vanessahagglund, Author at ShipHero

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for ChannelAdvisor

Top 6 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for WooCommerce

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for BigCommerce

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for eCommerce Sellers

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for BigCommerce

Nov 2, 2022 | Blog

Are you using BigCommerce for your business? Or, are you thinking about using BigCommerce? We don’t blame you. In fact it’s one of the most trusted eCommerce softwares on the market with a highly rated industry leading customer satisfaction team. This SaaS software can put you ahead of the game when it comes to your online store and it integrates with multiple different softwares your business can utilize.

What is BigCommerce?

If you haven’t heard of BigCommerce, this software provides retailers with a SaaS platform to serve all their eCommerce business. The software includes many customizable services such as online store creation and search engine optimization for businesses of all sizes. BigCommerce is a company who isn’t satisfied with “good enough”. They continually strive to push the boundaries of eCommerce offerings and have won several awards in doing so. No matter what the structure of your business looks like, this solution can work with all business models including multi-storefront, headless commerce, B2B, wholesales, omnichannel, international, and commerce-as-a-service. They offer both enterprise and essential solution offerings so you can pick the package which works best for you and your business. And the open API offers users the ability to tie other softwares for their business needs directly into BigCommerce.

If you’re unsure about the purchase of this software, BigCommerce provides you with key insights into their product before you buy so you know exactly what to expect from the software. With this 17 minute product tour video you get deep insight into the product itself.

Why use BigCommerce?

This is a platform to use if you want to customize your eCommerce solution to fit your way of doing things. Their goal is to offer business owners flexibility, scalability, and the speed and agility needed to protect and grow sales. They even claim that by using BigCommerce, many leading brands have seen significantly lower TCO (total cost of ownership) which gives your product better value in the long run.

Perhaps one of the best features of BigCommerce is the Apps Marketplace. Here you can find 100s of apps and integrations which can help your business with anything from advertising to email marketing. And if you have any issues along the way they offer many forms of customer support including a live chat, phone support, email support, and a listing of common questions with their resolutions. Order management for your business is simple with their order management workflow that starts at receiving an order. It has a built-in list of order statuses which represent the stages within the fulfillment process, and of course the stages can be re-labeled to fit the workflows your business uses. Which means any fulfillment process you currently have, or want to build, will be achievable within this platform.

BigCommerce Fulfillment Options

But at the end of the day, BigCommerce is only a software solution. You still need to decide how best to fulfill your customers’ orders. Especially as you grow or experience seasonal spikes it’s important to have a fulfillment option which can scale as you need it to. This is why we have curated a list below of some of the best order fulfillment services for you as a seller if you use BigCommerce.

ShipHero

This is a great option if you want to dump the headache of running your own warehouse or if you need technology to help streamline your warehouse processes. With both a steller warehouse management system (WMS) and a fully outsourced fulfillment option, their clients get peace of mind. The warehouse management system (WMS) streamlines your warehouse’s entire processes and procedures to increase efficiency and help your team become more effective. The WMS also helps you get rid of manual processes and lost paperwork, confusing fees, and bland generic packaging. Plus, they offer a highly rated Client Support team so you work with a fulfillment expert to help you with any questions or concerns on your supply chain. Overall, whether you want to outsource your order fulfillment or need software to streamline your processes, they have the industry knowledge to help.

Cahoot

This is a great solution when looking at your order fulfillment. They have a quick setup with BigCommerce which allows you to connect your store and delineate your inventory to Cahoot fulfillment locations. In terms of order volume you can start small, then as you grow you can add product inventory in any Cahoot fulfillment center where your products are popular. They have high fulfillment standards and reliable same-day fulfillment Monday through Saturday. Working with them will get you automatic order routing and fulfillment, free and fast shipping options, a nationwide shipping network, and visibility into each delivery. They want to help you level the playing field against marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart who create high shipping expectations with fast and free shipping options for their clients and can help you do so within your own store.

