Details about ShipStation's integration with FedEx. Includes integration requirements, connection process, features, notes, and troubleshooting.
ShipStation is an official FedEx Compatible Diamond Solution that supports FedEx domestic and international shipping for US-based accounts and Ground Economy (formerly SmartPost) and FedEx International Mail Service (FIMS). Use your contract rates with FedEx when creating labels.
Schedule next-day pickups directly in ShipStation for your FedEx shipments. For international shipments, you can take advantage of the Delivered Duties Paid (DDP) and Electronic Trade Documentation (ETD) features! Review the Available Features section to learn about the variety of options the ShipStation integration with FedEx provides.
FedEx Service Updates
FedEx may make service and fee changes on an as-needed basis. To review the latest FedEx COVID-related updates, please review the FedEx Coronavirus Updates page.
Connection Requirements:
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An active account with FedEx.
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Your FedEx account number.
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Your FedEx account shipping address (located in your FedEx account admin details).
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The email address and phone number associated with your FedEx account.
International Requirements:
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To ship internationally, you must upload a signature and letterhead image file to ShipStation. See the Upload Letterhead and Signature section below for details.
To connect your FedEx account to ShipStation:
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Your Carriers Add-On
Certain plans will require enabling the Your Carriers add-on before you can connect your carrier accounts. If you have not yet enabled it, you'll be prompted to do so before you can connect your accounts.
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Select the FedEx tile and click Connect.
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Read through the FedEx End-User license Agreement and click I Accept.
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Fill out your FedEx Account No and default Shipping Address.
If you do not know your FedEx Shipping Address:
Log in to your FedEx account. Click your profile icon and choose My Profile.
The FedEx Shipping Address is under Contact Information.
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Enter an Account Nickname to help you identify the account in ShipStation.
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Click Connect.
ShipStation integration with FedEx supports these standard features:
The ShipStation integration with FedEx allows for these additional features when you use standard FedEx services:
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
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FedEx Ground Economy |
Enable FedEx Ground Economy services (formerly called SmartPost) for use in ShipStation. See our FedEx Ground Economy article for more details. |
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Invoiced carrier |
FedEx bills you for only the labels you use, which are invoiced monthly to your FedEx account. FedEx does not charge your account upon label creation in ShipStation. Any FedEx labels you create in ShipStation that are NOT used will not be billed on your invoice. However, you may still wish to void labels you don't use for improved accuracy in your shipment reports. |
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Electronic Trade Documents (ETD) |
ShipStation will automatically attempt to submit customs information electronically through the FedEx ETD program. Labels created using ETD will have ETD printed on the label. If ShipStation is not able to submit customs information through ETD (either because it's not enabled for your FedEx account, or because the destination country does not support ETD), you will need to print any necessary customs forms and include them with the shipment. |
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Certificate of Origin for qualifying international shipments |
For qualifying shipments between USMCA countries, FedEx will include a Certificate of Origin with their commercial invoice. If needed, you can print both documents in ShipStation by selecting the Forms option in the Order Details or going to the Forms column in the Shipments tab. |
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FedEx One Rate® |
ShipStation supports the use of FedEx One Rate® flat-rate package options for domestic shipments for non-cash accounts. First, you must choose an applicable shipping service to use the appropriate FedEx One Rate® package type when you configure a shipment. Shipping services that support One Rate package types include:
See the FedEx One Rate® site for more information and restrictions. Additional fees may apply when you add certain shipping options. Not available for return labels or multi-package shipping. |
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FedEx Ground Manifest |
For certain kinds of FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery shipments, a FedEx Ground Manifest will be available to print from ShipStation. Print this form from the End of Day section in the Shipments tab. To be included in the FedEx Ground Manifest, a shipment must meet one or more of the criteria listed here:
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Bill to a third-party account |
You may bill label charges to an account other than the FedEx account connected to your ShipStation account. This is called third-party billing. To bill label fees to a third-party account:
You must have your FedEx account connected to ShipStation to choose a FedEx service for a shipment. |
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FedEx Ground Collect |
FedEx Ground shipments have the option to use FedEx Ground Collect in the Shipping Account drop-down. You may want to use this option when you ship to a vendor and they wish to charge the shipping fees to their own FedEx account. When FedEx delivers the parcel to the recipient, the recipient supplies their account placard. FedEx will scan this placard and that will then bill the receiver's account. Currently available in the US and Canada. For more information about FedEx Ground Collect, review the FedEx Ground Collect information page. |
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Delivered Duties Paid (DDP) is supported |
