Details about ShipStation's integration with UPS. Includes requirements, connection process, features, notes, and troubleshooting tips.
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 large and small businesses with their logistical needs and offers sustainability options like paperless invoicing and their Carbon Neutral program.
Interested in a UPS account? Sign up with UPS to get started!
UPS Service Guarantee Updates
Updated May 12, 2023
UPS reserves the right to adjust which services are eligible for Guaranteed Service Refunds (GSR) and which services receive additional service fees.
For the most up-to-date information, please review the UPS Service Guarantee page, the UPS Service Alerts page, or ShipStation's Covid-19 Resource Hub.
Connection Requirements:
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An active account with UPS.
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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). If you have questions regarding your UPS invoice, please contact UPS Customer Support.
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Control ID
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Invoice Date
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Invoice Number
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Invoice Amount
See Step 9 of the Connect a UPS Account section below for an image of a sample invoice.
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International Requirements:
Include three copies of a commercial invoice with your shipment if you do not have electronic submission enabled. Review international options and forms.
To connect your UPS 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 UPS tile and click Connect.
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Click Next.
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Read through the UPS Technology Agreement, select Yes, I Agree, then click Next.
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Fill out the left-hand 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 of this article.
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Fill out the right-hand side of the form with your UPS account information using all CAPS, 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 using all CAPS, then click Next.
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Click Connect.
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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).
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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.
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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:
The ShipStation integration with UPS supports these standard features:
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Supported? |
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(Requires EDI / Paperless Invoice to be enabled on UPS account) See also UPS Commercial Invoice Guide PDF attached below. |
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The ShipStation integration with UPS allows for these additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
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Invoiced carrier |
UPS bills you for only the labels you use, which are invoiced monthly to you on your account. UPS does not charge your account when you create the label in ShipStation. Any UPS labels you create in ShipStation that are NOT used to ship a package 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 records. |
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Enable Negotiated Rates |
To see your negotiated rates, you must first enable this in your UPS account in ShipStation. You will need your most recent UPS invoice to complete this process. Go to |
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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. |
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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. |
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Supports Unishippers 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. |
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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. |
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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) |
Contact UPS to have EDI enabled for your UPS account via Paperless invoice. Once enabled, ShipStation will automatically 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 instead need to print any necessary customs forms and include them with the shipment. |
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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. Learn how to apply third-party billing to shipments. See the Third-Party Billing on UPS International Shipments item in UPS Additional Details for information about Freight Collect (F/C) and Free Domicile (F/D). |
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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 with third-party or recipient billing, the billed account will be responsible for the duties and taxes. Review the article Bill International Duties to Payor of Shipping Charges to learn more. |
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Add PO# and Invoice # to Commercial Invoices |
ShipStation can automatically add the purchase order number and invoice number to the corresponding fields on a commercial invoice if you add specific text to Custom Fields 2 and 3 on the order. Copy the following text for each field but replace the italicized text with your customer's actual PO # or Invoice #.
The numbers will appear in the corresponding fields on your commercial invoice: |
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Saturday Delivery |
Enable this option to allow for package delivery on Saturdays. See the UPS page on Saturday Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
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UPS Shipper Release |
Enable UPS Shipper Release to allow the delivery driver to leave the package without obtaining a signature. Log in to UPS and enable UPS My Choice® to authorize the release of your packages. |
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Collect on Delivery |
Enable Collect on Delivery so that UPS will collect funds from the recipient when UPS delivers the package. See the UPS page on Collect on Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
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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. |
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Shipping Alcohol |
If your UPS account is authorized to ship alcohol, you may create your labels in ShipStation. There is no "contains alcohol" option to select for UPS shipments in ShipStation. However, UPS requires you to use the Adult Signature confirmation option. The package must also include a special alcoholic beverages shipping label indicating the shipment contains alcohol (this label is not provided by ShipStation). Review the UPS guidelines for shipping alcohol and discuss the requirements with your UPS account manager to ensure your alcohol shipments comply with all UPS requirements. |
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Additional Handling |
Enable this option to inform UPS that the package will require special handling. See the UPS page on Additional Handling for more information and restrictions. |
For services that support branded labels, the store logo you uploaded to your store's Branding settings 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 printed in the second Trx Ref No field.
