UPS announced the global expansion of UPS My Choice® service to 96 additional countries and territories, bringing the total to 112 served. With the entrance into countries and regions in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Indian Subcontinent, Caribbean and Central and South America, Middle East and Oceania, and an expansion in Europe, this package-delivery management service will be in the world’s major e-commerce markets in time for the key holiday shipping season.

The expansion, which takes UPS My Choice service far beyond the original 16-country-and-territory footprint, comes in two phases: The first brought the service to 48 additional locations worldwide over the summer. Phase two, which includes another 48 countries and territories, begins this month with completion expected this year.

“Every UPS My Choice user will have access to e-mail notifications that a delivery is on its way, an alert the day before delivery with a delivery-window estimate, notification that package is out for delivery, and a notification that delivery is completed,” said Nando Cesarone, president of UPS International. “With this expansion, shippers can benefit from fewer customer inquiries and missed deliveries, while consumers enjoy increased visibility and, in many cases, the opportunity to adjust delivery dates and locations.”

This expansion, the largest since the service was launched seven years ago, comes as UPS My Choice enrollment crosses the 52 million-member mark worldwide. This combination of scale and geography provides e-commerce shippers a distinct advantage as cross-border shopping increases.

The global expansion includes actionable text alerts in many countries and territories for greater convenience when managing deliveries. In countries where technology allows delivery change options, users can route packages to UPS Access Point® locations, send them to another address or opt for delivery on another day. There are currently more than 28,000 UPS Access Point locations worldwide, which include independently owned and operated businesses that offer customers a convenient and safe place to pick up shipments on their schedule.

Adding countries and territories to the UPS My Choice program reflects that UPS understands consumer demands and preferences in the digital age. According to the global UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™ study, consumers, especially those in urban areas, are increasingly using alternative delivery options, and interest in shipping to alternate delivery locations is growing with online consumers. Expanding the UPS My Choice program provides greater visibility during the delivery process, wherever and however consumers receive their packages.

“While UPS has offered package tracking for more than a quarter of a century, we recognize that consumers want more choice, control and convenience,” said Cesarone. “Adding more global markets to this valuable service shows that we’re committed to offering both shippers and consumers the tools they need.”