In January 2008, UPS will launch a new service called “UPS Paperless Invoice”.

UPS says the new system will transmit a shipment’s commercial-invoice data to customs offices “electronically”, eliminating the need for paper invoices and making it the first international carrier to offer a paperless commercial invoice process for international shipping.

Instead of filling out a paper invoice, customers using UPS’ software or Internet site can create an electronic invoice that will prompt them for the necessary information. UPS is also launching a product that exporters can use to help their customers return packages.

More information is available on UPS.com.

Here is a useful video about how the eBay shipping calculator works and how to figure the shipping rates.

Hi ShipPal users,

We are happy to announce that our site went through a site design change.

We have now created a neat looking navigation bar in the ShipPal colors. We have also added some other useful features, like the bookmark button, nifty shipment icons and fixes to the shipper registration flow.Give us your honnest feedback about ShipPal.We plan on first beta testing in smaller markets in Europe, like Belgium and the Netherlands. Next, we will take on the bigger countries!

Stay tuned. We hope you will join us on this ride. Enjoy ShipPal!

The ShipPal development team

UPS is currently offering eBay sellers the opportunity to save up to 31% on US outbound ground, air, and international shipping. The rates are based on the UPS “Daily Rate”, meaning the rates they give to businesses who have enough volume to warrant a daily pick-up. To benefit from the promotion, eBay sellers need to sign up for a UPS account number and a PayPal account.

An overview of frequently asked questions about the promotion is also posted on the UPS site. Let’s see if other big players, like FedEx or DHL will follow soon with similar campaigns.

Dear users,

We are proud to release v2.0 of ShipPal.com.

With this new release, getting in contact with different shipping companies is now much easier. Here is how it works: if you have an item to ship or have a household move, you can now directly provide the shipment route of your goods on the homepage. Once selected, you click on the ShipPal Search button. You will then be redirected to an overview of shippers that match your shipment route and are able to ship your item. You can then decide to contact the matching shippers directly by email (using our online form), or post your shipment request online so that the shippers can contact you with their price quote.

Simple and easy. Try it out now!

In a remarkable push to go beyond its own user base, Amazon.com is expanding its shipment program, called “Fulfillment by Amazon“, to allow independent sellers (including sellers selling on eBay, Yahoo auctions and Google base) to use its network of distribution centers to store and ship their products.

Participants in the program can sign up on Amazon.com and print out stickers that they put on their goods. They then send their products to Amazon, which stores the items mixed with its own. As a result, sellers will be paying twice to ship their goods. But the program is aimed at small online retailers who do not want to invest in their own warehouses and prefer to manage these costs in a different way.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos commented: “We have this beautiful, elegant, high-I.Q. part of our business that we have been working hard on for many years. We’ve gotten good at it. Why not make money off it another way?”

It remains to be seen whether this a smart move for Amazon or the independent retailer opting for this solution.

Dear reader,

Welcome to our new blog.

On this blog, we will keep you up-to-date about new feature releases on our shipping site, ShipPal.com. This will give you an opportunity to try out our new features first hand and share with us your direct feedback. Here, we will also share with you news about shipping companies and solutions that affect eCommerce in general.

So stay tuned and enjoy reading and commenting on the posts on this blog.

Your ShipPal team