UPS announced yesterday that it will become the first package carrier to offer customers a paperless international shipping option and a returns capability to 98 countries and territories. The new services will be introduced in January and will make it even easier for customers to expand their businesses to new markets around the globe.




UPS Paperless Invoice

UPS Paperless Invoice will enable customers shipping small packages internationally to "go paperless." It will use UPS technology innovation to help integrate order processing, shipment preparation and commercial invoice data and then transmit that data to customs offices across the globe, eliminating the need for paper commercial invoices. Once launched, UPS will be the only carrier to offer customers a paperless commercial invoice process for international shipping.

The majority of the small packages UPS ships internationally - everything besides a letter or document - requires a commercial invoice. UPS Paperless Invoice allows shipments to clear Customs using electronic data in lieu of these error-prone paper forms. Because information is stored electronically, customers greatly reduce their chance of making manual errors when filling out customs documentation.

Customers also can breathe easier knowing that the technology prevents them from submitting incomplete Customs paperwork. Incomplete forms are one of the main reasons shipments are held for clearance.

UPS Returns

Today, many companies hesitate to sell globally over the Internet because of the difficulty of facilitating a return if a customer is not satisfied. UPS Returns is the first industry offering that will allow the recipients of packages to efficiently return them to 98 countries or territories. These recipients can receive the international return label and commercial invoice via e-mail, local post or from a UPS driver picking up the return package.

The expanded service will help improve a company's cash flow through the faster return of goods while reducing support costs (phone center or help desk) for returns. UPS Returns will not only expand the geographic reach of businesses, it also will help to increase repeat business through a reliable, smooth returns process.

UPS Returns will be easily accessed via UPS shipping systems like UPS WorldShip® or UPS Internet Shipping and also can be integrated into a company's systems or website.