Best Ways To Save Money Shipping With UPS

Given the state of the economy lately, now more than ever e-commerce merchants are looking to save money on shipping. The annual inflation rate as of August 2022 is 8.3%. While lower than the 8.5% we saw in the month prior, the numbers are still alarming for e-commerce businesses.

To put it into perspective, the annual inflation rate in 2021 was 7% and the year before that was 1.4%. In 2019 – the last year before the post-pandemic era – the annual inflation rate was set at 2.3%. These price increases can be felt everywhere, and shipping is no exception.

One carrier that is trying to keep the cost of shipping low for e-commerce businesses even in the wake of the rising inflation rate is UPS. While other carriers have been increasing rates, UPS has increased discounts for certain services.

However, there are even more ways merchants can save money shipping with UPS and maximize having them within their carrier mix. We’ve listed out some of the best ways to do so below.

Take Advantage of Discounted UPS Rates on Shippo

After signing up for a free Shippo account, you’ll get access to discounts on domestic and international shipping, including up to 78% off on UPS® Ground shipments, up to 73% for UPS 2nd Day Air® service and UPS Next Day Air® service, and up to 82% off on international services*. You can also avoid common surcharges when you generate UPS shipping labels on Shippo. Some of those UPS surcharges you’ll avoid include fuel, residential, and even peak surcharges.

After you log in to Shippo, these discounted rates will automatically appear within your Web App so you can directly compare these prices against each other and other carriers. Some rates you can expect for UPS® Ground shipments include the following:

Pack Small, Save Big

Incorrectly measuring package dimensions – or worse, not measuring the package at all – is one of the most common reasons merchants end up with unexpected surcharges. While there is no limit to the total weight or number of individual parcels being delivered by UPS from your business, you must abide by the following rules to avoid Over Maximum Size fees.

• Packages have to be 150 pounds or less
• After combining the length and girth of your package, the total amount should not exceed 165 inches.
• The total length of one side of the package can be up to 108 inches.

You’ll also want to ensure that the weight you input before printing a shipping label is accurate. After measuring your packages on a scale, you’ll want to round up any fractions or decimal points to the nearest whole number. If not, you may run into additional fees.

With all that said, you’ll want to pack smart and close to the size of your product. This is especially the case for smaller items since you can save big by packing small. Double-check the dimensions of your package and learn how you can start saving more when you ship with UPS® Ground!

UPS Is Not One Size Fits All

UPS has plenty of options for delivering packages to your customers. However, each customer may require a different service level to best suit their needs. You’ll want to make sure you offer as many options as possible to provide an optimal post-purchase experience. Find the shipping solution that fits your wallet.

Some of the most popular UPS® Services include:

• UPS® Ground
• UPS 3 Day Select®
• UPS 2nd Day Air®
• UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®
• UPS Next Day Air®
• UPS Next Day Air Saver®
• UPS Worldwide Express®
• UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
• UPS Worldwide Expedited®

Doing so, however, can sometimes come with logistical challenges. This is especially true for small businesses that have to manually input the details of each order before creating a shipping label, which opens the door for human error and could result in your business paying more than necessary.

With Shippo, you can automate the label creation process to correctly generate shipping labels for UPS every time. For example, let’s say your customer wants to get their order sooner and selects UPS 2nd Day Air® shipping on your website. With the proper automation setup, you can avoid accidentally printing a label for UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.® shipping and potentially paying more for a service level your customer didn’t specify.

Taking advantage of discounts, packing smarter, and automating the shipping label process, are just a few ways e-commerce merchants can save money shipping with UPS. Sign up for Shippo for free and start saving on the most popular UPS services today.

*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.