UPS and FedEx claim deadlines: damage, loss, late delivery and billing errors
Every kind of claim against UPS or FedEx has its own deadline, and they range from about two weeks to nine months. Miss one and the carrier can refuse to pay, even when the claim is clearly valid. Here are the windows for US domestic shipments, when each clock starts, and how not to miss them. Carriers update their terms, so treat this as a guide and confirm in the current service guide or tariff for your account.
The short version
Late guaranteed delivery: about 15 calendar days from delivery. Damaged package or missing contents: report within 60 days (UPS and FedEx Ground count from delivery; FedEx Express counts from the ship date). Lost package: UPS needs notice within 60 days of the scheduled delivery date; FedEx allows up to nine months. Billing errors: generally about 180 days from the invoice date.
UPS: damage and loss
Under the UPS terms, UPS must receive notice of a claim within 60 days after delivery, or, if the package was never delivered, within 60 days after the scheduled delivery date. The claim then has to be completed, with the supporting documents, within nine months after delivery.
Unless you declared a higher value when shipping, UPS liability is generally limited to $100 per package or the actual value, whichever is lower. For expensive items, declared value matters more than the deadline.
FedEx Ground: damage and loss
FedEx says damaged packages and missing contents on FedEx Ground must be reported within 60 calendar days from the delivery date, and claims can be filed up to nine months from the delivery date. Report early: inspection of the package and packaging is easier while you still have them.
FedEx Express: damage and loss
For FedEx Express within the US, claims for damage or missing contents must be filed within 60 calendar days of the shipment date, not the delivery date. Claims for non-delivery or misdelivery can be filed within nine months of the shipment date. International shipments have a much shorter window for damage, 21 days.
Late deliveries: about 15 days
Refunds under the UPS Service Guarantee and the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee generally have to be requested within 15 calendar days of delivery, and only for services that carry a guarantee at that time. This is the window most shippers miss, because by the time a monthly invoice is reviewed, half of it has passed.
Billing errors: about 180 days
Wrong dimensional weight, residential surcharges on business addresses, duplicate charges and other billing errors can generally be disputed for about 180 days from the invoice date. It is the longest window, which is why a first audit should look back six months.
How not to miss a deadline
Check invoices weekly, not monthly: late-delivery refunds expire in two weeks. Report damage as soon as the customer tells you, even if the paperwork comes later; the notice is what stops the clock. Keep photos, packing data and the commercial invoice for each high-value shipment. And keep a list of every claim with its deadline and status, because credits that never arrive are common.
Use our free claim deadline calculator to find the last day for late-delivery refunds and billing disputes.
Let us watch the deadlines
ParcelAudit reads your UPS and FedEx invoice files, flags late deliveries and billing errors, and shows the deadline for each one so nothing expires unnoticed. Your first audit is free. Prefer not to file anything yourself? Our done-for-you service files the disputes with the carrier for you, with nothing upfront.