subject: Do I Have To Have An Account To Ship With A Courier Company? [print this page] Many people that look into doing business with courier companies become quickly overwhelmed by all the material which is encouraging them to open an account with the courier. Many people are unsure whether they really want to open an account with a courier service, and many are unclear about why they would want to do so, or if they are required to do so. Clearing up the questions about account holding with courier companies is easy, but the basic notion is that while you don't need one, it can be very, very useful.
There are only a very small handful of courier companies that won't allow you to ship with them if you don't open an account first. Most couriers are going to be happy to take your shipment for you even if you don't have an account, but there will be a few hoops that you have to jump through in order to get service. The foremost among these is that you're going to be expected to pay for your shipment before it is picked up, a hassle that account holders don't have to worry about.
When you're shipping with a courier company without an account, another problem that you're going to encounters is that you're not going to have access to a wide variety of the services that account holders get. This can make shipping a lot more of a hassle, and when you see how easy account holders have it you will quickly become encouraged to think harder about actually opening an account.
Services that account holders get will differ from company to company. Typical perks involve things like being able to place a request for service online, access to greater tracking features, and the ability to order other services such as short term storage. They may also provide you access to great payment options, such as being able to pay your bill online, and things like integrated billing so your account statements are instantly updated in your accounting software.
There are other things that you need to think about when opening an account, and that is that you may actually be able to save money by doing so. Sometimes this is in a direct way, as some courier companies may have preferred rates for their account holders. In others, it may be because opening an account can save you time, and saving time is always going to save you money.
