UPShas said it has the first package
carrier to offer customers a paperless international shipping
system.
The paperless capability can be used for packages to 98
countries, said UPS.
The new service - UPS Paperless Invoice - will be introduced in
January, and will make it easier for customers to expand their
businesses to new markets around the globe, UPS said.
"This is truly a breakthrough for our customers when you look at
what goes into cross-border shipping today," said Kurt Kuehn, UPS
senior vice-president of worldwide sales and marketing.
"Businesses of all sizes count on UPS to simplify international
shipping and optimise their supply chains, and we are dramatically
changing the future of global shipping," he said.
UPS Paperless Invoice will enable customers shipping small
packages internationally to "go paperless." It will use UPS
technology to help integrate order processing, shipment preparation
and commercial invoice data, and then transmit that data to customs
offices across the globe, eliminating the need for paper commercial
invoices.
Once launched, UPS will be the only carrier to offer customers a
paperless commercial invoice process for international
shipping.
Because information is stored electronically, UPS said,
customers reduce their chance of making manual errors when filling
out customs documentation.
The technology also prevents them from submitting incomplete
customs paperwork. Incomplete forms are one of the main reasons
shipments are held for clearance.
In addition, a new UPS Returns service allows recipients to
return goods using an international return label and commercial
invoice via e-mail, or from a UPS driver picking up the return
package.