ShipStation is a certified UPS Ready® application that allows you to get rates and create domestic and international shipping labels using your negotiated UPS shipping rates.
ShipStation also supports UPS Consolidation options like UPS Mail Innovations. UPS helps both large and small businesses with their logistical needs, and offers sustainability options like paperless invoicing and their Carbon Neutral program.
Connection Requirements:
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An active account with UPS.
Need to open a UPS account? Sign up with UPS to get started!
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):
Control ID
Invoice Date
Invoice Number
Invoice Amount
See Step 9 of the Connect a UPS Account section below for an image of a sample invoice.
To connect your UPS account to ShipStation, follow the steps below:
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Select the UPS tile and click Connect.
Click Next.
Read through the UPS Technology Agreement, select Yes, I Agree, then click Next.
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Fill out the left side of the form with your UPS account's Primary Contact Information.
If you are unsure about where to find this information, see the Locate Your UPS Contact Information section below.
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Fill out the right side of the form with your UPS account information, then click Next.
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 the next step.
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Enter the requested information from your most recent UPS invoice, then click Next.
Click Connect.
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).
Enter this address information into the UPS Account Information window in ShipStation.
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.
Hover over Administration and click Manage Users.
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Enter the value from the Role column into the Title field in ShipStation.
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:
ShipStation's integration with UPS supports the following standard features:
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Common ShipStation Features |
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Additional Features
ShipStation's integration with UPS allows for the following additional features:
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
Enable Negotiated Rates |
To view your UPS negotiated rates in ShipStation, select the Enable Negotiated Rates option in the UPS Settings screen in ShipStation. To do this, go to Set the Account Type to Daily Pickup in the UPS Settings in ShipStation if your UPS account has a negotiated rates contract. This will allow ShipStation to display your negotiated rates when you create labels.  Enter the following details from your most recent UPS invoice:
Whether you enable this or not, UPS will always charge you according to the terms of your contract. This setting is only about the rates as they display in ShipStation. |
UPS Consolidation Services |
You can enable UPS Consolidation services for use in ShipStation. See this article's section on UPS Consolidation Services for more details. |
UPS Ground Freight Pricing |
You can enable UPS Ground with Freight Pricing when you get rates for UPS Ground shipments in ShipStation. After you add your UPS account to ShipStation, enable Ground Freight Pricing in the UPS Settings pop-up. When you use this option, you'll need to assign a Freight Classification Code in the shipment's Other Shipping Options. UPS Ground with Freight Pricing is only available for multi-package UPS shipments that use the shipping service UPS® Ground. |
Supports Unishipper rates |
ShipStation can display rates when you use a UPS account obtained through Unishippers, the UPS postage reseller. See this article's section on Unishippers below for more details. |
UPS Carbon Neutral Program |
By default, all UPS accounts connected to ShipStation are automatically enrolled in the Carbon Neutral program. If you do not want to participate in the Carbon Neutral program, disable this option in your UPS Settings in ShipStation. |
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) |
ShipStation will automatically try to submit customs information electronically through the UPS EDI service. If ShipStation is not able to submit customs information through EDI (either because it's not enabled for your UPS account or because the destination country does not support EDI), you will need to print any necessary customs forms. |
Third Party and Recipient billing |
This option allows you to assign the billing to a third party or recipient UPS account. Use the Other Shipping Options in ShipStation to change billing for a shipment. You must enter the account number and account zip code of the third party account. The third party account must also allow third party billing. |
Bill duties and taxes to payor of shipping charges |
Enable this option to be charged duties and taxes on behalf of your international customers. If you use this option in conjunction with third-party or recipient billing, the billed account will be responsible for the duties and taxes. |
Saturday Delivery |
Enable this option to allow for package delivery on Saturdays. See the UPS page on Saturday Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
UPS Shipper Release |
Enable UPS Shipper Release to allow the delivery driver to leave the package without obtaining a signature. See the UPS page on Shipper Release for more information and restrictions. |
Collect on Delivery |
Enable Collect on Delivery so that UPS will collect funds from the recipient when delivering the package. See the UPS page on Collect on Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
Dry Ice shipping |
Enable this option to let UPS know the package contains dry ice. See the UPS page on Coolants and Refrigerants for more information and restrictions. |
Additional Handling |
Enabled this option to inform UPS that the package will require special handling. See the UPS page on Additional Handling for more information and restrictions. |
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Branded Labels & Label Messages For services that support branded labels, your store logo will appear in the bottom right corner of the UPS shipping label. For services that support label messages, Label Message 1 will print in the first Trx Ref No field. Label Messages 2 and 3 will be combined and print in the second Trx Ref No field. Example:  | |
The UPS SurePost® services work with the United States Postal Service to provide an economic solution for residential, ground delivery.
