FileMaker Shipping

NRGship Compatibility with macOS Golden Gate

macOS 27, also known as Golden Gate was released on September 14, 2026. Golden Gate is is a free update from Apple. It requires a Mac with Apple Silicon processors as it has dropped support for older Intel processor Mac. NRGship for UPS, NRGship Pro for UPS and NRGship Pro for FedEx have been tested under Golden Gate, however we highly suggest users wait to upgrade to ensure compatibility across all installed applications. For customers using NRGship with FileMaker, please check Claris Website for any issues. Note that future macOS releases will require NRGship Pro upgrades coming in early 2027.

2026-10-08T17:34:00+00:00October 8th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, Mac Shipping, Press Releases|
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The Evolution of the USPS Shipping Label: From Paper Stickers to Intelligent Mail

Shipping labels are so commonplace today that we rarely give them much thought.

Print a label, stick it on a box and hand the package to the carrier.

But an old cardboard box recently reminded us just how dramatically that process has changed.

Attached to the box is a USPS Priority Mail Label 107 dated December 1992, complete with the older USPS eagle design. Next to it is a computer-generated address label with an early postal barcode.

Together, those two pieces of paper capture a fascinating moment in shipping history — when the U.S. Postal Service was moving rapidly from human-readable addresses and simple service stickers toward the automated, data-driven shipping network we know today.

The 1980s: Barcodes Come to the Mail

One of the biggest changes in modern postal automation was the introduction of machine-readable postal barcodes.

The POSTNET barcode — Postal Numeric Encoding Technique — allowed ZIP Code information to be represented by a distinctive series of tall and short bars.

Instead of relying entirely on a person or optical character recognition system to interpret an address repeatedly as mail moved through the network, sorting equipment could read standardized routing information directly from the barcode.

It was an important step toward making the package or mailpiece itself machine-readable.

For businesses, this was also the beginning of a much larger transformation.

Computers weren’t merely keeping customer lists anymore. They were becoming part of the shipping process.

1992: A Package Caught Between Two Eras

Our surviving 1992 package is a particularly interesting example.

The large red, white and blue PRIORITY MAIL sticker is identified as:

LABEL 107, DEC. 1992

Its purpose was straightforward. It told postal employees that the package was traveling via Priority Mail.

But it wasn’t the shipping label as we would think of one today.

The destination information appears on a completely separate computer-generated label.

That label contains the recipient’s address, ZIP+4 information and a POSTNET-style barcode.

So instead of one integrated label containing virtually everything USPS needs to process a shipment, the package carries several separate pieces of information.

It’s a physical snapshot of shipping technology in transition.

1993: The Eagle Changes

The timing of this particular Label 107 makes it even more interesting.

On October 12, 1993, the Postal Service unveiled the streamlined “sonic eagle” corporate logo that remains familiar today.

That means our December 1992 Priority Mail sticker comes from immediately before one of the most recognizable USPS branding changes of the modern era.

The older eagle on the label would soon disappear from newly designed postal materials as the faster-looking blue eagle began appearing on Post Offices, vehicles, uniforms, packaging and labels.

Sometimes you really can date a package by its graphics.

The 1990s: More Information Moves Onto the Label

During the 1990s, shipping labels became increasingly standardized.

Computers became common in shipping departments. Laser printers became more affordable. Dedicated shipping software became increasingly practical for businesses.

At the same time, postal automation continued to advance.

Labels weren’t simply identifying who should receive a package anymore.

They were becoming interfaces between the shipper’s computer system and the carrier’s automated network.

The barcode was becoming just as important as the printed address.

Label 228: An Icon of Priority Mail

Another USPS label became particularly recognizable during this period: Label 228.

The large Priority Mail address label combined prominent Priority Mail branding with spaces for sender and recipient information.

Millions of packages carried variations of Label 228 over the years.

Interestingly, Label 228 eventually became recognizable far outside the shipping industry. Its large blank adhesive surface made it popular with sticker artists and graffiti writers, turning an ordinary postal supply into an unlikely piece of American street-art culture.

