It’s that time of the year! Your sales are hot and the customers crave what you offer. From Black Friday to Christmas Day, Stamps.com and UPS are here to make sure your packages get delivered safely and efficiently, all while helping your bottom line! What can you do to ensure your packages are delivered without any surprise surcharges?

1. Erase prior history! Make sure your shipments don’t get lost in the mix of former packaging.
   A) Don’t re-cycle older packages unable to withstand another shipment. Remove any and all former labels, including former tracking, hazardous materials, or any other labels.
   
   B) If your boxes seem weak or overly-used, please recycle. Stable, corrugated cardboard is the way to go!
   
   
2. Use appropriate packaging – Bulk up to break out!
   A) Whether you’re shipping coffee mugs or data boards, it’s important you make sure the package and padding match your product. Wrap items individually and surround them with bubble sheeting and recyclable or foam loose-fill materials. Content should not directly touch the inside of the shipping box.
   
   B) Use pressure-sensitive plastic or nylon reinforced tape that’s at least 2 in./5.08 cm wide.
   
   
3. Measure your package accurately – Santa’s in the details!
   A) From regular shipments to one-offs, be diligent in making sure your entered package dimensions accurately reflect the actual package and not just the item(s) being shipped. Always be sure to measure and accurately enter the length, width, and height of the packages you ship.
   
   B) To avoid Incorrect Weight shipping charge corrections, use any standard scale and round up any fraction of a pound to the next full pound when entering the package weight in your shipping system.
   
   C) If your package is oddly shaped, please consider taking a photo of the measurements for extra security.

There are additional considerations to keep in mind when shipping your package:

• Dimensional Weight – Occasionally the actual weight of your package may not be the billable weight. Dimensional weight reflects package density, which is the amount of space a package occupies in relation to its actual weight. The greater of the two is the billable weight and should be used to calculate the rate. Dimensional weight may apply to all UPS domestic and international package services.
  • UPS Dimensional Weight = (L x W x H) ÷ 166
  • Note: For Stamps.com users, if a UPS® Ground and/or UPS 3Day Select® package is under 1 cubic foot, the dimensional weight will not apply.  The actual weight of the package will be considered as the billable weight. 
    
• Additional Handling – Non-standard packages require extra care when moving through UPS Operations and are subject to additional surcharges. Such examples include, but are not limited to:
  • Any article that is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container
  • Any package with an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap
  • Cylindrical tubes/packages
  • Packages bound by metal/plastic/cloth
  • Packages < 1 inches in a single dimension
  • Packages with longest side exceeding 48 inches or its second-longest side exceeding 30 inches
    
• Large Package – Large packages require special care and are subject to additional surcharges, when the package meets the below. An Additional Handling Charge will not be assessed when a Large Package Surcharge is applied.
  • Packages can be up to 90 pounds
  • Packages can be up to 130 inches in length and girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined
  • Packages can be up to 96 inches in length
    
• Over Maximum Size – Over Max shipments are packages that are not compatible with the UPS system and should be shipped via another shipping method.  Make sure that your packages follow the guidelines below to avoid having a shipment returned as well as an additional surcharge applied:
  • Packages can be up to 150 pounds
  • Packages can be up to 165 inches in length and girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined
  • Packages can be up to 108 inches in length

Don’t forget that only UPS offers deeply discounted rates AND no Peak Surcharges! On top of deeply discounted rates of up to 76%, UPS will not apply Peak Surcharges, as a commitment to sellers on Stamps.com. Switch and Save today!

Take advantage of discounts of up to 78% off on UPS® Ground shipments, up to 73% for UPS 2nd Day Air® service, up to 65% for UPS Next Day Air® service and up to 82% off on International services, with rates that include Fuel Surcharge and Residential Surcharge for all services and Delivery Area Surcharge for Domestic Services.*

How to Add UPS Shipping to Your Stamps.com Account
Adding UPS Shipping to your Stamps.com account couldn’t be easier. Go to “Settings” in your Stamps.com account, select “Add a Carrier” and select “UPS.” Once you activate your account, you’ll be ready to ship and take advantage of all the benefits of UPS through Stamps.com.

*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.