SurePost® can be used for shipments to U.S. PO Box addresses, domestic shipments (from the U.S. 48 to any of the 50 states), U.S. military (APO, FPO, DPO) shipments, and shipments to U.S. territories.
Before enabling this option in ShipStation, contact your UPS rep to ensure your contract allows SurePost® shipments.
Enable UPS SurePost® in ShipStation
You must first have a UPS account set up in ShipStation. See the Connect UPS Carrier section above for details.
Click Settings next to your connected UPS account in the list of carriers.
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Check Enable Consolidation Services and click Confirm.
You may need to log out and back into your ShipStation account before UPS SurePost® appears as a Service option for your shipments.
Using UPS SurePost®
The UPS SurePost® service has a few limitations and features that other UPS services do not have.
Feature |
Supported? |
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Return Labels |
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Label Messages |
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Label Branding |
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Military Addresses |
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Third-Party Billing |
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UPS SurePost® labels will display two addresses:
The first address is the UPS SurePost® hub. The second address is the final destination (i.e., the recipient's address as shown in ShipStation).
For further information about UPS SurePost®, review the UPS About SurePost® page.
If your UPS account includes access to UPS Mail Innovations® (UPS MI), you can enable these services for use in ShipStation, as well.
After you've connected your UPS account to ShipStation:
Go back to Settings, then Carrier & Fulfillment, and click the Settings link for your UPS account.
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Click the checkbox next to Enable Consolidation Services. If you're using UPS MI, you'll also need to select an Endorsement and enter your Cost Center.
Select an Endorsement and enter your Cost Center (if you don't know which options to choose, check with your UPS account rep).
Click Confirm.
Once you've taken the above steps, the following services and package types will be added to your UPS options (if you do not see them right away, log out and then back into ShipStation):
Domestic Services |
Domestic Package Types |
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Expedited Mail Innovations Mail Innovations - First Class Mail Innovations - Priority |
MI - Irregulars (< 1 lb) MI - Parcel Post (> 1 lb) MI - Machinables MI - MI - Priority (< 1 lb) MI - First Class MI - BPM Parcel MI - Media Mail MI - BPM Flat MI - Standard Flat |
International Services |
International Package Types |
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Priority Mail Innovations Economy Mail Innovations |
MI Int'l - Flats MI Int'l - Parcels MI Int'l - BPM |
Some things to keep in mind when you use UPS Consolidation Services in ShipStation:
UPS Mail Innovation® Returns are not supported in ShipStation.
The USPS tracking number will appear on the label, while the UPS MI tracking number will appear in ShipStation.
When you use UPS MI services, you must select an appropriate UPS MI package type. Domestic services must use one of the domestic package types, and international services must use one of the international package types.
UPS MI rates are not available through the UPS API, and so the rate for the label will not display in ShipStation. The actual rate for shipment will appear on your bill from UPS.
UPS MI supports e-VS (Electronic Verification System) shipping through the UPS API. You will see 'eVS' above the USPS barcode on domestic shipping labels as confirmation that the label supports e-VS. International shipments through UPS do not show eVS though, as UPS does not use that feature to move packages internationally.
Label logos appear on domestic UPS MI labels, but not on international labels.
Custom label messages are not available for UPS MI labels. The Order Number and MI Cost Center will display as Ref1 and Ref2, respectively.