ShipMonk

You can sync your BigCommerce store directly with ShipMonk. Account creation takes seconds and your account is free until you start shipping products from their warehouse. They are a great fulfillment solution for high growth brands who need an elastic fulfillment solution. With their inventory portal, you can identify best selling SKUs and receive restock alerts. Plus they understand shopping cart abandonment is often due to high shipping costs, so they negotiate great shipping rates for those on their platform. And they are not limited to the type of product they can help you fulfill as they have experience with many products from clothing to food and beverage products. In addition, they continually and heavily invest in warehouse automation technology. This means your business will get the advantage of quicker fulfillment at cheaper costs as this technology continues to improve.

Verde Fulfillment

With a direct integration into BigCommerce, Verde Fulfillment is another good choice. Their cloud-based system gives you real-time access to many features including back orders. They can also help your business with all the frustrating product returns, especially because you want your customers to have the best experience possible when they have to return something. In addition their inventory management system is intuitive and smart as it’s updated in real-time. And, as you know, limiting SKUs in your supply chain is important. With Verde you can set inventory alarms which automatically help you to know when a product has low value and you can quickly disable it from your shop. Their goal is to offer your clients the best experience possible so they will become repeat customers.

Amazon MCF

New to the BigCommerce App Marketplace, you can integrate with the Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) network in order to fully automate your fulfillment. This gives your BigCommerce orders the power of reliable Amazon fulfillment, even if you don’t sell directly on the Amazon site. With the Amazon MCF network you’ll get faster shipping, your customers will receive delivery promises at check out, and you can benefit from automatic inventory placement. These are Amazon-backed delivery dates so your customers know they will arrive ontime. Plus with Amazon MCF you can set customer price rules in order to have control over the cost of shipping. You can even replace Amazon’s rate with a rate of your own, or offer free shipping options.

Streamline Fulfillment

Streamline Fulfillment will connect directly to your BigCommerce store and handle your order fulfillment, shipping, and supply chain management on a global scale. When you sign on with Streamline an expert will work with you to analyze every part of your fulfillment process. In this consultation they will listen to your future plans and needs, while gaining an understanding of where you are currently at in your logistical journey. Together they will work with you to improve these processes so your company can save time and money. Which means you will get a tailored approach to your fulfillment specific to the needs of your business. For them an intimate relationship with their clients is important as they hope to be a partner their clients can trust to help them grow their business.

Fenix Commerce

With Fenix Commerce, you get an AI-powered solution which streamlines the order experience. It has API’s for easy integration and supports all major eCommerce platforms, including BigCommerce. They can help you reduce shipping costs because their software can intelligently select the cheapest shipping providers which will get an order to its destination within the necessary shipping window. Plus the platform can route orders to specific fulfillment centers so you can optimize your inventory management by keeping products within customer proximity. And if you need to get set up quickly they can have you up and ready to go in as little as two days. Which means you have quick data to help you make high quality logistical decisions for your company. They specifically seek to help retailers and DTC brands provide a high quality experience to their customers.

Deliverr

This order fulfillment solution allows you to fulfill your orders with 2-day and next day delivery. They handle your port to porch logistics with the goal to help businesses of all sizes offer competitive shipping. With their vast network you can keep your product within 100 miles of your customers. And they understand that your business may require multiple fulfillment and logistics services in order to fill your business needs. With them you can mix and match logistical services as you build out your company’s future. Plus, if you like the idea of Amazon’s MCF fulfillment, Deliverr’s transparent pricing model is competitive with Amazon’s MCF network. And the prices you see with the cost calculator on their site includes receiving, picking and packing, order handling, packaging, and shipping to any destination in the US.

ShipWire

This order fulfillment software works with BigCommerce and is available via Order Desk. It’s a ready-to-use integration which doesn’t require in-depth knowledge to set up. With ShipWire you get access to order entry directly from BigCommerce to ShipWire automatically, order tracking with expected delivery dates, multi-ship support to handle multiple shipping address on an order, order sync daily, and an inventory sync from ShipWire to BigCommerce four times a day. ShipWire is also a global fulfillment solution so it’s a great option if you have customers outside of the US. They specifically work to fulfill orders within eCommerce, direct-to-customer, retail, and dropship channels. Plus they have been operating for over 40 years! Which gives you a marid of logistical expertise at your fingertips.

