Businesses are always looking to provide extraordinary value at the most effective price. Fast shipments are necessary, but some shippers are looking for ways to not break the bank in the process. Carriers recognize this need and offer an array of competitive services to compliment businesses of all sizes and shipping preferences. Most shippers don’t have the time to investigate all the options, so today we explain UPS SurePost to see if your business could be a possible candidate for this contract-only service.
- This article is part of the Simplifying carrier agreements series intended for shippers and resellers better navigate the complicated world of parcel shipping.
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What is UPS SurePost all about?
- UPS SurePost is an economy service for non-urgent, residential shipments of low order value. UPS makes the shipment pick-up, delivers it to your nearest U.S. Postal Service® (USPS) and the USPS makes the final delivery, Monday through Saturday. UPS SurePost is an option for shipments of less than 10 pounds that require tracking.
- Time in transit is usually anywhere from 2-7 days
- and it’s available to customers in the United States shipping from the 48 contiguous states to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, including P.O. Boxes and military APO/FPO destinations. Currently, UPS SurePost is not available for international packages. This shipping hybrid may be one of the most affordable options on the market, but a few disadvantages exist. Ultimately, UPS cannot guarantee time and date of delivery and has limited liability in the case of lost or damaged shipments due to the involvement of USPS in the shipping logistics.
Are there additional charges to be aware of?
- Optimum Parcel performs a comprehensive audit on all shipments. It’s important to be informed about additional charges that can accrue on any shipments, so they don’t hit you unexpectedly. For UPS SurePost, the packages shipped follow the same dimensional weight formula as UPS Ground. When it comes to large items, any package with one dimension measuring more than 34 inches and not exceeding 48 inches or any package with two dimensions each measuring more than 17 inches and not exceeding 30 inches will be charged an additional $2.50 per package.
- Any package that exceeds the previously mentioned dimensions will be charged an additional $10.85 per package.
- Those are steep fees if you don’t conform to the UPS SurePost size and weight limits.
UPS SurePost service is best suited for high-volume shippers who need a financially practical shipping option for residential deliveries. Of course, no two customers are alike and to ensure a positive customer experience, you should offer multiple shipping options and provide delivery expectations for each option. Optimum Parcel is here to sort out any shipping fees or overcharges you might experience. Remove the hassle of shipment auditing, with Optimum Parcel automated parcel auditing technology.
What happens when USPS takes the wheel?
- UPS SurePost provides the combined, reliable convenience of UPS and USPS delivery. UPS entrusts the packages to USPS and then takes a hands-off approach. The effectiveness of this integrated model largely depends on the service provided by your local post office. If the office has a reputation of timely, accurate shipments the UPS SurePost is a viable option to ship those packages under 10 pounds. It’s important your customers provide their mailing address which, for some customers, may differ from the street address.
- To reduce the occurrence of undeliverable packages and to minimize forwarding and returns charges, confirming the customer’s current, valid mailing address is a requirement.