UPS MI supports up to 30 line items on the integrated customs form and label (CN22).
You do not need an End of Day form for UPS MI. ShipStation will automatically send your shipment's information, just like we do for regular UPS shipments.
If you have a UPS account through the postage reseller Unishippers, you can connect your Unishippers rates to ShipStation so they're displayed when getting rates for your shipments. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to enable Unishippers rates within ShipStation.
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Connect your Unishippers UPS account to ShipStation just like you would a standard UPS account.
Note
When connecting the UPS account to ShipStation, do not select the option to Enable Negotiated Rates. Your Unishippers rates are not loaded directly into the UPS account, so this option will not work as expected.
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Go to Unishippers' Rate Request Signup form, then fill out and submit the form using your Unishippers account information.
While logged into ShipStation, follow this link to the Unishippers Account Setup. Enter your Unishipper Customer Number as well as the password and username you created in the previous step.
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Click Enable Unishippers.
After you complete the above steps, you should see this message: "Success! Your Unishippers integration settings have been updated."
Henceforth, you'll see your Unishippers account rates when you get rates for your UPS shipments.
Remember these points about ShipStation's integration with UPS:
Labels created through ShipStation will not appear in your Shipment History on UPS.com.
UPS End of Day forms (also known as PLD forms) are not available in ShipStation. As a Certified UPS Partner, ShipStation submits all shipment information electronically to UPS when labels are created, so no End of Day process or PLD form is necessary. If you require a manifest for record keeping purposes, you can create a generic shipment manifest by going to
Insights > Reports > Shipping Manifestand running the report for your UPS shipments.ShipStation's address validation tool determines if an address is Residential or Commercial. It is based on the Stamps.com database, which pulls heavily from the USPS database. Since UPS uses their own database to determine Residential and Commercial addresses, there are rare cases where the address type set by ShipStation does not match UPS's address type for the same address. This can result in the estimated rate not matching the actual amount that UPS bills you for the shipment.
UPS NRI and UPS World Ease value-added services are not supported in ShipStation.
UPS Smart Pickup is not available for UPS shipments created through ShipStation.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
I'm getting an error when trying to connect my UPS account to ShipStation. What should I do?
There are several errors you may see when connecting a UPS account to ShipStation. The chart below describes the most commonly experienced errors and their potential solutions:
Error |
Cause |
Solution |
|---|---|---|
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Request cannot be processed, please contact UPS customer service at 1-888-851-4901 Request cannot be processed, please contact UPS customer service at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX |
Billing or other UPS account issue. |
Contact UPS at the number provided, and leave a voicemail with your contact information if no answer. Other UPS departments cannot typically assist with this error. |
PostalCode and/or CountryCode input does not match those associated with the AccountNumber |
The address entered does not match the Primary Contact Information for the account. |
Log into UPS.com to gather address information required. |
Unable to verify negotiated rates. Please review invoice information and resubmit |
Invalid invoice or account does not have access to negotiated rates. |
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. |
Request cannot be authorized due to invoice not found in UPS billing system |
Invalid invoice information or outdated invoice. |
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. |
Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
Attempted registration with invalid invoice information too many times. |
Contact UPS directly to unlock the account. Ensure you have the correct invoice information for future attempts. |
Missing or Invalid Shipper Number |
Error in UPS account number entered. |
Check the account number entered to ensure there are no spaces and the account number is correct. |
Register Web service is temporarily unavailable |
ShipStation unable to register the account with UPS. |
Temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipStation status page or contact support for updates. |
Licensing system not available |
ShipStation unable to register the account with UPS. |
Temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipStation status page or contact support for updates. |
I'm getting an error when trying to create UPS shipping labels. What should I do?
