Trouble Connecting with UPS Account

Shopify Plus
1

We are having issues with how SHOPIFY connects with UPS for calculating shipping. The issue is two fold:

#1 We have heard from some customers that when they try to check out they receive a message back from SHOPIFY saying we don’t ship to [state they are in]. This is intermittent and varied. The most recent person said we don’t ship to FLORIDA. Other times it has been OKLAHOMA or IDAHO, etc.

#2 ON THE BACK END…When processing the orders when you click on buy the shipping label it sometimes has trouble connecting to the UPS app and shows an error and inability to purchase anything from UPS. If you go back and try again it typically reloads and connects just fine, a UPS label can be bought. Sometimes it takes few times to get it to connect and load the UPS information.

We have a theory that it is because Shopify only waits for 1 second to get a response from UPS and if it does not hear from them it gives the error. I don’t know if that is true or, if true, a longer time for waiting for a response can be sent.

This is very concerning to us. If we hear from just a few people it might be happening to many more who just bounce. Our sales are definitely down.

A few more details:

  • I did look through some old posts that seemed to be similar but our site is set up fine according to what I see on posts like THIS and THIS
  • We are using our own UPS account. It seems to be linked properly and works much of the time
  • We have all our products accounted for in the shipping profiles
  • All customers who have called with issues are it the continental USA
  • States affected varies and is not consistent
  • SEE SCREENSHOTS

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2

Hi Kevin,

While Shopify doesn’t provide access to backend logs, here’s a game plan to help you troubleshoot and get to the root of the issue.

First, double-check the basics. Go to Settings > Markets in your Shopify admin and ensure all U.S. states, including Florida, Oklahoma, and Idaho, are included in your active market.

Next, navigate to Settings > Shipping and Delivery and confirm your shipping zones. Make sure all states are properly assigned to a zone, and verify that shipping rates, flat or carrier-calculated are in place for each zone. If you’re using conditions like weight- or price-based rules, ensure they aren’t unintentionally excluding orders.

Finally, if you’re using multiple shipping profiles, double-check that all products are assigned to the correct profile. If products aren’t properly linked to their shipping zones and rates, this could cause the issues you’re seeing.

Since Shopify doesn’t provide access to backend logs, their support team will be your best resource for investigating deeper. They can confirm if timeout issues or other connectivity problems with UPS are causing the errors.

When you contact them, provide as much detail as possible. Share examples of states where customers reported issues, screenshots of the error messages, and times and dates when the problems occurred. This will help them pinpoint the root cause more quickly.

It’s also worth checking with UPS directly. Confirm that your account is fully active and there are no restrictions or service issues affecting shipments to certain states. Ask if their API is experiencing any known delays or outages.

While you’re troubleshooting, consider adding a flat-rate shipping option as a backup. This ensures customers can still complete their purchases even if UPS rates fail.

Another quick fix is to unlink and reconnect your UPS account in Shopify. This refreshes the integration and often resolves syncing issues.
I hope these steps help you get closer to resolving the issue. Let us know how it goes or if you need additional guidance. This type of problem can be frustrating, but it’s usually solvable with a little persistence.

Best,