The following are FAQs related to going live with ShipEngine.
When you're ready to switch from the Sandbox to the Production environment for the first time:
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Click the Activate Production Environment button from anywhere in the dashboard.
Alternatively, go to Account Settings > Pricing and Billing and click the Activate Account button in the Billing section.
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Review the Subscription Plan page, then click Continue.
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Click Connect Carriers Now to create new USPS and UPS accounts through ShipEngine Carriers, or click Skip for Now to set these up later.
If you'd like to connect ShipEngine Carriers now, review the Terms and Conditions, then click Agree and Continue.
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Enter your billing information. This payment method will be used for your ShipEngine subscription and Shipsurance charges.
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Click Complete Activation.
You will be automatically redirected to your Production environment. Click the Create First Production Key button to generate your Production API key.
You can switch back to the Sandbox at any time by clicking the Environment drop-down at the top of the dashboard and selecting Sandbox.
If you or your customers will be doing a lot of shipping, we recommend purchasing a thermal printer capable of printing 4"x6" labels. This will save you money over the long term since thermal printers do not require ink. Check the printer specification for each printer's label requirements at the manufacturer's website.
*Dymo Printers
DYMO printers require DYMO branded labels, due to their self-calibration capabilities.
If you or your customers will be using a laser or inkjet printer, you’ll want to use 5.5" × 8.5" shipping labels, such as the Avery White 5-1/2 × 8-1/2-Inch Ink Jet Printer Labels (also referred to as Avery #8126 labels). Your local office supply store should also carry these labels, and you may be able to receive them for free from various shipping carriers.
You can also find them at these two locations:
If you do not already have a USPS account, create one directly in ShipEngine with no monthly fee.
You can also connect an existing Stamps.com account to ShipEngine to use USPS services.
Occasionally, the carrier may return a package due to insufficient postage. Such returns can happen if an error is made when entering the weight while preparing the shipping label.
Unfortunately, ShipEngine does not have a way to print additional stand-alone postage that can be added to the package.
To correct these shipments, you must void the original label. Then, you can correct the weight for the shipment and print a new label that correctly captures the true package weight.
Yes, ShipEngine supports gram weight units in addition to ounces and pounds. ShipEngine also supports centimeter dimensional units in addition to inches. In each shipment, you can specify which units you are using for the weight and dimensions.
Learn more about package dimensions in ShipEngine’s article called Size and Weight.
All currency values imported into your ShipEngine account are treated as the native currency of your account's home country. For example, let’s say you set the U.S. as your account’s home country. All monetary values imported into ShipEngine from your selling channels and carriers, and all values displayed on your customs forms, ShipEngine would consider these values to be in US dollars.
Currency Conversion
ShipEngine does not convert currency values imported into ShipEngine. These values are assumed to already be in the currency of your account’s home country. Therefore, you must handle any currency conversion before importing those values into ShipEngine.
Using accurate values for home-country currency will help ensure that shipping charges and customs fees are charged appropriately.
ShipEngine currently offers email, live chat, and scheduled phone calls to meet your support needs. Submit a support ticket here, or click the Chat widget in your ShipEngine Dashboard.
We are also continuously improving our Help Center with content to provide instant answers to your business and technical questions. Type individual words, phrases, or even full questions into the search bar, and the Help Center algorithm will pull up the articles that best answer your question. Alternatively, you can browse our developer documentation.
Want to learn more about how ShipEngine can work for you? Fill out our contact form and we’ll put you in touch with a representative.
We continuously monitor ShipEngine’s performance. If there are any service interruptions, we will post a note about it on the ShipEngine API and integrations operational status page, where we provide real-time system status updates.
