UPS Address Validation: What UPS Isn’t Telling You and Our Solution

Have you ever sent a package to the wrong address or location? It can be a very frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive process. 

In the world of shipping and logistics, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of mail and parcels is vital for any business. Yet, a simple mistake such as an incorrect or partial address can lead to catastrophic results. Your business can suffer significant delays, additional costs, and dissatisfied customers. 

It is where your UPS address validation service comes into play. It is an online service that helps verify and correct shipping addresses in real-time. Businesses can ensure that their packages reach the right place on time. The tool uses advanced technology to verify and validate addresses in real-time.

Although the UPS address validator could be vital to the shipping strategy of any enterprise, it has several limitations.

Some limitations include the UPS address validator skipping the validation of house numbers, ignoring apartment numbers, and not permitting database address cleansing.

In this blog, we will talk about address validation at UPS and its limitations. You will also learn how our address verification API can perform better than the UPS address validator.

You can look at our address validation tool and compare it with the UPS validation address tool.

Also Read: PostGrid’s Address Verification Software

The UPS address validator relies on advanced technology to verify, correct, and standardize addresses. Here’s how it functions;

The Address Verification Process 

It is the first step in UPS address validation; it checks if the address exists and is deliverable. They have a comprehensive database of postal codes, street names, and city names. It helps in verifying whether the address is valid or not.

Address Correction 

Next, it becomes vital to fix inaccurate and incomplete addresses. The UPS address validator tool can suggest corrections for errors such as typos, misspellings, and wrong postal codes. Mind you, a single mistake in spelling can lead to severe consequences. Thus, this step is vital to ensuring the packages reach the correct addresses.

Address Standardization 

Once your address gets verified and corrected, the UPS address validator will standardize it according to the local postal standards. It would help you to ensure your addresses meet the requirements for smooth delivery. You will also reduce the risks of errors and delays with UPS address validation.

Final Address Validation 

Before finalizing the address, the UPS address validator will check the address against a list of delivery issues. These problems could include incomplete addresses, prohibited delivery areas, and undeliverable delivery locations. If the UPS address validator finds a problem, it will provide feedback and suggest a solution.

UPS address validation is an automated process that works in real-time to ensure the accuracy of delivery addresses.

So, it’s time to implement UPS address validation into your business! Are you curious or excited? You will find it simple to use UPS address validation services. Use your mobile phone to validate the address UPS.

1. Download and install the following applications into your device; 

• UPS® Online Seller
• UPS® Online Seller Validator

1. Visit your UPS address to test whether the UPS Mobile App can display your UPS Product ID. 
2. Return to the application and search for the UPS Mobile ID for your address. 
3. Add the UPS Mobile ID to your address. 
4. Write your billing address in the Address section and hit Next. 
5. It will show your Mobile ID for your address. You can enter the Mobile ID into the Add Address Section and enter next. 
6. The UPS Mobile App will help you confirm whether the address is valid and not present on UPS Validation Blacklist. 

We all know that UPS is a shipping company. So, when they made the UPS address validator, it had the aim of helping UPS delivery people deliver UPS packages.

The shipping company knows its employees must handle parcels from the initial pickup point to the customers’ doorstep. Thus, the UPS address validator focuses on providing a “close enough” delivery point for the user to figure out the rest on their own.

This “close enough” fundamental shows the problem with the UPS address validator. It shows how the tool doesn’t care about the address’s minute and most challenging elements. The address validator can skip or ignore several apartments, houses, suites, etc.

It helps in avoiding many errors in the address validation process. The maintenance process of the code base also becomes simple with this approach.

Yet, not considering these minute and granular elements can make package delivery much harder for delivery people. The “close enough” principle can result in delayed, lost, or returned packages.

Let us explore more!

Despite many benefits, the UPS address validator tool comes with several problems.

Inaccuracy with Results

Inaccurate results are one of the biggest problems with the UPS address validator tool. It can occur for various reasons, including incorrect information in the UPS database, user input errors, addresses changes, etc.

