026 | Security certificates and backend maintenance |
| July 10, 2026 | July 12 price change, new HAZMAT handling fee, dimensional weight updates |
| August 7, 2026 | Price calculation fixes |
| August 27, 2026 | Backend work to finish the May API retirements |
| September 24, 2026 | Time-limited price change from October 4 |
What the new terms allow
- Purpose. The USPS API terms (updated January 22, 2026) say use of the services is for the sole purpose to facilitate and manage USPS shipping and/or mailing transactions.
- No lists or databases. The terms prohibit using the services or data to create an address list or a database for third-party use, and using them for datamining.
- No derived products. You may not use the services to build a database, infobase or artificial intelligence model for sale to, distribution to, display to or use by others, resell the data, or offer a service that competes with the Addressing API.
- Monitoring. USPS may limit usage or credentials when it believes an account is datamining or creating address lists.
- Operational test. The terms call the Addressing API an operational test that may be discontinued at any time.
Where to move, by use case
| You validate addresses for | Move to |
|---|---|
| Creating USPS labels | The new USPS Addresses API fits, within its hourly quota |
| Bulk mail at discounted postage | CASS-certified software; see do you need CASS certification |
| Signup, checkout or account forms | A commercial address validation API; the USPS terms tie use to USPS transactions |
| CRM or database cleanup, batch files | A commercial API; USPS does not permit bulk or list use |
| Other carriers (UPS, FedEx, regional) | A commercial API or the carrier's own tools |
Comparing commercial options: how address verification APIs are priced.
Where sthan.io fits. sthan.io is an independent commercial API, not affiliated with USPS and not CASS-certified. It suits the uses the USPS terms leave out: forms, checkout, CRM cleanup and parsing messy input. 100 verifications a month are free; paid plans start at $12 for 10,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
All read October 3, 2026: usps.com/business/web-tools-apis (retirement notice; the "FAQs - Web Tools to USPS APIs" PDF, questions 1, 9, 10, 14 and 15; 2026 Web Tools Release Notes version 1.17, sections 2.1 to 2.11; USPS APIs Migration Onboarding Guide, section 2.7), developers.usps.com (home, getting started, FAQ, terms and conditions updated January 22, 2026), devs.usps.com/getting-started (default-product quota). Alert dates from the release notes alert list and the postalpro.usps.com alerts of November 7, 2024, February 5, 2025, June 13, 2025 and January 15, 2026.
Validate addresses outside USPS shipping
Forms, checkout and CRM cleanup. 100 free verification requests every month, no credit card.