UPS Address Validation x Virto Commerce
B2B enterprises shipping large order volumes need addresses validated at the point of entry, not discovered as wrong after fulfillment starts. UPS Address Validation checks addresses in real time during checkout through the UPS API, so errors are caught and corrected before an order ships.
About UPS Address Validation
UPS Address Validation is an API service that verifies shipping addresses against UPS’s postal database in real time. When an address is entered, the API checks whether the street name, number, city, and ZIP code are valid and deliverable, and suggests corrections when errors are detected.
The service covers US and Puerto Rico addresses. For international address validation, a separate service or provider would be required alongside or instead of UPS Address Validation.
How Virto Integrates with UPS Address Validation
Virto Commerce connects to UPS Address Validation through the UPS API, calling the validation service during checkout when a buyer enters a shipping address. If the address is unrecognized or contains errors, the API returns suggestions that can be presented to the buyer before the order is placed.
The integration approach generally covers:
- Real time address validation at the checkout shipping step
- Suggested address corrections returned to the buyer when errors are detected
- Configurable behavior for how the storefront handles invalid addresses, whether to block order placement or allow buyers to proceed with a warning
- API credential setup through a UPS developer account
Note: UPS Address Validation covers US and Puerto Rico addresses. For international address validation requirements, speak with a solution partner about alternative or complementary services.
Implementation Approach
Virto Commerce integrates with enterprise systems through a combination of APIs, middleware, and integration accelerators — designed to reduce implementation effort while preserving the flexibility that enterprise-specific workflows require.
Key considerations: whether address validation is needed at checkout only or also in account address management, how the storefront should handle invalid addresses, existing UPS developer account setup, and whether international address validation is also required alongside UPS.
Use Cases
Reducing failed deliveries caused by address errors at checkout
B2B buyers entering shipping addresses manually make mistakes — typos, missing apartment numbers, incorrect ZIP codes. Validating the address at checkout through the UPS API catches those errors before the order is placed, rather than discovering them after fulfillment has started.
Fewer orders ship to incorrect addresses, reducing the cost and operational overhead of failed deliveries and returns.
Enforcing address accuracy for high volume B2B shipping
Enterprises processing large order volumes where even a small percentage of address failures represents meaningful operational cost need validation built into the order flow, not applied as a manual check afterward. UPS Address Validation runs automatically at checkout for every order.
Address accuracy is enforced consistently across all orders without adding manual verification steps to the fulfillment process.
Supporting account address management for B2B buyers
B2B buyers often manage multiple ship-to-addresses across different locations, warehouses, and sites. Validating addresses when they are added to an account, not just at checkout, reduces the chance of saved addresses causing delivery failures later.
Saved account addresses are validated at the point of entry, keeping the address book accurate before those addresses are ever used on an order.