General

On Sunday, July 28, 2013 the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) implemented changes to mail class naming and label requirements. At the same time, they launched support for a new offering and expanded an existing international feature.

You may need to update your NRGship USPS software to support changes.  Contact NRG for assistance.

Key changes include:

• Express Mail is being renamed Priority Mail Express

• Express Mail International is being renamed Priority Mail Express International

• Both Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express labels will now show an estimated delivery time (1-DAY, 2-DAY, or 3-DAY) or special text for Military and DPO destinations.
  • You cannot choose between the various delivery times. The appropriate timeframe is calculated automatically based on origin and destination ZIP Codes.
  • Priority Mail delivery estimates are not guaranteed.
  • Priority Mail Express retains the Express Mail money-back guarantee.

• There will be a new design for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express packaging from USPS, however old packaging will still be accepted while supplies last.

• Priority Mail now includes $50 of free USPS insurance coverage for Commercial Base postage customers and $100 of free USPS insurance coverage for Commercial Plus postage customers.
  • You do not need to update your software to take advantage of this coverage.
  • All claims must be filed at usps.com.
  • An IMpb (Intelligent Mail package barcode) tracking barcode is required for your package to be eligible.

• Electronic Delivery Confirmation International service is now available to 13 countries in addition to Canada
  • This service is available for the Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Box, as well as all First-Class Package International Service parcels.
  • You do not need to update your software to access this service for the additional counties. The software will automatically default to adding the service when any of these countries is in the destination address.

• Many domestic shipping labels will now include a new Carrier Route Code. The Carrier Route code is a four-character code that will appear to the right of the return address and the immediate left of the current Retail Distribution Code.

Stop by our booth – we’re demoing our new Safari Extension for Ecommerce sites and Marketplaces.  The show runs through Saturday.

NRG is in the process of testing current versions of our products for compatibility with the public release of FileMaker Pro 12. Pre-release testing has shown no issues, however we would like to err on the side of caution as shipping is such a critical function for many organizations. Updates will be posted here as testing is completed.

Following on the heels of pickers and pawn brokers, A&E’s Shipping Wars premieres on Tuesday, January 10, 10/9C. This real-life series follows six independent shippers who have discovered that fortunes can be made transporting items that traditional carriers won’t touch. Dive into the cutthroat world of these heavy-duty movers as they battle for the chance to transport the unshippable.

Be sure to follow these shippers off-screen on Twitter!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV6CTqduv-I

Effective January 2, 2012, the following UPS rate increases will apply:

• UPS Ground services will increase a net 4.9% through a combination of a 5.9% increase in rates and a 1 percentage point reduction in the UPS Ground fuel surcharge.
• UPS Air and International services will increase a net 4.9% through a combination of a 6.9% increase in rates and a 2 percentage point reduction in the UPS Air and International services fuel surcharge. Rates for UPS Next Day Air^® remain up to 4% lower than our largest U.S. private competitor for similar services.
• UPS Next Day Air^® Freight and UPS 2nd Day Air^® Freight rates for shipments within and between the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico will increase 5.9%. UPS 3 Day Freight^® rates will remain unchanged.

On September 21st, NRG Software will be showing the FileMaker Users Group in Las Vegas how easy it is to implement shipping in to existing solutions. NRG solutions allow you to rate, ship and track your shipments directly from FileMaker without the need for carrier applications or complex ODBC integration. NRG is a certified provider of shipping solutions for UPS, FedEx, USPS, Freightquote.com, and Conway. Need multiple carriers? Use NRG Ship Connect, an add-on solution that streamlines multi-carrier shipping & integration.