FedEx will retire its legacy Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based Web Services on June 1. Businesses relying on direct integrations with the legacy service face a hard cutoff for transitioning to the new Representational State Transfer (REST) environment, which could disrupt critical shipping, logistics and fulfillment operations.
Here’s how this shift will impact companies shipping dangerous goods (DG) and how they can transition without supply chain interruption.
What FedEx’s SOAP retirement means for dangerous goods shippers
After the June 1 deadline, systems still using SOAP connections will lose essential functions such as label generation, rate calculation, tracking and address validation. For organizations with custom-built integrations, transitioning to REST typically requires a full rebuild along with extensive testing to avoid disruptions at go-live.
This isn’t just a routine technical upgrade; it’s a hard deadline that many companies shipping DG aren’t prepared for. Rebuilding an integration from scratch and getting it certified by FedEx can take months, and many shippers are running out of time.
With the deadline fast approaching, companies should take the following steps to assess risk and maintain continuity:
- Evaluate your current integration: Identify whether your systems rely on direct SOAP connections or third-party providers and where integrations exist across ERP, warehouse or ecommerce systems.
- Consider pre-certified REST solutions: Using platforms already operating in FedEx’s REST environment can significantly reduce migration time and complexity.
- Plan and test early: REST introduces stricter validation rules, new authentication protocols and potential workflow changes. Testing across rates, labels, tracking and international shipments is essential to avoid disruptions.
Real-time readiness: A faster path to FedEx REST integration
For companies looking to avoid a full rebuild, FedEx-certified custom solutions providers (CSPs), such as DGIS hazmat shipping software, offer a faster path forward.
DGIS is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that streamlines dangerous goods shipping through automated guidance and real-time validation, helping organizations maintain compliance while identifying more efficient, cost-effective shipping options.
DGIS enables label generation directly within the system, eliminating the need to rekey shipment data or switch between applications.
Just as importantly, DGIS removes one of the biggest bottlenecks: certification. Previously, onboarding required a multiweek process involving manual submissions and FedEx review. With DGIS, certification is built in and can be completed in near real time through a self-service workflow.
Key considerations for DGIS integration
- Integration is fully certified under FedEx’s REST framework
- FedEx integration is available as an Enterprise-tier DGIS feature
- Registration and activation are self-service and completed in minutes
- Standard 6x8 shipping labels are generated directly within DGIS
- No separate FedEx system login is required
With June 1 fast approaching, the migration window is closing quickly. Organizations that adopt pre-certified platforms can eliminate long development cycles, reduce compliance risk and maintain uninterrupted shipping operations.
Smaller companies that previously couldn’t justify a time-intensive SOAP API build can now also benefit from direct FedEx integration using a CSP like DGIS.
