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How to Get All the Shipping Discounts from Your Carriers: UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL for Small Businesses

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Nikolay Pasholok
Product Owner, Calcurates
Shipping makes up a considerable part of the costs in e-commerce, so it's only logical to seek ways to cut corners and save some money here. Luckily, all major carriers provide shipping discounts for businesses.

UPS Shipping Discounts

A program called UPS Small Business Account allows your e-commerce to save up to 40% on all shipping for the first eight weeks of use and retain a certain discount level even after the initial period. The amount you save after the first two months depends on the volume of your weekly orders: the more you ship, the higher the discount.

UPS Small Business Account offers its customers promo codes to save 30% off online print products, 15% off on packaging services, and 3 months of free mailbox services. The latter two are however not useable with other offers.

New Small Business Accounts also receive additional discounts on UPS Ground and international shipping as an incentive. Some discounts are permanent, while others take the form of a special offer as the current incentives of up to 60% on area surcharges.

UPS Smart Pickup offers various incentives on its ground, next-day, and international deliveries for shipments from the USA.
UPS has a system of shipping discounts developed specifically for small businesses. You can easily add your UPS account to Calcurates with your UPS negotiated rates and enjoy cost-effective shipping with all the advanced shipping features.

If you combine applicable discounts, UPS may become a very cost-effective option for shipping even given that their regular rates are higher than those of their competitors.
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UPS Discounts
  • UPS Small Business Program: 40% off all services for the first eight weeks
  • UPS Small Business Program: 30% off online print products, 15% off on packaging services
  • UPS Smart Pickup: offers many discounts on its ground and international shipping services
Let's check if Calcurates meets your shipping needs!
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FedEx Shipping Discounts

While information about the UPS offers is scattered throughout the website, some information about FedEx shipping discounts can be found also on the home page. There is also a page about FedEx Promo Codes & Offers.

American Express and FedEx joined forces to offer more savings for businesses through Amex Offers.

Here's what you can expect with FedEx Small Business Resources Center:
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FedEx Discounts
  • FedEx Small Business Resource Center: 30% off on shipping with FedEx Express® , FedEx Ground®, and FedEx Freight® services
  • 20% off your next $100 print order
  • Save 50% on courier service with FedEx Same Day® City 
Calcurates Related Features

USPS Shipping Discounts

There are many USPS shipping discounts, businesses can take advantage of. As their standard rates are modest, it should not surprise you that the cuts are much lower than those of FedEx and UPS.
You can get discounted rates with two USPS solutions: Click-N-Ship and PC Postage. Both allow for printing labels at home and provide customers with several perks like free priority mail pick up and free postal supplies.
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USPS Discounts
  • 5% off retail prices on all Priority Mail Express shipments
  • Up to 11% off retail prices on all Priority Mail shipments, depending on weight and distance
  • Up to 8% for Priority Mail Express International (does not include Flat Rate items)

DHL Shipping Discounts

You won't find a clear list of DHL shipping discounts on their website or anywhere else. That's because they rely on personal negotiation for each account. They do list the maximum you can get with each offer.

DHL Discounts


The DHL Express Business account can be set up at DHL. However, the discount depends on the business profile provided and the volume of the shipments.
DHL is trying to win over customers with extra services for account holders rather than just discounts. And with some of their offers working without a business account (a credit card account), this company may become a perfect pick for some cases.

Special eBay Discounts

If your supply chain involves eBay, you are in luck: all three major shipping carriers in the US partnered with eBay. Each company provides substantial discounts to all eBay sellers and provides free branded shipping supplies along with discounted label printing. You can expect:

eBay Discounts

  • Up to 25% off USPS services
  • Up to 37% off FedEx services
  • And up to 34% off UPS services

Coupon Codes for Additional Discounts

UPS has extended the use of their coupon code EASY which allows you to save up to 10% off UPS Ground, 20% UPS Air, and 30% off UPS Worldwide. That promotion will likely be active throughout the crisis.

Avoid shady websites that claim they sell codes and coupons for shipping services. Although there are special discounts provided exclusively to some of the shipping carriers' partners, there's a risk that you'll pay for a non-working or otherwise free coupon. Also, remember that postage stamps are rarely discounted due to their low price.

There are some online directories like Yelp, where you can scout for special offers and deals. Search for shipping centers that can be offering special discounts, especially during upcoming sales events or holidays such as Black Friday or Christmas.

First Time Shipping Discounts for Small Businesses

Most of the available shipping rate discounts exist to incentivize new clients to choose one company over the other. That implies that you will get the most out of your offers during the first months of working with a shipping carrier.
You may choose to sign up for an account when you have a steady flow of orders to take full advantage of the offers, or you can do it in the beginning so you can use the combined shipping discounts to lighten the financial burden when you need it the most.

When shipping with a new company for the first time, remember that many discounts are weight- and size-dependent: sending a lighter/tighter package could result in greater savings. For a more detailed look at tips for cutting shipping costs.
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How to Calculate Available Shipping Discounts

When you're trying to calculate the lowest shipping cost for your orders, you have two options.

You can do it manually by checking all the carriers' websites regularly and keeping track of all current and new offers.
Or you might use an automated online solution like Calcurates, which performs these tasks in real-time. It automatically combines all of the existing discounts, scans for new ones, and provides you with only the best options for each order.
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