Even though small and mid-sized businesses benefit from the online shopping boom, most struggle to meet the additional fulfillment obligations that come with expansion. As a result, a third-party service like ShipStation may be just what you need to optimize your shipping process.
After all, shipping is the critical point at which customer expectations and the ecommerce experience meet.
We looked at ShipStation’s essential features, pricing structure, and overall applicability. So let’s have a look at it more closely.
What is ShipStation?
ShipStation is a central web-based shipping platform that assists ecommerce shops with order import and management. It also connects with several popular ecommerce systems, like Shopify, WooCommerce, Shift4Shop, and BigCommerce, to name a few.
Amazon, eBay, Jet.com, Walmart, and Etsy are just a few of the marketplace connections you’ll likely encounter. ShipStation also interacts with email marketing platforms, sales channels, and various mail carriers.
If you want to simplify and automate many aspects of your business, ShipStation is an intelligent investment. The ShipStation organization enables API customization, and the service partners with some of the world’s biggest companies, like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other carriers, to fulfill your orders.
ShipStation also aids with the handling of eCommerce orders and inventories.
ShipStation Ease of Use
You’ll be sent to this page when you log in to the test panel.
After that, you’ll be shown how to create an account in a short tutorial video. You may now connect your account to your favorite marketplaces and shopping carts.
ShipStation’s dashboard is divided into five sections, each containing data on insights, orders, shipments, items, and customers.
Similarly, there is a five-icon icon tray in the app’s top-right corner. Tools like the Rate Calculator, Update All Orders, My Profile, and Support are among them. This makes processing manual orders through the dashboard a breeze.
Pros and Cons of ShipStation
All services have advantages and disadvantages to consider. Whether you’re purchasing an API to automate your email functionality or the ideal shipping and handling solution makes no difference. This is true of ShipStation as well. Though this method has a lot of advantages, it also has certain disadvantages that you may not like.
Let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of using ShipStation.
Pros
- ShipStation provides a lot of versatility, such as custom views and real-time reporting, to keep track of your company’s success.
- Custom branding: For your returns and tracking pages, ShipStation offers custom branding options, which is a beautiful way to increase familiarity.
- Multiple carriers: With ShipStation, you can handle multiple carriers ranging from FedEx and UPS to DHL and Fulfilled by Amazon.
- Integrations: To assist you in increasing the functionality of your fulfillment system, there are several integration options available.
- Order management: ShipStation allows you to import order data from over 40 different channels, making it easy to keep track of your business.
- ShipStation also provides bespoke reporting and graphs to assist you in demonstrating your company’s success to shareholders.
- Flexibility: With various pricing tiers to pick from, it’s easier to find something that fits your company’s needs.
- Great community: While ShipStation does not provide much customer service, online communities can help you run a multi-channel business.
- With the ShipStation system, online businesses may sell their items worldwide. You can effortlessly assist your company’s growth and evolution.
- Initial setup: While ShipStation may take some getting accustomed to, importing data and setting up your plan is quite simple.
- This shipping service is scalable so that it will grow with your business. ShipStation accounts are $5 per month if you want to add more users to your small company website.
Cons
- Limited customer support: If you’re having trouble setting up or running your solution, Shipstation won’t be able to provide much assistance.
- Slight learning curve: As with many shipping service solutions, learning how everything from inventory management to automatic ship order commands.
- It can be costly: Paying for your Shipstation account and shipping charges can quickly add up depending on the shipping choices.
ShipStation Key Features
Here are a few of ShipStation’s most appealing features.
Custom Views
This function helps customize the user interface to your preferences. You can choose what you want to see and set it through the Display option. To choose your default page, you can select from various interface sizes and menus.
Automation
You may personalize order fulfillment processes with ShipStation’s automation capability to save time and money on delivery. It employs automation rules, which are actions you want to perform on a group of orders.
Every rule begins with a visit to Settings, followed by a visit to your account’s Automation Rules. Go to Create a Rule and fill in the blanks as shown in the screenshots. If you wanted to create a default international shipping setting, it might look like this.
Manage Multiple Carriers
Consider the following scenario:
You put in a lot of time organizing, double-checking payments, making labels, and packing orders. After that, you drive miles to the post office to mail your foreign shipment.
As your company expands, your order volume rises, making the process above more difficult.
ShipStation integrates with a variety of carriers to help you avoid logistical headaches. It allows you to track your goods, handle order fulfillment, and create labels.
You link your favorite carrier account to the app and handle all of your business shipping. ShipStation also accommodates both domestic and international shipments.
You must first create a Stamps.com USPS postage account to print USPS postage online. ShipStation includes your Stamps.com account as part of your monthly membership, so you won’t have to pay anything extra. The best part is that ShipStation has negotiated lower USPS pricing.
Other notable carriers with which ShipStation can readily integrate are:
- FedEx
- UPS
- Royal Mail is a British postal service.
- Canada Post is a Canadian postal service.
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
- DHL
- Hermes
- Order Management
Order data from over 40 sales channels can be imported into ShipStation. Pre-configured shipping preferences are applied to each order by the software. Specifications, bespoke packing slips, and branding labels are used.
As a result, you may import orders from specified sales channels, add a carrier, and print shipping labels in seconds.
ShipStation then updates each e-shipping store’s status and tracking information automatically. The one-click Return Management functionality produces a return label for each box automatically.
