Build the pack before you ship
A folder per order with the invoice, the label record and two photographs of the packed contents takes a minute and answers most of a claim form. Doing it afterwards means reconstructing facts under deadline.
Evidence
Proof of value: the document that decides the payout
Every carrier claim form has one field doing most of the work, and it is not the description of what went wrong. It is the evidence of what the contents were worth, and each carrier publishes the list of papers it will accept.
Three carriers comparedChecklist by item typeHandmade goods covered
Paper beats memory
The claim pays what you can evidence, not what you can describe.
What each carrier accepts
The three lists overlap heavily, which is useful: one well-built evidence pack works wherever the shipment ended up.
| Carrier | Primary document | Also accepted or requested | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Sales receipt, paid invoice or bill of sale, or statement of value | Paid repair bills; credit card statement; online transaction printout showing purchaser and seller, price paid | A claim based solely on sentimental rather than actual value is not payable |
| FedEx | Proof-of-value information, illustrated as a copy of the original invoice from the vendor | Itemized repair invoice or statement of non-repair; appraisals or expense statements; retail invoices, receipts, online order confirmations | Serial numbers of damaged or lost merchandise are requested separately |
| UPS | Merchant invoice and purchase documentation | Photographs of the item and packaging; box dimensions | Electronics valued over $500 need serial numbers before payment |
The UPS serial-number threshold and the FedEx self-inspection band are both value-driven rules, which is another way of saying that the number you declare changes the paperwork you will be asked for. Declare accurately at purchase and the rest follows.
A checklist by what you shipped
- New retail goods.The vendor invoice or the retail receipt settles it. Keep the version showing the item description and the price paid rather than a card slip with a total on it.
- Marketplace resale.The order page printout naming buyer, seller and price paid is the document USPS describes, and it doubles as evidence the sale happened at all.
- Handmade or made to order.There is no vendor invoice behind a piece you made, which is why the statement of value on the USPS list matters. Support it with material costs, hours at a stated rate, and completed sales of comparable work, since a bare assertion carries little weight.
- Secondhand or collectible.Appraisals and expense statements are named by FedEx, and a documented sale of a comparable item is the practical equivalent. Photograph condition before shipping; value arguments for used goods live or die on condition.
- Electronics.Record serial numbers at packing. UPS asks for them above $500 and FedEx lists them among claim materials, and no photograph taken after a loss can supply them.
- Repairable articles.A paid repair bill is on the USPS list and an itemized repair invoice is on the FedEx one. Where nothing can be fixed, ask the repairer for a statement of non-repair in writing.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and no carrier is obliged to accept any particular document. These are the forms the carriers themselves publish as acceptable, gathered in one place.
Value questions get asked on long lanes
More days in the network means more handoffs, which is where value arguments start. A 12 by 10 by 6 in carton at 5 lb went through the SMKlog calculator on 2026-07-28, Newark to Seattle.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted window |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground Saver | $19.14 | No window returned |
| UPS | Ground | $19.30 | 7-8 business days |
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $19.64 | 8-9 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $20.50 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $31.43 | 2-3 business days |
Three of the five rows quoted eight business days or worse on this lane, and the one that did not was the $31.43 air row, more than twelve dollars above the cheapest ground option. For an item worth documenting carefully, that gap is often a better use of the money than a coverage fee.
Declared value and actual value should match
Declaring more than an item is worth does not raise a payout, because the evidence sets the number. Our honest look at protection works through when paying for coverage makes sense at all.
Our own claims want the same pack
Optional SMKlog shipping protection starts with an email carrying the order number, tracking number, claim type, a short description, proof of value and photographs. The evidence habits on this page serve both routes.
Proof of value questions
What counts as proof of value on a shipping claim?
USPS names a sales receipt, paid invoice or bill of sale, statement of value, paid repair bills, a credit card statement, or an online transaction printout showing purchaser and seller with the price paid. FedEx names proof-of-value information such as the original vendor invoice, appraisals, expense statements and repair paperwork.
How do I prove the value of something I made myself?
The statement of value on the USPS accepted list is the route, and it works better with support behind it: itemised material costs, hours at a stated rate, and records of completed sales of comparable pieces. A figure asserted without any of that is weak evidence.
Do I need serial numbers?
For electronics, yes, and record them before shipping. UPS asks for serial numbers on electronics valued over $500 before it pays, and FedEx lists serial numbers of damaged or lost merchandise among the materials it uses in claims investigations.
Can I claim what an item meant to me?
No. Postal rules put a claim based solely on sentimental rather than actual value among the situations that cannot be paid, and the other carriers work from documented value in the same way. Emotional worth is real, but it is not a claimable figure.