How to Set Up a 3rd Party Billing Shipping Account

Setting up a third-party billing carrier account in ShipHero allows you to charge shipping labels to a different account than the main account used for fulfillment. This is particularly useful when you want to leverage your negotiated rates with carriers, such as when fulfilling wholesale orders for a retailer or working with a 3PL client.

This article explains how to set up third-party billing for different carrier accounts and how you can apply it to an order.

Using a 3rd Party Shipping Account for a Single Order

How to Enable 3rd Party Billing at the Carrier Account Level

Known Limitations, Restrictions, and Requirements

Troubleshooting Common Third-Party Shipping Errors

NOTE: ShipHero currently supports third-party billing for UPS and FedEx. Support for other major carriers like USPS and DHL, as well as regional providers, is not currently available. Other carrier will need to be directly connected to ShipHero and can be applied to specific orders using warehouse profiles. For more information, visit How to Connect Multiple Shipping Accounts to a Single Carrier. 

Using a 3rd Party Shipping Account for a Single Order

This section explains how to manually add a third-party billing carrier account to a single order on the order details page. 

IMPORTANT NOTES: This 3rd Party billing option is currently supported for UPS ONLY, and a UPS shipping method must be selected before the system will allow you to enter the third-party billing information to the order. 

1. Open the order details page.
2. Scroll to the Shipments Info section and click the Pencil Icon.
3. Enter the third-party shipping information in the pop-up:
   • 3rd Party Shipper Number
   • 3rd Party Shipper Zip Code
   • 3rd Party Shipper Country 
4. Click Update to save your changes.

How to Enable 3rd Party Billing at the Carrier Account Level

This section covers connecting the third-party billing account to the primary carrier account in the Shipping > Carriers page. This method is required when using the third-party billing option for FedEx accounts and is only supported for UPS and FedEx. We recommend using this method when third-party billing is needed for multiple orders. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must set up a unique warehouse profile before connecting the third-party billing account to the main carrier account. This profile will be used to assign orders to the third-party billing account. Visit this article to learn more about How to Use Warehouse Profiles.

**NOTE FOR 3PLs: Create the warehouse profile at the client account level; this allows it to be assigned/used in automation rules later.

1. In the Shipping > Carriers page, add the main UPS or FedEx account to the new warehouse profile. 
2. Then add the required 3rd Party Account information.

NOTE: If multi-warehouse is enabled, you must connect the third-party shipping account to each warehouse that will use the account for shipments.

Required Information for UPS

• Third-party shipper account number.
• Third-party shipper zip code.
• Third-party shipper country. (Note: Puerto Rico is considered a country for this purpose.)

Important Information About UPS 3rd Party Rates

By default, third-party shipping account rates are not visible in the quoting tools. Authorization is required for a third party to view UPS client rates. Please reach out to UPS for more information about authorization, then contact ShipHero Support to enable it accordingly.

Required Information for FedEx

• Third-party shipper account number. 

Important Information About FedEx 3rd Party Rates

By default, third-party shipping account rates are not visible in the quoting tools. Authorization is required for a third party to view FedEx client rates. Please reach out to FedEx for more information about authorization, then contact ShipHero Support to enable it accordingly.

Known Limitations, Restrictions, and Requirements

While third-party shipping offers significant benefits, it's essential to be aware of certain limitations and requirements:

• Carrier-Specific Rules: Each carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, etc.) has its own policies and technical requirements for third-party billing. Always confirm with the specific carrier for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
• Rate Visibility: As noted, viewing third-party account rates in ShipHero's quoting tools often requires explicit authorization from the carrier.
• Service Level Restrictions: Some specialized or discounted service levels may not be available for third-party billing, or they may have specific restrictions.
• Account Verification: Carriers may periodically verify the validity of third-party accounts, which could temporarily affect label generation if discrepancies are found.
• Invoice Management: While ShipHero facilitates the label generation, the actual invoices for third-party shipments will come directly from the carrier to the third-party account holder.
• International Shipping: International third-party shipping may have additional requirements, such as specific customs documentation or duties/taxes billing options.
• Account Status: The third-party account must remain in good standing with the carrier. Any issues like past-due invoices on the third-party account can prevent label generation.

Troubleshooting Common Third-Party Shipping Errors

Encountering issues with third-party shipping accounts can be frustrating. Here are some common errors and steps to troubleshoot them:

"Invalid Shipper Number" or "Account Not Found"

• Check Account Number: Double-check that the third-party shipper account number is entered correctly in ShipHero. Even a single-digit error can cause this.
• Verify Carrier Account Status: Confirm with the carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) that the third-party account is active and in good standing.
• Account Type: Ensure the account number provided is a valid billing account number, not just a customer ID.

"Billing Information Mismatch"

• Address Details: For UPS, ensure the third-party shipper's zip code and country precisely match the address associated with the account.
• Authorization: For both UPS and FedEx, confirm that the third-party account has authorized your ShipHero account (or the specific profile) to bill against it. This often requires direct communication with the carrier.

Rates Not Visible

• Carrier Authorization: As mentioned above, rates for third-party accounts are often hidden by default. You must contact UPS or FedEx directly to authorize ShipHero to view their rates. Once authorized, contact ShipHero Support to enable this in your account.
• Service Level: Ensure the selected shipping service level is supported by the third-party account.

Labels Not Generating

• Previous Errors: Check for any prior error messages during the label generation process. Address those first.
• Profile Assignment: Verify that the order is correctly assigned to the profile linked to the third-party account.
• Carrier System Downtime: Occasionally, carrier systems may experience downtime. Check the carrier's status page for any outages.

"Invalid Endorsement ID" (if applicable)

• Correct ID: Confirm the endorsement ID is accurately entered and is valid for the third-party account.
• Carrier Specifics: Some carriers have strict rules about where and how endorsement IDs can be used. Consult your carrier representative.

General Troubleshooting Steps

1. Refresh Data: Sometimes, simply refreshing the order page or carrier connection can resolve minor glitches.
2. Clear Cache: Clear your browser's cache and cookies.
3. Contact ShipHero Support: If you've tried the above steps and are still facing issues, provide ShipHero Support with the order number, carrier, and a detailed description of the error message you're receiving.