Do you think that the convoluted and tiresome aspect of your internet business is order fulfilment? It’s not just you. It seems to be fairly sticky to me as well. Well, Shippo could steer you clear of all future problems.
Regardless of how severe the shipping requirements are, a merchant needs a perfect solution to work with. Specifically, one that automates almost all fulfilment processes.
And it takes more than just launching your online store to gain ground on your rivals. You require trustworthy shipping software that is simple, quick, and reliable.
Your online business’s logistics component should take priority. So, you familiarize yourself with all the necessary techniques. About Shippo’s features, this tutorial puts you on notice. The pricing, integrations, packages, tracking, and other aspects of Shippo are all subject to further examination.
Therefore, let’s begin.
Shippo Review: Brief Overview
Essentially, Shippo is a cloud-based shipping service that naturally caters to e-commerce companies. To put it into perspective, this means that to use its functions, all you need is a computer and an active internet connection. It positions itself as a multi-carrier option with the ability to fulfil orders internationally.
This makes it simple for a retailer to compare the prices offered by each carrier solution. So as you know, Shippo doesn’t integrate with carriers that fall short of industry expectations. Shippo collaborates with major carrier partners, including the following, to improve the value of service delivery and customer satisfaction:
- DHL
- UPS
- FedEx
- USPS
That is merely a list of the very best.
Shippo offers all of its consumers “next day delivery” services, which makes premium shipping quite financially viable.
The fulfilment requirements of your online store are generally suitable for this logistical service. Shippo engages in such a prolific manner in terms of integrations.
Shippo consistently upholds a high level of functionality by flawlessly syncing with your shopping cart. This is a rough draft—more accurately, a blueprint—of how Shippo functions.
Let’s get to the important stuff now.
Shippo Review: Pros and Cons
Shippo Pros
Make returns simple
This could appear implausible on the surface, especially for small and medium-sized firms. But with Shippo, that’s not the case. This approach maintains a high-yielding consumer experience while handling returns flawlessly and seamlessly.
You can automate the printing of return labels with this shipping program. You no longer need to complete the labels one at a time manually.
An immense carrier & marketplaces integrations network
I don’t need to stress this point very much. Let the data do the talking. Shippo is a successful multi-carrier channel, supporting around 55 carriers and about 25 shopping carts. It outperforms a lot of delivery options. Shippo enables you to handle your shipping requirements from a single entry point regardless of the sales channel you’re in.
Ease of Use
Shippo’s learning curve is easy. This system links to almost all-important sales channels for SMBs (Small and Mid-sized Businesses). You don’t need advanced abilities to incorporate this shipping program into your online store. The dashboard’s features are simple to use. The company provides new customers who must complete all necessary configurations with an onboarding engagement solution.
Discounted Shipping
As things stand, Shippo appears to be one of the rarest options for connecting SMB retailers with reduced shipping offers from nearly all the major carrier providers worldwide. Companies like DHL, USPS, FedEx and UPS provide significant discounts.
It only takes 30 seconds to apply to take advantage of these substantial discounts after signing up with Shippo. Shippo goes above and above by allowing direct discounts of up to 55 per cent from UPS. The same is true of FedEx. If you sign up for the Shippo-FedEx benefit program, you can receive a discount of roughly 29%.
A Flexible Pricing Model
Retailers seem to like the Pay As You Go pricing approach. Users that utilize Shippo won’t be annoyed by any kind of monthly obligation. It’s also a well-structured platform for retailers who receive many orders each month.
Shippo Review: Cons
Not perfect for CRM
Other products on the market perform significantly better. To fill the void, services like HubSpot and Mailchimp are available. That is a minor drawback of Shippo’s email notification system. Its professional package, for instance, allows you to customize your monitoring pages, but it’s still not as good as systems focused on customer relationship management.
The user interface is not ideal for big merchants.
Unfortunately, the web app is unavailable to retailers who process more than 10,000 orders each month. You can utilize Shipo’s API as a workaround, but you’d need to use Shippo’s API to put things up, which could take a few months.
Billing errors
This critical remark comes after a lot of customer complaints. Merchants have noted issues with failing reimbursements from cancelled shipments. I do not doubt that Shippo’s team will look into this matter as soon as possible.
