Carriers
Intro
Carriers are your label accounts. Once connected, their services appear in rate quotes and you can buy labels directly from shipments. (Shipments → Settings → Carriers redirects here.)
Supported carriers
| Carrier | Setup |
|---|---|
| FedEx | Title, Account Number, API Key, API Secret, Warehouse Location; then Connect FedEx Account (OAuth) |
| UPS | Title, UPS Account Number, Warehouse Location; then connect via UPS OAuth |
Each carrier connection is tied to a Warehouse Location (ship-from address) — create the warehouse first under Warehouses. Connect several accounts of the same carrier if you ship from multiple warehouses.
Connect a carrier
- Open Integration → Carriers and click Add Carrier.
- Choose the carrier and complete Account Details, then Connect.
- Open the new carrier's Configuration:
| Section | What to do |
|---|---|
| Services | Enable the services you actually use (ground, 2-day, overnight, …). Only enabled services are quoted, compared in More rates, or pre-selected from the customer's checkout method — FedEx Priority / Standard / First Overnight are off on a new connection, so turn them on if you sell them |
| Service Mapping | Map Shopify shipping method names to carrier services so shipments pre-select the right one |
| Available Packages | Enable carrier package types (envelope, pak, tube, carrier boxes) alongside your own boxes |
- Open Settings on the carrier card for label defaults:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Preferred rate | Account (Negotiated) or List (Published) |
| Label size | 4×6 · 8.5×11 half page · 8.5×11 full page |
| Label format | PDF · ZPL · EPL — a per-account fallback; the format pre-selected on the label screen comes from Advanced → Printing → Default label format |
| Default package | The package pre-selected on new shipments, and the one background rate pre-fetches are priced with |
- Open an awaiting shipment and get rates — the carrier's services should appear.
Which account opens first
With several accounts, the label screen pre-selects, in order: the account of an existing label → the account named by a store shipping-method mapping → the first account that offers the customer's requested service → the oldest account. Each account is quoted separately in More rates, so two FedEx accounts can be compared against each other.
Reconnecting
When authentication expires the carrier card offers Refresh Connection. Use Edit Carrier to change the title, account number, credentials, or warehouse.
A UPS account whose token has expired and that has no API Client ID / Client Secret stored shows UPS account "…" needs to be reconnected … Open Settings → Carriers, edit this account and enter the UPS API Client ID and Client Secret. If an older account was saved without a carrier type, StoresBoost works it out from the label's service code / tracking number the first time you void, and saves it.
When a carrier refuses to quote
A carrier that answers with an error instead of a price shows up under Couldn't quote in Compare rates (and in the Rate Tester and logs) with a plain-English reason ending in the carrier's own code, for example (FedEx RATE.LOCATION.NOSERVICE) or (UPS 111210):
| Reason shown | What to do |
|---|---|
| has no service from … to … Nearly always the postal code has a typo or is not in the selected state | Check the ZIP against the city / state with the customer; if right, the carrier does not deliver there (PO Box or remote ZIP) — use another carrier |
| treats Puerto Rico as a separate destination country, not a US state (also VI, GU, AS, MP) | The address must use country PR etc.; rates are international and some services do not apply |
| does not deliver to military APO / FPO / DPO addresses | Only USPS serves these — ship USPS or ask for a street address |
| rejected the API credentials for this carrier account | Re-enter the key and secret under Carriers; make sure the carrier developer project has the Rate API enabled for that account |
| does not recognise the account number | Fix the account number on the carrier |
| postal code / state invalid · weight over the limit (150 lb) · dimensions · Try another service | Fix the address, the item weights, or pick a different service |
| could not answer right now (a problem on the carrier's side) | Carrier outage — try again in a minute |
The same explanations appear in the Cost Review card when the selected service cannot be priced.
Per-shipment options
Carrier defaults can be overridden on each shipment: address type (Auto-detect / Residential / Commercial), Signature (none / required / adult), Insure this shipment with a value, Collect on delivery (C.O.D.), dry ice, Saturday delivery, and alcohol handling. See Labels & rates.
Tips
- No rates? Read the Couldn't quote reason first (above); after that, check the warehouse address and the package weight — both are more common culprits than the carrier connection.
- Label size / format problems are printer configuration — see Advanced → Printing.
- Compare accounts at pack time with More rates (available to anyone who can buy a label, on every plan), and automate the choice with the Rate Shopper app.
- Preferred rate decides whether quotes show your negotiated price or the public list price — pick Account if you have a contract.
Related
- Shipments → Labels & rates
- Apps → Rate Shopper
- Fulfillment Providers — ShipStation and 3PL connections