UPS SurePost has emerged as a reliable alternative for eCommerce business owners who aim to provide affordable and speedy delivery services to their customers. UPS SurePost was introduced as an economical final delivery service by the US Postal Service. One can term SurePost as the amalgamation of UPS and USPS. Its contract-only delivery service can be accessible by retailers who are involved in shipping orders that weigh less than 10pounds and need tracking IDs. In this article we will learn how to integrate UPS SurePost with WooCommerce.
UPS teamed up with USPS and created UPS SurePost which aims at minimizing the number of trucks on the road to manage and reduce multiple deliveries to the same location on the same day. This creates a labour-efficient system and works as an economical mechanism for the store owners, shipping companies and the customers. You can spot various savings in this simplified system of UPS delivering packages to a USPS location for speedy service. This estimate shows that UPS SurePost saves up to 20% in delivery costs.
UPS SurePost can take care of post office pickups and deliver the package to the customer’s doorstep. This service is yet to extend to international borders but shipments can be sent within a range of 48 contiguous US States to 50 American states which includes Puerto Rico and various other US territories, PO boxes and military locations.
UPS SurePost includes a cap on the total dimensions of the package which means it cannot exceed 130 inches. SurePost Bound Printed Matter or Media must be less than 1 lbs, or 1 lbs or greater, or 108 inches. 100 dollars per package is the UPS obligation limit for the loss or damage to a SurePost package.
Benefits of Using UPS SurePost Service
UPS SurePost was designed to reduce costs, fasten up the process of shipping and cater to all kinds of customers. Let’s discuss 7 reasons as to why you should use UPS SurePost service for shipping.
- Save Around One-Third of Your Shipping Expenses
UPS SurePost is dedicated for directly countering the high cost and focuses on creating more efficient and economical options for shipping large volumes of packages thereby, saving your one-third shipping expenses! The last mile of shipping your order can make quite a difference to your bill and budget. The expensive nature makes it difficult to manage the finances efficiently for customers, which leads to around 28 percent of the shipping costs being affected. The UPS SurePost was designed to reduce these extra costs and deliver your packages on a budget.
- Delivering Packages on The Weekends
UPS SurePost doesn’t charge any extra costs for delivering your packages on the weekends as it is already integrated in their service. Most packages are passed onto USPS for final delivery at no extra cost.
- Flexibility of Choosing Addresses
Due to amalgamation of UPS and USPS all businesses have access to as many geographical locations as possible. You can deliver to P.O Boxes and to US states which were not accessible before SurePost
- My Choice Membership
The UPS My Choice Membership gives you access to additional features which help in rescheduling or enabling direct delivery service to an alternative address or a UPS store of your choice. Upgraded packages arrive a day earlier than estimated time of delivery.
- Availability of Normal Pick up options
SurePost does not need additional efforts like drop-offs or pick-ups. It curbs the trip to the post office and shipments are allowed to be mixed with the typical UPS Pick-ups.
- Tracking Your Orders Conveniently
After your shipping is initiated you will receive a tracking number, which allows you to track packages even till the last leg of delivery. The tracking mechanism is integrated as the UPS’s key feature.
- Shipping Software Integration
UPS claims to use the latest technology in managing large numbers of volumes and shipment integration. This proves as a reliable and trustable shipping partner as your orders are always trackable and backed by thorough data management.
How to integrate UPS SurePost with WooCommerce
We will use the ELEX EasyPost plugin to use UPS SurePost services. It is convenient to set up and you can explore all the features related to shipping. It will display shipping rates for UPS SurePost and other major courier companies on the cart and the Checkout page. Simply visit this link and install the plugin on your WordPress dashboard. After you have successfully installed it you can click the activate button to get started.
Now, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > EasyPost > General. This will direct you to the admin panel to customize settings for this plugin.
Firstly, Enable the Realtime Rates to display UPS SurePost rates on your Cart and the Checkout page. Debug Mode and Status Log can be used for developers to view and manage any technical issue and debug the same.
Select the API Mode you have 2 options here; Test and Live Mode.
Use the Test Mode if you are still in the development phase. When you are satisfied with all the changes and customization you can select the Live mode and allow customers to use these services. Enter the API Key for Test or Live mode.
Learn how you can obtain the API key for EasyPost and all of its advanced features explained in this article: How to set up ELEX EasyPost Shipping Method Plugin for WooCommerce? (with Video)
Click the Save Changes button when you are done and proceed to the next tab Rates & Services.
Choose a Method Title as per your needs. Then select the Method Available to All Countries or Specific countries. Enter a correct Zip Code, Sender State Code and the Sender Country for your store. Now scroll down where you will see an option EasyPost Carrier(s).
Among the available options choose UPS SurePost. After you select this option the plugin will display UPS SurePost Services. You can choose multiple services and customize their names, adjust prices in terms of value or percentage. When you are done, click the Save Changes button.
After you have made the above changes the plugin will display UPS SurePost services and rates on the Checkout page. Customers can order the products from your WooCommerce store and choose UPS SurePost service for shipping.
Now you have a decent knowledge on how to integrate UPS SurePost with WooCommerce. Just follow the above steps and you are good to go. If you still have any doubts or questions you can leave a comment below. Write to us for any ideas or suggestions related to the plugin or this article.
Further reading
- How to integrate UPS Digital Access Program (DAP) with WooCommerce?
- How To Print Shipping Labels Using The ELEX EasyPost Plugin
- How To Integrate a WooCommerce Shipping Calculator For a Seamless Shipping Process?
- How to Get a UPS Account Number? Step By Step Instructions
