Most businesses treat shipping invoices like utility bills. They show up, someone approves them, life moves on. The problem? FedEx and UPS aren't billing you for exactly what you shipped. They're billing you for what their system says you shipped — and those two things are rarely the same.
A shipping audit (also called a carrier invoice audit or freight bill audit) is how you close that gap. It's the process of reviewing your carrier invoices to catch billing errors, invalid surcharges, and refunds you're owed but never claimed.
Late delivery refunds. FedEx and UPS guarantee delivery by a certain time. When they miss it, you're entitled to a refund but you have to claim it within 15 days. Most businesses miss the window entirely.
Incorrect dimensional weight charges. Carriers bill by DIM weight, not just actual weight. If their measurement differs from yours, you're getting overcharged on every shipment in that category.
Invalid surcharges. Fuel surcharges, peak surcharges, remote area fees...these are applied systematically. When they're misapplied, you pay for something you don't owe.
The claim windows are short. The invoices are complex. The carriers don't make it easy to dispute charges and your team has a business to run. Manual auditing at any real volume doesn't make sense.
That's why automated shipping audit services exist.
ShipPlug connects directly to your carrier accounts and monitors every invoice automatically. When we find a recoverable charge, we file the claim and track it to resolution. You see everything in your dashboard — what was found, what was claimed, what was recovered.
Our team brings 50+ years of combined experience working inside the carrier system. Our clients typically reduce shipping costs by up to 50%, with zero changes to their existing process.
Find out what's in your invoices. Start with ShipPlug.
ShipPlug is a shipping intelligence platform that helps businesses recover refunds, audit carrier invoices, and negotiate better rates with FedEx and UPS — automatically