A UPS account number is a six-digit number tied to your shipping account, and you can get one for free in just a few minutes by signing up on the UPS website. You’ll need this number to schedule pickups, ship packages at negotiated rates, bill shipments to your account, and manage invoices. Here’s how to set one up and where to find it if you already have one.
Create a UPS Profile First
Before you can open a shipping account, you need a basic UPS profile (sometimes called a UPS.com username). This is the login you use to access any UPS online service, but it doesn’t automatically come with a shipping account number. If you’ve ever tracked a package while logged in to ups.com, you likely already have a profile.
To create one, go to ups.com and click “Sign Up.” You’ll enter your name, email address, and a password. This step is free and takes about a minute. Once your profile exists, you can add a shipping account to it.
Open a Shipping Account
With your profile ready, navigate to the “Open an Account” page under Business Solutions on the UPS website. The signup process has a few short stages:
- Identity verification. UPS will ask questions to confirm who you are. This typically involves providing your name, address, and phone number. For business accounts, expect to enter your company name and address as well.
- Shipping profile questions. UPS asks about your expected shipping volume and the types of services you’re interested in. Your answers help UPS determine whether you qualify for a personalized discount on shipping rates.
- Payment method. You’ll link a credit card, debit card, or bank account so UPS can bill you for shipments. Some accounts also qualify for weekly invoice billing, where charges accumulate and you pay on a set schedule rather than per shipment.
Once you complete these steps, UPS assigns you a six-digit account number. The whole process typically wraps up in under five minutes. You don’t need to submit any physical paperwork or wait for approval in most cases.
Where to Find Your Existing Account Number
If you already opened a shipping account but can’t remember the number, there are a few places to look.
The easiest option is to log in to your UPS profile at ups.com. Your account number appears in your account settings or billing section once you’re signed in. If you have multiple shipping accounts linked to one profile, each will be listed separately with its own six-digit number.
Your account number also appears on any UPS invoice. Look near the top of the document alongside your name and address. If you receive invoices by email, search your inbox for messages from UPS. The number on any of your last three invoices will work if you need it for verification purposes, such as linking the account to a new user profile.
If you ship through a third-party platform (like an e-commerce tool or shipping software), your UPS account number is usually stored in that platform’s carrier settings. Check wherever you originally entered your UPS credentials.
What You Can Do With an Account Number
A UPS account number unlocks several features you don’t get when shipping as a guest or paying at a UPS Store counter without an account:
- Negotiated rates. Account holders often receive discounted shipping prices based on their volume. UPS tailors these discounts during signup and may adjust them as your shipping history grows.
- Bill-to-account shipping. You can charge shipments directly to your account rather than paying with a card at the time of each label purchase. This is especially useful for businesses managing high volumes.
- Scheduled pickups. Instead of dropping packages at a UPS location, you can request regular or one-time pickups from your address.
- Third-party billing. Your account number lets someone else ship on your behalf and bill the charges to you. This comes up frequently when vendors or customers need to send something at your expense.
Adding an Account to Another Profile
Sometimes you need to link an existing UPS account number to a different user profile, for example, when a new employee needs access to your company’s shipping account. To do this, the new user logs into their own UPS profile and adds the shipper account using the six-digit number. UPS will ask for verification details from a recent invoice tied to that account, so have one of your last three invoices handy before starting.
Each UPS profile can have multiple shipping accounts attached to it, and each shipping account can be shared across multiple profiles. This makes it straightforward for teams to manage shipping without passing around a single login.
Personal vs. Business Accounts
UPS doesn’t restrict shipping accounts to businesses. Individuals can open one too, and the process is the same. The practical difference is volume: business accounts that ship frequently tend to qualify for steeper rate discounts. If you only ship a few packages a year, you’ll still benefit from having an account number for convenience and tracking, but the savings per package will be modest. Either way, the account itself costs nothing to open or maintain.