For shippers, however, it represented something more practical: the gradual consolidation of information onto a standardized shipping label.

2002: Shipping Moves Online

The next major leap occurred when the shipping label became connected to the Internet.

USPS launched Click-N-Ship in 2002.

For the first time, ordinary USPS customers could conveniently create and pay for shipping labels online and print them themselves.

The idea caught on quickly. USPS reported that customers generated one million Click-N-Ship labels within the service’s first six months.

This represented a fundamental change.

Previously, a label primarily told the Postal Service what to do with a package after USPS received it.

Now an electronic record of the shipment could exist before the box ever reached a Post Office.

The physical label was becoming the visible portion of a digital transaction.

The Rise of the 4 × 6 Shipping Label

At the same time, businesses were increasingly adopting dedicated thermal label printers.

The familiar 4 × 6 shipping label gradually became the standard format throughout much of the parcel industry.

There were good reasons.

Thermal printers were fast.

They didn’t require ink or toner.

Labels could be printed individually instead of feeding sheets through an office printer.

And, most importantly, barcodes could be printed consistently enough for high-speed automated scanning.

A modern shipping station would have looked remarkably advanced beside its early-1990s counterpart.

Yet the fundamental workflow remained recognizable:

Get an address. Select a service. Print a label. Put it on the box.

Everything happening behind those steps, however, was changing.

2010s: Intelligent Mail

Postal barcodes eventually made another major technological leap.

USPS transitioned business mail from POSTNET to the Intelligent Mail barcode, or IMb.

POSTNET was officially retired for automation-rate purposes on January 28, 2013.

For parcels, USPS developed the Intelligent Mail package barcode, or IMpb.

These newer barcodes could do much more than simply encode routing information.

They could associate an individual mailpiece or package with electronic information stored inside USPS systems.

That allowed substantially better tracking, visibility and automation.

The barcode on a package was no longer merely telling a sorting machine where the box should go.

It was effectively an identifier connecting the physical package with its digital record.

Today’s Label Is Really a Data Record

Look at a modern USPS shipping label and you’ll still see familiar information:

The sender.

The recipient.

The service.

The tracking number.

The barcode.

But much of the important information isn’t intended to be read by a person at all.

The label is designed to interact with scanners, sorting systems, databases and tracking networks.

Before the carrier ever receives the box, shipping software can transmit information electronically.

Once USPS scans the package, that physical package and its electronic record travel through the network together.

The piece of paper stuck to the box has essentially become the package’s digital identity card.

Shipping Software Evolves Alongside the Label

Shipping software followed the same evolution.

Early systems primarily helped businesses print addresses and forms.

Modern shipping software communicates directly with carrier systems.

Solutions such as NRGship can take shipping information already stored within a business system and use it to generate carrier-compliant labels, tracking information and electronic shipment data.

Instead of retyping an address onto a label, businesses can move information directly from their order or business-management system into the shipping workflow.

And once a shipment is created, tracking and other shipment information can flow back into those systems.

The modern label may still be a piece of adhesive paper.

The process behind it is entirely digital.

From Label 107 to Intelligent Mail

That brings us back to our cardboard box from 1992.

At first glance, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about it.

It’s an old box with an old Priority Mail sticker.

But look closer.

There’s the classic USPS eagle.

There’s Label 107, December 1992.

There’s a separately printed address label.

And beneath that address is an early machine-readable postal barcode.

All of the pieces of the modern shipping label are beginning to appear — they simply haven’t been combined yet.

Just ten months after that Label 107 was dated, USPS would introduce its new sonic eagle corporate identity.

A decade later, customers would be printing postage-paid USPS shipping labels over the Internet.

And two decades later, USPS would be transitioning parcel shipments toward Intelligent Mail package barcodes tied directly to electronic shipment information.

Today we click Ship, a thermal printer produces a label a second later, and we barely think about what just happened.

But more than 30 years of shipping technology are hiding behind that little piece of paper.