Flowspace

This is a great easy to use platform for eCommerce brands. The Flowspace has a connected network of fulfillment centers nationwide which allows you omnichannel fulfillment at scale. With their software you can retain customer data, beat customer expectations, and support your omnichannel eCommerce. You can connect your brand with a one click integration and begin optimizing your inventory with the Network Optimization algorithm. This helps you identify the fulfillments centers needed for your business and can help you to determine how best to allocate your inventory. They make fulfillment easy by handling the process of picking, packing, and shipping your product. And it connects everything in one place offering an eCommerce command center where you can organize your orders and inventory, and gain customer insights.

Conclusion

When it comes to customer retention and shopping cart abandonment, every eCommerce store is looking for ways to improve the customer experience. If you use an order fulfillment system alongside your BigCommerce store you can streamline those processes and give your clients a high quality experience. Companies who ship faster and share tracking information along the way build customer retention. This is why the fulfillment solution you choose is such an important choice. Aside from your store, it’s one of the most palpable processes within your business a customer will experience. And if you use one of the above fulfillment services, you get the chance to leverage the knowledge of logistical industry experts who are as dedicated to quality as you are.

Don’t work with BigCommerce? Find the best carriers for many of the highest profile marketplaces on the web.

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for ChannelAdvisor

Top 6 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for WooCommerce

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for Squarespace

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for eCommerce Sellers

Top 6 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for WooCommerce

Nov 2, 2022 | Blog

Whether you’re a fledgling micro-enterprise or an established brick-and-mortar store, eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce are becoming more of a necessity in today’s “always online” world. And one essential component of running a successful eCommerce platform is order fulfillment. After all, order fulfillment is what allows your products to get to your customers.

Here, we look at one of the best order fulfillment partners for one of the most popular eCommerce platforms out there, WooCommerce.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free, open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It allows anyone with a WordPress account to set up and manage an online business. As a flexible eCommerce platform, WooCommerce can be customized in a myriad of ways with its built-in features, including inventory management, order tracking, customer engagement, secure payments and delivery status – and with various integrations as well.

What is Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment refers to the process of receiving, assembling, packing and shipping orders to their respective buyers and other related tasks such as:

Inventory management
Supply chain management
Quality control
Customer service
Returns and refunds
Warehouse management

Order fulfillment is a necessary component of running a WooCommerce Shop, as it is what brings orders to customers and keeps them satisfied.

How Does the WooCommerce Fulfillment Process Work?

Because WooCommerce is primarily focused on providing small businesses with an online platform, it doesn’t have a robust order fulfillment system.

WooCommerce Shipping is a built-in fulfillment system that is accessible via the main dashboard. From the WooCommerce dashboard, store managers can manage inventory, prepare orders, automate tax calculations and live shipping rates, and print and manage DHL and USPS labels.

What Does A WooCommerce Order Fulfillment Provider Do?

Essentially, a WooCommerce order fulfillment provider would take the whole fulfillment process out of your hands and allow you to focus on the other facets of running your online business.

Order fulfillment partners take over tasks like inventory management, order picking and packing, shipping, delivery tracking, and sometimes even storage. A reputable fulfillment service will have the necessary infrastructure in place to pick, pack and ship your orders quickly and efficiently.

What Are the Benefits of Using an eCommerce Order Fulfillment Service?

By outsourcing your WooCommerce order fulfillment to a third-party provider, you free up valuable time and resources that can be better spent on other areas of your business. But the benefits don’t stop there.

Here are a few more reasons to outsource your order fulfillment:

Extra Storage Space

Renting and operating a warehouse can take a sizable chunk out of your overhead costs. And if you’re building a business from the ground up, you may not even have the money to cover warehousing in the first place. The last thing you’ll want is to have to store your products at home.

This is where an eCommerce fulfillment center can help. A lot of fulfillment service providers now offer warehouses to store their clients’ products for a minimal fee. This fee often covers storage, maintenance and manpower.

A More Affordable Shipping Solution

Many order fulfillment providers partner up with shipping carriers to send orders out in bulk and cut costs on deliveries. As bulk shipments are cheaper than single orders, fulfillment providers can offer cheaper rates for the same or even faster delivery times.