Enable the option Bill duties and taxes to payor of shipping charges to have the costs of duties and taxes billed back to your FedEx account, instead of to your customer. If used in conjunction with third-party or recipient billing, the billed account will be responsible for the duties and taxes. |
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EORI and VAT numbers sent to FedEx |
ShipStation will send your EORI and VAT numbers to FedEx when creating your labels (if present on the order). |
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Collect on Delivery |
When you create FedEx shipping labels, enable Collect on Delivery so that FedEx will collect funds from the recipient when they deliver the package. |
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Saturday Delivery |
When you create FedEx shipping labels, enable the option to allow for package delivery on Saturdays. See FedEx's page on Saturday Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
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Alcohol shipping |
When you create FedEx shipping labels, enable this option to let FedEx know the package contains alcohol. See FedEx's page on Alcohol Shipping for more information and restrictions. |
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Dry Ice shipping |
When you create FedEx shipping labels, enable this option to let FedEx know the package contains dry ice. You must use your own packaging when you ship dry ice. See FedEx's page on Dry Ice Shipping for more information and restrictions. |
In addition to the features listed above, the following can be enabled by ShipStation Support.
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
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FedEx International MailService |
After you've connected your FedEx account, ShipStation Support can enable FedEx International MailService for use in ShipStation. See the section on FedEx International MailService for more details. |
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FedEx Retail Rates |
If this setting is enabled, the estimated rates you see when you Get Rates (in the rate calculator or the shipping sidebar) will display the FedEx retail rates. However, FedEx will still charge you based on your FedEx account negotiated rate and the Carrier Fee displayed in the Shipments grid will display the actual estimation from FedEx based on your account's negotiated rate. |
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Bypass ETD |
If this setting is enabled, ShipStation will not attempt to submit customs information through ETD. You will be responsible for providing any necessary customs documents to FedEx. |
You can schedule a pickup of your FedEx Ground or FedEx Express shipments directly in ShipStation. These instructions outline the requirements and how to schedule to ensure a timely pickup.
To ensure that FedEx can accept the pickup request, the shipment must meet these requirements:
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Total package weight cannot exceed 150lbs.
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Maximum number of packages for a single pickup request is 99.
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Include the latest time your package can be picked up or your company’s close time.
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FedEx Ground Pickup can be scheduled for the next business day or any business day up to 2 weeks in advance.
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FedEx Express pickup can be scheduled for the current or next business day.
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If you need to schedule a pickup for both FedEx Express and FedEx Ground packages, you need to schedule a pickup for each of the services individually.
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You cannot edit a pickup request. To change a request, you must delete the original request and enter a new request.
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For FedEx Ground and FedEx Express pickups, you may request an alternate pickup address other than the shipping location attached to the FedEx account number. An additional surcharge will apply.
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If you already have a regularly scheduled pickup, it is not necessary to schedule a one-time pickup or to add another regularly scheduled pickup.
To schedule a FedEx pickup in ShipStation:
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Select FedEx from the Schedule a Pickup drop-down menu.
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Fill out the required information on the Schedule a Pickup form.
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Click Schedule a Pickup to complete the request.
Surcharges do not display in ShipStation!
ShipStation will not display any additional fees that the FedEx pickup request may incur.
FedEx Hold at Location (HAL) is a service your customers can select at checkout to deliver and hold their items at a designated location - such as a FedEx Store - instead of shipping to their home or business address.
Hold at Location orders import into ShipStation differently to meet FedEx requirements.
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The suffix -HAL is appended to the Requested Service and "FedEx Hold at Location order” appears in Internal Notes on Order Details.
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The Internal Notes or Requested Service can be used for Automation Rules or Service Mapping.
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Use the Internal Notes filter to quickly identify HAL orders:
Set the Internal Notes filter to Contains "fedex" and apply.
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The Ship To address will be the FedEx hold location and is locked so it cannot be edited in ShipStation.
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Only FedEx services will be available in the Service drop-down.
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Orders cannot be combined or split.
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You cannot apply Shipping Presets to FedEx HAL orders.
The process to create a label and ship the order is the same as any other order in ShipStation. The label will include the Sold To name above the Ship To address. To pick up the package, your customer must present an ID that matches the Sold To name or present an ID with the shipment's tracking number.