Sometimes the best way to appreciate how far shipping technology has come is simply to find an old box — and look at what’s still stuck to it.

2026-08-16T19:47:12+00:00August 16th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, General, Mac Shipping, Uncategorized|
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UPS Is Moving From Scanning to Sensing: NRGship Supports RFID Shipping Labels

UPS is transforming package tracking with RFID-enabled shipping labels. Here’s what the technology means for shippers—and how NRGship supports the next generation of package identification.

UPS RFID Labels Show First-Scan on Pickup

For more than 30 years, the barcode has been one of the foundations of package shipping.

Print a shipping label. Put it on the box. Scan the barcode as the package moves through the carrier network.

It’s a process so familiar that we rarely think about its biggest limitation:

Someone—or something—has to scan the barcode.

UPS is now changing that model with a major rollout of RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, across its U.S. small-package network.

UPS describes it as the move from “scanning to sensing.”

And with NRGship support for UPS RFID labeling, businesses can bring this next generation of package identification into their shipping workflows.

What Is an RFID Shipping Label?

An RFID shipping label looks much like the thermal shipping labels businesses already use.

What’s different is what’s inside it.

Embedded within the label is a tiny RFID chip and antenna, commonly called an RFID inlay. The tag can communicate using radio frequency when it comes within range of compatible RFID readers.

That means the package doesn’t necessarily have to be positioned in front of a barcode scanner.

There doesn’t even need to be a direct line of sight.

UPS says its RFID technology can detect multiple packages from a distance, allowing RFID-enabled packages to be automatically sensed as they move through vehicles and facilities.

The difference is simple but significant:

Barcode → Find the label and scan the package

RFID → Sense the package automatically

The Label Still Looks Familiar

RFID doesn’t mean UPS is throwing away the barcode.

An RFID-enabled UPS label can still contain the familiar human-readable address, tracking information, routing information and machine-readable barcodes.

The RFID tag adds another layer of package identification.

So rather than thinking:

Barcode OR RFID

think:

Shipping Data + Printed Label + Barcode + RFID

All of them identify the same physical shipment.

Conventional scanning can continue while RFID sensors add opportunities to automatically detect packages as they move through the UPS network.

From a Scanning Network to a Sensing Network

This is where RFID becomes much more interesting than simply adding another technology to a shipping label.

A barcode is passive until something scans it.

RFID allows infrastructure to detect a tagged package automatically.

Imagine packages being loaded into a UPS vehicle. Traditionally, identifying those packages depends heavily on individual barcode scans.

With RFID readers built into the environment, packages can instead be detected as they move through it.

The network starts becoming more aware of the physical movement of the package.

UPS describes this transformation as moving from a scanning network to a sensing network.

That’s a significant change in how package visibility works.

UPS Has Rolled RFID Out Across Its U.S. Network

This isn’t simply a small pilot program.

In 2026, UPS announced a broad rollout of RFID package sensing across its U.S. small-package network. UPS says RFID sensing technology has been installed in its U.S. package delivery vehicles and delivery facilities across the country.

UPS has also extended the technology to packages shipped through more than 5,500 The UPS Store locations and says it has invested more than $100 million developing and implementing RFID sensing.

That’s considerably different from RFID’s earlier role as a specialized technology for selected high-value or critical shipments.

RFID is becoming part of the broader UPS transportation network.

RFID Can Help Catch the Wrong Package on the Wrong Truck

One of the most practical benefits of RFID is preventing misloads.

A package can have a perfectly correct shipping label and still end up on the wrong delivery vehicle.

RFID gives UPS another way to detect that problem.

Sensors can identify RFID-enabled packages as they are loaded, helping determine whether a package is where it is supposed to be.

UPS reports that its RFID sensing technology has helped reduce package misloads by nearly 70 percent.

That’s a good illustration of why RFID isn’t simply about giving customers more tracking events.

It can also help UPS use package-location information to improve the transportation operation itself.

Better Visibility From the Beginning

RFID also creates opportunities for better visibility near the beginning of a package’s journey.