Improved Scalability

As your business grows, you’ll either have to expand your workforce or increase your current employees’ workload. The former can take a lot of time (and money), while the latter can take a toll on your employees’ productivity and overall happiness. With an outsourced fulfillment service provider, however, you can simply request a plan upgrade and boost your fulfillment capacity to handle increased demand.

Expert Service

Forget about having to train and monitor your order fulfillment team’s performance. Fulfillment services hire, train and supervise their crew members so that they can deliver the best service to their clients. And should you experience any issues with your supply chain, you can fall back on the opinions of experts who are equipped to handle these kinds of things.

ShipHero is here to fulfill all your eCommerce shipping needs. Take a look at our order fulfillment services.

Factors to Consider While Selecting an Order Fulfillment Partner for WooCommerce

There are dozens of order fulfillment service providers out there. How do you decide which one is right for you? Before you settle on a partner, make sure to consider the following factors first:

Order Fulfillment Speed

Due in part to Amazon’s 2-day shipping offer, eCommerce customers have grown to expect their online orders to arrive at lightning speed. When screening fulfillment providers, prioritize ones with decent track records in terms of delivery times.

And if a business can’t promise fast order turnaround times, they should at least try to stick to their delivery estimates. Look for a fulfillment provider that can at least hit their delivery range consistently.

Storage and Fulfillment Fees

Looking for a long-term commitment? A good fulfillment provider will offer better rates for businesses that are looking for long-term partnerships and that have massive inventories.

Pricing

When screening fulfillment providers, watch out for hidden fees like monthly minimum fees, warehouse fees, fees for storing, handling, and restocking returned items, and assembly fees. Some service providers may issue penalties for items that are not labeled correctly, exceed weight limits, or use incorrect packaging materials.

Other special services that you may have to pay for (depending on your business) include cold storage and special handling.

Returns Management

Order fulfillment services must be able to handle product returns and exchanges without putting customers under any undue stress. A good return process makes customers feel valued and improves their satisfaction with your business even if they were initially dissatisfied with their initial delivery.

What To Look For in a WooCommerce Fulfillment Partner

Here are three things to ask about when shopping around for a long-term order fulfillment partner:

eCommerce Platform Integration

You have to make sure that your chosen partner uses software that can be integrated with your WooCommerce platform. This eliminates manual data entry, data silos, miscommunications and issues due to human error. It’d be best to find a fulfillment partner that can integrate with several different platforms. That way, if you decide to switch platforms down the line, you won’t have to let go of your current fulfillment service provider.

If you’re looking to switch your eCommerce platform, look for a fulfillment partner that integrates with one of the following options: Squarespace, BigCommerce, Wix, ChannelAdvisor and Square.

Multichannel Integration

Multichannel order fulfillment allows merchants to send out their products from one warehouse to multiple storefronts. This eliminates the need to establish warehouses for each location, saving businesses money in the process.

Ease of Use

You’ll want an order fulfillment system that is intuitive and user-friendly for all kinds of users, whether they’re tech-savvy or not. Today, most order fulfillment systems allow store managers to monitor and manage everything from inventory to shipping from one centralized dashboard.

How We Chose the Best WooCommerce Fulfillment Companies

Before we get to our list of the best WooCommerce fulfillment companies on the market, take a look at the criteria we used to narrow down our options:

Shipping speed
Fulfillment software features and integrations
Returns management
Pricing
User-friendliness
Best WooCommerce Fulfillment Companies

These are our top picks for the best WooCommerce fulfillment partners today:

1. ShipHero

ShipHero is an order fulfillment partner and warehouse management software that promises high-speed delivery (3.5 days on average) and end-to-end order fulfillment at lower-than-average costs.

ShipHero has eight warehouses located across the US and Canada, meaning that even small businesses can reach a larger volume of customers faster through the service.

ShipHero also offers PostHero integration, which allows shop owners to track packages to their destinations. This lets them provide more accurate delivery dates to their customers.

Pros

Two-in-one fulfillment service and warehouse management software provider
Access to PostHero shipment tracking and estimation
Eight warehouses spread across the US and Canada

Cons

Occasional software issues
Not enough options for shipping label customization

Pricing

ShipHero offers no zone pricing and a flat rate that includes pick, pack, postage, materials and shipping. Contact them for a customer quote.

