# Getting started with Shipclaim Welcome. You're set up. This guide walks you from signup to your first identified refund in about 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes a week ongoing. If anything below is unclear or feels off, or if your UPS Billing Center looks different than what we describe, email **support@shipclaim.co**. A real human (Liam, the founder) reads every message and replies same-day. A note: UPS Billing Center's exact labels, menu locations, and report names can vary by account type and configuration. The instructions below describe the general workflow that applies to most accounts. If your version looks different, the path is usually still discoverable. When in doubt, email support and we'll walk you through it. --- ## What Shipclaim does for you Every UPS invoice contains a complex mix of base rates, fuel surcharges, residential adjustments, dimensional weight corrections, accessorial fees, and contract-specific discounts. Most DTC brands lose a few percent of their UPS spend to billing errors they never notice. Shipclaim scans every shipment on your UPS invoice, compares it against your contract terms and UPS's published rules, and identifies the charges that look wrong. You file the claims with UPS, UPS approves most of them (typically 60-80%), and the money comes back to your account. **What you do:** Upload your UPS invoice once a week. Download the claim batch we generate. Submit it to UPS. **What we do:** The auditing. The math. The claim documentation. **Time commitment:** about 20 minutes to set up the first time, then about 10 minutes a week ongoing. --- ## Why weekly cadence matters Shipclaim works best on a weekly rhythm. Three reasons: 1. **UPS has claim-filing deadlines.** Most refund types must be claimed within a certain number of days of the original charge. A weekly cadence keeps you well inside those windows on every claim. 2. **Cash back faster.** Refunds post as credits on a future invoice. Weekly audits mean faster identification, faster filing, faster credit. Monthly cadence delays cash back by weeks. 3. **Easier to build the habit.** 10 minutes once a week is a sustainable rhythm. One marathon session a month tends to get skipped. If you're a smaller shipper currently on biweekly or monthly UPS billing, that's not a deal-breaker. You can still get value from Shipclaim. But the strongest results come from weekly. --- ## Step 1: Check (and adjust) your UPS billing frequency Before your first audit, confirm what your UPS billing schedule looks like and switch to weekly if it isn't already. ### How to check your current billing frequency 1. Log into UPS Billing Center at [billing.ups.com](https://billing.ups.com) 2. Look for an account settings, profile, or administration section (the exact name varies, common labels are **"Administration"**, **"Profile"**, **"Account Settings"**, or **"Administration/Profile"**) 3. Inside, look for any setting that mentions billing frequency, invoice frequency, or invoice schedule 4. Note what your current frequency is set to: Weekly, Biweekly, or Monthly `[Screenshot: UPS Billing Center top navigation showing account/admin section]` `[Screenshot: Billing frequency setting if found]` ### If you're already on weekly You're set. Skip to Step 2. ### If you're on biweekly or monthly and want to switch to weekly For most accounts, the fastest path is to **contact your UPS account representative** and ask: "Please switch my account to weekly billing frequency." UPS reps handle this routinely and the change typically takes effect within 1-2 invoice cycles. If you don't have a dedicated rep, call UPS Billing Support at the number printed on your most recent invoice, or use the "Contact Us" / "Support" option inside UPS Billing Center. Some accounts may have a self-serve option in their billing settings (look for a dropdown to change frequency). If you find one, you can try changing it directly. If the change doesn't stick or you don't see the option, fall back to calling the rep. When UPS asks why you want weekly, the honest answer works fine: "I want more frequent invoices to file refund claims faster." ### If you can't switch to weekly Some smaller accounts can't drop below biweekly. That's okay. Just stay consistent: upload each invoice as soon as it arrives. Set a calendar reminder for your invoice day. Don't let invoices pile up. What NOT to do: wait for 3 invoices, then upload all at once. The audit still works, but you'll be filing some claims too close to (or past) UPS's deadlines, and you'll lose recoverable dollars on the older shipments. --- ## Step 2: Download the right report from UPS Billing Center This is the single most important step. You want the report that includes per-shipment data with dimensional information. ### Why this matters UPS Billing Center can produce several different report formats. Some bundle fuel surcharges and accessorial fees into single rolled-up lines (a "summary" view). Others break out every line item per shipment AND include the dimensions (length, width, height) that UPS used to calculate dimensional weight. You want the **detailed format that includes dimensions.