1. Create an account
-
Create an account using this Japan Post referral link.
-
Sign up using one of these options:
- Google – Sign up with your Google account.
- Microsoft – Use your Microsoft account to get started.
- Manual sign up – Enter your name, email, and password.
-
Accept the Terms of Service.
-
Click Continue.
2. Verify your email and phone number
To keep your account secure, we'll send a verification code to your email inbox.
- Enter the code in the verification field.
- Didn't get it? Click Resend to request another code.
If you entered a phone number, you'll also be asked to verify it after your email:
- Enter the code sent to your phone.
- Didn't get it? Click Resend.
3. Add your business address
A business address is required to receive an Account Key.
- From the Dashboard home page, click Update business address.
- Fill in your business name, country, and address.
- Click Save.
4. Set up billing
Reminder: Access to the Zonos Dashboard is free — no subscription fees. You'll only be charged for duties (remitted to CBP by Zonos on your behalf) and the postal clearance fee.
To print Japan Post shipping labels, your account must be verified with an approved billing method on file.
To activate your Verified Account:
- From the Dashboard home page, click Add billing details.
- Enter your credit card details under Add a payment method.
- Add your name, email, phone, and address under Billing details.
- Click Save.
Your payment method is auto-billed daily for shipments once they are inducted into the postal stream, not when labels are created.
Keep a valid payment method on file. If duty collection fails, you won't be able to create Japan Post labels.
5. Enter your Japan Post Later Pay Number
Your Later Pay Number is provided by Japan Post. It links your Verified Account to your Japan Post contract.
A Later Pay Number cannot be connected until billing is set up. Complete step 4 — Set up billing before entering your Later Pay Number.
- On the Dashboard home page, find the Enter your Japan Post Later Pay Number card.
- Enter the Later Pay Number exactly as Japan Post issued it.
- Click Save.
You can edit your Later Pay Number later from Settings → General. See Managing your shipping identifiers for details.
6. Add a fulfillment center (optional)
Only required if you plan to create Japan Post labels in the Zonos Dashboard. API-only merchants and merchants creating labels through a supported platform can skip this step.
Your fulfillment center is the sender address printed on every Japan Post shipping label. Japan Post requires a valid Japanese address with prefecture, postal code, and phone number.
- From the Dashboard home page, click Add fulfillment center.
- Enter the name, address line 1, address line 2 (optional), city, prefecture, postal code, and phone number.
- Click Save.
You can add more fulfillment centers or change the default at any time from Settings → Shipping → Locations.
Prefecture format: Enter the prefecture in Romaji using the standard English form (for example,
Tokyo,Osaka,Kumamoto,Hokkaido). A blank or invalid prefecture will block label creation.
7. Add a signature (optional)
Upload your signature once and Zonos prints it in the signature field on your Japan Post labels and on the commercial invoices that go with them, so you don't have to sign each one by hand.
- From the Dashboard home page, find the Optional: Add a signature for your labels and commercial invoices card.
- Click Add signature, then drop in or select your signature file.
- Click Upload.
Your signature file must be a PNG under 2 MB.
You can add, replace, or remove your signature at any time from Settings → Shipping → Labels, in the Commercial invoice and label signature card. To replace it, click Remove and upload the new file.
Labels created through Ship&co don't use this signature. Ship&co generates its own label documents. See Create labels with supported platforms and carriers.
- If your 3PL allows bring your own Japan Post account (BYOA), set up a Verified Account with Zonos using your Japan Post details.
- If your 3PL uses their own Japan Post account, they must add your Later Pay Number in their Zonos Dashboard.
3PLs should not ask merchants to create a Verified Account using the 3PL's Later Pay Number.
Account setup
Follow these steps to get a Verified Account so you can continue shipping to the U.S. with Japan Post.
After you create your account and verify your contact info, the Dashboard home page walks you through the remaining setup steps (business address, billing, Later Pay Number, and fulfillment center). You can pick up where you left off at any time by signing in to the Zonos Dashboard.