Shippo Review: Basic Features
Shippo has many helpful features already built in, from dashboard controls to numerous sophisticated connectors and add-ons. Throughout this post, we’ll go through some of the more sophisticated capabilities, including the order fulfilment and delivery options that Shippo provides. Here is a summary of what Shippo can provide you with for the time being:
- Shippo is a very user-friendly dashboard with a clear design that won’t be too confusing, as well as a convenient back-end user interface.
- Features for shipping: From various carriers, you may view and choose the best shipping rates for your requirements. Shippo provides discounts on shipping labels for DHL, UPS, USPS, and international shipments leaving the U.S. From the Shippo admin interface, you can also buy shipment insurance.
- Multichannel sync: Establish connections with numerous markets, eCommerce companies, and shipping companies. Make sure you can manage everything from a straightforward back-end, and ensure that orders and tracking orders are automatically synced between platforms.
- Shipment tracking: Shippo makes it simple to trace every order you accept, allowing you to get the most out of your order fulfilment strategy. Even shipping expected times of arrival, which show when your things should arrive at their destination, are available. This makes it simpler to provide your clients with a more knowledgeable and individualized experience when they buy with your company.
- Reporting and analytics: Shippo have you covered if you need to see how your shipping plan is doing. Many built-in reports are available, including details about your shipping expenses and the number of labels you buy daily. Additionally, average shipping costs per product are reported.
- Shipping labels: All businesses needing shipping software will benefit greatly from the useful batch label printing options Shippo offers. To avoid printing each label one at a time, you can print up to 100 labels at once. The possibility of obtaining scan-based return labels is also available. Accordingly, you only have to pay for the label if your customer uses it.
- Print bespoke forms before delivering internationally to ensure the client can be reached. Don’t forget that Shippo includes built-in address validation. This implies that before you commit to shipping, the system verifies the address to ensure it is genuine. You can send your customers an email to let them know when their orders are ready to be delivered.
Shippo is a practical tool that can lower your monthly product management costs and provide you access to better shipping discounts. Shippo can be the right option for you if you want to increase your business’s efficiency without exceeding your credit card limit.
Even though Shippo already has most of the capabilities you’ll need, the company is aware that you’ll also require integrations. Thankfully, this program connects with about 59 different ERPs, marketplaces, inventory management solutions, and eCommerce platforms.
Business owners can connect their Shippo experience to various platforms, including Etsy, Amazon, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Shopify, and Weebly, depending on their specific needs. Make sure that any integrated firms you want to access have the proper carrier accounts.
Integrations & Add-ons
The most thrilling part is this. I must admit. Like other top fulfilment businesses, Shippo connects with practically all shopping cart platforms.
It specifically relates to the following third-party sales channels:
- Shopify
- Wix.com
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
- Magento
- Spree Commerce
- Squarespace
- ChannelAdvisor
- ePages
even more
And because Shippo directly interfaces with feature-rich website builders like Weebly or GoDaddy, you can use it straight out of the box.
Shippo connects to more than 55 different carriers in addition to the ones already mentioned, including DHL Express and Canada Post. As you know, you can depend on these shipping options for their quickness. If you have a seller account on one of these marketplaces, you may use this order fulfilment service and take advantage of its amazing features:
- eBay
- Amazon
- Etsy
Practically speaking, Shippo steps in with affordable options if Amazon’s FBA services are too expensive. We’ll soon provide a detailed study of Shippo’s pricing strategy.
Order Fulfillment
Curious about how Shippo processes orders? Read on.
Step #1 Integrate your sales channels
You may quickly link them to Shippo if you sell on marketplaces or e-commerce platforms (see above). Once you’ve done so, all pending online orders will be transferred to Shippo, and new orders will begin automatically entering Shippo as well.
Produce a CSV file with your orders if, for any reason, you don’t have an online business, don’t see your shopping cart as an integration option, or generate orders from your brick-and-mortar store. Make sure your columns match the fields Shippo is importing before uploading that file. The best part is that Shippo remembers the column names, so you won’t have to go through the column creation process again the following time.
