ShipEngine is a certified UPS Ready® application that allows you to get rates and create shipping labels via your negotiated UPS shipping rates. UPS helps both large and small businesses with their logistical needs and offers sustainability options like paperless invoices and their Carbon Neutral program. Visit the UPS website to sign up for an account today!
You can connect UPS accounts based in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia to your ShipEngine accounts. Features and services between accounts in these countries differ somewhat. View the Available Features section below for details on which features and services are supported for each country.
Connection Requirements:
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An active account with UPS.
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Your UPS account billing address, phone number, and email address.
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The following details from your most recent UPS invoice (not required for new accounts). If you have questions regarding your UPS invoice, please contact UPS Customer Support.
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Control ID
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Invoice Date
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Invoice Number
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Invoice Amount
See Step 8 of the Connect a UPS Account section below for an image of a sample invoice.
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Note
For instructions on programmatically connecting UPS to your account via ShipEngine's API, go to our UPS Guide in the ShipEngine developer documents
To connect your UPS account to ShipEngine:
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Select the UPS tile.
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Click Continue setup.
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Read through the UPS Technology Agreement and check the box next to "I have read and agree to the following terms of service above", then click Next.
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Enter your UPS account information.
If you are unsure about where to find this information, see the Locate Your UPS Contact Information section below.
Note
If this is a new UPS account, be sure to uncheck the box next to “I have received an invoice in the last 90 Days”, then skip to step 8.
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Enter the requested information from your most recent UPS invoice on the right side of the Register your UPS Account screen.
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Click Continue setup.
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Review the Confirmation screen details, then click Connect.
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Log in to your UPS account.
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Click your username and select Addresses from the drop-down in the top, right-hand corner of the screen.
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Click Edit beside your billing address (under the Addresses section).
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Enter this address information into the UPS Account Information window in ShipEngine.
To locate the information for the Title field:
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Go to the Profile menu again and click View & Pay Bill.
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Click UPS Billing Center on the page that appears.
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Hover over Administration and click Manage Users.
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Enter the value from the Role column into the Title field in ShipEngine.
UPS Invoice
To locate your UPS invoice (this information is necessary for the Invoice Verification stage of the connection process):
Go back to your UPS Billing Center, hover over the Invoice tab, and click on the hyperlink to your most recent invoice:
Note
The rate you see in ShipEngine for UPS shipments is provided directly from UPS based on your account information and the parameters of your shipment. However it is still an estimate, and you will always be charged according to the terms of your contract. In addition, UPS reserves the right to charge additional fees.
To see your UPS negotiated rates in ShipEngine, you must add the following details from your most recent UPS invoice:
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Invoice Number
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Invoice Date
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Invoice Amount
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Control ID
The invoice must be within the last 30 days. If you have not received an invoice yet, you must wait until you receive one.
To enable negotiated rates to an already-connected UPS account:
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Click the vertical ellipsis next to your connected UPS account and select Edit.
This will open the Edit Carrier window.
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Check the box next to Enable Negotiated Rates.
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Fill in the details from your most recent invoice.
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Click the Save button to confirm your changes.
Troubleshooting Tip
Issue: If you have connected your UPS account and enabled negotiated rates, but do not pull rates, the negotiated rates connection can fail over time. Rates may appear incorrectly or may be unavailable.
Solution: Double-check your most recent invoice for any changes to your account and contact ShipEngine support if the problem persists.
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic shipping labels.
The carrier integration can be used to create international shipping labels.
ShipEngine will submit international customs information electronically to the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.
When an API call is made to the Rates endpoint, ShipEngine will return estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.
Additional carrier insurance can be purchased through ShipEngine.
Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are submitted electronically to the carrier by ShipEngine.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are generated as PDF files that can be printed along with shipping labels. Because these documents are not electronically submitted, physical copies must be provided to the carrier.
ShipEngine can print your brand logo on shipping labels from carriers that support this feature. Add your logo in the ShipEngine Dashboard.
ShipEngine can include additional information on a shipping label that is specified in the label request, if supported by the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked together into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.
US, Canada, and UK UPS accounts can create both domestic and international labels in ShipEngine. Australia UPS accounts can create international shipping labels only.