2. Ordoro

Ordoro is an all-in-one multichannel fulfillment platform that offers shipping management, order management and inventory management for complex fulfillment workflows.

Pros

Supports advanced pick and pack workflows
Provides barcode scanning and tracking number writebacks
Supports dropshipping and automated order routing

Cons

Does not provide inventory management features on the introductory plan
Does not provide forecasting features
Not accessible via mobile app

Pricing

The Ordoro Starter plan is free of charge. The Express plan starts at $59/month and can accommodate unlimited users.

3. Dropified

Dropified is a web-based dropshipping software that supports the eCommerce platforms Shopify, gearbubblePRO, CommerceHQ, and WooCommerce. Unlike the other fulfillment providers on this list, Dropified focuses on dropshipping and comes with several dropshipping-specific features. For example, it provides users with direct access to wholesalers who can dropship for your business.

Pros

Sources top-selling products from real marketplace sales data
Allows shop owners to add products to their online store in an instant
Lets users place multiple orders to AliExpress and Alibaba in one click

Cons

Exclusive to dropshipping businesses
Limited automation tools

Pricing

Dropified offers a 14-day free trial to all first-time users. Plans start at $39.17/month billed annually.

4. Red Stag Fulfillment

Red Stag Fulfillment offers cloud-based order fulfillment for both B2C and B2B online retailers. This fulfillment service provider offers picking, packing, kitting and returns.

Pros

Same-day fulfillment guarantee
Provides affordable shipping for larger items

Cons

Only has two warehouses in the US
Dashboard and user interface leaves much to be desired

Pricing

Red Stag does not provide pricing information on its website. You’ll have to request a quote to learn more.

5. Byrd

Byrd offers “scalable and digital” eCommerce fulfillment and aims to support the growth of online shops through its international logistics network.

Byrd offers a wide range of services, from warehousing and real-time inventory to efficient picking and packing to shipping and return management.

Pros

Over 25 fulfillment centers in Europe
Live inventory management
Stores and ships organic products

Cons

No free trial version
Difficult onboarding process

Pricing

Byrd does not provide pricing information on its website. You’ll have to request a quote to learn more

6. ShipBob

ShipBob touts itself as a “global omnifulfillment solution”. It boasts over 30 distribution centers across six countries and a 99.96% on-time delivery rate.

Pros

Two-day shipping
Custom-branded packaging
Easy onboarding process

Cons

Slow response time for the app
Limited integration options

Pricing

ShipBob’s website has a calculator to help you estimate order fulfillment prices. For more detailed pricing breakdowns, request a quote.

Final Thoughts

WooCommerce is a great platform for small business owners and entrepreneurs, but it’s just one part of running a successful online business. You need a great platform that can handle order fulfillment and get your products out the door and into the hands of your customers as efficiently as possible.

That’s why we put together this list of the best WooCommerce fulfillment providers. We hope it will help you choose the right partner to take care of your order fulfillment needs.

Don’t work with WooCommerce? Find the best carriers for many of the highest profile marketplaces on the web.

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for ChannelAdvisor

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for BigCommerce

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for Squarespace

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Options for eCommerce Sellers

Order Fulfillment for WooCommerce FAQs

How do you fulfill orders in WooCommerce?

To fulfill orders in WooCommerce, you must first check to make sure you have the items in stock. Next, you’ve got to package your items, add labels, ship them out and send a tracking number to your customers.

Does WooCommerce have inventory management?

Yes, WooCommerce has built-in inventory management capabilities.

How do I fulfill a dropship order?

WooCommerce Dropshipping helps users send automated order notification emails to wholesale dropshippers when new orders come in. This automates order fulfillment of dropship orders.

Top 10 Best Order Fulfillment Partners for ChannelAdvisor

Nov 2, 2022 | Blog

ChannelAdvisor helps you keep track of your inventory, products and orders across several eCommerce platforms at once. However, you need to partner up with the right order fulfillment service to make the most out of ChannelAdvisor and unlock the true potential of your eCommerce business.