UPS Return Labels
Label messages will not appear on ShipStation return labels.
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.
Unishipper Rates
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.
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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.
When entering your shipment weight and dimensions into ShipStation, they should accurately reflect the size of the package so the rate returned to ShipStation will be the rate you are actually charged for the shipment. Should the dimensions entered into ShipStation not reflect the actual dimension of the shipped package, you may be subject to additional fees from UPS.
It is the shipper's responsibility to enter an accurate dimension into ShipStation before creating the label for the shipment!
Packages with an actual weight of more than 150 pounds, or that exceed 108 inches in length, or exceed a total of 165 inches in length plus girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined, as measured to determine their billable weight, are not accepted for transportation.
If UPS finds packages that exceed these limits in the UPS system, the shipments are subject to additional charges. UPS reserves the right in its sole and unlimited discretion to return such packages to the shipper at the shipper’s expense.
Refer to the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service – United States for more information.
The over maximum limit surcharge is $920.00 per package. Refer to the UPS Daily Rate and Service Guide for the most up-to-date information.
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Third-Party Billing on UPS International Shipments: One of two possible codes will appear on the UPS Label for Third-Party Billing on International Shipments when you bill duties and taxes to the payor of shipping charges. The UPS codes represent who pays the billing charges and will depend upon the billing account location:
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Third-Party Billing
Third-Party Billing is available for direct integrations only, and is not supported for UPS from ShipStation .
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Freight Collect (F/C): Who pays? The end customer receiving the package in the shipment destination country pays for all charges (duties and taxes) on a UPS international shipment. It is also possible for a third party located within the destination country to pay.
With Freight Collect (F/C), If the third-party billing account is located outside the destination country, ShipStation cannot bill duties and taxes to that third-party billing account.
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Free Domicile (F/D): Who pays? The shipper account, a third party in the shipment origin country, or a third party in a third country.
With Free Domicile (F/D), use of a third-party billing account located within the shipment destination country will allow ShipStation to bill duties and taxes to that third-party billing account.
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UPS does not charge for labels that you don't use. We recommend still voiding the label in ShipStation if you do not need the label.
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Labels created through ShipStation will not appear in your Shipment History on UPS.com.
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UPS End of Day forms (also known as PLD forms) are unavailable 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. The tool is based on the Stamps.com database, which pulls heavily from the USPS database. UPS determines Residential and Commercial addresses via its own database. Sometimes, there are rare cases when the address type ShipStation does not match UPS's address type for the same address. This mismatch can result in the rate estimate differing from the actual amount that UPS bills you for the shipment.
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UPS High-Value Reports: If the shipment has a declared value over $1,000.00 USD, UPS will return a High-Value Report to ShipStation.
Review our Generate a UPS High-Value Report help article for details on how to print and other requirements.
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UPS NRI and UPS World Ease value-added services are not supported in ShipStation.
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UPS Smart Pickup is not available for UPS shipments created through ShipStation.
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UPS will only display Address Line 1 of the Ship From and Return Addresses. Secondary address information (such as an apartment or suite number) must be added to Address Line 1.
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Recipient Address Line 1 has a 30-character limit. When the Recipient Address 1 field exceeds this limit ShipStation will automatically wrap to Address Line 2.
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You can import your UPS Worldship® address book into ShipStation by following the instructions in our Transfer UPS Worldship® Address Book to ShipStation help article.
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The ability to ship Dangerous Goods is not available within ShipStation. You must go through UPS directly.
