The $20 Mistake You Don’t See Coming: Address Correction Fees

It looks small on the invoice — “Address Correction: $19.50.”

But multiply that across dozens (or hundreds) of packages, and it can become a silent budget killer.

What triggers an address correction?

• Incorrect Zip Code
• Wrong abbreviations of street names or street type
• Misspelling (including autocorrect or "fat fingering")
• Missing suite or unit numbers
• Carrier systems auto-flagging addresses that still deliver correctly
• Mis-classified addresses (residential vs. commercial)

The frustrating part? Many times, the shipment arrives without any delay. The only difference is a $20 fee on your invoice.

Why it matters:

• These charges often slip past finance teams because they’re buried inside accessorials.
• If left unchecked, they can quietly add thousands per year to shipping spend.
• Worse — if the database isn’t fixed, you’ll pay again the next time that customer gets a shipment.

The smarter approach:

The key isn’t just spotting the fees — it’s tracking them weekly, broken down by package and correction detail.

When you know what was corrected to what, you can:

• Update your own shipping database
• Prevent the same error from repeating
• Improve delivery reliability for customers
• Cut down on wasted fees

Think of it as “address hygiene.” Fixing the root problem once can eliminate dozens of repeat charges.

Bottom line:

Address corrections may look like small line items, but they’re anything but small when scaled. Getting a clear weekly view is the first step toward regaining control.

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