For support related to a Hold at Location shipment, contact FedEx Support at 1-800-GoFedEx (1-800-463-3339).
Your Selling Channel Checkout must be configured to include FedEx Hold at Location as a service. There is no additional setup needed in ShipStation.
Currently, this service is available with the following Selling Channels:
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BigCommerce with ShipperHQ.
For services that support branded labels, your store logo will appear in the center of the FedEx shipping label.
For services that support label messages, Label Message 1 will print in the REF (Reference) field, Label Message 2 will print in the INV (Invoice) field, and Label Message 3 will print in the PO (Purchase Order) field.
Example:
Label Messages will also print on the commercial invoice for international shipments. Label Message 1 will print in the Special Instructions field, and Label Message 3 will print in the Purchase Order No field.
Label Message 2 is not used for commercial invoices. Instead, ShipStation submits the Order Number as Invoice No.
Example:
To simplify the process of international shipping, FedEx uses Electronic Trade Documents (ETD). ETD submits international documentation (like customs forms) electronically so you don't have to print and attach documents to the shipment. To use the FedEx ETD option in ShipStation, you must add your letterhead and signature images to your account.
Image Requirements
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Both Letterhead and Signature images must be in either GIF or PNG format.
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Dimensions for the Signature image are a maximum of 240 x 25 pixels (3.5 x 0.5 in).
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Dimensions for the Letterhead are a maximum of 700 x 50 pixels (7.5 x 1.6 in).
Visit the FedEx Electronic Trade Documents page for more information.
To upload letterhead or signature images:
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Go to the Your Carrier Accounts tab.
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Click the Action menu for your FedEx account and choose Carrier Settings.
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Use the Select a File and Upload buttons to upload your signature and letterhead images.
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Save your changes.
You can now ship international parcels with FedEx and your international documentation will be sent electronically!
After you've connected your FedEx account to ShipStation, contact ShipStation Support to enable FedEx International MailService.
Requires Approval From FedEx
Your FedEx account must be approved for FedEx International MailService to use in ShipStation.
For more information about FedEx International MailService services and how to apply, see the FedEx page on FedEx International MailService.
FedEx International MailService will appear as its own carrier and will be listed separately from other FedEx services in the Service drop-down.
Remember the following when you use FedEx International MailService in ShipStation:
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ShipStation only supports the standard service level for FedEx International MailService.
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Estimated rates and tracking are not available for shipments created using FedEx International MailService in ShipStation.
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Third-party and Recipient billing, Collect on Delivery, Alcohol Shipping, and Dry Ice shipping are not available for shipments created using FedEx International MailService.
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ShipStation does not support "Cash Only" FedEx account types. You must be on a billed account to connect FedEx to ShipStation.
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The Ship Date for created labels must be within 10 days of the current date.
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Return labels do not provide tracking updates to ShipStation.
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If you include carrier insurance and the declared value exceeds $500 USD, FedEx will require a Direct Signature for delivery regardless of the confirmation option selected in ShipStation.
This requirement will apply to each package valued at over $500 USD in a multi-package shipment, thus adding Direct Signature fees to those packages. If this multi-package shipment has only one master tracking number, check with FedEx billing support for details about the signature requirements/fees for each individual package.
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The international setting Sign Customs As does not apply to FedEx shipments. Instead, customs forms will be signed using the Return Name from the Ship From Location.
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ShipStation's address validation tool determines if an address is Residential or Commercial. This tool relies on the USPS database. Since FedEx uses its own database to determine Residential and Commercial addresses, there are rare cases when the address type set by ShipStation does not match FedEx's address type for the same address. This can result in a mismatch between the estimated rate and the actual amount that FedEx bills you for the shipment.
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When you get rates for FedEx on a Saturday, a Saturday pickup fee will be included in the estimated rate. This fee will only apply when the package is actually picked up on a Saturday.
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Label Message 3: To use Label Message 3, you must also use Label Messages 1 and 2.
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Dangerous Goods shipping is not available for FedEx in ShipStation. For shipping dangerous goods with FedEx, you must log into your FedEx account directly.
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The Drop Off Type you select in the FedEx Carrier Settings can affect estimated rates. We recommend you choose the same Drop Off Type you and your FedEx representative set up to use with your account. The available options are:
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Regular Pickup: The shipper already has an every-day pickup scheduled with a courier.
