How Can You Ship a Package to a UPS Access Point?

UPS Access Points are a convenient option for easy package pick-ups and drop-offs. Shipping a package from this type of UPS location is easy: you just need to pack it securely, print a shipping label and affix it to your package, and leave it in a secure locker at the nearest UPS Access Point. But what do you do in a situation where the recipient wants to use a UPS Access Point as their delivery address? Can you ship packages directly to a UPS Access Point?

A UPS Access Point is a type of UPS location operated by an authorized third-party retailer. Affiliated local businesses such as grocery and convenience stores, gas stations and even laundromats get paid by UPS for providing space for UPS Access Points and keeping an eye on them; in return, UPS gets more customers because a lot of people find Access Points more convenient for quick package drop-offs and pick-ups than UPS Stores and other types of UPS locations.

A UPS Access Point consists of a number of automated lockers and a touchscreen kiosk that is used to access the lockers. When a package arrives at an Access Point location, it is placed in a free locker, and the recipient is notified that their package is ready for pick up.

To retrieve a package from a UPS Access Point, the recipient needs to provide a driver’s license or another type of government-issued ID with a photo. The full name stated in the ID must match that on the package’s shipping label. A package needs to be picked up from a UPS Access Point within five business days; after that it will be returned to the sender.

So, how does one address a package to a UPS Access Point location? E-commerce retailers can ship packages directly to UPS Access Points if they have a contract with UPS; it allows them to streamline fulfillment and bypass residential and rural surcharges.

In such a case, their customers can use the address of a convenient UPS Access Point as their delivery address and select it from a list or enter the address manually during checkout. The package will be shipped to the selected Access Point, and the recipient will receive an email or text notification when it arrives.

However, this is not an option for regular shippers. If you simply look up the address of a UPS Access Point that the recipient finds convenient and enter it as the delivery address when you create a shipping label online, the package won’t arrive to its destination. Instead it will get stuck at a UPS hub for a week or so and then get returned to the sender.

To receive their package at a UPS Access Point, the recipient needs to sign up for UPS My Choice and then choose the option of having all their packages delivered to the UPS Access Point of their choice or have a specific package redirected to a UPS Access Point location. Using a UPS Access Point location as the default delivery location is free for all My Choice members; having a specific package rerouted to a UPS Access point is free for Premium (paid) members and comes with a fee for Basic (free) members.

So, if you are a regular shipper, you cannot address a package directly to a UPS Access Point. If your recipient wants to pick up the package at an Access Point location, they should sign up for My Choice to manage their deliveries and have packages redirected if necessary. When you generate a shipping label, you should address it to the recipient’s home address and enter their full name and correct phone number; if the recipient is a My Choice member and has their preferences set up correctly, the package will arrive to the Access Point of their choice, and they will be notified upon arrival.

Please note that UPS Access Points are only for pick-ups and drop-offs of UPS packages. Packages sent via the USPS (United States Postal Service) or FedEx cannot be addressed or redirected to a UPS Access Point location.