How to Fix UPS Shipping Rates Not Showing in WooCommerce

Introduction

Running an online store with WooCommerce is exciting—until something goes wrong at checkout. One common headache store owners face is UPS shipping rates not showing in WooCommerce. Imagine your customer is ready to buy, but they can’t see shipping costs. Instead of checking out, they abandon their cart. Frustrating, right?

This issue usually happens due to configuration errors, plugin conflicts, or missing account details. The good news? It’s almost always fixable with a few troubleshooting steps. In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common causes and practical solutions to get UPS shipping rates showing properly on your WooCommerce store. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to diagnose and fix the problem—without pulling your hair out.

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Why UPS Shipping Rates Might Not Be Showing in WooCommerce

When UPS rates don’t appear at checkout, it usually boils down to a few core issues. Let’s break down the most common reasons:

• Incorrect UPS account credentials – If your API key, username, or password is wrong, WooCommerce can’t connect to UPS.
• Shipping zone misconfiguration – WooCommerce relies on zones. If UPS isn’t assigned to the right zone, rates won’t display.
• Missing customer details – UPS needs both a destination country and postal code to generate live rates.
• Plugin conflicts – Another plugin may interfere with UPS’s API requests.
• Caching problems – Outdated cart or checkout data may prevent rates from loading correctly.

Understanding these causes will help you pinpoint the problem faster.

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Step 1: Double-Check UPS Account Credentials

The first thing you should do is verify your UPS account details in WooCommerce. Even a small typo can stop rates from showing.

1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > UPS.
2. Confirm your API Key, Username, and Password.
3. Ensure you’re using production credentials, not test credentials (unless you’re still testing).

💡 Pro tip: Contact UPS directly if you’re unsure about your account credentials.

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Step 2: Configure WooCommerce Shipping Zones Correctly

WooCommerce won’t show UPS rates unless the carrier is linked to the right shipping zone.

• Head to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping Zones.
• Check that UPS is enabled under the zones you want to ship to.
• If you serve multiple countries, add UPS to each relevant zone.

For example:

• Zone 1: United States – UPS Ground, UPS 2nd Day Air
• Zone 2: Canada – UPS Standard

Without these assignments, customers will never see UPS rates.

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Step 3: Ensure Customer Details Are Entered at Checkout

UPS needs both a postal code and destination country to return accurate rates. If your customer hasn’t filled in their shipping details, rates may not display.

✅ Add a checkout message reminding customers: “Please enter your complete shipping address to see live UPS rates.”

This small step can reduce confusion and abandoned carts.

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Step 4: Check for Plugin Conflicts

Sometimes another plugin interferes with the UPS API request. To test this:

1. Temporarily deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce and UPS.
2. Try again at checkout.
3. If rates appear, reactivate plugins one by one until you find the culprit.

Conflicts often come from caching, optimization, or other shipping plugins.

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Step 5: Clear Cache and Transients

Cached data can block UPS from refreshing rates. To fix this:

• Clear your site cache (via your caching plugin or hosting).
• Clear WooCommerce transients:
  • Go to WooCommerce > Status > Tools.
  • Select Clear transients and Clear shipping caches.

This forces WooCommerce to request fresh data from UPS.

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Step 6: Enable Debug Mode for Troubleshooting

WooCommerce UPS plugins often include a debug mode. Turning this on shows you exactly what’s happening behind the scenes.

• Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > UPS.
• Enable Debug Mode.
• Try checking out again.

You’ll see whether WooCommerce is connecting to UPS successfully, and if not, what error message appears.

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Additional Tips for Fixing UPS Rates

• Update everything – Keep WooCommerce, your UPS plugin, and WordPress core up to date.
• Use HTTPS – UPS requires a secure connection for API requests. Ensure your site uses SSL.
• Check account restrictions – Some UPS services are only available in certain regions.

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Wrapping Up

When UPS shipping rates aren’t showing in WooCommerce, it can feel like a major roadblock for your online store. But in most cases, the fix is straightforward: verify your UPS credentials, set up shipping zones correctly, ensure customer details are filled in, and troubleshoot plugin conflicts or caching issues.

By following these steps, you’ll restore accurate UPS rates at checkout, giving your customers the smooth buying experience they expect.

👉 Want to learn more about optimizing WooCommerce shipping? Check out our other guides for practical tips on improving checkout performance and reducing cart abandonment.