There are a number of potential errors you may see when getting UPS rates and creating UPS shipments in ShipStation. The chart below describes the most commonly experienced errors and their potential solutions:
Error |
Cause |
Solution |
|---|---|---|
The Userid is currently locked out please try again in 5 minutes |
ShipStation's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. |
Go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers & Fulfillment and click the Setting link for UPS. Click the Remove Account action. Once removed, add the account back to ShipStation. |
Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
ShipStation's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. |
Go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers & Fulfillment and click the Setting link for UPS. Click the Remove Account action. Once removed, add the account back to ShipStation. |
The accessory is not valid with the selected option |
Service, package, or shipping option not compatible |
The service and package are not compatible, or an "Other Option" (like Saturday Delivery) is selected for the shipment which is not allowed. Remove any options which are not permitted for the shipment type. |
The requested accessory option is unavailable between the selected locations |
You are attempting to ship something by UPS and have the Carbon Neutral option selected in your UPS account settings in ShipStation. The UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping Program is not available between all locations. |
Go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers & Fulfillment to edit your UPS settings. Disable the Carbon Neutral option and save your changes. |
Missing or invalid shipper number |
Error in UPS account number being used for shipment. |
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. |
Missing or invalid ship from company name |
No Company Name in Ship From Address. |
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. |
The Shippers shipper number cannot be used for the shipment |
Billing or other UPS account issue. |
Contact UPS directly to discuss the cause of the error and how to resolve it. |
If you've been using UPS Worldship® to ship your orders, you may have already built a customer address book that you'd like to use in ShipStation. Although ShipStation cannot pull the address book from UPS directly, you can export the data from UPS Worldship® and use the data to create a CSV file to import customer records into ShipStation.
This multi-step process requires you to:
Create an export map in UPS Worldship®.
Export a file using the export map created in UPS Worldship®.
Use the information in the file to build a CSV file formatted to import into ShipStation.
Import the ShipStation-formatted CSV into ShipStation.
See below for step-by-step instructions:
First, you'll need to create an export map in UPS Worldship® that generates a CSV file.
Open the UPS Worldship® application.
Under Import/Export Data, select Create / Edit Map... to open the Create or edit an import or export map window.
In the New Map section, select Export to ODBC Database.
Select the Export CSV check box.
Choose a Map Type of Address Book.
Name the map, then click Create. The Edit Export to CSV Map window will appear.
Click Add All Columns.
Click Define CSV File Name. A Save As window will appear.
Enter a file name, then click Save to save the export map file.
Click OK. You'll be taken back to the Create or edit an import or export map window.
The map you created should be listed under Existing Maps. Click Close to go back to the main view of UPS Worldship®.
Now that you have an export map created to generate a CSV file, you can export the data.
Under Import/Export Data, select Batch Export... to open the Batch export data window.
Select the export map you created in the previous steps.
Choose a date range for the export.
Click Next. An Import/Export Preview window will appear.
Verify the export details and click Next to begin the export.
Once the export is complete, click Save to save the file to your computer.
Note
If you're unable to perform the above steps in UPS Worldship®, you can contact UPS Worldship® support for additional assistance with their application.
Next, you'll modify the exported file in a spreadsheet application since ShipStation requires a specific format for the Customer Import process.
Download the CustomerImportSample.csv file.
Open both the CustomerImportSample.csv and the UPS Worldship® export files using the spreadsheet application of your choosing.
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Use Copy/Paste to move the information from the UPS Worldship® export file into the relevant columns on CustomerImportSample.csv.
Do not change the column headers in CustomerImportSample.csv!
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When the address information has been transferred into the CustomerImportSample.csv file, Save the file. (Or use Save As... to save the file with a new name.)
Be sure to retain the CSV format.
The final step is to import the new CSV file into ShipStation.
Log in to ShipStation.
Go to the Customers tab.
Click Import. An Import Customers window will appear.
Click Select a File.
Select the modified version of the CustomerImportSample.csv file and click Open.
Choose one of the options under Select Options.
Click Start Import to import the file.
Click Close.
Tip
See our page on Importing Customers for a more detailed walk-through of the above process.
ShipStation will begin to import the file and will alert you once the import completes. Then, you'll be able to see the addresses in the Customers tab in ShipStation.
Once the customer records have been created, you'll be able to use the saved customer information to quickly create manual orders and labels.