** Dimensional data is where some of the biggest billing errors hide. The summary format works as a fallback, but Shipclaim catches significantly more on a detailed dimensional report. ### How to download the right report 1. In UPS Billing Center, navigate to the **"Reporting"** section (usually in the top navigation) 2. Look at the list of available standard reports. Common UPS report names include: - "Invoice summary" - "Invoice detail" - "Reference and tracking number detail" - "Address correction detail" 3. You want **Invoice detail** or whichever report includes per-shipment line items AND has dimensions available as columns 4. If the standard report doesn't show dimensions automatically, look for a **"Customize this report"** option. You should be able to add columns like Length, Width, Height, Dimensional Weight, and Billed Weight to the output. 5. Set the date range to cover your most recent closed invoice 6. Click **"Generate Report"** (or equivalent) 7. Once ready, download the CSV file to your computer `[Screenshot: UPS Billing Center Reporting tab showing report list]` `[Screenshot: Invoice detail report with customization options]` `[Screenshot: Generated report ready to download]` If you can't find a report option that includes dimensions, email support@shipclaim.co with a screenshot of your Reporting tab and we'll help you find it. Time: about 5-10 minutes the first time. Faster after that. --- ## Step 3: Upload to Shipclaim 1. Go to your Shipclaim dashboard at [app.shipclaim.co/dashboard](https://app.shipclaim.co/dashboard) 2. You'll see an upload area near the top labeled "Run audit" 3. Drag and drop the CSV file you downloaded, or click the area to browse and select it 4. Click the blue **"Run audit"** button `[Screenshot: Dashboard with upload area highlighted]` The audit takes between 5 seconds and 60 seconds depending on how many shipments are in your invoice. While it runs, you'll see a progress indicator. Don't close the page. When the audit finishes, the page will refresh and show your findings. The processed file also gets saved to your Audit History at the bottom of the page so you can revisit it later. --- ## Step 4: Read your findings After the audit completes, you'll see a section called "Identified Refunds" with a big dollar number at the top. That's the total amount Shipclaim believes UPS owes you back. Below that, a list of categories breaks down where those dollars came from. The most common categories on these audits are: - **Undeliverable Returns**: Charges for shipments that went out and came back unable to deliver - **Residential Surcharges**: Cases where UPS charged you the residential rate when your contract calls for a different rate - **Other categories** appear when relevant to your specific invoice Each category shows the dollar total. Click a category to see the individual shipments inside it (coming in a future update). ### What "Identified" means vs what you'll actually recover The dollar number on your dashboard is **identified**, not **recovered**. Identified means Shipclaim found it. Recovered means UPS approved your claim and refunded the money. Approval rates typically run 60-80% depending on the claim type, your documentation, and filing timing. So if Shipclaim identifies $5,000 across your weekly audits, expect $3,000 to $4,000 to actually come back over time. Honest framing: we guarantee what we identify. We can't guarantee what UPS approves. Most claims approve cleanly, but some get rejected on documentation or policy grounds. --- ## Step 5: Save your UPS API keys (optional but recommended) Some categories of refunds (especially late delivery refunds under the UPS Service Guarantee) require checking actual delivery dates against UPS's commitment dates. To do that, Shipclaim needs a UPS API connection. The easiest path: register your own app on the UPS Developer Portal, paste the credentials into Shipclaim. Takes about 10-15 minutes the first time. ### Before you start You'll need your **UPS Billing Account Number**. You can find it on any recent UPS invoice (typically a 6-character alphanumeric code like "2HD350"). Have that ready. Important: the UPS Developer Portal ties OAuth credentials permanently to your email address. If you change your email after creating the app, you lose access to it. Use a long-term business email when you set this up. ### How to set up UPS API keys 1. Go to [developer.ups.com](https://developer.ups.com) and sign in with your UPS account credentials (you'll likely need to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication code sent to your email) 2. From the homepage, click **"Create Application"**. Or, navigate to **"My Apps"** in the top navigation and click **"Add Apps"**. 