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 both large and small businesses with their logistical needs, and offers sustainability options like paperless invoicing and their Carbon Neutral program.
Need to open a UPS account? Sign up with UPS to get started!
UPS COVID-Related Service Updates!
Updated January 19, 2022
As the COVID situation continues to evolve, UPS may make adjustments to which services are eligible for Guaranteed Service Refunds (GSR) and which services receive additional service fees.
For the most up-to-date information on UPS COVID-related news, 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):
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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.
To connect your UPS account to ShipStation:
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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, 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.
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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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Feature |
Supported? |
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(Requires EDI / Paperless Invoice to be enabled on UPS account) |
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End of Day (Electronic) |
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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. 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. |
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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 in conjunction with third-party or recipient billing, the billed account will be responsible for the duties and taxes. |
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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. See the UPS page on Shipper Release for more information and restrictions. |
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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 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 print in the second Trx Ref No field.
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.
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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 shipments 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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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 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. The tool is based on the Stamps.com database, which pulls heavily from the USPS database. UPS determines Residential and Commercial addresses via their own database. Sometimes, there are rare cases when the address type ShipStation sets 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 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.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
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Error |
Cause |
Solution |
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Invalid Account Status |
Account was not active over an extended period of time. |
Contact UPS directly to re-activate the account. |
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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 nobody answers. Other UPS departments cannot typically assist with this error. |
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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 in to UPS.com to gather address information required. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
There are a number of potential errors you may see when getting UPS rates and creating UPS shipments. This next chart describes the most commonly experienced errors and their potential solutions:
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Error |
Cause |
Solution |
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The requested billing option is unavailable between the selected locations |
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. |
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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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 |
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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 |
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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" 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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The requested accessory option is unavailable between the selected locations |
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. |
Go to |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Missing or invalid ship from StateProvinceCode |
UPS wants the 2-digit state code instead the name of the City or Province. |
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. |