Traditionally, there can be a gap between the time a shipper hands over a package and the first meaningful tracking event appearing in the carrier network.

More automatic package sensing can help reduce that uncertainty.

For a business shipping high-value or time-sensitive products, there’s an important difference between:

“The shipping label was created.”

and:

“UPS physically has the package.”

More frequent package detection can help close that visibility gap.

Tracking with RFID Labels

More Data Can Mean Earlier Intervention

Additional package-location information can also create opportunities to identify problems sooner.

Instead of depending exclusively on individual barcode scans, a sensing network can potentially provide additional information about where a package actually traveled.

That can be particularly valuable for shipments involving:

  • Healthcare products
  • High-value goods
  • Time-critical deliveries
  • Regulated products
  • Temperature-sensitive items
  • Important replacement parts

But RFID isn’t useful only for specialized shipments.

As the sensing infrastructure becomes part of the broader UPS network, the technology has the potential to improve visibility for everyday package transportation as well.

UPS Premier Gave Us an Early Look at RFID Shipping

RFID isn’t entirely new to UPS—or to NRGship.

UPS Premier provided an earlier example of how sensor technology could be incorporated into parcel shipping.

UPS Premier is designed for critical shipments requiring enhanced visibility and specialized handling. Depending on the Premier service level, UPS uses technologies including RFID and other sensor technologies.

NRGship has supported RFID-enabled UPS Premier Silver labels, allowing compatible RFID thermal printers to produce the labels required for those shipments.

What began as specialized technology for premium, critical shipments is now becoming part of a much broader UPS package network.

NRGship Now Supports UPS RFID Labeling

For NRGship users, the important part isn’t simply that UPS has installed RFID readers.

The shipping station also needs to be able to create the appropriate RFID-enabled shipping label.

NRGship now supports UPS RFID labeling as part of the shipping workflow.

Instead of creating a shipment and treating RFID as an unrelated secondary process, RFID labeling can become part of the same workflow used to generate the UPS shipment.

Conceptually:

Order → NRGship → UPS → RFID-Enabled Shipping Label

The shipping information still comes from the business system.

NRGship communicates with UPS.

The label still prints at the shipping station.

But now the physical label can also contain the electronic identity used by UPS’s sensing network.

RFID Requires More Than a Regular Thermal Printer

There is an important hardware difference between conventional and RFID shipping labels.

A standard thermal printer only needs to print information onto the surface of the label.

An RFID printer has another job.

It must encode the RFID tag embedded inside the label while also printing the visible shipping information.

That requires compatible RFID-capable thermal printing hardware and the appropriate RFID label stock.

The result still looks and behaves much like a conventional shipping label from the operator’s perspective.

Underneath the printed surface, however, the label contains an electronic RFID inlay that gives the package another machine-readable identity.

The Package Becomes Part of the Network

Perhaps the easiest way to understand the importance of RFID is to look at how package identification has evolved.

Paper

A person reads the package.

The shipping label communicates primarily with a human.

Barcode

A scanner reads the package.

The label gives the package a machine-readable identity.

RFID

The network senses the package.

The package can be detected automatically as it moves through the transportation system.

That’s a fundamental shift.

The label isn’t simply carrying information anymore. It’s becoming part of the network.

What RFID Means for NRGship Customers

For businesses using NRGship, RFID is another step in the same automation journey that has transformed shipping for decades.

Shipping automation has always been about eliminating unnecessary manual steps.

Don’t retype an address your business system already knows.

Don’t manually enter a weight a connected scale can provide.

Don’t copy a tracking number that software can return automatically.

And now:

Don’t require a person to scan a package when the carrier network can sense it automatically.

The technologies change, but the principle remains the same.

Use software and automation to connect the physical movement of a package with the information that drives the business.

The Future of the Shipping Label Is Already Here

RFID can sound like a technology that belongs several years in the future.

It doesn’t.

UPS is already deploying RFID sensing at massive scale throughout its U.S. small-package operation.

UPS has spent decades building increasingly sophisticated ways to identify packages.

