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Value Added Services (VAS)

UPS offers various Value Added Services (VAS) that you can activate per shipment. These are configured via the VAS subpage on the package creation page.

Overview

Value Added Services are applied on two levels:

Level Service Description
Shipment Saturday Delivery Delivery also on Saturdays
Shipment Direct Delivery Only No rerouting allowed
Package Delivery Confirmation Signature upon delivery
Package Declared Value Specify insurance value

Shipment vs. Package

Shipment level applies to the entire shipment (all packages). Package level is applied to each individual package of the shipment.

Saturday Delivery

Property Value
Level Shipment
Field Saturday Delivery
Type Yes/No
Default No

Enable this option if you want the package to also be delivered on a Saturday.

When to Use?

  • Shipment submitted on Friday β†’ Saturday delivery desired
  • Time-critical shipments that cannot wait until Monday
  • B2C shipments to private individuals who are not home during the week

Surcharge

Saturday delivery incurs a surcharge from UPS. This is billed through your UPS agreement.

Availability

Saturday Delivery is not available for all services. Check availability in the UPS rate calculator. Typically it works with UPS Express (07) and UPS Express Plus (54).

Direct Delivery Only

Property Value
Level Shipment
Field Direct Delivery Only
Type Yes/No
Default No

When enabled, UPS may not reroute the shipment to an alternative location. The package will only be delivered to the specified address.

When to Use?

  • Valuable shipments that must only go to the receiving address
  • When rerouting to neighbors or parcel shops is undesirable
  • Shipments with special security requirements

What Does This Mean in Practice?

Without this option, UPS can decide to deliver the package to a neighbor, a parcel shop, or a UPS Access Point if the recipient is not available. With Direct Delivery Only, the package is instead re-attempted or returned.

Delivery Confirmation

Property Value
Level Package
Field Delivery Confirmation Type
Type Enum (selection)
Default None

The delivery confirmation specifies whether the recipient must sign upon receiving the package.

Options

Option Description UPS Code
None No signature required (default) β€”
Signature Required Signature of any person at the receiving location 2
Adult Signature Required Signature of an adult person required 3

When to Use?

Signature Required

  • Shipments of medium value
  • When you need proof of delivery with a signature
  • For business shipments with documentation requirements

Adult Signature Required

  • Alcohol, tobacco products, or other age-restricted goods
  • High-value shipments
  • Regulatory requirements that mandate age verification

Surcharge

Both options incur an additional surcharge. Adult Signature is more expensive than Signature Required.

Declared Value

Property Value
Level Package
Field Declared Value + Declared Value Currency
Type Decimal + currency code
Default 0.00 / EUR

Specify the goods value of the package contents. This increases UPS's liability beyond the standard transport insurance.

How to Use the Declared Value

  1. Enter the value of the package contents in the Declared Value field
  2. Select the currency in the Declared Value Currency field (default: EUR)
  3. UPS automatically calculates the insurance premium based on the declared value

Examples

Situation Declared Value Currency
Standard shipment (no declared value) 0.00 EUR
Electronics worth €500 500.00 EUR
Shipment to USA with dollar value 750.00 USD

Standard Liability vs. Declared Value

Without declared value, UPS is liable up to a standard amount (depending on the country and service). With declared value, you increase the liability limit to the specified amount β€” for an additional premium.

Practical Tip

For high-value goods (electronics, machinery, etc.), a declared value is always recommended. The additional premium is small compared to the risk of loss or damage.

VAS Subpage in the User Interface

The VAS options are displayed on the package creation page as an embedded subpage:

β”Œβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”
β”‚  Create UPS Package                     β”‚
β”‚                                         β”‚
β”‚  [Shipment Data]                        β”‚
β”‚  [Recipient]                            β”‚
β”‚  [Package Data]                         β”‚
β”‚                                         β”‚
β”‚  β”Œβ”€β”€β”€ Value Added Services (VAS) ────┐  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚ Shipment Options:                 β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚   Saturday Delivery:     [ ] No   β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚   Direct Delivery Only:  [ ] No   β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚                                   β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚ Package Options:                  β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚   Delivery Confirmation: [None β–Ό] β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚   Declared Value:        [0.00  ] β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β”‚   Currency:              [EUR   ] β”‚  β”‚
β”‚  β””β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”˜  β”‚
β”‚                                         β”‚
β”‚  [Create Label]                         β”‚
β””β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”˜

Email Notification (Automatic)

In addition to the manually selectable options, a UPS email notification (Quantum View Notification) is automatically sent when the recipient email address is present in the shipping label.

Property Value
Type QVN Ship Notification
UPS Code 6
Trigger Automatically when email is present
Not configurable Always sent

The recipient then receives an email from UPS with the tracking number and estimated delivery date.

Limitations

  • Returns: VAS options are not applied to return labels. Return shipments use the standard service without value added services.
  • Not all services: Not every VAS option can be combined with every UPS service. For invalid combinations, the UPS API returns an error.
  • Declared Value = 0: When Declared Value is set to 0.00, no declared value is sent to UPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I activate multiple VAS at the same time?

Yes! You can, for example, activate Saturday Delivery + Signature Required + Declared Value simultaneously. Note that each value added service is priced separately.

Is VAS applied to all packages of a multi-parcel shipment?

Shipment level (Saturday Delivery, Direct Delivery Only): Applies to the entire shipment. Package level (Delivery Confirmation, Declared Value): Applied to each individual package of the shipment.

Why don't I see the VAS subpage?

The VAS subpage is only displayed when you have the UPS Connector installed and UPS is selected as the Shipment Provider.