UPS Discontinues Air and Ground Shipping Documents (ASD/GSD Prepaid Labels) Effective May 15, 2026 — FBM Sellers Have Until Dec 31, 2026 to Use Existing Labels
Amazon notified merchant-fulfilled sellers via a Seller Central forum announcement that UPS is discontinuing the ability to order Air Shipping Documents (ASD) and Ground Shipping Documents (GSD) — also known as Prepaid Labels — effective May 15, 2026. UPS will continue to accept shipments using ASD/GSD labels until December 31, 2026, giving sellers a transition window to use up labels already in hand. The notice was sent to sellers whose accounts show ASD/GSD orders in 2025. Amazon recommends that affected sellers transition to digital shipping solutions such as Amazon Buy Shipping (which offers UPS, USPS, and FedEx rates with built-in tracking confirmation and account-health protection), direct carrier purchases from UPS/FedEx/USPS websites, third-party shipping software, or shipping integrators.
Key Points
- Effective May 15, 2026: UPS discontinues the ability to order ASD (Air Shipping Documents) and GSD (Ground Shipping Documents), also known as Prepaid Labels
- Until December 31, 2026: UPS continues to accept shipments using ASD/GSD labels already issued — sellers can finish using labels they already have in hand
- Notice was sent to seller accounts that ordered ASD or GSD in 2025; sellers who never used these documents are not directly affected
- Amazon's recommended replacements are Amazon Buy Shipping, buying labels directly from UPS/FedEx/USPS, or using third-party shipping software / integrators
- Amazon Buy Shipping is highlighted by Amazon as offering competitive rates from UPS, USPS, and FedEx with automatic tracking confirmation
What You Should Do Now
- 1Audit how many of your active UPS shipping labels were ordered as ASD or GSD — this determines how exposed your FBM workflow is to the May 15 cutoff
- 2If you depend on ASD/GSD, pick a replacement before May 15, 2026: Amazon Buy Shipping is the path of least friction for most FBM workflows because it preserves on-time delivery and account-health protections
- 3Use up any ASD/GSD labels already in hand before December 31, 2026 — UPS continues to accept them through that date
- 4If you switch to Amazon Buy Shipping, confirm your default shipping templates, return labels, and any third-party order-management integrations are pointing at the new label source
- 5If you switch to direct UPS / FedEx / USPS or a third-party shipping integrator, make sure tracking is uploaded back into Seller Central within Amazon's required Valid Tracking Rate window so account health metrics aren't impacted