A parcel audit – sometimes called a small package audit – is a line-by-line review of your UPS, FedEx, and DHL invoices to catch billing errors, service failures, and overcharges that carriers don’t catch on their own. TCR has run parcel and small package audits for over 30 years, recovering 2%-5% of clients’ worldwide parcel expense, with no upfront cost.
Carriers guarantee on-time delivery on most services, yet a meaningful share of shipments arrive late every day. Over $2 billion in refunds goes uncollected annually because most shippers don’t have the time, staff, or technology to file every claim within the carrier’s filing window. Industry-wide, carrier invoice error rates are commonly cited in the range of 6%-8% – meaning most companies shipping parcel volume are leaving money on the table without realizing it.
What a parcel audit checks
TCR’s parcel and small package audits cover every recoverable charge type, including:
- Late delivery refunds – guaranteed service failures on UPS and FedEx shipments.
- Billed-but-not-shipped refunds – manifested parcels that were never actually picked up.
- Lost package refunds – shipments that were never delivered.
- Dimensional weight errors – mismeasured or miscalculated dim weight charges.
- Accessorial charges audit – address correction, residential, Saturday, and delivery area surcharges reviewed line by line.
- Invoice line-item errors – duplicate charges, address correction surcharges, delivery area surcharges, residential surcharges, Saturday delivery/pickup fees, rate errors, and early AM surcharges.
Carrier-specific detail: UPS Invoice Audit | FedEx Invoice Audit. New to parcel auditing? Start with How Does Parcel Auditing Work?
How TCR’s audit process works
You send TCR your electronic billing file – e-invoice, EDI, web download, or a direct feed from your shipping system. There’s no need to involve your IT, Operations, or Accounting teams beyond that. TCR audits every line, files claims directly with the carrier for anything owed, and tracks each claim through to collection.
Reporting that goes beyond refunds
Beyond recovering refunds, TCR’s information management reports give you visibility into shipping volume, exceptions, parcel characteristics, actual shipping charges, and year-to-date savings trends – so you can identify the root causes behind recurring errors, not just collect the refunds.
No cost unless we recover money
TCR’s fee is a percentage of what we recover. If we don’t collect anything, you don’t pay anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a parcel audit?
A parcel audit is a line-by-line review of your UPS, FedEx, or DHL invoices against your carrier contract and each carrier’s own service guarantees. It identifies billing errors, late deliveries, duplicate charges, and misapplied surcharges so you can recover the refunds you’re owed.
Is a small package audit the same as a parcel audit?
Yes. Small package audit and parcel audit describe the same process – shippers and carriers use both terms interchangeably.
How much can I save with a parcel audit?
Most shippers recover between 2% and 5% of their annual parcel and package spend through a properly run audit. TCR’s fee is a percentage of what we recover, so there is no upfront cost and no savings, no fee.
What are accessorial charges?
Accessorial charges are additional carrier fees beyond the base shipping rate – things like address correction surcharges, residential delivery fees, Saturday service, and delivery area surcharges. See our full accessorial charges guide for the complete list.
Is parcel auditing worth it?
Yes for most shippers. Parcel audits are performed on a contingency basis – TCR only gets paid a percentage of what’s actually recovered – so there’s no upfront cost or financial risk, and most shippers recover 2%-5% of their annual parcel spend.
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