The UPS address validation returning inaccurate addresses can lead to delays in the delivery of packages. It can even result in lost packages going to the wrong locations. Businesses can find this frustrating if they want to ensure timely and accurate delivery. For this reason, you should also consider a reliable address validation service for better validating your addresses.

Limited Coverage 

The UPS address validator also has vast issues with coverage, as it may only cover some areas. It could be a real problem for users sending packages to rural or remote locations. The UPS address validator might need to have accurate information for these areas.

Consider a better alternative if you cannot find information about a particular location with UPS address validation.

Complex Validation Rules 

The UPS address validation also enforces complex validation rules that might make it challenging for users to navigate. For example, the address validation tool might need a specific address format. It can include a street suffix or avoid certain abbreviations.

These rules might be vital to improving the accuracy of UPS address validation. Yet, they can be frustrating for users who need to become more familiar with the validation rules. If they cannot comply with these rules, they will only get inaccurate results or reject the addresses,

Limited Input Options for Users 

The UPS address validator might need limited input options. For example, the users will not be able to input specific types of information, such as building names or apartment numbers.

It could create a vast hindrance for people sending packages to multi-unit buildings. The UPS address validator may need help to provide accurate information on the correct unit. In such cases, it would be best if you used a better alternative.

High Costs 

The cost of relying on UPS address validation can be a concerning factor for many users. Although the tool is free to use, there could be additional costs for certain types of validation. These costs could be very high, especially for businesses that need to verify large volumes of addresses. Users must know the potential costs associated with the UPS address validator tool. Then, you should plan thoroughly before using the UPS address validation tool.

It is crucial to learn what you can legally do with their API for address validation. Firstly, you can only use the UPS address validator while sending packages through UPS. A business will violate its terms of service if it uses the tool for shipping with other carriers. Thus, this is a limiting factor for users relying on UPS address validation.

Here are some instances where you can violate their terms of usage;

• Verifying addresses for mail that you will send through USPS, FedEx, or DHL.
• Validating, cleansing, and standardizing addresses present in your database.
• Data-blending on user address records.
• Evaluating billing addresses of customers with the API.
• Any activity not related to shipping packages with UPS.

address validator might not be ideal for you. According to a UPS report, a single address lookup can have a response time of 700 ms.

Thus, you can only deliver 1.4 address lookups per second. There’s no point in running batch lists with the UPS address validator, even if you integrate it with your system. This type of experience could be very frustrating for business users.

Let us talk about the implementation side of UPS address validation. According to their knowledge base, individual implementation can take a week or even a month. Thus, you can only consider it if you have the necessary skills for proper fulfilment. Otherwise, you must hire skilled developers if you still need them.

Yet, please consider a better alternative for address validation. It would help if you looked for other options to implement in a couple of minutes instead of hours, weeks, or months.

Your choice of address validation tool must have certification from the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS). USPS created this certification to ensure the accuracy of software that uses their database. Unfortunately, you will not get this certification if you choose the UPS address validator API.

Read More: USPS Address Validation API

But What About Metadata in UPS Address Validation? 

Before discussing how the UPS address validator manages the metadata, it is critical to learn more about this concept.

Metadata in Address Validation

It refers to the additional information in an address that can help individuals ensure its accuracy and completeness. This data provides details about the address format, errors, or discrepancies.

Address validation software uses metadata to verify if an address is valid and complete. Your business can improve the quality and accuracy of postal addresses by relying on metadata. It can reduce your shipping and mail delivery costs.

If you use the UPS address validation API, it will divide the address into three parts;

• Valid or not
• Address as it is present in their database
• Add +4 to the ZIP Codes

This information might be sufficient if you are sending packages. Yet, if you are looking for complex address data intelligence, you need a better option than the UPS address validator.

The UPS address validator tool can be helpful for various businesses and industries. An address validation tool is necessary for those relying on accurate and up-to-date postal address information. These are some familiar businesses that might use the UPS address validator tool;

E-Commerce Businesses 

These businesses have to ship products to their customers. Thus, they must ensure that their shipping addresses are accurate and complete. Any mistake can lead to delivery errors or customer complaints. The UPS address validation API can help verify and standardize customers’ addresses. However, these businesses can only use UPS as their shipping partner to use the API.

