UPS

Overview

UPS’s REST APIs cover tracking, rating, shipping, and address validation. Auth is an OAuth 2.0 client-credentials token (requests without a token return 401, verified).

Quick Start

Get a token (replace CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET):

curl -X POST "https://onlinetools.ups.com/security/v1/oauth/token" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -u "CLIENT_ID:CLIENT_SECRET" \
  -d "grant_type=client_credentials"

{ "token_type": "Bearer", "access_token": "...", "expires_in": "14399" }

Track a package (replace YOUR_TOKEN):

curl "https://onlinetools.ups.com/api/track/v1/details/1Z999AA10123456784" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Authentication

• Register at ups.com/upsdeveloperkit → create an app → Client ID + Secret.
• OAuth 2.0 client-credentials for server-to-server.
• Send the token as Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN (missing → 401, verified).

Rate Limits & Notes

• Free developer tier with per-API rate limits (see the developer portal).
• APIs: tracking (/api/track/v1/), rating, shipping, and address validation.
• Tokens expire hourly (expires_in) — refresh via the same endpoint.
• The sandbox (wwwcie.ups.com) is available for testing.

FAQ

Is UPS API free? Free developer tier with rate limits; production agreements for volume.

How do I get a token? OAuth 2.0 client-credentials with your Client ID/Secret.

What’s the sandbox? wwwcie.ups.com for testing.