3. On the "Which of these scenarios best describes you?" page, select **"I want to integrate UPS technology into my business"** from the dropdown 4. Enter your **UPS Billing Account Number** in the "Choose an account to associate with these credentials" field 5. Check the box to agree to the **UPS API ACCESS AGREEMENT**, click **Next** 6. Fill in the **Primary Contact** form (your name, address, email, phone), click Next 7. On the **Apps Details** page, fill in: - **App Name:** suggested "Shipclaim Audit Integration" - **Callback URL:** `https://app.shipclaim.co/oauth/callback` (not functionally used by Shipclaim's integration, but the form requires a value) - **Billing Account Number:** auto-filled from earlier 8. In the **Products Included In This App** section, ensure **Authorization (OAuth)** is included (it's typically auto-approved). Toggle on additional UPS APIs you want to authorize: Tracking, Time in Transit, and Rating are the ones Shipclaim uses for late delivery detection. 9. Click **Save** 10. Once the app is created, open it to view credentials. You'll see a **Client ID** and **Client Secret** pair. 11. Copy both values. Go back to your Shipclaim dashboard. Scroll to the section labeled "UPS Integration". 12. Paste the Client ID and Client Secret into the two fields, click **"Save UPS Credentials"** `[Screenshot: UPS Developer Portal homepage with Create Application button]` `[Screenshot: Scenario selection page with dropdown options]` `[Screenshot: Apps Details page showing App Name, Callback URL, and Products fields]` `[Screenshot: App credentials view showing Client ID and Client Secret]` `[Screenshot: Shipclaim dashboard UPS Integration section]` Once saved, the next audit you run will automatically check delivery times against UPS guarantees. Late delivery refunds will start appearing in your findings. Your credentials are stored securely. Shipclaim never shares them. You can revoke access anytime from your UPS Developer Portal. If skipping this step: your audits still work, you just won't catch late delivery refunds. You can come back and set this up anytime. --- ## Step 6: File your claims with UPS When your audit has findings, you'll see a blue button on the dashboard that says **"Download claim batch (N claims)"** where N is the number of identifiable claims. Click it. You'll get a CSV file (or set of files) containing one row per claim with all the information UPS needs to process it. This is your claim batch. ### Submitting claims to UPS You file claims through UPS Billing Center, the same place you downloaded your invoice from. 1. Log into [billing.ups.com](https://billing.ups.com) 2. Look in the navigation for the option to dispute charges or submit refund claims. Common labels include **"Dispute"**, **"Submit a Claim"**, **"Refund Requests"**, or similar 3. The dispute flow may be available from the top nav directly, or you may need to drill into a specific invoice and click "Dispute" on individual line items 4. For each claim in the batch, enter the relevant fields (tracking number, claim reason, dollar amount) into UPS's form 5. Submit UPS typically processes claims in 3 to 10 business days. Refunds, when approved, post as credits on your next invoice. `[Screenshot: UPS Billing Center showing claim/dispute option in navigation]` `[Screenshot: Claim/dispute submission form]` If you can't find the dispute or claim option, email support@shipclaim.co with a screenshot of your UPS Billing Center nav and we'll point you to the right spot. Time: about 5 to 10 minutes for a typical week's batch. ### Stay consistent The single best thing you can do is build a weekly rhythm. Same day each week, same time of day, same workflow: 1. UPS invoice arrives (most accounts get it on a fixed weekday) 2. Download Invoice Detail report with dimensions 3. Upload to Shipclaim, run audit 4. Download claim batch 5. File claims through UPS Billing Center A 10-minute weekly habit compounds over a year. Sporadic monthly catch-ups don't. --- ## Step 7: What to do when something looks off Email **support@shipclaim.co**. Include: 1. Your Shipclaim email address (the one you signed up with) 2. A screenshot of what you're seeing (if relevant) 3. A short description of what happened or what you expected vs what occurred 4. Any error messages, copied verbatim Liam (the founder) reads every support email personally and replies same-day for any business-day message. Weekend messages get a reply Monday morning. For questions about specific findings, include the tracking number from the claim if possible. That lets us look at the exact shipment. --- ## What to expect, by week To set realistic expectations for your first month: **Week 1:** Sign up, switch to weekly UPS billing if needed (or request the change from your rep), upload your most recent invoice, see your first findings. About 30 minutes total. **Week 2:** Your next weekly invoice arrives. Upload it. File your first batch of claims with UPS. About 20-30 minutes depending on claim count. **Week 3:** UPS starts approving claims from Week 2. Check UPS Billing Center for credits posting to your account. Run your weekly audit. About 10 minutes. **Week 4:** Routine. Weekly audit, file claims, see credits roll in. 10 minutes. **Month 2 onward:** Weekly habit, locked in. The full cycle (download invoice, upload, audit, file claims) should take you about 10 minutes total per week. --- ## A few honest notes **On recovery rates.