IN Brief:
- Secure Commerce combines CommerceShield, InsureShield and Parcel Pro within one UPS risk portfolio.
- The services cover order risk, shipment protection, specialist high-value cargo and claims recovery.
- UPS says it protected 1.4 million shippers and insured 62 million packages during 2025.
UPS has launched Secure Commerce, combining order risk analysis, shipment protection, specialist high-value cargo services and claims management within a single portfolio intended to reduce exposure to fraud, loss and operational disruption.
The portfolio brings together three existing UPS capabilities. InsureShield provides shipment insurance and claims services, Parcel Pro covers high-value and specialist shipments, and CommerceShield applies technology to shipping and ecommerce risk before goods enter the fulfilment and transport process.
UPS is positioning the combined offer across decisions made before, during and after delivery. CommerceShield can be used to identify risk before an order is released, shipment protection addresses financial exposure once goods are moving, and claims services manage recovery after a covered loss.
The company says Secure Commerce can operate across several carriers and transport modes rather than being limited to freight moving through the UPS network. That broadens its relevance to businesses that split shipments between parcel carriers, freight providers and other transport services according to price, capacity, geography or service requirements.
Bala Subramanian, chief digital and technology officer at UPS, said: “Today’s businesses need more insights and visibility to make real-time decisions that help them better manage supply chain risk.” UPS is also incorporating agentic artificial intelligence into the wider risk intelligence proposition.
The launch comes as cargo security problems increasingly combine physical loss with false identities, manipulated documentation and compromised digital communications. Recent cargo theft analysis has highlighted the growing role of compromised communications, false identities and digital freight platforms, widening the security problem beyond conventional vehicle, warehouse and yard protection.
Earlier intervention can change the options available when suspicious activity is detected. An order identified as high risk before fulfilment can be reviewed, verified or placed under different delivery conditions. Once a consignment has entered the transport network, the focus shifts towards visibility, secure handling and financial protection if the goods are lost or stolen.
UPS says the operations behind Secure Commerce protected 1.4 million shippers and insured 62 million packages during 2025, with 97% of claims resolved in five days or less. Those figures describe activity across the company’s existing protection services rather than volumes generated by the newly assembled Secure Commerce portfolio.
The distinction is relevant because the launch largely brings established capabilities under one commercial structure. The operational test will be whether customers gain a more useful view of risk by combining information that previously sat across separate insurance, fraud, shipment and claims processes.
Supply chains frequently divide those responsibilities between several teams. Ecommerce fraud may sit with payments or digital commerce, transport insurance with finance or logistics, and cargo security with supply chain operations. Claims can then introduce another workflow after an incident. Connecting those activities may reduce the delay between detecting unusual behaviour and deciding how to respond.
Multiple carrier support is another important part of the proposition. Larger shippers often use several carriers to manage capacity, service levels and geographic coverage. Risk tools tied exclusively to one transport network can therefore provide only a partial picture of the movement, particularly when orders transfer between fulfilment providers, parcel operators and freight services.
UPS has been broadening its logistics model beyond conventional parcel transport. Its new global operating structure centralises oversight of air, gateways, surface transport, engineering and major network programmes, while other investment has been directed towards healthcare, international and integrated supply chain services.
Secure Commerce adds a risk layer to that wider logistics activity. The company is using accumulated shipment, delivery and claims information to support earlier decision making, but the value will depend on the accuracy of the signals and how easily the tools integrate with customer order, warehouse and transport systems.
Automation also creates a requirement for clearly defined intervention points. A risk score has limited value if warehouse or customer service teams cannot act before an order is dispatched. Businesses adopting the portfolio will therefore have to connect alerts with operating procedures rather than treating risk intelligence as another visibility dashboard.
Secure Commerce gives customers the option to begin with individual services rather than replace every existing control at once. That may make adoption easier for businesses whose insurance, fraud and logistics functions operate separately, while still allowing UPS to present those products as parts of a wider risk management environment.
The launch moves UPS further into managing information and financial exposure around the shipment rather than the physical movement alone. Its commercial value will depend on whether combining risk intelligence, protection and claims services produces earlier interventions and faster recovery when disruption occurs.
