In our hyper-connected digital age, consumers have come to expect real-time updates and alerts at their fingertips for everything from social media mentions to credit card transactions. And when it comes to the status of our eagerly awaited e-commerce orders, SMS text messages offer an instantaneous and convenient way to stay informed of shipping progress and delivery details.
As one of the world‘s largest shipping carriers, UPS has embraced this trend by offering an SMS notification program to give customers timely updates throughout their package‘s journey. But with the proliferation of SMS-based phishing ("smishing") scams in recent years, it‘s understandable to be wary of any unexpected texts – even ones claiming to be from a trusted brand like UPS.
So, does UPS actually send out legitimate text messages to customers? The answer is yes – but not without your permission. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about identifying authentic UPS texts, spotting potential scams, and taking advantage of the useful SMS alerts UPS offers through its free My Choice service.
The Growth of SMS Notifications in the Shipping Industry
Before we dive into the specifics of the UPS SMS program, let‘s take a step back and look at the bigger picture. SMS has become an increasingly popular communication channel for businesses across all industries, with the global A2P (application-to-person) messaging market projected to reach $78 billion by 2022 according to Global Market Insights.
And the retail and shipping sector is no exception. A recent survey by Narvar found that 83% of consumers expect regular communication about their purchases, with 53% saying they track deliveries more now than in the past. As e-commerce continues to boom (with a record $791 billion in U.S. online sales in 2020 per Digital Commerce 360), shipping carriers like UPS are under pressure to provide frequent and accurate status updates to eagerly waiting customers.
SMS offers the perfect solution, with its near-universal reach (5 billion people globally can send and receive texts, according to GSMA), high open rates (98% vs. just 20% for emails, says Gartner), and perceived urgency. UPS alone sends over 1 billion delivery notification emails and texts to customers annually, according to a company press release.
What Legitimate UPS Text Messages Look Like
So, what exactly will you see if UPS sends you an authentic SMS shipping notification? First and foremost, the message will come from a 5 or 6-digit "short code" number, not a regular 10-digit phone number. In the U.S., UPS uses the short code 69877 for all official text messages.
Some other key characteristics of legitimate UPS texts include:
- Containing the specific UPS tracking number for your package
- Referencing UPS.com for more details rather than including sketchy bit.ly or non-UPS links
- Never asking you to reply back with sensitive info like payment details or login credentials
- Only being sent to you if you‘ve proactively signed up for them via UPS My Choice or a prompt on the tracking page
Here‘s an example of how a real UPS SMS alert for an incoming delivery is structured:
"UPS: Your package 1Z999AA1012345678 is scheduled for delivery today, Tuesday 05/04. For more details, visit https://ups.com/t/101abcxyz"
Note the use of the official 69877 short code, inclusion of the full 18-digit tracking number, and a link pointing back to the ups.com domain for more information. The message is concise and sticks to the facts.
Red Flags of a UPS Text Message Scam
In contrast, scam text messages purporting to be from UPS are often much vaguer, more alarmist in tone, and include suspicious links unrelated to UPS.com. Since the UPS brand is so well-known globally, it‘s a common target for "smishing" attacks where scammers impersonate a trusted entity to steal personal info or install malware on victims‘ devices.
Some of the most common types of fake UPS texts include:
- Delivery problem alerts – "We had an issue delivering your package. Please confirm your details at this link to reschedule."
- Requests for identity verification – "We need you to verify your identity to release your package. Click here to submit a copy of your ID."
- Offers for prizes or gift cards – "Congratulations, you‘ve been selected to receive a $100 UPS My Choice Reward Card! Enter your UPS account login here to claim it."
Besides the questionable content, there are a few key technical red flags that can help you spot a UPS SMS scam:
- Being sent from a regular length phone number instead of a short code
- Containing bit.ly, cutt.ly or other URL shortener links
- Having spelling and grammatical errors (reputable companies usually proofread their texts)
- Creating a false sense of urgency with phrases like "act now" or "last chance"
- Requesting sensitive data like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or account passwords
If you receive a text that meets any of these criteria, do NOT click any links in the message, open any attachments, or reply back with personal info. Instead, report it to the UPS fraud team by forwarding the screenshot to [email protected], then delete the message from your phone.
Signing Up for Official UPS Text Notifications via My Choice
To ensure you only receive authentic and truly useful SMS updates from UPS, your best bet is to sign up for the free UPS My Choice service. This membership program is designed to give consumers more visibility and control over their incoming deliveries, with perks like delivery scheduling, package redirects, and of course, automatic status updates.
Here‘s how to enable SMS alerts through UPS My Choice:
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If you don‘t already have a UPS account, sign up for one with your name, email address, and preferred username/password.
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Once logged in, navigate to the Preferences > Communication Preferences section.
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Make sure your mobile number is correct under Phone and select the checkbox for "Send SMS Notifications to this phone number."
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Further down under Delivery Notifications, you can get even more granular by selecting exactly which SMS updates you want to receive, such as day-before reminders, day-of alerts, delivery confirmations, or delivery change notifications.
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Click the yellow "Update Preferences" button at the bottom of the page to save your newly selected SMS options.
From this point on, you should only receive the specific types of UPS notifications you opted into, and only for packages officially tied to your UPS My Choice profile. You can always adjust these settings later on.
One cool UPS My Choice feature is that for some alerts, like an "Ok to leave package?" message on the day of delivery, you can simply reply back to the original SMS with a "1" to authorize release. This saves you from having to log in to the website or app.
UPS SMS Notifications Around the Globe
As a multinational shipping behemoth serving 220 countries and territories, UPS offers some form of SMS alerting in numerous global markets. However, the exact short codes, sign-up process, and features vary a bit depending on the region.
A few examples of official UPS SMS numbers in other countries:
- Canada: 15587
- United Kingdom: 78730
- Germany: 66633
- Mexico: 7877
To see the full list of UPS SMS short codes by country, check out this handy PDF from UPS.
While U.S. customers can enable SMS notifications directly through the UPS My Choice portal, residents of other countries may need to first enter their mobile number and country code on the tracking details page after looking up a package. This kicks off a verification process to confirm opt-in consent before any messages are deployed.
The Bottom Line: Staying Connected While Staying Safe
There‘s no denying that SMS can be a powerful tool for shipping carriers like UPS to keep customers in the loop about their package‘s every move. According to a UPS-commissioned comScore survey, 47% of consumers now prefer text messages for receiving delivery status updates.
However, as more people turn to e-commerce and anxiously await deliveries, scammers will undoubtedly continue trying to capitalize on this by firing off fake shipping notifications. By knowing how to spot the differences between legitimate UPS texts and phishing attempts, enabling SMS alerts only through official channels like UPS My Choice, and maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism with unsolicited messages, you can reap the benefits of this technology without compromising your privacy and security.
Looking ahead, the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the shift towards contactless communication and delivery, meaning SMS will play an increasingly vital role in how carriers engage with customers. As next-gen messaging standards like RCS (Rich Communications Services) start to go mainstream, we may see even more interactive experiences built into shipping notification texts.
But for now, if you‘re a frequent UPS customer, signing up for My Choice is a smart move to ensure you‘re getting only accurate, authentic, and actionable SMS updates when it matters most. The next time you‘re waiting on an important package, you can feel confident that the "it‘s on the way!" text pinging your phone is the real deal.
