# Forge White-Label Shipping for Platforms and Marketplaces

## Overview

Forge is EasyPost’s **white-label shipping solution** for platforms, marketplaces, and other B2B businesses. Forge enables platforms to embed shipping
capabilities directly into their products while leveraging EasyPost’s multi-carrier infrastructure.

With fast onboarding, access to EasyPost’s 100+ carrier network, and competitive rates, Forge allows platforms to build fully integrated shipping
experiences without managing complex carrier integrations.

Forge supports configurable account structures, flexible pricing controls, and multiple options for managing customer shipping activity.

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## Prerequisites

Before integrating with Forge, review the following EasyPost documentation:

- EasyPost Objects: Understand the API object model used to construct requests
  and interpret responses.
- Authentication: Learn how to authenticate API requests securely.
- Errors: Review error handling best practices and troubleshooting guidance.

Contact EasyPost Sales to get started or learn more about How Forge Works.

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## Forge Sub-Accounts

Each business or customer that signs up for a platform’s shipping services is created as a `sub_account`.

Sub-accounts represent independent customer environments operating under a Forge platform. Depending on the selected implementation option, sub-accounts may manage their own billing or operate under the platform’s billing structure.

Forge supports two primary sub-account options:

### Centralized (Self-Managed Billing)

The platform manages carrier accounts, billing, and pricing strategy. Shipping activity is billed through the platform’s Wallet. Sub-accounts
in this option are created as Child User accounts.

### Decentralized (EasyPost-Managed Billing)

Each sub-account manages its own EasyPost Wallet. EasyPost processes carrier charges and shipping fees directly through the sub-account’s wallet,
reducing financial risk for the platform. Sub-accounts in this option are created as ReferralCustomer users.

Related:

- [Choose a Forge Implementation](https://docs.easypost.com/guides/get-started-with-forge#choose-an-implementation-type)
- [Forge Help Center](https://support.easypost.com/hc/en-us/categories/34176519519629-Forge)

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## Create a Shipping Offering

Forge enables platforms to build customized shipping offerings by combining EasyPost’s APIs with configurable platform controls.

Shipping capabilities can be built using EasyPost APIs, including:

- Shipping Labels
- Parcel Insurance
- Tracking
- Scheduling Pickups
- Address Verification

Platforms can also configure additional capabilities through Forge features, such as:

- FlexRate for rate adjustment and pricing control
- Sub-Account Groups for pricing segmentation
- Advanced Shipping, a white-labeled shipping interface for
  sub-accounts
- Analytics and
    Reporting
   for operational and financial visibility

Additional tools such as Report Generation and the Shipping UI Tutorial are also available.

Together, these capabilities allow platforms to build end-to-end shipping experiences tailored to their business model.

Related:

- [100+ Carriers, One Integration](https://www.easypost.com/carriers)
- [Shipping UI Tutorial](https://docs.easypost.com/guides/ui-for-buying-shipments)

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## Onboard Sub-Accounts

Sub-accounts represent businesses or customers using a platform’s shipping services. Onboarding collects the information required to
enable postage purchase, parcel insurance, and other shipping-related services.

Forge implementations vary depending on how postage, carrier charges, and platform fees are managed. Platforms should first determine
the appropriate implementation option before onboarding users.

For details on onboarding, refer to the Forge Sub-Account documentation:

- Centralized (Self-Managed Billing)
- Decentralized (EasyPost-Managed Billing)

Related:

- [Centralized (Self-Managed Billing)](https://docs.easypost.com/guides/get-started-with-forge/self-managed-billing-guide)
- [Decentralized (EasyPost-Managed Billing)](https://docs.easypost.com/guides/get-started-with-forge/easypost-managed-billing-guide)

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## Manage Sub-Accounts

Forge supports multiple methods for managing sub-acounts:

### Customer Portals (Recommended)

- **Onboarding**: Sub-accounts complete a conversion-optimized, co-branded onboarding process within an EasyPost-hosted environment.
- **Account Management**: Sub-accounts access a co-branded, EasyPost-hosted dashboard configured based on Forge platform settings.

### Custom API Integrations

Build a fully customized onboarding and account management experience using EasyPost’s APIs.

### No-Code Administration

Manually create, onboard, and manage sub-accounts directly through the Forge Dashboard.

> Note: EasyPost recommends the Customer Portals method for
  onboarding and account management. This option automatically adapts to changing requirements and is configurable
  within the Forge Dashboard.

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## Additional Resources

Please visit the Help Center for more information.