Step #2 Connect carriers
Connect to the carriers you want to use to complete your orders. You can choose between 55+ global carriers depending on what you are delivering, where you are shipping it to, and where you are located. Additionally, you can connect to various carriers if you so like.
Step #3 Shipping a package
You must print a label before mailing a box. You must enter the shipping from and to addresses, the package’s height and weight, and the printer you want to use to print the labels. You must also select the label format.
Examine the carrier’s rates before choosing your delivery option. You could view several price points from all of your connected carriers in real time if you connected numerous carriers. From there, you can pick the shipping company you want to use for your orders.
Print your manifest and labels.
In a nutshell, this is how it operates. The entire procedure appears quick and simple. Of course, there are many more features available for you to use. You can quickly select a pickup date, for instance, if you’re mailing with USPS or DHL Express, saving you the trouble of going to the post office. What a cool thing!
Inventory Management Integrations
Shippo collaborates closely with a couple of inventory management firms as part of its partnership program. They provide a multichannel system that enables retailers to control their sales orders, inventory levels, and shipping procedures.
You may complete all of these things in one location. Shippo, therefore, interfaces with the following platforms for inventory management:
- Freestyle Alternatives
- ecomdash
- ShopMaster
- Picqer
- Fulfil.IO
- Duoplane
- Boxstorm
- Orange Manager
- TradeGecko
- Peoplevox
- SKUlabs
- Serlo
- Fishbowl
- Snapfulfil
That’s not all, though.
Do you know what partial fulfilment is?
You should test out this wonderful functionality with your upcoming transactions. When you have some backorders, this functionality can be put to good use in a realistic situation. Let me explain that sentence in simple English language if it sounds unusual to you.
Customers frequently submit orders for items that are most likely out of stock. Does that now ring a bell? I’ll assume it is. This is where, technically, partial fulfilment occurs.
You can divide such orders into multiple shipments using our amazing shipping software. Your inventory will undoubtedly show the same transaction. As a result, you may easily source the same orders from various warehouses.
Shippo supports numerous staff accounts, which is crucial. When you feel overworked, you might assign some responsibilities as the administrator. The best method to collaborate with your team is through a shared Shippo account.
Analytics Reporting
Many online shops want to keep track of their shipping costs, the number of labels they print, and the average cost per delivery. You’re in luck if you’re one of those merchants. Shippo has all of this information at your disposal.
Customizations
Surprisingly, Shippo goes above and above to provide the customer with customization options on the tracking page. For example, to give the logistics procedure a bit more professionalism put the emblem of your store.
All email notifications are the same in this regard. Your brand can be added to each topic line.
Additionally, by saving a template for a particular order, the merchant may quickly fill similar orders in the future, saving even more time. For instance, using package templates makes it unnecessary to enter the package measurements for each purchase manually.
This is unquestionably a well-considered tactic to increase clients’ trust in your brand by a wide margin. Given what Shippo has planned, it only seems reasonable to praise their insightful customer relationship management system.
What, then, is the benefit here?
Shippo significantly and comprehensively supports the ability of your online store to have a global audience. Due to the strict regulations that govern international shipping, our service handles all customs formalities on your behalf. Therefore, you have no reason to be alarmed about any potential compliance issues.
Almost any operation you could need to complete can be done paperlessly, thanks to cloud-based technologies. For instance, printing out commercial invoices is no longer required.
Build Customer Loyalty
How else could you keep a thriving, loyal consumer base?
Shippo may have the answer you need to count on more customers. They enable you to make return labels for each item as one of their services. For those who are not familiar with this procedure, a return label is a label that enables the client to conveniently return purchased products to the merchant in the event of any common problems. Some carriers provide prepaid return labels, and Shippo enables businesses to use these as well.
Here are some popular return methods:
- Return labels can be included in each shipment using scan-based returns. The good news is that you only pay if the labels are applied. This significantly improves the consumer experience.
- Batch label printing is a pretty action-packed option to use if you anticipate having to manage several orders at once. With this shipping program, you may print up to 100 labels at once. Before printing labels in bulk, all you need to do is enter the destination addresses and the dimensions for each item.
- Standalone returns are an alternative that Shippo provides for any packages that aren’t handled by its platform.
