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Shipments with multiple parcels sent to the same destination can be grouped together in a multi-piece shipment to save money. Multi-piece parcels in a single shipment may receive timeouts at certain thresholds depending on each carrier.
  • Using UPS, you can request rates for up to 50 parcels in a single shipment. You can purchase labels for up to 40 parcels in a single shipment. Additionally, you can purchase labels for up to 200 parcels in a single shipment using an extended multi-piece shipment.
  • Using FedEx, sending more than 12 parcels within one shipment may result in a timeout.
  • USPS does not support multi-piece parcels in a single shipment at this time.

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Create a multi-piece shipment

To create a multi-piece shipment, add a list of Parcel objects to the parcels field in a Shipment. Generating rates and creating transactions works the exact same way as with normal shipments. The limit on the number of parcels depends on each carrier’s restrictions.
NoteFor more than 40 labels in a single shipment, create an extended multi-piece shipment.
The Shipment request content should look like: Request: 
curl https://api.goshippo.com/shipments/\
    -H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_Token>"\
    -H "Content-Type: application/json"\
    -d '{
            "address_from": {
                "name": "Mr. Hippo",
                "street1": "215 Clayton St.",
                "city": "San Francisco",
                "state": "CA",
                "zip": "94117",
                "country": "US",
                "phone": "+1 555 341 9393",
                "email": "support@shippo.com"
            },
            "address_to": {
                "name": "Mrs. Hippo",
                "street1": "965 Mission St.",
                "city": "San Francisco",
                "state": "CA",
                "zip": "94105",
                "country": "US",
                "phone": "+1 555 341 9393",
                "email": "support@shippo.com"
            },
            "parcels": [
                {
                    "length": "5",
                    "width": "5",
                    "height": "5",
                    "distance_unit": "in",
                    "weight": "2",
                    "mass_unit": "lb"
                },
                {
                    "length": "10",
                    "width": "10",
                    "height": "10",
                    "distance_unit": "in",
                    "weight": "2",
                    "mass_unit": "lb"
                }
            ],
            "async": false
        }'
As usual, the Shipment request will return a list of Rates for you to select from. The Rate amount refers to the cost of the entire Shipment with multiple parcel, not per parcel. Response: 
{
    "status": "SUCCESS",
    "object_created": "2013-12-01T06:24:20.121Z",
    "object_updated": "2013-12-01T06:24:20.121Z",
    "object_id": "5e40ead7cffe4cc1ad45108696162e42",
    "object_owner": "shippotle@shippo.com",
    "address_from": {
        "object_id": "0943ae4e373e4120a99c337e496dcce8",
        "validation_results": {},
        "is_complete": true,
        "company": "",
        "street_no": "",
        "name": "Mr. Hippo",
        "street1": "215 Clayton St.",
        "street2": "",
        "city": "San Francisco",
        "state": "CA",
        "zip": "94117",
        "country": "US",
        "phone": "+15553419393",
        "email": "support@shippo.com",
        "is_residential": null
    },
    "address_to": {
        "object_id": "4c7185d353764d0985a6a7825aed8ffb",
        "validation_results": {},
        "is_complete": true,
        "name":"Mrs. Hippo",
        "street1":"965 Mission St.",
        "city":"San Francisco",
        "state":"CA",
        "zip":"94105",
        "country":"US",
        "phone":"+1 555 341 9393",
        "email":"support@shippo.com",
        "is_residential": false
    },
    "address_return": {
        "object_id": "0943ae4e373e4120a99c337e496dcce8",
        "validation_results": {},
        "is_complete": true,
        "company": "",
        "street_no": "",
        "name": "Mr. Hippo",
        "street1": "215 Clayton St.",
        "street2": "",
        "city": "San Francisco",
        "state": "CA",
        "zip": "94117",
        "country": "US",
        "phone": "+15553419393",
        "email": "support@shippo.com",
        "is_residential": null
    },
    "parcels": [
        {
            "object_id": "ec952343dd4843c39b42aca620471fd5",
            "object_created": "2013-12-01T06:24:21.121Z",
            "object_updated": "2013-12-01T06:24:21.121Z",
            "object_owner": "shippotle@shippo.com",
            "template": null,
            "length":"5",
            "width":"5",
            "height":"5",
            "distance_unit":"in",
            "weight":"2",
            "mass_unit":"lb",
            "value_amount": null,
            "value_currency": null,
            "metadata": "",
            "line_items": [],
            "test": true
        },
        {
            "object_id": "dbe0260bb2674c709fa45667cf353f27",
            "object_created": "2013-12-01T06:24:21.121Z",
            "object_updated": "2013-12-01T06:24:21.121Z",
            "object_owner": "shippotle@shippo.com",
            "template": null,
            "length":"5",
            "width":"5",
            "height":"5",
            "distance_unit":"in",
            "weight":"2",
            "mass_unit":"lb",
            "value_amount": null,
            "value_currency": null,
            "metadata": "",
            "line_items": [],
            "test": true
        }
    ],
    "shipment_date": "2013-12-03T12:00:00.000Z",
    "extra": {
        "insurance": {
            "amount": "",
            "currency": ""
        },
        "reference_1": "",
        "reference_2": ""
    },
    "customs_declaration": "",
    "rates": [
        {
            "object_created": "2013-12-01T06:24:21.121Z",
            "object_id": "545ab0a1a6ea4c9f9adb2512a57d6d8b",
            "object_owner": "shippotle@shippo.com",
            "shipment": "5e40ead7cffe4cc1ad45108696162e42",
            "attributes": [],
            "amount": "65.80",
            "currency": "USD",
            "amount_local": "65.80",
            "currency_local": "USD",
            "provider": "USPS",
            "provider_image_75": "https://cdn2.goshippo.com/providers/75/USPS.png",
            "provider_image_200": "https://cdn2.goshippo.com/providers/200/USPS.png",
            "servicelevel": {
                "name": "Ground",
                "token": "fedex_ground",
                "terms": ""
            },
            "days": 5,
            "arrives_by": null,
            "duration_terms": null,
            "messages": [],
            "carrier_account": "078870331023437cb917f5187429b093",
            "test": false
        },
        ...
    ],
    "carrier_accounts": [],
    "metadata": "Customer ID 123456",
    "messages": []
}