Domestic Services:
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UPS 2nd Day Air AM®
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UPS 2nd Day Air®
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UPS 3 Day Select®
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UPS Ground®
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UPS Next Day Air Saver®
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UPS Next Day Air®
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UPS Next Day Air® Early
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UPS Saver®
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UPS SurePost®
International Services:
Domestic Services:
International Services:
Domestic Services:
International Services:
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic shipping labels.
The carrier integration can be used to create international shipping labels.
ShipEngine will submit international customs information electronically to the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.
When an API call is made to the Rates endpoint, ShipEngine will return estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.
Additional carrier insurance can be purchased through ShipEngine.
Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are submitted electronically to the carrier by ShipEngine.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are generated as PDF files that can be printed along with shipping labels. Because these documents are not electronically submitted, physical copies must be provided to the carrier.
ShipEngine can print your brand logo on shipping labels from carriers that support this feature. Add your logo in the ShipEngine Dashboard.
ShipEngine can include additional information on a shipping label that is specified in the label request, if supported by the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked together into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.
When entering your shipment weight and dimensions into ShipEngine, they should accurately reflect the size of the package so the rate returned to ShipEngine will be the rate you are actually charged for the shipment. Should the dimensions entered into ShipEngine not reflect the actual dimension of the shipped package, you may be subject to additional fees from UPS.
It is the shipper's responsibility to enter an accurate dimension into ShipEngine before creating the label for the shipment!
Packages with an actual weight of more than 150 pounds, or that exceed 108 inches in length, or exceed a total of 165 inches in length plus girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined, as measured to determine their billable weight, are not accepted for transportation.
If UPS finds packages that exceed these limits in the UPS system, the shipments are subject to additional charges. UPS reserves the right in its sole and unlimited discretion to return such packages to the shipper at the shipper’s expense.
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Labels created through ShipEngine will not appear in your Shipment History on UPS.com.
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UPS End of Day forms (also known as PLD forms) are not available in ShipEngine. As a Certified UPS Partner, ShipEngine submits all shipment information electronically to UPS when labels are created, so no End of Day process or PLD form is necessary.
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ShipEngine's address validation tool cannot determine if an address is considered Residential or Commercial, so all addresses are treated as Commercial addresses. This may cause the estimated rates to be incorrect for some Residential UPS shipments.
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UPS Smart Pickup is not available for UPS shipments created through ShipEngine.
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Recipient Address Line 1 has a 30-character limit. When the Recipient Address 1 field exceeds this limit ShipEngine will automatically wrap to Address Line 2.
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Label Messages will only work on Multi-package shipment labels.
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Rates for Australia-based UPS accounts are not yet available in the Rate Calculator.
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UPS international shipments that use paperless invoicing must be shipped within 14 days of the label creation date to reduce the chances of the shipment being held at customs.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
|
Error |
Solution |
|---|---|
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Error: Invalid Account Status |
What this means: The account was not active over an extended period of time. What to do: Contact UPS directly to re-activate the account. |
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Error: Request cannot be processed, please contact UPS customer service at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX |
What this means: This is a billing-related or other UPS account issue. What to do: Contact UPS at the number provided, and leave a voicemail with your contact information if nobody answers. Other UPS departments cannot typically assist with this error. |
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Error: PostalCode and/or CountryCode input does not match those associated with the AccountNumber |
What this means: The address entered does not match the Primary Contact Information for the account. What to do: Log in to UPS.com to gather the address information required. |
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Error: Unable to verify negotiated rates. Please review invoice information and resubmit |
What this means: Either an invalid invoice or the account does not have access to negotiated rates. What to do: If you do not already have access to negotiated rates, do not select the option to Enable Negotiated Rates. If you do not have a recent invoice, you must check with the UPS accounts payable department. You can also get billing help online or call the UPS Billing Department to request a duplicate invoice. |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to invoice not found in UPS billing system |
