Serving customers stationed overseas is a powerful opportunity for ecommerce brands — especially those using print on demand. Military members, diplomats, and their families rely heavily on mail delivery, and when done correctly, shipping to military addresses is just as reliable as domestic U.S. shipping.
In this guide, we’ll break down how dropshipping military orders works, how to correctly format military addresses, and new Apliiq platform upgrades designed to make military fulfillment easier than ever.
What Is a Military Address?
Military addresses are used for U.S. service members and government personnel stationed outside the continental United States. While they may look international, they are treated as domestic U.S. mail by USPS.
Instead of a city and state, military addresses use special location identifiers:
- APO – Army Post Office (Army & Air Force)
- FPO – Fleet Post Office (Navy & Marine Corps)
- DPO – Diplomatic Post Office (U.S. embassies)
These addresses always ship through USPS, not private carriers like UPS or FedEx.
The Parts of a Military Address (Explained)
A military address has five required components, each serving a specific purpose.
1. Recipient Name
The full name of the service member or recipient.
2. Unit / PSC / Box Number
This replaces a traditional street address and tells the military mail system where to route the package.
Examples:
- Unit 2050 Box 4190
- PSC 123 Box 456
- CMRA 123 Box 4567
3. City (APO / FPO / DPO)
This must be APO, FPO, or DPO — never a real city name.
4. State (Military Region Code)
Instead of a U.S. state, military mail uses one of three region codes:
- AA – Armed Forces Americas
- AE – Armed Forces Europe
- AP – Armed Forces Pacific
This field is required and must be accurate.
5. ZIP Code
Military ZIP codes always begin with 09 and are tied to the region.
Military Address Examples (Correctly Formatted)
Example 1: Army / Air Force (Europe)
SGT John Smith
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AE 09123
United States
Example 2: Navy / Marine Corps (Pacific)
PO2 Maria Lopez
PSC 123 Box 456
FPO AP 96678
United States
Example 3: Diplomatic Post Office
James Williams
DPO AE 09498
United States
💡 Important:
Even though the destination is overseas, the country should always be listed as United States.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Shipping Military Orders
If you’ve ever had military shipments returned, these are usually the cause:
- Using a real city or country name instead of APO/FPO/DPO
- Selecting a standard U.S. state instead of AA / AE / AP
- Attempting to ship with FedEx or UPS
- Adding unnecessary address details (street names, base names)
Military mail relies on strict formatting — even small errors can delay delivery.
Dropshipping Military Orders with Print on Demand
The good news? Print on demand works extremely well for military customers — as long as your platform supports it.
Key requirements:
- USPS shipping support
- Proper validation of military addresses
- Clear separation of military regions (AA / AE / AP)
- No private carrier dependency
This is where platform choice matters.
New Apliiq Platform Upgrades for Military Addresses
To better support brands serving military customers, Apliiq has rolled out new military address enhancements designed to reduce errors, improve delivery success, and remove manual setup work for merchants.
What’s New?
- USPS-Optimized Military Shipping – All military orders are correctly routed through USPS, ensuring compatibility with APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.
- Military Locations Built Into the State Picklist – Instead of guessing or manually typing region codes, you can now select specific military locations (AA, AE, AP) directly from the State dropdown — exactly as required for military delivery.
- Automatic Activation in Apliiq Shopify Shipping Profiles – For Shopify merchants, Apliiq automatically enables military address support inside your Shopify shipping profiles. No custom rules, no manual configuration, and no extra setup required. This means:
- Military addresses are recognized immediately at checkout
- The correct military region (AA / AE / AP) is enforced
- Orders route cleanly into Apliiq fulfillment without intervention
- As soon as your store is connected, these upgrades are live — ensuring military customers can check out confidently and orders move straight into production.
- Fewer Address Errors, Faster Fulfillment – By guiding customers into the correct address structure and enforcing military-compatible shipping rules, failed shipments and returned packages are dramatically reduced.
Why Supporting Military Customers Matters
Military members often:
- Shop online due to limited local retail access
- Order gifts for family back home
- Support brands that acknowledge and serve them well
By correctly handling military addresses, you’re not just improving logistics — you’re expanding your reach and earning long-term customer loyalty.
Final Thoughts
Dropshipping military orders doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right address formatting, USPS fulfillment, and a platform built to support military delivery requirements, serving APO, FPO, and DPO customers can be seamless.
With Apliiq’s latest platform upgrades, brands can confidently ship print-on-demand products to military customers worldwide — accurately, reliably, and without friction.