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Request Courier: The shipper will call FedEx to ask for a courier.
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Drop Box: The shipper will drop the package in a FedEx dropbox.
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Business Service Center: The shipper will drop off the package at an authorized FedEx business service center.
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Station: The shipper will drop off the package at a FedEx Station.
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Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
|
Issue |
How to Troubleshoot or Resolve |
|---|---|
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Error: Meter registration is disabled for this seller. |
What it means: The first time you get FedEx rates or create a FedEx label in ShipStation, FedEx registers a meter for that Ship From Location. However, something blocked the meter registration (most likely a setting meant to prevent excessive calls to FedEx’s API). What to do: Contact our ShipStation support team. Let them know you received this error and we will correct the issue so meter registration will be successful and you can proceed with creating labels. |
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Error: Unable to register meter: Shipping address provided does not match our records |
What it means: To create FedEx labels or get rates from FedEx, ShipStation must register each Ship From Location in your account with FedEx. This registry creates a meter number that we store on our backend. If a Ship From Location does not have a meter number yet, ShipStation will attempt to register it when you get rates or create a shipment. This error message occurs when the address we're attempting to register does not match the FedEx account's Shipping Address. What to do:
To ensure it worked, go back to the Orders tab and try to get a rate for the same order that returned the error. The error message should disappear and display a rate from FedEx. If you updated your Ship From Location, you can edit it again and set it back to your actual Ship From Address. We only need the address to match FedEx's Shipping Address when we register the Ship From Location for the meter number. |
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Error: FedEx: Package - Minimum dimensions... |
What it means: This error means that the shipment dimensions do not meet FedEx's guidelines for this Ground Economy (formerly SmartPost) shipping service. What to do: SmartPost Parcel Select must meet the following criteria:
SmartPost Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, and Media have the following restrictions:
For more information about SmartPost and these guidelines, see Service Details: FedEx Ground Economy. |
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Error: Unable to create FedEx shipment. Drop off type is not allowed |
What it means: This error occurs when creating return labels if your FedEx account is set to use a Drop Off Type that FedEx does not support for returns. To resolve this issue, you'll need to change the Drop Off Type selected for your FedEx account. What to do: Go to You can then create return labels as needed. After you create your return labels, we recommend you set the Drop Off Type back to whatever you normally use. |
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Error: FedEx: Commodity # - Commodity is required |
What it means: This error message occurs because customs information is absent from the international shipment, or the customs declaration contains characters that FedEx cannot process. The # in the error will indicate which customs line is causing the error. What to do: Open the order details and ensure customs information exists for the shipment. If no customs declarations exist, add them to resolve the error. If customs declarations are present, check for any special characters (like # $ or ’) and remove them. |
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Error: Unable to create FedEx shipment. Incomplete commodity description #. |
What it means: The customs description for an item did not meet FedEx's keyword criteria and must be more descriptive. What to do: Update the customs declaration to clarify what the international shipment includes. The # will point to which customs line is causing the error. See FedEx's page on Commodity Descriptions for more details. |
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Cannot see FedEx One Rate® package options. |
What to do: To use FedEx One Rate® package options in ShipStation, you must enable the package type for your account. Go to |
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Some labels are blank for multi-package labels with some FedEx services when using the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers. |
What to do: To resolve the blank label issue, preview and print the labels with a different browser. |
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The tracking number, barcode, and other information are absent from the label. |
This issue can happen if the address or label messages contain special or Unicode characters not supported by FedEx. In these cases, we submit the information to FedEx and FedEx creates a shipment as expected, but the label image itself is corrupted and multiple details are absent. What to do: You'll need to void the shipment, then correct the information as needed.
The most common cause of this issue is a line-break Unicode character in Address Line 1. This character is not visible in the ShipStation interface, but it's still sent to FedEx when you create the label. To fix the character, completely erase Address Line 1 and retype it manually. Once corrected, create a new shipping label. |
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Negotiated rates do not appear in ShipStation |
What to do: If your FedEx account has negotiated rates enabled, you must first create a FedEx label through the ShipStation Rate Calculator. Once you have done so, ShipStation will then display your account's negotiated rates. If you do not need to use the label created via the Rate Calculator, simply void the label afterward. If your negotiated rates still do not appear in ShipStation, remove and re-add your FedEx account in |