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To ship firearms or firearm parts with UPS, you must sign a contract with your account representative. Shipment of firearms or firearm parts is not allowed when using UPS from ShipStation.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
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Error |
Solution |
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Error: Invalid Account Status |
What this means: The account was not active over an extended period of time. What to do: Contact UPS directly to re-activate the account. |
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Error: Request cannot be processed, please contact UPS customer service at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX |
What this means: This is a billing-related or other UPS account issue. What to do: Contact UPS at the number provided, and leave a voicemail with your contact information if nobody answers. Other UPS departments cannot typically assist with this error. |
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Error: PostalCode and/or CountryCode input does not match those associated with the AccountNumber |
What this means: The address entered does not match the Primary Contact Information for the account. What to do: Log in to UPS.com to gather the address information required. |
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Error: Unable to verify negotiated rates. Please review invoice information and resubmit |
What this means: Either an invalid invoice or the account does not have access to negotiated rates. What to do: 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. |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to invoice not found in UPS billing system |
What this means: Either an invalid invoice information or an outdated invoice. What to do: 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. |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
What this means: Attempted registration with invalid invoice information too many times. What to do: Contact UPS directly to unlock the account. Ensure you have the correct invoice information for future attempts. |
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Error: Missing or Invalid Shipper Number |
What this means: Error in UPS account number entered. What to do: Check the account number entered to ensure there are no spaces and the account number is correct. |
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Error: Register Web service is temporarily unavailable |
What this means: ShipStation unable to register the account with UPS. What to do: This is a temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipStation status page or contact support for updates. |
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Error: Licensing system not available |
What this means: ShipStation unable to register the account with UPS. What to do: This is a temporary issue typically related to server maintenance. Check the ShipStation status page or contact support for updates. |
This table describes the most commonly experienced errors you might experience when getting rates or creating labels with UPS, and their potential solutions:
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Error |
Cause & Solution |
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Error: “Invalid number of products.” |
What it means: UPS can accept up to 100 customs declarations. Attempts to send 101 declarations or more will result in an error. What to do: If you have more than 100 customs declarations, you must separate them into groups of 100 or fewer to process. To do so, you’ll need to split the order until each shipment in the order has 100 customs declarations or fewer. Once each shipment has only 100 customs declarations, you can create a label for each shipment. For example, if the order had to be split into three shipments, you would generate three labels. |
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Error: The requested billing option is unavailable between the selected locations |
What this means: This error occurs for international labels on packages valued under 100 Euros when you select the option to Bill taxes and duties to the payor of shipping in the Other Shipping Options section. UPS does not bill duties and taxes if the shipment value, including product cost and shipping cost, is under 100 Euros per day. UPS will block the label from being created due to DDP being not applicable for the shipment since none will be charged to the receiver or shipper. What to do: Deselect the option to Bill taxes and duties to the payor of shipping in the Other Shipping Options section, then create the label. |
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Error: The Userid is currently locked out please try again in 5 minutes |
What this means: ShipStation's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. What to do: Go to |
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Error: Request cannot be authorized due to account is locked out, please try again after 24 hours |
What this means: ShipStation's access credentials are out of date and need to be updated. What to do: Go to |
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Error: The accessory is not valid with the selected option |
What this means: Your Service, package, or shipping selections not compatible with each other. What to do: The service and package are not compatible, or an "Other Option" that is not allowed (like Saturday Delivery) is selected for the shipment. Remove any options that are not permitted for the shipment type. |
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Error: The requested accessory option is unavailable between the selected locations |
What this means: You are attempting to ship something by UPS and have selected the Carbon Neutral option in your UPS account settings in ShipStation. The UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping Program is not available between all locations. What to do: Go to |
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Error: Missing or invalid shipper number |
What this means: Error in UPS account number being used for shipment. What to do: 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. |
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Error: Missing or invalid ship from company name |
What this means: No Company Name in Ship From Address. What to do: 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. |
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Error: Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode |
What this means: UPS wants the 2-digit state code instead the name of the City or Province. What to do: If shipping to or from an address in the UK, try substituting the state or province for a two-letter code as found on this United Kingdom (GB) State/Province Table. For example, use JJ instead of Edinburgh. |
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Error: The Shippers shipper number cannot be used for the shipment |
What this means: Billing or other UPS account issue. What to do: Contact UPS directly to discuss the cause of the error and how to resolve it. |
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Error: The selected number of packages has exceeded the current limit |
What this means: You are attempting to void the master label for a multi-package shipment containing more than 20 shipments. What to do: Contact UPS directly if you wish to void the labels. UPS does not charge for postage until they scan the shipments, so you are not charged for unscanned labels even if you haven't voided them. |