​
Create an extended multi-piece shipment

UPS supports up to 200 parcels in a single shipment.
  • For 40 parcels or less, in a single shipment, you can choose to create a multi-piece shipment.
  • For more than 40, you must create an extended multi-piece shipment.
Extended multi-piece shipments require an Instalabel where you purchase a label without generating a rate.
noteCurrently, Instalabel is not available for Shippo FedEx and UPS accounts. If you want use either FedEx or UPS for Instalabel purchases, you must use your own carrier account.
In addition to your shipment details, the following are required to create an Instalabel for a multi-piece shipment.
  1. Your chosen carrier account ID.
  2. Your chosen service level token.
  3. Set async to true.
The following examples show an Instalabel call for a multi-piece shipment.
cURL
curl https://api.goshippo.com/transactions/  \
    -H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_Token>" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json"  \
    -d '{
        "shipment": {
            "address_from": {
                "name": "Mr. Hippo",
                "street1": "215 Clayton St.",
                "city": "San Francisco",
                "state": "CA",
                "zip": "94117",
                "country": "US",
                "phone": "+1 555 341 9393",
                "email": "support@shippo.com"
            },
            "address_to": {
                "name": "Mrs. Hippo",
                "street1": "965 Mission St.",
                "city": "San Francisco",
                "state": "CA",
                "zip": "94105",
                "country": "US",
                "phone": "+1 555 341 9393",
                "email": "support@shippo.com"
            },
           "parcels": [
                {
                    "length": "5",
                    "width": "5",
                    "height": "5",
                    "distance_unit": "in",
                    "weight": "2",
                    "mass_unit": "lb"
                },
                {
                    "length": "10",
                    "width": "10",
                    "height": "10",
                    "distance_unit": "in",
                    "weight": "2",
                    "mass_unit": "lb"
                },
                {
                    "length": "5",
                    "width": "10",
                    "height": "2",
                    "distance_unit": "in",
                    "weight": "2",
                    "mass_unit": "lb"
                }
            ],
        },
        "carrier_account": "b741b99f95e841639b54272834bc478c",
        "servicelevel_token": "ups_ground",
        "async":true
        }'