Given the evident possibility of dealing with foreign orders, it seems sensible to be aware of the relevant customs processes. Shippo is designed to make it simple for you to print every required customs form for worldwide shipments.
Not to mention, on the return trip, you can switch the shipping company.
Shippo Review: Ease of Use
Shippo and other order fulfilment tools are made to make it as easy as possible for you to serve your consumers. Service must be simple to use and practical to streamline your order administration and fulfilment procedures effectively. Thankfully, Shippo fulfils all the criteria in that regard.
One of the best features of Shippo is the availability of a pay-as-you-go plan, which allows you to only pay for the services you utilize. With the PAYG plan, you can use Shippo’s administrative features and functionalities without incurring extra costs.
The good news is that Shippo is really simple to use once you get the hang of it. Even your current eCommerce website can be integrated with this solution. If you use Shopify, for instance, you can link your Shopify store by simply adding the URL when prompted to do so during Shippo setup. You can confirm the integration in your Shopify admin panel after the service sends you there.
Finding the information, you require to plan your shipping and fulfilment services is another benefit of Shippo. There’s no need to manually copy and paste a lot of data because Shopify or another online store environment can automatically import all you need.
You’ll discover a variety of customization choices as you move through the Shippo dashboard that assists you in determining your delivery requirements. You can track shipment weights and dimensions, so you can be sure that the shipping company you select will give you an accurate quote. Additionally, if you’re delivering something over a long distance and want to safeguard your company, you can choose to add shipping insurance to your order.
When you’re prepared to calculate your shipping costs, click “See all possible rates” at the bottom of the page to view your options. When you’ve decided who to ship with, click on the relevant menu item and choose “Buy Label.” That’s all there is to it.
Shippo Review: Pricing
Cash is important! Oh, that’s what they say, isn’t it?
As an online retailer, you want to not only partner with a cost-effective solution but also one that can compete with you on price. No matter the firm’s size, Shippo’s pricing model is ideal.
So, let’s begin with the most fundamental strategy.
Pay As You Go Schedule
There are no obligations associated with this bundle, as the name implies. If you’re a little apprehensive, Shippo guarantees there won’t be any additional monthly fees. Once you make the one-time payment, everything is set. You can arrange for a single shipment to be organized for just five plus postage.
You receive unrestricted email-based customer assistance with the Pay as You Go plan. You are eligible for large discounts of up to 90% off if you choose USPS as your preferred carrier service. Additionally, this plan offers additional global carrier discounts, including up to a 55 per cent discount on DHL Express and UPS.
(By the way, shipping discounts are constant regardless of the plan you select.)
With this package, you get an infinite number of integrations with shopping cart software and other useful tools that help you prioritize your shipping. The disadvantage of this particular plan is that it only allows for one user account and lacks customizable features.
Shippo offers supplementary insurance through third-party businesses like Shipsurance, which covers a variety of uncertainties to even the odds. This insurance option costs about 1% of the total package price. You don’t have to pay for U.S. addresses; you just need to pay $0.09 per address to validate a global address. Validation of addresses.
Professional Plan
You should choose the “Professional” package if you require more features. It has all the features of the Pay As You Go plan, in addition to a few somewhat profitable extras. The monthly cost is $10, and there is no fee of 0.05 cents for each label.
Depending on how many shipping labels you want to print, the Shippo Professional plan will cost more (and how many orders you need to ship). You’ll pay $10 each month for up to 60 labels. It costs $25 for 200 labels, and you can spend up to $125 a month on up to 5000 labels.
And now for the add-ons.
You can administer up to 5 staff accounts with this plan. In addition to this positive advantage, users can:
- Add personalized branding to
Package receipts
Notifications via email
Monitoring pages
- Create personalized email notifications with text.
- Users of the “Professional Plan” also have access to live chat support and email help.
- A risk-free 30-day trial period
You don’t pay for U.S. shipping with this plan because it only costs 0.08 cents to verify a global address for that purpose. Validation of addresses.
Premier Plan
This package is what I’d call the top-tier option for retailers searching for a personalized shipping solution. In addition to all the features included with the Professional plan, there are certainly more benefits you can count on. The cost for global address verification is a little lower. To be exact, it costs $0.06 per address (and U.S. Address Validations are free).
