UPS domestic shipments: ship-to (recipient) address fields
Summary: This is what UPS needs on the ship-to (the recipient) for a domestic shipment, how long each field can be, and the exact "Missing or invalid" errors you get when a field is blank, too long, or wrong. For the overview of both addresses, see "UPS domestic shipments: required address fields and length limits."
You fill the ship-to on the Ship screen or in an Address Book entry. UPS checks it before it makes the label.
What UPS requires on the ship-to
Every domestic ship-to needs all of these:
- Name
- Street address (at least the first line)
- City
- State (the 2-letter code)
- ZIP code
- Country
These are only needed in certain cases:
- Attention name - required for UPS Next Day Air Early, and when you ship to a different country than you ship from.
- Phone - only needed if you send a phone number; if you do, it has to be a real phone number.
- Email - not required; if you enter one, it has to be a valid email format.
How long each field can be
| Field | Longest it can be |
|---|---|
| Name | 35 characters |
| Attention name | 35 characters |
| Street address | 35 characters per line, up to 3 lines |
| City | 30 characters |
| State | 2-letter code |
| ZIP code | 5 digits, or 9 for ZIP+4 |
| Country | 2-letter code |
| Phone | 15 digits |
| 50 characters |
All three street lines print on the label. The name and city print shorter than what you can type; that is normal.
The errors you may see, and how to fix them
UPS shows the exact wording below. Fix the field it names and try again.
- Missing or invalid ship to name - The name is blank or longer than 35 characters. Shorten it to 35 or fewer.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo AddressLine1 - The street address is blank, or the first line is over 35 characters. Shorten line 1, or move the extra part to a second line.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo City - The city is blank or over 30 characters. Check the city.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo StateProvinceCode - The state is blank or wrong for a US or Canada address. Enter the correct 2-letter state code.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo PostalCode - The ZIP is blank or not valid for the state. Enter the correct ZIP.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo AttentionName - You are using Next Day Air Early, or shipping to another country, and the attention name is blank. Add an attention name.
- Missing or invalid ShipTo PhoneNumber - A phone was sent but it is blank or wrong. Enter a real phone number or remove it.
- ShipTo EmailAddress is an invalid format - The recipient email is not a valid email. Fix it or clear it.
- The given postal code is invalid for the given state - The ZIP does not match the state. Fix the ZIP or the state so they agree.
What you should see
After you fix the field and try again, the label prints.
Related articles
- UPS domestic shipments: required address fields and length limits
- UPS domestic shipments: ship-from (your origin) address fields
- UPS rejects a shipment: ship-to address line too long
- 'Missing or invalid ship to name' from a too-long Company Name
If the ship-to looks correct and UPS still rejects it, email support@shipstore.com and include your company name and the exact error.