QuickBooks Shipping: How do I ship using UPS, FedEx, or USPS?

QuickBooks Shipping Manager

Did you know that you can ship directly from QuickBooks, without adding software?

There is a simple Shipping Manager within QuickBooks that can be set-up to work with your UPS, FedEx, or USPS shipping account.

To set-up your QuickBooks Shipping Manager, click on File--> Shipping. Then Click the type of shipping account to use. If you use all three to ship, you can set up all three.

After the QuickBooks Shipping Manager is set up with your account information, click on the Ship button at the top of your invoice.  Follow the instructions, add the weight, etc., and ship!  When there is a tracking number, it will populate back to the invoice. You can print your end of day manifest when you are finished shipping for the day.

Have you previously tried to use the QuickBooks Shipping Manager and run into issues?

The only real limitation that we hear about frequently is the fact that you can only ship domestically. If you do need to ship internationally and do not want to invest in a third party solution, you can log directly into the shipping website and print your label there. There are some address limitations in QuickBooks, as it was designed for US use only. There are many work-arounds for international addresses though, depending on your specific needs. If you ship internationally often, you may want to consider a third party that assists with international shipping.

We have heard people say that QuickBooks and the Shipping Manager only allows you to ship one package per invoice; this is a misunderstanding of the process. If you ship more than one package for one invoice, you are assigned one tracking number on the first package, and it applies to all subsequent packages on that invoice.

Another common question is how to “share” the QuickBooks Shipping Manager. It appears when you set it up that only the computer that it is set up on will allow you to access your shipping account.  It is possible to access the database for the QuickBooks Shipping Manager across a network. This involves moving the database file (Database.v4) to a network location, and then informing your QuickBooks Shipping Manager where you relocated the file to. If you are unfamiliar with your network, it is a good idea to get help from your IT people, or contact the QuickBooks experts at ebs Associates.

Is your QuickBooks in the Cloud? No problem. There are some things to set up differently, but it is possible!

Some companies have no issue using the Shipping Manager within QuickBooks, while other people find it far too simplistic for their needs. In this economy, we are all trying to get the most out of the money we spend on our software. Choosing how we invest in financial software is no different.  When we purchase QuickBooks we expect certain tasks, such as shipping to be made as simple as possible. It makes sense to use what we have to the best of its ability; however, there is no reason to cut corners if it will end up causing more issues later. There is a delicate balance that each business needs to customize for their unique purpose.

If you require a more robust solution for shipping, there are many products that integrate with QuickBooks, and you can find a list of those products here.

There are almost 400 QuickBooks third party shipping options that Intuit has on the Marketplace website. Please let us know if you need help choosing the best fit for your needs.