A professional technical assistance staff is just a phone call away with the Premier package. I adore the idea that you can create up to 15 employee accounts with this business-focused solution.
This is what elevates it above the more affordable plans.
- Processing large orders with the Batch Endpoint API
- Technical support for implementation
- Shipments of many items
- Expert support from Shippo’s Integrations staff
- Address checking and package tracking on demand
Shippo costs $0.01 for every shipment for package tracking services. The needs of the merchant determine the overall cost. To receive a personalized estimate, you must get in touch with the Shippo team.
Shippo allows you to upgrade to a more practical plan as your company grows and achieves greater heights. It’s time to migrate if your current shipping system only allows you to do the absolute minimum.
Shippo Review: Customer Support
I decided to test Shippo’s customer care system, and the results are presented here. After considerable research, I discovered these noteworthy choices:
- Users can receive useful and quick support information through the help centre. Additionally, Shippo features an extensive blog area frequently updated with new and enlightening stuff.
- How-to manuals, tutorials, and more in our resource centre to help you ship more intelligently.
- Email Support – A retailer can send any questions by email at any time convenient for them.
- API support – You may rely on Shippo’s skilled experts to handle any additional code requirements. For these purposes, an API information directory is available.
Shippo is a terrific San Francisco-based enterprise that simplifies business operations by revolutionizing your shipping procedures. Shippo can be of assistance if you wish to improve your shipping choices while spending less on order fulfilment.
You will receive a respectable level of service and support to assist you in getting the most out of your new software as part of your Shippo price fees. You have access to knowledge base articles and live chat and email support for contacting customer service representatives.
Users who have the Professional or Premier package can engage in live chat. If you’re not subscribed to one of these higher-paid programs, you can fill out a support form and request that someone contact you by email. If you feel comfortable with a DIY approach, you can also choose to access a choice of Shippo YouTube videos to serve as your guides.
Try contacting Shippo on one of the accessible social media platforms, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, if you need to connect with a professional quickly. If you have a Premier plan, a success specialist will provide you with dedicated customer support.
Shippo Review: Security
Shippo doesn’t have many sophisticated security features to take into account, like the capacity to modify user account permissions. If you require a fine-grained level of control over which members of your team have access to particular features, this could pose a small problem for your business. Shippo also lacks a lot of information to share about its data security compared to rivals like Shipstation, for example.
You can find proof that this solution complies with the E.U. and U.S. Privacy Shield frameworks. There is some proof that this website also employs HTTPS security. Beyond this, it’s challenging to find whitepapers or in-depth information on the security protocols utilized by Shippo.
If you don’t have enough information about security and compliance, it could be more difficult to convince your stakeholders and business executives that Shippo is secure.
Who is Shippo Best for?
If you ship between 50 and 5,000 orders per month, Shippo is a solid option for your shipment fulfilment. You may handle everything with the help of the solution, including purchase details and shipping labels while keeping expenses down. However, if you don’t send 50 or more items, you might discover that it’s more cost-effective to use a free plan.
Alternative shipping businesses exist that can provide you with free services, requiring you to just pay for the items you ship.
Before you sign up with a particular supplier, don’t forget to compare the shipping costs offered by all of the small company fulfilment options accessible on the market. We advise signing up for the free trial if you’re unsure if this service will work for you.
It’s important to remember that although Shippo has many interesting features, it’s not the most sophisticated product available. For instance, it’s difficult to tell whether your security and compliance policies are effective without a lot of information. If you’re dealing with many staff members, Shippo doesn’t have extra security features like custom user rights.
Shippo Review: Bottomline
It appears that Shippo takes no chances throughout. It is a shipping service that works with all the main marketplaces and shopping carts. You name it, from Shopify to WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Volusion. Whether your company is a start-up or has grown significantly, Shippo provides a flexible and futuristic price structure.
Additionally, Shippo could uniquely highlight your online store even if you aren’t seeking a shipping program with some futuristic automation. This is a much better choice than the delivery service offered by your typical store.
You may test out Shippo to see if it’s ideal for your e-commerce company.
