Shipping and fulfillment

Shipping is where many first stores lose money without noticing. The tools in this category print labels at discounted rates, compare carriers, send tracking emails, and in some cases make and ship the products for you.

Label software such as ShipStation, Shippo and Pirate Ship pulls orders in from your store, lets you compare rates across carriers and prints labels at home. Printful and Printify are print-on-demand services: you upload designs, and they print a product only when someone orders it, then ship it to the customer. ShipBob is a fulfillment company that stores your stock in its warehouses and packs and ships each order.

Get your package sizes and weights right before you set shipping prices. Weigh a packed order, note the box dimensions, and test rates for nearby and distant addresses. Many new sellers lose money by guessing, or set prices so high that buyers leave at checkout.

Print on demand removes the need to buy stock up front, with trade-offs. Your margin per item is lower, delivery takes longer because each item is made after the order, and you depend on the print partner's quality. Order samples of every product before you list it.

A fulfillment company makes sense once packing orders takes too much of your week. Check storage fees, minimum volumes, and how returns are handled before you send stock to a warehouse.

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6 online store tools in shipping and fulfillment

ShipStation

by Auctane

Shipping software that pulls in orders from your store and marketplaces and prints labels for many carriers.

  • Works with Shopify

Shippo

Shipping platform for comparing carrier rates, printing labels and sending tracking emails.

  • Free plan or free tier
  • Works with Shopify

Pirate Ship

Free shipping label software for USPS and UPS, popular with small sellers who ship from home.

  • Free plan or free tier
  • Works with Shopify

Printful

Print-on-demand service that prints and ships products with your designs when an order comes in.

  • Free plan or free tier
  • Works with Shopify

Printify

Print-on-demand network that routes orders for products with your designs to partner print shops.

  • Free plan or free tier
  • Works with Shopify

ShipBob

Fulfillment company that stores your stock in its warehouses and packs and ships each order.

  • Works with Shopify

Decide your packaging early. Boxes and mailers in two or three standard sizes make rates predictable and packing faster. Lighter, smaller packages usually cost less to send, so avoid oversized boxes with lots of filler.

Write down your handling time, meaning how long you take to pack and hand an order to the carrier, and put it on your product pages and policies. Buyers accept a longer wait when they know about it up front, and marketplaces often measure you against the handling time you set.

Plan for returns before the first one arrives. Decide if you offer free returns, who pays the return label and how you check returned items. Label tools can create return labels, and a clear process keeps a returned order from turning into a dispute.

Send a few test parcels to friends in different regions before launch. You will learn how long delivery really takes and how your packaging survives the trip.

Questions about shipping and fulfillment

How do I set shipping prices for a new store?

Weigh and measure a packed order for each product type, then check real rates to a few near and far addresses with your label tool. Choose flat rates, calculated rates or free shipping built into prices based on those numbers.

Is print on demand a good way to start?

It lets you start without buying stock, which lowers risk. Margins are thinner and delivery is slower than shipping stock you hold. Order samples to check quality before you sell.

When should I use a fulfillment company?

Consider it when packing and shipping take more time than you can give and order volume is steady. Compare storage, pick-and-pack and return fees with the time you would save.

Do these tools work with my store builder?

Most connect to the major store builders and marketplaces through apps or integrations that pull orders in and send tracking back. Check the integration list for your platform before signing up.

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