Shipment validation

When you create a shipment using a UPS® Global Checkout quote, UPS validates that the information provided at time of shipment matches what was used to generate the original checkout quote. This validation ensures that the guaranteed landed cost remains accurate for the respective shipment.

How validation works 

When using the Global Checkout API to calculate duties and taxes, a quoteId is returned. This ID must be passed into the UPS Ship API request using the QuoteID field.

During label creation, UPS validates the products provided in the InternationalForms inputs against the items supplied in the original Global Checkout API call. Some fields will be validated for exact matches, others will be automatically overwritten with quote values, and some will be ignored.

If validation succeeds, the landed cost guarantee applies. If certain fields have significant mismatches, the guarantee will be invalidated for that shipment, though the label request will still succeed.

Exact match requirements 

The following fields must match between the original checkout request and the ship request. Mismatches in these fields will void the landed cost guarantee:

Additional validations:

• New products cannot be added at time of shipment that weren't in the original quote
• Product quantities cannot be increased beyond what was quoted

If a mismatch is detected during validation:

• The shipment will still proceed, but the guarantee is removed
• Duties and taxes will be invoiced directly to the shipper's UPS account
• No UPS-driven billing occurs for the duties and taxes

Overwritten fields 

If the fields below are present in the Ship API request, they will be overwritten with the values associated with the quoteId. These fields are controlled by the original quote:

Any additional cart data not used in the validation or overwrite processes will be ignored by the backend.

Validation outcomes 

If validation succeeds

When the InternationalForms data matches what was originally quoted:

• The landed cost guarantee will apply
• UPS will bill only the quoted amount in duties, taxes, and fees along with your transportation invoice
• The label will display "P/P TPR" in the Billing Terms section
• Fields listed in the "Fields that will be overwritten" section may change

If validation fails

If the InternationalForms data does not match what was originally quoted:

• Label request will succeed, but billing terms will not show "P/P TPR"
• The landed cost guarantee will not apply
• Duties and taxes will be invoiced to the shipper, regardless of the incoterms in the label request
• The returned duty and tax values may be considered informational only
• Values in the InternationalForms will not be overwritten

Note: If validation fails for any reason, the API response will include an alert message stating "Global Checkout guarantee not applied". In this case, the order will not be guaranteed.

Best practices 

To ensure successful validation and maintain landed cost guarantees:

• Always pass a valid quote ID when creating a UPS label
• Implement measures to ensure the same cart values are provided during both checkout and label creation
• If order changes commonly occur between quote and shipment, implement a re-quoting mechanism in your Order Management System at any point where orders may be edited
• Keep consistent product quantities between the quote and shipment request
• Ensure address data remains unchanged between quote and shipment
• Review validation failures regularly to identify patterns and implement corrections

Consistent mismatches may lead to customer complaints, customs clearance delays, or underpaid duty and tax liabilities.