Logistics and Transportation Businesses 

These businesses have to move many goods and packages throughout the year. They also need to ensure that the address data is accurate and complete. It helps avoid delays and problems in transit. Yet, as said before, accuracy and bulk validation could be problematic for businesses with UPS address validation.

Financial Institutions 

Banks, insurance companies, credit unions, and other financial institutions rely on accurate address data to verify their client addresses. It is also vital for them to comply with regulatory requirements. The UPS address validator could be suitable to ensure that customer addresses are accurate and complete.

Accuracy, complex implementation, and compatibility are numerous issues with the UPS address validator.

And you must maintain the accuracy and speed of your daily operations. Running batch validations becomes out of the question when you have so many restrictions with the API. For this reason, you need something reliable that can verify, validate, and standardize addresses in real-time.

Do you want to get stuck with restrictions and limitations? Or do you want to embrace superior technology with lots of features?

Almost everyone would look for a better alternative with better technology and features. PostGrid is the answer to avoiding all the problems you will find in UPS address validation.

Taking the PostGrid Benefit for Your Business 

Super Easy Integration with Other Systems 

We know you use an existing system, CRM, or tool for daily operations. Use the PostGrid Address Validation API to integrate any platform or tool seamlessly. It makes it convenient for businesses to validate addresses.

Available as a RESTful API, 

Our address validation API is available as a RESTful API. It makes it easy for businesses to integrate it with any programming language. Thus, your developers can quickly add address validation functionality to your dashboard. It gives you far better flexibility than UPS address validation.

Use with Your CRM and Marketing Automation Software 

Are you running innovative marketing campaigns? Our address validation API can integrate with your favorite CRM and marketing automation software. It would support you in validating your customer and lead addresses directly from your software system. Plus, there is no need for any knowledge of coding. You can integrate the API within a few minutes. You do not have to waste a week or month like you would with the UPS address validator.

Custom Integrations at Your Finger Tips 

We believe in the philosophy of maximum flexibility. So, when you use our tool, you get the complete flexibility of custom integrations for unique or specialized needs. It allows businesses to tailor the address validation process to their requirements and workflows. You will not find such flexibility when you prefer a UPS validation address.

Bulk Verification is Blazing Fast with UPS 

We understand that businesses need more time to validate addresses individually. Our API makes it possible to validate large amounts of address data quickly and efficiently. We give companies the option of bulk verification to manage large customer databases or mailing lists.

One of our clients from the finance industry integrated our API to streamline their process of bulk address verification.

Now, they can invest less in manual labor to verify addresses in bulk.

You have to upload a CSV file with the list of addresses that you want to verify. In a few seconds or minutes, you will accomplish your job. You will get a report with the results. Here is how our platform performs better than UPS address validation;

You Want Scalability; We Have It 

PostGrid’s bulk verification is reliable enough to handle large volumes of address data with no trouble. Thus, you can scale our tool according to your requirements and preferences. You won’t find such scalability with the UPS address validator tool for bulk verification.

Highly Accurate Results with Bulk Verification 

You don’t need to worry about accuracy when validating your addresses in bulk. Our tool has its algorithm designed to provide highly accurate results, even in bulk processing. Your business will always maintain accuracy and time with our API.

Customization Options in Bulk Verification 

We are not just fast and accurate! Our platform also provides customization options in validation settings, such as selecting which countries or regions to validate. It helps you become more adaptable to your changing validation requirements.

Get Reports for Each Batch of Validation 

Do you like to stay informed about the latest operations in your business? We create the most detailed report for each batch of addresses that you validate. These reports inform you about any errors or discrepancies in the validation process. Your business can identify and correct address data more quickly. In comparison, you won’t get such a report with the UPS address validator tool.

Cost-Effective Bulk Processing 

When you validate addresses with our bulk validation tool, you only need to pay for the addresses that you validate. Thus, it becomes a cost-effective option for businesses that process addresses in large volumes. You might not find such convenience with other options that charge a flat rate or require a subscription.

