Shipping with UPS: a guide to rates and services [2024]

Shipping with UPS means shipping with one of the most reliable brands in the industry. Thanks to the experience accumulated since the start of operations in the early 1900s, UPS ranks among the very top of the list of the most popular Italian and foreign couriers globally.

This is why ShippyPro chose to include this courier in its library of integrations, to enable merchants to reach new markets and ensure security and reliability.

In this article we are going to see how UPS shipping works, tracking, costs, services offered, and what are the advantages of connecting this courier to ShippyPro.

UPS shipping to the UK 

Shipping a package with UPS can have varying costs and methods depending on the destination, place of departure, size, and weight. To all these items then must be added fees for any additional services.

Shipping with UPS: costs for national shipments

UPS classifies package volume into extra small, small, medium, large, extra large. To calculate this, simply multiply the 3 dimensions L x W x H. 

Let's see what the rates are for domestic shipments (including VAT) with delivery and pickup at a UPS Access Point:

• Extra Small volume max 10.000 cm³: £ 5.99
• Small volume max 25.000 cm³: £ 6.59 
• Medium volume max 50.000 cm³: £ 8.39
• Large volume max 75.000 cm³: £ 9.59
• Extra large volume max 100.000 cm³: £ 10.79

To these rates £2.40 can be added for deliveries by the end of the next business day. 

Alternatively, delivery is expected in 1-5 days, again depending on distance.

The rates listed above are valid for shipping with UPS to and from an access point, otherwise you can go to the UPS website and fill out the form to get a shipping quote and find out how much it costs to ship a package by indicating the place of departure and destination with home pickup and delivery.

Shipping with UPS to foreign countries

International shipping is no cakewalk, but more and more companies, even small ones, are expanding their market to European and non-European countries. 

What changes from domestic shipments to international routes? Here are some differences: required documents and regulations on prohibited products, which vary from country to country. And shipping to Europe, for example, can be as complicated as shipping to China especially after Brexit.

To the rescue of ecommerce operators, however, come the couriers themselves (and ShippyPro), providing valuable information for handling foreign shipments in the best possible way, avoiding complications at customs.

In the case of UPS, for example, the necessary documentation for international shipments can be found on their website.

Let's see what the rates are for shipping a package with UPS abroad.

UPS rates for international shipments

UPS provides a rate schedule based on parcel volume, with deposit and pickup at a UPS Access Point. Below are the expected rates for major European countries (including VAT):

• Extra Small volume max 10.000 cm³: £ 10.99
• Small volume max 25.000 cm³: £ 12.99
• Medium volume max 50.000 cm³: £ 15.99
• Large volume max 75.000 cm³: £ 17.99
• Extra large volume max 100.000 cm³: £ 22.99

Of course, all these amounts are subject to change, and it is always recommended to consult the website to find out the exact shipping amount.

In addition, UPS offers home pickup and delivery service, the rates of which can be consulted by requesting a quote online.

UPS shipments to extra-EU countries 

Determining shipping costs to non-European countries is more complicated: everything can vary from country to country. Let's take the United States as an example:

• Extra Small volume max 5.000 cm³: £ 25.65
• Small volume max 25.000 cm³: £ 37.64
• Medium volume max 50.000 cm³: £ 53.29
• Large volume max 75.000 cm³: £ 74.94
• Extra large volume max 100.000 cm³: £ 96.59.

UPS shipping: domestic and international tracking

Offering customers the ability to keep track of their shipments is now a very common service that every company must ensure if it wants to build customer loyalty.

To do this, once the customer has made a purchase, the company should send a series of information such as:

• the order confirmation, which includes a summary of the order placed and an estimate on delivery time
• the shipping confirmation with the tracking number that allows the customer to know where their package is. All the customer has to do is enter this code on the UPS site to track his shipment, which, in the case of this courier, is a 25-character code that always begins with 1Z.

Usually these communications are done through transactional emails, and ShippyPro simplifies all these operations through Track & Trace services and notifications via WhatsApp, SMS or email. 

At UPS, for international shipments, tracking follows the same procedure as for domestic shipments.

UPS General Terms and Conditions

At UPS, shipments are classified into domestic, international, and cargo services for shipments over 70 kg: 

• the standard shipment with delivery on a defined day from one to five days
• the UPS Express Plus shipment with delivery within the next business day
• cargo shipments, for sending large volumes worldwide on pallets and containers
• the international shipping service, which provides support for the necessary documentation and customs clearance procedures depending on the country of destination.

Shipping a package with UPS: parcel measurements

UPS provides guidelines to measure the packages to be shipped:

1. measure the three dimensions, length, height, and depth
2. round the measurements to the nearest centimeter
3. multiply the three dimensions to get the volume.

As for weight and size limits:

• the maximum weight of parcels is 70 kg beyond which cargo shipments must be made
• the maximum length of parcels is 274 cm
• the maximum size is 400 cm as the sum of length and circumference
• parcels weighing more than 25 kg require the "Heavy Parcel" label
• parcels exceeding certain size and weight combinations may require cargo shipping.

UPS: shipping to Access Point

Regarding shipments involving storage and pickup at a UPS Access Point these are the requirements to be met:

• Users making a shipment must show an official photo ID as a form of identification (the photo must match the person delivering the package)
• At the time of pickup you must attest to your identity in one of the following ways:
  
  • presenting a valid ID in which the last name and full address match those on the package
  • by presenting a valid ID along with the parcel release code provided by the sender
• if the address on the document does not match the address on the parcel, you must prove that the residence matches the address on the parcel, such as through a recent electric or gas bill
• if the last name or full address does not match, you will need to provide the package tracking number to the UPS office representative.

It is a good idea for any ecommerce to take into account these regulations that the customer must also comply with in order to make all delivery and pickup operations as easy as possible.

Who is UPS?

UPS (United Parcel Service) is a shipping service started in 1907 in a Seattle basement. Within a few years it expanded its distribution network to the entire U.S. territory and about 50 years later reached Europe thanks to their air shipping service.

In the late 1980s it started its own airline for domestic and international shipping and today operates in more than 220 countries worldwide, including Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Logistics for ecommerce has reached very high levels, and in order to maintain these quality standards and be competitive, it is necessary not only to turn to professional couriers, but also to have a complete and functional management of the entire supply chain, also taking advantage of AI in logistics for ecommerce.

It is for all these reasons and the professionalism that characterizes it that ShippyPro has also chosen this company for its courier network for optimal shipment management.

Conclusions: UPS and simplified shipping with ShippyPro

Shipping has always played a major role in commerce, and today, with the rise of online stores, logistics in general and last-mile logistics have taken on a major role.

Shipping with UPS or any other courier is not complicated, but keeping track of each company's shipping rules and handling each one individually can become a big waste of time and energy for entrepreneurs. 

With ShippyPro all these operations are automated and made easier and faster, so you can focus on what really matters: growing your business.