UPS Boosts Its Rates, Goes Paperless Internationally

The rate increase closely follows that of competitors with an average climb of 4.9% for UPS Ground and Ground hundredweight shipments, air express and international shipments originating in the US. Computations for the rate increase in air express and international shipments is for a 6.9% jump in base rates with a 2% reduction based on current fuel surcharges. Rate and service information is available at www.ups.com/rates.

Since most international small package shipments handled by UPS require a commercial invoice. The carrier’s new UPS Paperless Invoice will permit these shipments to clear Customs using electronic data rather than paper forms. This does not apply to letters or documents.

The technology helps integrate order processing, shipment preparation and commercial invoice data. It then transmits it worldwide to Customs offices in 98 countries and territories.

Within this same geographical coverage, the carrier offers UPS Returns that allows shipment recipients to receive an international return label and commercial invoice through email, for local post offices or from a UPS driver picking up the package to be returned. UPS Returns will be accessible through UPS shipping systems like UPS WorldShip and UPS Internet Shipping.

“With these global solutions, UPS makes shipping from Atlanta to Beijing as simple as shipping from Atlanta to Boston,” claims Kurt Keuhn, UPS senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. “What’s more, UPS makes getting a shipment returned from Beijing as simple as getting it returned from Boston.”