UPS Inc. said Wednesday it is launching a new service called “My Choice,” which aims to give consumers greater control over home delivery.
A basic free membership service allows package recipients notification of incoming shipments and gives approximate arrival times.
Alerts can be delivered via e-mail, text messages or phone calls. For packages that require signatures, members can electronically sign for packages on computers or mobile phones.
For $5 per package, members can choose to re-route the package to another address or a UPS Store. A premium version of the service costs $40 per year and provides delivery alerts, a delivery planner and the ability to leave drivers special instructions.
Premium members also are offered a two-hour delivery window, compared with the four-hour window offered that is available free, with a $5 transaction fee added only if the package is delivered in the two-hour window, the company said.
The service will start Oct. 3, in time for the peak holiday shipping season, UPS said.
“Our residential customers want the flexibility to easily fit package delivery into their busy daily lives,” UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis said in a statement.
“UPS My Choice is an example of how UPS has leveraged technology to introduce a level of self-service and choice to consumers never before seen in our industry,” Davis said.
UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
