Here's how to connect UPS step by step
Learn to connect UPS, the cutting-edge worldwide Carrier that provides innovative and sustainable solutions.
Summary:
1. Before you start
Starting from June 2023, to connect to UPS, you no longer need the UPS user ID, password, and Access Key, but only the account number associated with your UPS contract. However, you will still need the credentials you use to access the UPS portal, as they will be required in one step of the connection. If you already have them, you can follow the instructions at this link:
Please note that UPS does not support Unicode characters, hence names and addresses will have to be written with latin characters only in order to be printed correctly on the label.
2. Connection steps
Let's see how you can connect UPS and start shipping straight away.
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Click on Carriers and click on the UPS logo.
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Once the popup has opened you first need to enter your UPS Account Number.
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You can find it sometimes referred to as the shipper number, on paper invoices or electronically for shippers signed up to UPS Billing Center. Or by finding the tracking number of a package that was shipped using your UPS account. Look for the string of six numbers and letters that immediately follow “1Z”—that’s your account number.
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Then you should enter UPS user ID and the password you normally use to log in to your account, and the Access Key you've just created.
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Connect the label type you prefer by choosing between the PDF and ZPL options.
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You can choose to activate email notifications so that the carrier sends an alert email to the recipient when the shipment is in the selected status (label creation, in transit, shipment notification, exception notification or delivery notification).
3. Additional Options
Include Mail Innovations services
By checking this box you will activate the American shipping UPS service for you to use. Mail Innovation is a high-volume service that provides consistent transit times, reliable delivery, and better postal rates. If you can't see UPS rates when creating a shipment, disable Include Mail Innovation Services option, so as not to show UPS Postal Service with price 0.
View Time in Transit rates
UPS Time in Transit determines the scheduled delivery date and time, as well as the number of days the package will be in transit, thus it is the duration of the shipping and delivery process from the merchant's warehouse to the customer.
Generate Commercial Invoice
Enable this option if you wish to request to UPS the generation of a Commercial Invoice for international shipments together with the label.
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If you use UPS >> If you want to transmit the invoice in paperless mode you should request to your UPS representative the activation of "Paperless Invoice" service, otherwise the invoice must be physically attached to the package;
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if you use UPSv2 >> the Commercial Invoice will also be valid as ETD
For more information on the main differences between the old UPS connector and the new UPSv2 connector as regards ETD/Paperless, please refer to the "ETD/Paperless" section of this guide.
Use your company info as the fixed shipper
Enable this option if you want to make your company details the default sender info.
Add freight charges to commercial invoice
Select this option if you want to include the freight cost inside the commercial invoices.
Test Mode
Enable test mode to make trial shipments if you have previously requested the relative test credentials to your UPS sales advisor.
UPS Access Point Economy
UPS Access Point Economy is available on ShippyPro via API. However, you won't be able to display it inside the rates list yet and it won't be available for Returns.
UPS to ship to a P.O. Box
Unfortunately UPS only accept shipments to a valid street address, so they don't deliver to P.O. Boxes. If a shipper should use a P.O. Box address, the recipient's telephone number must be included on the label. Your package that is addressed to a P.O. Box may be delayed, will not be covered by any UPS Service Guarantee, and will require an address correction charge. Additionally, Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses are not accepted by the Carrier.
Validate UPS invoices
To have your invoice number added to the invoice created together with the Label, you'll need to add it during Shipment Creation from To Ship section.
Proceed as usual till the Carrier selection step, then click on + Carriers Option > UPS INVOICE NUMBER and Save.
Kindly note that UPS does not support ETD, for this reason you should select "Enable paperless" option in connection module from Carriers > UPS > Edit and ask for E-DOC Service activation to your UPS Sales Person.
This way the commercial invoice will be created, transmitted automatically to the Carrier and you will see EDI appearing on the label.
Can I select a specific UPS service to employ for my shipments on ShippyPro?
We directly retrieve UPS rates from the carrier itself, for this reason, it's not possible to delete, as well as limit, a specific service.
4. International shipments
If you wish to transmit your ETDs in paperless mode, remember these main differences between UPS (old connector) and UPSv2 (new connector):
UPS
❌ does not support the upload of ETDs from Invoice Manager;
❌ does not support the upload of ETDs via API (UploadPaperless):
✅ supports the generation of UPS Commercial Invoice (valid as ETD only upon activation of the "Paperless Invoice" service by the carrier).
UPS v2
✅ supports the upload of ETDs from Invoice Manager;
✅ supports the upload of ETDs via API (UploadPaperless);
✅ supports the generation of UPS Commercial Invoice, also valid as ETD
5. Errors & Troubleshooting
Go to this link to check common errors and resolutions:
How to fix UPS errors