​
How to retrieve labels for each parcel

You can purchase a multi-piece shipping rate by POSTing the Rate object_id to the Transaction endpoint as usual. A separate transaction will be created for each parcel. 
curl https://api.goshippo.com/transactions\
    -H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_Token>"\
    -d rate="cf6fea899f1848b494d9568e8266e076"
    -d label_file_type="PDF"
    -d async=false
You can also create multi-piece shipments in one API call. Check out our tutorial for single label call creation for more details. The POST request returns the primary Transaction object in the response. To get labels for all the parcels in the Shipment you need to filter for each parcel transaction.
  1. The Transaction response after you’ve purchased the rate provides you with the primary tracking_numberof the entire Shipment and the label_url for the first parcel of the Shipment. As an example, this label has the primary tracking number on it incl. information about the status of the entire multi-piece shipment.
  2. To retrieve labels for the rest of the parcels in the Shipment, you need to make another GET request to the Transaction endpoint with the Rate object_id as the query parameter. These sample labels have both the primary tracking number (MSTR) on it as well as their own parcel-specific tracking number.
Here’s an example request: Request: 
curl https://api.goshippo.com/transactions/?rate=cf6fea899f1848b494d9568e8266e076\
-H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_Token>"
The API will respond with a JSON serialized list of the transactions that belong to this Rate. Each of these transactions belongs to exactly one parcel of the multi-piece shipment. Each transaction has a unique tracking_number and label_url field for it’s associated parcel. Response: 
{
   "count":5,
   "next":null,
   "previous":null,
   "results":[
      {
         "object_state":"VALID",
         "status":"SUCCESS",
         "object_created":"2014-07-17T00:43:40.842Z",
         "object_updated":"2014-07-17T00:43:50.531Z",
         "object_id":"70ae8117ee1749e393f249d5b77c45e0",
         "object_owner":"shippotle@shippo.com",
         "was_test":true,
         "rate":"ee81fab0372e419ab52245c8952ccaeb",
         "tracking_number":"9499907123456123456781",
         "tracking_status":{
            "object_created":"2014-07-17T00:43:50.402Z",
            "object_id":"907d5e6120ed491ea27d4f681a7ccd4d",
            "status":"UNKNOWN",
            "status_details":"",
            "status_date":null
         },
         "tracking_url_provider":"https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input?origTrackNum=9499907123456123456781",
         "eta":"2014-07-21T12:00:00.000Z",
         "label_url":"https://shippo-delivery.s3.amazonaws.com/70ae8117ee1749e393f249d5b77c45e0.pdf?Signature=vDw1ltcyGveVR1OQoUDdzC43BY8%3D&Expires=1437093830&AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJTHP3LLFMYAWALIA",
         "commercial_invoice_url": "",
         "messages":[

         ],
         "metadata":""
      },
      {...},
      {...}
   ]
}
If you have more than 5 transactions that belong to the Rate, the response will be paginated. You can modify your request to increase the number of transactions per page. Example: 
https://api.goshippo.com/transactions/?results=10&rate=ee81fab0372e419ab52245c8952ccaeb
Or you can retrieve each page of the response listed in the ‘next’ parameter. Example: 
"next": https://api.goshippo.com/transactions/?rate=ee81fab0372e419ab52245c8952ccaeb&page=2

​
Multi-piece shipping label references

Some carriers support adding your own reference to a shipping label. For more information about support for multi-piece label reference support, review our Carrier reference fields guide.

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Parcel-level insurance

You can also purchase insurance for each parcel of the multi-piece shipment. This can be done through the extras attribute when creating your Parcel object within the Shipment request. Here is a sample request for a Shipment with different insurance amounts for each Parcel.
cURL
curl https://api.goshippo.com/shipment/\
-H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_Token>"\
-H "Content-Type: application/json"\
-d '{
    "address_from": "d799c2679e644279b59fe661ac8fa488",
    "address_to": "42236bcf36214f62bcc6d7f12f02a849",
    "parcels": [
        {
            "length": "5",
            "width": "5",
            "height": "5",
            "distance_unit": "cm",
            "weight": "2",
            "mass_unit": "lb",
            "template": "",
            "metadata": "Box1",
            "extra": {
                "insurance": {
                    "amount": 25.00,
                    "currency": "USD",
                    "provider": "FEDEX"
                    }
            }
        },
        {
            "length": "5",
            "width": "10",
            "height": "15",
            "distance_unit": "cm",
            "weight": "6",
            "mass_unit": "lb",
            "template": "",
            "metadata": "Box2",
            "extra": {
                "insurance": {
                    "amount": 50.00,
                    "currency": "USD",
                    "provider": "FEDEX"
                    }
            }
        },
        {
            "length": "2",
            "width": "8",
            "height": "9",
            "distance_unit": "cm",
            "weight": "5",
            "mass_unit": "lb",
            "template": "",
            "metadata": "Box3",
            "extra": {
                "insurance": {
                    "amount": 45.00,
                    "currency": "USD",
                    "provider": "FEDEX"
                    }
            }
        }
    ],
    "async": false
}

​
Handling shipment-level and parcel-level insurance

  • If both shipment-level and parcel-level insurance are specified, the parcel-level insurance will take precedence. Parcels without parcel-level insurance will have the shipment-level insurance amount applied to that parcel.
  • If only shipment-level insurance is specified, then the shipment insurance amount will be applied to each parcel — not divide amongst parcels.

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Parcel-level Collect on Delivery

UPS offer Collect on Delivery (COD) for individual parcels in a multi-piece shipment. You can specific your COD preference in the extras attribute of the Parcel object when creating your Shipment.