Integrations
ShipStation works with a variety of marketplaces, online carts, and ecommerce systems in addition to carriers. Use the Custom Store Integration tool to import orders if your platform does not integrate.
Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, 3dcart, Weebly, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, PayPal, Quickbooks, and StitchLabs are just a few of the connections available at ShipStation.
Reporting
Data exports, default reports, barcode scans, hotkeys, charts, and graphs are among the analytical elements available in ShipStation’s reporting tools. You’ll probably find the following report fields here:
- Order details
- Shipping costs
- Inventory reports
- Sales trends
- Product highlights
- Postage history
ShipStation Customer Support
ShipStation provides support via email and a community forum. Depending on the price package you select, it also offers live chat help. Aside from that, there are how-to videos, webinars, and a product feedback forum to help you out.
Customers on all plans will have access to ShipStation’s live webinars and the knowledgebase, community forum, and email. However, if you want to use phone assistance and Live chat features, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan.
For people who are just getting started with their eCommerce business, being unable to access some of the lower-tier customer support options could be a significant issue.
ShipStation Pricing
As a monthly subscription, ShipStation provides six distinct pricing levels. You can link an infinite number of stores across all delivery channels with any plan. You can also make branded labels and packaging slips with it.
Starter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Enterprise are the six pricing tiers available. If you want to give ShipStation a try before committing, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial.
Here’s a rundown of everything each plan has to offer.
The Starter plan, which costs $9 per month and includes 50 shipments, is the most affordable option. It supports shipments across all selling channels but only has one user. Branded labels and packaging slips are included in the plan. It also offers email and community forum assistance.
Second, the Bronze plan is $25 per month and includes 500 shipments. It gives branded labels and packaging slips to a single user. The Bronze package, like the Starter plan, includes email and community forum support.
Finally, the Silver plan costs $45 per month and includes 1500 shipments across all channels. Two people may use it and come with personalized packing slips and branded labels. The Silver package includes live chat, email, and community forums for help.
The Gold package costs $65 a month for 3000 shipments and is the fourth option. It has three users and provides personalized packing slips and branded labels. Live chat, email, and community forum support are all included in this subscription.
The Platinum option, which includes 6000 shipments across all selling channels, costs $95 per month. It has a capacity of 5 users and comes with personalized packaging slips and branded labels. It also offers support via live chat, email, and a community forum.
Finally, the Enterprise plan costs $145 per month and includes unlimited shipments via several selling channels. This plan supports ten users, making it an excellent choice for large businesses with a high order volume.
The Enterprise package, like the others, includes customized packaging and branded labeling. Customer service options include live chat, email, and community forums.
ShipStation Quick Questions
Don’t worry if you still have any questions regarding ShipStation. Let’s look at some of the most frequently asked questions about ShipStation.
Is ShipStation compatible with Wix?
Customizable operations are one of the features that make ShipStation so enjoyable. Your ShipStation account can be linked to various store platforms, including Magento, Wix, and Shopify. However, it would help if you kept in mind that some integrations may be restricted. Wix, for example, is only available in a limited number of locations around the world.
Does ShipStation have a mobile app?
You can use an Android or iOS mobile app to manage your shipping and order administration needs while on the go. Even if you can’t accomplish everything with this service, it’s an excellent method to keep track of what’s going on.
How do you add ShipStation to Shopify?
It’s simple to integrate ShipStation with your Shopify store. You choose a Shopify plan and then look for ShipStation in the app store. You’ll almost certainly see many new options, such as ShippingEasy. After finding the ShipStation SKU, download the Shopify app and add it to your account. If you haven’t done so already, you’ll need to create a ShipStation account after logging in.
Is ShipStation Expensive?
ShipStation offers a variety of payment options, including the straightforward ShipStation Connect. This product has a lot of possibilities, which makes it a decent value, especially when you consider the integrations with significant shipping firms.
Is ShipStation easy to use?
Most people think ShipStation is simple to use and perfect for streamlining their workflow. However, if you do run across problems, keep in mind that ShipStation does not provide a lot of help. For certain company executives, this might be an issue.
Who Should Consider Using ShipStation?
ShipStation is an excellent shipping solution for small businesses that send out a few orders each month and large corporations that ship thousands of products.
This tool could make your life easier if you’re a small to a mid-sized firm trying to expand your eCommerce offering. ShipStation is only one of the many online shipping and order management options available. It is, nevertheless, helpful in automating the fulfillment and shipping process with a few clicks. You can also integrate with various technologies, such as Shopify, to make your life easier.
It offers a simple admin interface, helps compare shipping rates, and can be integrated with a variety of ecommerce platforms.
However, ShipStation, like any other software service, has its own set of flaws. We discovered that the program couldn’t distinguish if consumers were the same if they bought from different sales channels.
At writing, ShipStation only supported shippers in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Conclusion
Now that you know what ShipStation is all about, both the good and the bad, you can move on to the next step. It’s past time to strike a balance,
Due to a lack of identification criteria in its profile, ShipStation duplicates customer accounts. Despite this, it performs admirably when automating a company’s shipping needs. This allows you to save time and money, which are essential corporate advantages.
With this in mind, I believe e-stores could benefit from ShipStation to expedite processing. Internet buyers are looking for a good buying experience, not just a good product. As a result, shipping efficiency is crucial.
