API Announcements and Updates

Pickup API

Additions for the Pickup API include allowing cash as a form of payment in Ireland and Saturday Pickup in Ireland with a charge. Secondly, a postal code expansion to support 4 and 8 digit postal codes for Argentina.

Rating API

Updates to the Rating API include support for the Heavy Goods when an origin and destination is entered to calculate Time in Transit.

Changed the name of Large Package Surcharge to Irregular Package Surcharge to align with the Rate and Service Guide.

Additional support for Saturday Pickup for UPS Worldwide Express Plus®, UPS Worldwide Express®, and UPS Worldwide Saver® shipments with U.S. origins to 62 destination countries.

Shipping API

Updates to the Shipping API include changing the name of Large Package Surcharge to Irregular Package Surcharge to align with the Rate and Service Guide.

Additional support for Saturday Pickup for UPS Worldwide Express Plus®, UPS Worldwide Express^®, and UPS Worldwide Saver^® shipments with U.S. origins to 62 destination countries.

Time in Transit API

Updates to the Time in Transit API include support for Heavy Goods when the origin and destination is provided.

Address Validation Street Level API

This improvement expands address classification for the following countries: Belarus (BY), Jersey (JE), Romania (RO), Russia (RU), Slovenia (SI), Turkey (TR), and Ukraine (UA).

Dangerous Goods API

Additions for the Dangerous Goods API include allowing hazardous material (HazMat) package shipments inside both the Canadian domestic ground network and the US cross-border ground network.

Secondly, the shipper’s account can now be validated for shipping ISC Category B Biological Substances and dry ice.

Locator API

New request elements for UPS Access point functionality have been expanded to Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal.

Quantum View API

A new response element now in place is returned in response for Manifest (refer Xpath for details)

Heavy Goods is a contractual service for US/50 shipping of mostly home goods, which are defined as furniture and home furnishings.

Rating API

Updates to the Rating API include allowing hazardous material (HazMat) package shipments inside both the Canadian domestic ground network and the US cross-border ground network. There are also new error codes.

The Rating API will support Dry Ice and Biological Substance chemical validation with new elements.

New charge types for Irregular Packages are now supported.

With the expansion of UPS Access Point, this API will now support shipping to an Access Point location in Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal.

Shipping API

Updates to the Shipping API include allowing hazardous material (HazMat) package shipments inside both the Canadian domestic ground network and the US cross-border ground network.

New charge types for Irregular Packages are now supported.

Additional improvements include new error codes, Irregular Package change enhancements, Broker of Choice enhancements, and UPS Proactive Response service enhancements.

Tracking and Signature Tracking APIs

The Signature Tracking developer kit and Tracking developer kit have been combined for ease of use and efficiency.

Tracking data for all scan types, including Signature Tracking Proof of Delivery with Tracking will now be retained for up to 120 days.

SubVersion value “1801” has been added to accommodate two new containers.

Two new XPath elements have been added where SubVersion 1801 is used.

Metric System Length Increase

This improvement is for shipments originating outside the United States, the maximum length is expanding from 270cm to 274cm.  Customers who ship packages originating outside the US will need to update their interfaces to take advantage of the length increase.  Impacted APIs include the Package Shipping and Rating APIs.

International Special Commodities (ISC) Expansion

The UPS Rating and Shipping APIs for Package shipments will include for specified countries' additional commodities including: seeds, perishables, tobacco, plants, alcoholic beverages, and special exceptions.  The shipments must have the applicable ISC contract or they will be rejected. 

Customers using the Proactive Monitoring accessorial must now have their contract in place.  If no contract is in place the accessorial will be rejected at the time of shipment via the Shipping API as well.

 100% backward compatibility with customers who do not take advantage of the new Subversions available.

Seasonal Surcharge

This initiative introduces three general service offering (GSO) surcharge; transportation-based peak surcharge, Implement as GSO for existing US/PR and International shipments, additional handling peak surcharge, and large package peak surcharge.  Impacted APIs include the Package Shipping and Rating APIs as well as the LTL Freight Rating API. 

Domestic Canada Extended Area Surcharge

This improvement will allow Domestic Canada extended area surcharges be rated and incented using unique surcharge values for the following new subtypes: Delivery Area Surcharge, Delivery Area Surcharge – Extended, and Delivery Area Surcharge - RemoteBD.  Impacted APIs include the Package Shipping API.

Canada Consolidated Business to Consumer Shipments

This improvement allows a shipper to process consolidated Business to Consumer (B2C) shipments to Canada.  This service streamlines the experience for the consignee by providing clearance through the simplified entry process compliant with Canada Customs laws.  Impacted APIs include the Package Shipping and Rating APIs.

Mail Innovations Improvements

These improvements expand Mail Innovations (MI) functionality for commodities which now supports a new maximum number of 30.  This new capability will be displayed on the MI Combination CN22 Label for postal compliance.  The MI Return label will now have a two dimensional matrix barcode that contains the USPS IMpb tracking number as well as the shipment’s destination postal code. 

MI Outbound and Return labels will now have the ability to print package reference fields 3, 4 & 5 for non-CN22 labels only.  Impacted API includes the Package Shipping API.

Expansion of Address Classification (commercial or residential)

This improvement expands UPS Address Classification via the Address Validation Street Level (AVSL) API to new countries including Greece and Luxembourg.  Classification is now supported in the AVSL API in 35 countries.  Impacted APIs include the Address Validation Street Level API.

Paperless Invoice Expansion to new Countries or Territories

Effective October 16, 2017, UPS Paperless Invoice has expanded to include several new origin and destination countries with 35 new destination countries and 82 new origin countries.

Impacted APIs include the Package Shipping API.

Pickup Capability International Expansion

Expansion of pickup capability in fifteen new countries for a total of 41 countries.  There are some restrictions regarding pickup and drop off requests for WorldWide Express Freight shipments in specified countries outlined within the developer guide for the Package Pickup API.

Other Enhancements (Consult most current developer guide at ups.com UPS Developer Kit for details)

• A new Germany only domestic service called ‘UPS Express 12:00’ is now available. UPS Express Saver for domestic in Germany which currently has a 12:00 noon commit will be changed to end of day.  This impacts the Package Shipping, Rating, and Pickup APIs.
• Emergency Response phone number restrictions have been deployed for Dangerous Goods shipments. The phone number will now be restricted from containing special characters (“.”, “-“, “+”, and conventional parentheses “(“, and “)”.  This affects the following Package APIs; Shipping, Rating, Dangerous Goods, and Pre-Notification.
• UPS Access Points have been updated to include a recommendation that shippers include the consignee email address when completing an Access Point shipment to specified locations. New notification type that will generate an email notifications when a specified package(s) receive a ‘Not in 1’ Access Point exception.  The next delivery attempt will be made at the specified Access Point location.  This improvement impacts only the Package Shipping API.  Please check the developer guide for affected Access Point locations.
• Add Ukraine for UPS Developer Kit APIs for Package Shipping, Rating, Time in Transit, and Tracking including Signature Tracking.
• Postal code updates. Approximately 41 countries currently do not require a postal code for shipments yet if something is entered in the postal code field validation will occur and an error is returned.  This validation will be removed for those 41 countries.  There will be six countries that will have mandatory postal code validation: Andorra, Iceland, Morocco, Moldova, Malta, and San Marino.