Address Validation with CASS and SERP Certification 

Accuracy is vital in the address validation process. PostGrid’s address validation API has CASS and SERP certifications.

We’ve Got CASS Certification 

The CASS certification helps businesses improve the accuracy of their address data. It involves analyzing addresses against the USPS’s official address database. Our API can then make the necessary corrections or updates to ensure your postal addresses are complete and accurate. You won’t find such a critical certification with UPS address validation.

We’ve Got SERP Certification 

The SERP certification is another similar program. Businesses prefer using software with this certification to improve the accuracy of their Canadian address data. Like CASS, SERP certification analyzes address validation against Canada Post’s database of valid addresses. It can also help you make the necessary changes or corrections to the data.

Together, these certifications help PostGrid provide highly accurate address validation services. The API provides a powerful tool for businesses to improve their address data accuracy and reduce mailing errors.

Address Validation with Geocoding for Pin Point Location 

If you want higher precision with your address data, consider geocoding. Unfortunately, the UPS address validator tool won’t provide validation with geocoding.

PostGrid gives you this feature to improve your mailing efficiency and reduce the chance of returned mail. Our API converts your addresses into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). You can perform spatial analysis with this data by placing the coordinates on a map. With accurate geographic coordinates, you can better calculate shipping costs and optimize delivery routes.

One of our clients from the healthcare sector implemented reverse geocoding with our API. Their team wanted to convert addresses into geographic coordinates. Our Geocoding API was effective for them in obtaining real-time geocoding of postal addresses.

 

Marketers, pay attention! You can also target specific regions with personalized marketing campaigns. With this, you can improve your mailing efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the overall customer experience.

 

Address Validation with Complete Regulatory Compliance 

Do you want to land in legal trouble? We bet no one wants to!

 

PostGrid’s address validation API comes with various regulatory compliances to help your business comply with multiple data protection laws and postal regulations. It assures you that your mailings are accurate and secure. All our partners and PostGrid are HIPAA, PIPEDA, PHIPA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOC-2 certified.

 

Your business needs to acknowledge regulatory compliance. It would help you process customer data without violating any law or regulation. We help you verify the addresses of customers who consent to receive mail. Our platform ensures that your customer data is safe and secure. Avoid files and penalties for non-compliance if you think of using UPS address validation.

Dedicated Account Manager for Address Validation

Still, want to understand a lot of technicalities with address validation? There’s no need to worry when you have a dedicated account manager. S/he would help you validate addresses, integrate the API, or understand technicalities. You are on your own if you go with UPS address validation.

So What Do People Think About Our Address Validation API? 

Let’s take a look at people’s opinions from the B2B website G2:

“Integration with PostGrid, merging data from different platforms, and transforming legacy data is a breeze.” – John L. 

“You can look up customer addresses with unit numbers. Other solutions don’t have this feature.” – Calvin B.

“A batch processing tool is the best option. I am responsible for cleaning up large files containing addresses before they import into the CRM. PostGrid is super-useful for verifying hundreds of lessons at a time.” – Suzanne C. 

Also Read: International Address Verification

With all the restrictions with UPS address validation, you can compare our solution to learn more about its features. Here’s PostGrid Address Validation API stands against the UPS address validator tool; 

Feature	UPS	PostGrid AV
Addresses Per Second	1.4	Hundreds of addresses in seconds.
International Address Validation	Covers over 220 countries and territories	Covers over 245 countries and territories
CASS Certification	No	Yes
SERP Certification	No	Yes
Integration Options	Limited	Wide range of options
Customization Options	Limited	Extensive
Accuracy	Uses UPS’s proprietary database to validate addresses.	Utilizes multiple data sources to validate addresses with higher accuracy.
Validation Results	Gives a status code and a standardized address.	Provides a status code, standardized address, and additional information such as geocoding coordinates and time zone information.
Bulk Verification Support	Limited	Complete Support

Address validation with PostGrid makes your life much easier and more convenient. 

Signup now to use a better alternative than UPS Address Validation.