First, we read them.

Then, we scanned them.

Now, we’re beginning to sense them.

For NRGship customers, support for UPS RFID labeling means the shipping station can participate in that evolution.

The next generation of the UPS shipping label isn’t simply something you can read or scan. It’s something the network can sense.

Learn More About NRGship and UPS RFID Labeling

NRGship helps businesses integrate carrier shipping with their existing order-processing, ecommerce, ERP, FileMaker and warehouse workflows.

With support for UPS RFID-enabled labeling, NRGship can help businesses take advantage of UPS’s transition from traditional package scanning toward a more automated sensing network.

Contact NRG Software to learn more about NRGship UPS RFID support, compatible RFID printers and RFID label requirements.

2026-10-19T18:13:48+00:00August 16th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, Mac Shipping, Press Releases, Uncategorized|
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It’s like NRGship was made for MacBook Neo

Apple recently released MacBook Neo, an amazing Mac at a surprising price.  With a price point of $599 and performance that is comparable to other modern day Macs, Neo is the perfect replacement for an aging Intel MacBook Air or Mac mini.

Unlike other Macs which you can shop for locally at The Apple Store or Best Buy, the Neo is also available at Target and Walmart. We recently made a stop at Target and found that sales have been brisk since launch with the only available color option of Indigo.

 

Shortly after setting up our Neo as a new computer we were able to install and test NRGship for UPS. The 13″ screen size is perfect for the simplified shipping interface.

Next we installed NRGship Pro for UPS. Again, the screen size provided ease of use for more complex shipping needs.

Lastly, we installed Claris FileMaker Pro v22 and ran a suite of benchmark tests from 24U software. The Neo result was a 27.94 rating which is faster than a Mac Studio M3 Ultra with 256GB of RAM.

As you can see, the new MacBook Neo truly is an economical replacement for an aging Mac.

2026-03-17T02:44:56+00:00March 17th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, FileMaker Tips, General, Mac Shipping|
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Ship Connect now supports OnTrac

OnTrac is The #1 Alternative Carrier Network for ecommerce, built to compete with traditional carriers on speed, cost, and service. With delivery reach to 75%+ of the U.S. population across 48 of the top 50 metros, OnTrac operates a 7-day-a-week pickup, sort, and delivery network designed specifically for residential ecommerce shipping.
 
OnTrac Ground delivers packages up to 2 days faster than national carriers, while helping shippers reduce costs with a network built for modern ecommerce demand.
 
Through Ship Connect, you can now rate, ship, and track packages with OnTrac alongside other major carriers. The integration supports key OnTrac features including email delivery notifications and signature options, making it easy to add the leading alternative carrier network to your shipping workflow.
 

Ship Connect: OnTrac

If you’re interested in hearing more about how NRG can connect your FileMaker database, ERP or ecommerce system with providers like OnTrac, please contact our sales department.
 
To learn more about OnTrac visit https://www.ontrac.com/residential-e-commerce-delivery/.
2026-03-11T21:31:53+00:00March 11th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, General, Mac Shipping, Press Releases|
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NRG achieves FedEx Compatible Community status for 2026

In early February we had the honor of attending the FedEx Envision Summit in Orlando, Florida. This invitation-only event is put on by FedEx Services for its top tier solution providers. One of the highlights was a panel discussion with Richard W Smith, chief operating officer, International, and chief executive officer, Airline, FedEx.

 

When looking for a trusted business solution, you can count on NRG solutions for your FedEx shipping needs.

NRG is part of the FedEx Compatible Solutions Program, which integrates FedEx shipping capability into many of the most popular business software systems, like FileMaker Pro. 

NRGship is designed to streamline shipping processes for businesses of all sizes, providing enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and customer satisfaction.

FedEx tests the shipping functionality of each solution to make sure it provides the reliability you expect from FedEx – with fast processing, powerful tracking and a broad array of services. 

