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Secure Your AfterShip Account With Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Secure your AfterShip Shipping account with 2FA: enable login verification, manage backup codes, trust devices, and protect team access, and avoid setup errors.

Overview

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account and offers a more secure login process. AfterShip offers support for 2FA both on the Account (individual) and Organization (requiring all members associated with an organization to enable 2FA) levels.

There are two ways to enable 2FA for your AfterShip account

  1. Authenticator app

  2. Backup codes

Two-factor authentication: Account settings

1. Enable two-factor authentication

  1. Click your Username or Account picture in the AfterShip admin

  2. Click Manage account > Security

  3. Click Enable two-factor authentication under the Two-factor authentication section
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  • Enter the verification code sent to your email to verify your email address

  • Install an Authentication app (download the free Google Authenticator app）

  • Scan the QR code using your authenticator app to set up your account

  • Enter the six-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and then click Enable


Once 2FA is enabled for your account, you will be asked to enter the 6-digit code generated in your authenticator app next time you log in.

2. Save your backup codes: You will be provided with 12 one-time-use backup codes once you enable your 2FA. These codes can be used in case you lose your device or can’t receive codes in your authenticator app. Save them somewhere safe.


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2. Disable two-factor authentication

If you don’t want 2FA enabled for your account every time you log in, you can disable it.

  1. Click Disable two-factor authentication

  2. Enter the 6-digit code generated in your authenticator app to disable two-factor authentication. Click Verify code
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  3. If you can’t receive your 6-digit code or cannot access your authenticator app, click on the blue alert below the code field
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  • On a new popup, enter your first backup code out of the 12 codes you were provided when you first enabled the 2FA

  • Click Verify code to disable two-factor authentication

3. Reset two-factor authentication

If you lose or change your 2FA device or are otherwise unable to access your authentication app, you can reset two-factor authentication.
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  1. Click Reset two-factor authentication

  2. Enter the verification code sent to your email to verify your email address

  3. Enter the six-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and then click Verify code
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  4. If you can’t receive your 6-digit code or cannot access your authenticator app, click on the blue alert below the code field
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  • On a new popup, enter your first backup code out of the 12 codes you were provided when you first enabled the 2FA

  • Click Verify code to reset two-factor authentication

5. On a new popup, install an Authentication app (download the free Google Authenticator app）

  • Scan the QR code using your authenticator app to set up your account

  • Enter the six-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and then click Reset

6. Save your backup codes: You will be provided with 12 one-time-use backup codes once again when you reset your 2FA. These codes can be used in case you lose your device or can’t receive codes in your authenticator app. Save them somewhere safe.

4. Backup codes

Backup codes, as the name suggests, are the recovery codes that can be used in case you lose your device in which you have your authenticator app or cannot receive codes in your authenticator app.

  • 12 one-time-use codes are provided when you enable 2FA

  • Each backup with 12 characters long and cannot be used more than once

  • Once all codes are used, it is important to regenerate the next set of new 12 backup codes in case you need them in unforeseen situations

To generate new backup codes

  1. Click your Username or Account picture in the AfterShip admin

  2. Click Manage account > Security

  3. Click Generate new backup codes
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  • Enter the six-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and then click Verify code to replace your current backup codes with new ones.

4. If you can’t receive your 6-digit code or cannot access your authenticator app, click on the blue alert below the code field

  • On a new popup, enter your first backup code out of the 12 codes you were provided when you first enabled the 2FA and click Verify code

  • You will be provided with the new set of backup codes. You can copy the codes or download the .txt file

The old set of backup codes will become redundant as soon as new codes are generated.

Enforce two-factor authentication: Organization settings

You can enforce all the accounts associated with your organization to use two-factor authentication. Any member without two-factor authentication will be prompted to set it up.

  1. To enable 2FA for all the members of your organization, go to the Organization settings from your account settings.

  2. Navigate to Security.

  3. Shift the toggle to the right and click Enable to activate Require two-factor authentication for all members

Additional considerations

  • Only the admin and owner can enable 2FA for all the members in their organization

  • All the members of the organization including, newly added members will be prompted to enable 2FA when they try to login to their accounts once the admin/owner activates the 2FA

  • 2FA is not available for users in the trial period to avoid malicious users

  • If a member has multiple organization permissions at the same time, if one of the organizations enables 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication), then 2FA verification will be required

Impact on organization settings on individual accounts

1. When two-factor authentication is enabled at the organization level

  • All the member accounts will receive an email notification to enable the 2FA
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  • The members can proceed to enable 2FA from the email itself after logging into their account

  • The members will be taken to a new page to scan the QR using their authenticator app to set up an account or input the given code into their authenticator app to complete activation

  • The members will not get the option to Disable two-factor authentication in their Security settings and are required to keep it on at all times

2. When two-factor authentication is disabled at the organization level

  • The members can freely configure and enable 2FA at the account level

  • The members can disable 2FA at any point in their account

  • The members will be notified via email that they are no longer required to have 2FA enabled
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In a multi-organization scenario if one org has enabled 2FA, the rest of the organizations must follow the process

Remember device

When you first log in to your account after enabling 2FA, you will be asked if you want AfterShip to remember the device and trust it moving forward.

  1. If you opt for Remember me, AfterShip will trust your device and will not ask for 2FA code for the next 14-days. After a 14-day period, you will be asked to enter the 2FA code and verify yourself again

  2. If you opt for Ask for 2FA every time, you need to enter the 2FA code every time you log in

  3. If you change the device, you must go through the 2FA process and confirm whether to trust the new device.
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Key takeaways

  1. AfterShip supports two-factor authentication at both the account level (individual users) and the organization level (enforced for all members), using an authenticator app plus backup codes.

  2. To enable 2FA, go to Manage account > Security > Enable two-factor authentication, verify your email, scan the QR code with an authenticator app (e.g., Google Authenticator), and enter the six-digit code, after which every login requires the app-generated code.

  3. Enabling or resetting 2FA generates 12 one-time-use backup codes (12 characters each) for recovery if you lose your device or can't access your authenticator app; once all are used, generate a new set from Security settings, which immediately invalidates the old codes.

  4. 2FA can be disabled, reset, or managed using either the authenticator app code or a backup code. Resetting is the path to follow if you lose or change your 2FA device.

  5. Organization-level 2FA can only be enforced by admins or owners. Once activated, all members (including new ones) must set up 2FA, cannot disable it individually, and the requirement applies even if only one of a member's multiple organizations enforces it. 2FA is not available during trial periods.

  6. The "Remember me" option trusts a device for 14 days before re-prompting for a 2FA code, while "Ask for 2FA every time" requires the code at every login. Switching devices always triggers fresh 2FA verification.

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