Delivery Predictions give you ShipStation's own estimate of when a shipment will arrive. The estimate comes from historical delivery data, not from the transit time the carrier quotes. Use it to set delivery expectations for your customers, alongside the carrier's estimate.
A prediction appears as a delivery_prediction object in these API responses:
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Rates: the rates returned for a shipment or rate request
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Checkout Rates: the quotes returned for your checkout configuration
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Labels: the labels you purchase
You can also ask for predictions on their own, without rating a shipment or buying a label, by calling the Predict delivery dates endpoint.
Each delivery_prediction object provides a calculated arrival date and a rating of how much historical data backs up that estimate:
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Field |
Description |
|---|---|
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The predicted delivery date. |
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How much historical data the prediction rests on: |
Delivery predictions are currently available for UPS, USPS, and FedEx services within the United States.
For any other carrier, service, or lane, no prediction is returned. The delivery_prediction object is omitted from the response. Treat a missing object as "no prediction", not as an error.
A prediction complements the carrier's estimate and does not replace it. Where the carrier provides its own estimate, it still appears in the response. The two dates may differ because the carrier's estimate is based on published service commitments, whereas our prediction reflects actual historical performance.
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Delivery Predictions guide: endpoint reference, request and response examples, warnings, and error handling