NRGship offers a range of powerful features:

  • Seamless Integration: Easily integrate FedEx shipping functionality into existing business systems, reducing manual processes and increasing efficiency.
  • Automated Shipping: Generate shipping labels, track packages, and manage shipments automatically, saving time and reducing errors.
  • Customized Solutions: Tailor the integration to meet specific business needs, ensuring a perfect fit for every customer.
  • Real-Time Updates: Stay informed with real-time tracking and status updates for all shipments, providing greater visibility and control.

Contact us any time if you would like to discuss which NRG solutions meet your needs!

 

2026-02-27T01:35:25+00:00February 27th, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, Mac Shipping, Press Releases|
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End-Of-Life for Older Versions of NRGship for UPS

In January 2026, UPS ended support for the authentication method used in older builds of NRGship. Because of this, customers will be unable to view rates in these older versions of the software. The fix is to update to a current release of NRGship.

Since June 2024, NRG Software has supported UPS’s new OAuth login to connect NRGship with your UPS.com profile. The article below explains the process for each of our solutions. As always, contact NRGship Support if you need assistance!

Upgrading your NRGship solution for UPS June 2024 API Updates

2026-01-23T14:07:39+00:00January 23rd, 2026|FileMaker Shipping, Mac Shipping, Press Releases|
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NRG provides shipping solutions for Claris FileMaker Pro for over 20 years

We were recently doing some documentation cleanup and I noticed an image that looks like it could go back to 2004 or so, and it got me thinking about how long we’ve been doing shipping solutions for Claris FileMaker Pro. According to WayBack, we released our first postal solution (FileMaker Pro 4) in early 2003 and our first UPS solution (FileMaker Pro 6) in early 2004  during the Apple Aqua interface phase. (Apple recently announced  macOS 26 which will have a new software design called “Liquid Glass.”)

We’ve heard objections over the years by other FileMaker Developers where they are hesitant to implement solutions that they themselves did not create because of future support. Over the past 20+ years we have continually provided award-winning support, updates and new functionality due to carrier API technology and other business changes.

If you’re interested in learning more about how NRGship solutions can improve your shipping, please contact our sales department.

2025-09-16T17:46:55+00:00June 20th, 2025|FileMaker Shipping, Press Releases|
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NRGship provides UPS® Track Alert add-on to Pro software

Over the years we’ve had many requests for the ability to see UPS delivery photos inside of NRGship. We’re pleased to announce that we’re the first UPS Ready® solution provider to offer this functionality. Previously, you’d have to open the tracking link for UPS.com to view the photo which would be available for a limited time. Many customers then archive that photo for proof of delivery. With this new functionality it’s all contained directly in NRGship Pro for UPS which provides easy access.

UPS Track Alert also notifies immediately on delivery without the need to constantly track shipments. This can greatly reduce overhead of internal systems which use excessive resources for this task. It also improves customer service efficiency since the most recent shipment history is available.

Customers using NRGship FM for UPS can leverage UPS Track Alert webhooks directly in their solution files by using a custom webhook endpoint. Check out this support article for more details on using webhooks with Otto from Proof+Geist.

For more information on UPS Track Alert please check out our Service Overview.

 

2025-09-23T20:03:33+00:00June 5th, 2025|FileMaker Shipping, General, Mac Shipping|
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UPS SurePost® & Ground Saver® Changes

Starting April 2, 2025, UPS will replace the name SurePost® with Ground Saver® as its economy product. For Direct-to-Consumer customers looking to reduce costs while maintaining a high level of service or for those shipping lower value merchandise, UPS Ground Saver provides the efficiency and reliability of the UPS Ground network – the premier ground service in the industry. This change will appear in all shipping, billing, pricing systems and labels.

UPS Ground Saver® in NRGship for UPS

In addition, the free Declared Value Coverage will be reduced from $100 to $20/package. If additional liability is needed above $20, NRGship Pro for UPS customers can purchase InsureShield® Coverage starting at $1.00 per $100 of insured value, up to a maximum liability limit of $5,000 per package.

2025-04-07T20:42:35+00:00April 4th, 2025|FileMaker Shipping, Mac Shipping|
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