Stop Losing Money to Address Errors with Smart Validation

It’s easy to overlook a small typo, forget an apartment number, or miss the “residential” tag when buying a shipping label, but these tiny mistakes can turn into expensive problems.

As the peak season approaches, every dollar counts for e-commerce sellers. Address errors not only waste shipping fees but also eat into your profit margin and cause delivery delays that frustrate customers. Let’s break down how much address errors can cost, and how ShipSaving helps you avoid them.

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USPS, UPS, and FedEx Address Error Costs

When an address is incorrect, carriers may charge correction or return fees. In addition, a mislabeled residential address could trigger an unexpected surcharge. These costs add up fast, especially for sellers shipping hundreds or thousands of orders per month.

Here’s a quick look at how the major carriers handle address errors:

USPS

• Address correction surcharge: USPS doesn’t fix addresses for senders. Undeliverable packages are returned to the sender at no extra cost.
• Undeliverable/Return to Sender: No additional fee.
• Residential delivery surcharge: USPS will NOT charge for residential delivery.
• USPS Package Intercept: USPS charges $18.35 plus any applicable postage for package intercept. The service can only redirect a shipment to your registered USPS address or to a Post Office location for Hold for Pickup.

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UPS

• Address correction surcharge: $23.5 per package
• Undeliverable/Return to Sender: You’ll be charged for the return shipping, and the original shipping fee will not be refunded.
• Residential delivery surcharge: Ranges from $6.10 to $6.55 per shipment, depending on the service level.

Pro tip: When you ship UPS through ShipSaving, your discounted rates already include the fuel surcharge and residential surcharge, helping you save even more on every shipment.

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FedEx

• Address correction surcharge: $24.00 per package
• Undeliverable/Return to Sender: You’ll be charged for the return shipping, and the original shipping fee will not be refunded.
• Residential delivery surcharge: Ranges from $5.95 to $6.55 per shipment, depending on the service level.

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Validate Addresses Before You Ship

The smartest way to avoid unnecessary costs is to validate every address before shipping. ShipSaving makes this process effortless with built-in tools designed for accuracy and convenience.

Address autocomplete

When entering your “ship to” or “ship from” address, ShipSaving’s Google-powered autocomplete helps you fill in details faster. You only need to type a few words, and the system will suggest possible valid addresses, helping reduce manual mistakes.

See the image below to see how it works.

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ShipSaving’s Address Validation

Once you enter your address and click “Get Rates”, ShipSaving automatically checks it against the USPS address database to ensure it’s deliverable.

Key benefits include:

• Real-time USPS-compliant formatting
• Automatic detection of residential vs. business addresses, so you don’t have to choose manually
• Helpful alerts if your address is incomplete or mismatched (e.g., missing apartment number)

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Why Address Validation Matters for Your Business

You might wonder how much address errors really impact your profit. Imagine your business ships 15,000 packages a month, and just 1% of them have address errors. That’s 150 packages. If each costs $23.50 for correction fees, you’re losing more than $3,500 per month.

That’s not all. Late or failed deliveries affect customer satisfaction, and 92% of shoppers say delivery time influences their purchase decisions. One delayed shipment could mean a lost customer or a bad review.

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Ship With Confidence at No Extra Cost

Whether you are a small business or a high-volume shipper, address errors can quickly eat into your profit margin. The good news is that they are completely avoidable.

With ShipSaving’s Address Validation, you can:

• Prevent delivery errors automatically
• Protect your profit margins
• Enjoy built-in validation on every label without extra setup

This feature is available for both Starter and Pro plans through ShipSaving. You can use it right away without any API integration. Every label purchased through ShipSaving includes address validation, ensuring your packages arrive safely and on time.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now to ship with confidence and save up to 90% on shipping costs today!

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