What this means: Either an invalid invoice information or an outdated invoice. What to do: If you do not have a recent invoice, you must check with the UPS accounts payable department. You can also get billing help online or call the UPS Billing Department to request a duplicate invoice. |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
What this means: Attempted registration with invalid invoice information too many times. What to do: Contact UPS directly to unlock the account. Ensure you have the correct invoice information for future attempts. |
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Error: Missing or Invalid Shipper Number |
What this means: Error in UPS account number entered. What to do: Check the account number entered to ensure there are no spaces and the account number is correct. |
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Error: Register Web service is temporarily unavailable |
What this means: ShipEngine unable to register the account with UPS. What to do: This is a temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipEngine status page or contact support for updates. |
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Error: Licensing system not available |
What this means: ShipEngine unable to register the account with UPS. What to do: This is a temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipEngine status page or contact support for updates. |
There are a number of potential errors you may see when getting UPS rates and creating UPS shipments. This next chart describes the most commonly experienced errors and their potential solutions:
|
Error |
Cause & Solution |
|---|---|
|
Error: The requested billing option is unavailable between the selected locations |
What this means: This error occurs for international labels on packages valued under 100 Euros when you select the option to Bill taxes and duties to the payor of shipping in the Other Shipping Options section. UPS does not bill duties and taxes if the shipment value, including product cost and shipping cost, is under 100 Euros per day. UPS will block the label from being created due to DDP being not applicable for the shipment since none will be charged to the receiver or shipper. What to do: Deselect the option to Bill taxes and duties to the payor of shipping in the Other Shipping Options section, then create the label. |
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Error: The Userid is currently locked out please try again in 5 minutes |
What this means: ShipEngine's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. What to do: Go to |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
What this means: ShipEngine's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. What to do: Go to |
|
Error: The accessory is not valid with the selected option |
What this means: Your Service, package, or shipping selections not compatible with each other. What to do: The service and package are not compatible, or an "Other Option" that is not allowed (like Saturday Delivery) is selected for the shipment. Remove any options that are not permitted for the shipment type. |
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Error: The requested accessory option is unavailable between the selected locations |
What this means: You are attempting to ship something by UPS and have selected the Carbon Neutral option in your UPS account settings in ShipEngine. The UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping Program is not available between all locations. What to do: Go to your ShipEngine Connection Settings and edit your UPS settings. Disable the Carbon Neutral option and save your changes. |
|
Error: Missing or invalid shipper number |
What this means: Error in UPS account number being used for shipment. What to do: If seen after successful connection of a UPS account, this error is typically related to Third-Party Billing. Check to ensure Third-Party Billing information is using a valid UPS account. |
|
Error: Missing or invalid ship from company name |
What this means: No Company Name in Ship From Address. What to do: Ship From Company Name is required for some UPS shipments. Either add a Company Name to the Ship From Address or add a Company Name in the Branding tab of the store's settings. |
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Error: Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode |
What this means: UPS wants the 2-digit state code instead the name of the City or Province. What to do: If shipping to or from an address in the UK, try substituting the state or province for a two-letter code as found on this United Kingdom (GB) State/Province Table. For example, use JJ instead of Edinburgh. |
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Error: The Shippers shipper number cannot be used for the shipment |
What this means: Billing or other UPS account issue. What to do: Contact UPS directly to discuss the cause of the error and how to resolve it. |
|
Error: The selected number of packages has exceeded the current limit |
What this means: You are attempting to void the master label for a multi-package shipment containing more than 20 shipments. What to do: Contact UPS directly if you wish to void the labels. UPS does not charge for postage until they scan the shipments, so you are not charged for unscanned labels even if you haven't voided them. |
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic shipping labels.
The carrier integration can be used to create international shipping labels.
ShipEngine will submit international customs information electronically to the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.
When an API call is made to the Rates endpoint, ShipEngine will return estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.
Additional carrier insurance can be purchased through ShipEngine.
Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are submitted electronically to the carrier by ShipEngine.
Shipment manifests and End of Day documents are generated as PDF files that can be printed along with shipping labels. Because these documents are not electronically submitted, physical copies must be provided to the carrier.
ShipEngine can print your brand logo on shipping labels from carriers that support this feature. Add your logo in the ShipEngine Dashboard.
ShipEngine can include additional information on a shipping label that is specified in the label request, if supported by the carrier.
The carrier integration can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked together into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.