** Typical self-serve recovery is **~2.5% of UPS spend** — an estimate, not a guarantee. It assumes you upload a detailed invoice report with dimensional data on a weekly cadence, have a fairly standard UPS contract, and your shipping mix is typical for DTC. Some customers see more, some see less. Any applicable guarantee is your plan's Identification Guarantee (see our Terms of Service) — the recovery rate itself is an estimate. **On the guarantee.** Your plan's price and commission rate are shown at shipclaim.co/pricing. The paid plans include a 90-day Identification Guarantee: if Shipclaim doesn't identify recoveries of at least your tier's stated multiple of the subscription fees you've paid in the first 90 days, you can request a full refund of those subscription fees. (The Free plan has no subscription fee and no guarantee.) See our Terms of Service for the exact terms. **On Pro tier.** If your monthly UPS spend is over about $1M, you might be a better fit for the Pro tier ($449/month). Pro unlocks additional detection categories that catch issues common at higher volumes: address corrections, shipping charge corrections, duplicate charges, and a few more. Your dashboard shows a preview of what Pro would catch on your specific data. No pressure, just data. **On what we don't do.** Shipclaim does not negotiate UPS contracts on your behalf. We don't talk to your UPS account rep, and we won't pick up the phone for you — the meeting is yours to run. What we will do, starting September 2026, is give you the data and the playbook to negotiate yourself (see "Coming September 2026" below). We don't take a percentage of recovered amounts beyond the commission already in your plan, and we don't charge extra for coaching access. **On UPS Billing Center variations.** UPS Billing Center looks slightly different depending on your account type, country, and shipping volume. If anything in this guide doesn't match what you see on screen, email support@shipclaim.co with a screenshot. We'll guide you through your specific version and update this guide based on what we learn. --- ## Coming September 2026: Contract Improvement Coaching Once you've been running weekly audits for a few months, you'll have something most UPS customers don't: a precise, week-by-week record of what your contract actually costs you and where it's leaking money. That's the foundation for renegotiating your UPS contract — which is where the next layer of savings lives. We're launching a self-serve Contract Improvement Coaching tool in September 2026. It will be included with your subscription at no additional charge. Three pieces: - **Contract Benchmark Report.** Your contract terms (per-package rates, discounts, accessorial fees, fuel surcharge structure) compared against typical industry norms for shippers at your volume tier. Tells you where your contract sits below average and roughly how much room there is to improve. - **Negotiation strategy guide.** A step-by-step playbook for the renegotiation conversation with your UPS rep: what to ask for, what UPS will say, what to push back on, when to walk. Built from real customer renegotiations. - **You keep 100% of the savings.** This is the key difference from traditional audit firms. Most charge 25-40% of recoveries because they negotiate FOR you. We coach you to do it yourself, so when you save 3-5% on your annual UPS spend, all of that lands in your business. **Industry data suggests customers typically see 3-5% added recovery from a successful renegotiation cycle.** Some customers see less or zero coaching savings if their UPS contract is already well-optimized. That's an estimate based on what other DTC brands have achieved, not a guarantee. Your specific result depends on your contract terms, your volume, and how the conversation with your UPS rep goes. We give you the data and the playbook. You run the meeting. **What you can do right now to get ready.** Keep auditing weekly. Every weekly audit makes your eventual renegotiation case stronger — you'll walk into the conversation with months of documented billing patterns instead of a vague "we ship a lot." UPS reps respond to data. Bring it. You'll get an email from us when the tool is live. No action needed in the meantime. --- ## Recap 1. Check your UPS billing frequency, switch to weekly (or work with your UPS rep to switch) 2. Download an Invoice Detail report with dimensional data from UPS Billing Center 3. Upload to Shipclaim dashboard, click Run audit 4. Read the findings, click Download claim batch 5. File claims through UPS Billing Center 6. Save UPS API keys for late delivery detection (optional) 7. Repeat weekly You're set. Run your first audit when ready. If anything in this guide doesn't match what you see on the dashboard or in UPS Billing Center, that's either a UPS variation we don't know about yet or a bug on our side. Either way, email support@shipclaim.co. We'll get you sorted. Welcome to Shipclaim.