Read on for the best order fulfillment partners you can work with to maximize ChannelAdvisor’s strengths!

What is ChannelAdvisor?

ChannelAdvisor is an eCommerce service that helps you manage multiple eCommerce platforms to boost sales. It does so by assisting your marketing efforts and refining your eCommerce strategies to ensure your products reach a wider audience.

Here’s what ChannelAdvisor can do for your business:

Find new customers on various online marketplaces.
Create targeted advertising campaigns to promote your products.
Convert potential customers into buyers.
Ship products quickly.
Provide insights to assist in making informed decisions.

What is Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment is when an eCommerce seller takes a customer order, processes it according to the customer’s needs and delivers the product to the customer.

Order fulfillment is essential because it’s how a business gets products to customers. If your order fulfillment process is inefficient, you’ll likely see dissatisfied customers and lost sales.

How Does the ChannelAdvisor Order Fulfillment Process Work?

ChannelAdvisor doesn’t have an in-house order fulfillment process. However, its platform supports third-party order fulfillment partners by providing an order management dashboard. This dashboard that consolidates your marketplace and warehouse data to make them easier to access.

ChannelAdvisor also offers a shipping management dashboard that connects to your warehouses and shipping networks. By monitoring this dashboard, you can ensure all products are sent on time.

What Does a ChannelAdvisor Order Fulfillment Provider Do?

A ChannelAdvisor order fulfillment provider essentially takes over the entire process from you. Your order fulfillment partner will be responsible for your products from arrival at their warehouse until they’re received by the customers.

What Are the Benefits of Using an eCommerce Order Fulfillment Service?

The main benefits of using an eCommerce fulfillment service are cost savings and scalability. Here are six benefits you can get by working with order fulfillment services:

Additional Storage Space

Operating your own warehouse is time-consuming and expensive, especially if you run a large eCommerce business. Most order fulfillment services provide warehouses to store your products, meaning you only need to pay their fees instead of bankrolling an entire warehouse and its utilities.

Lower Shipping Costs

Order fulfillment companies usually have deals with shipping carriers because they ship hundreds or even thousands of packages per day. Because bulk shipments tend to be cheaper, these fulfillment companies can pass savings onto you, the client.

Better Scalability

Expanding your business while running your own order fulfillment operations means you have to either hire more people or give existing employees more work. You don’t have to do either of those if you work with order fulfillment services because you can simply upgrade your subscription to increase your fulfillment capacity.

Support From Experts

Nobody can be an expert in all business areas, so you must work with the right people to cover your blind spots. By working with an order fulfillment service, you can count on their expertise to identify and address issues on your supply chain.

ShipHero is here to fulfill all your eCommerce shipping needs. Take a look at our order fulfillment services.

Factors to Consider While Selecting an Order Fulfillment Partner for ChannelAdvisor

Before picking your order fulfillment partner for ChannelAdvisor, it pays to research and make the right choice. Here are four criteria to think about when picking your order fulfillment company:

Order Fulfillment Speed

Naturally, speed is one of the most important things an order fulfillment company can offer. Today’s customers and clients expect fast order turnaround times and may turn to other businesses if they can’t get it. Make sure you pick an order fulfillment company that delivers to customers punctually.

Storage and Fulfillment Fees

Storage and fulfillment fees matter because the more products you store and ship, the higher these fees will be. Consider picking a fulfillment company that charges lower fees if you plan on storing and shipping many products.

Pricing

The fulfillment company’s monthly subscription and annual fees may not be the only things you’re paying when working with them. Sometimes there may be additional hidden costs that may impact your bottom line considerably. Ask your fulfillment company about any extra costs and consider whether they’re worth it.

Cheap fulfillment partners aren’t necessarily the best choice. Choose one that offers reasonable prices and the services you need without compromising quality.

Returns Management

If a product is defective or doesn’t fulfill the customer’s expectations, they may return it. Order fulfillment services must know how to handle returns to ensure a painless process for the customer. This means your order fulfillment service provider must contact the customer, receive the product, document the cause and send a replacement product.

What to Look For in a ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Partner

Working with a fulfillment partner requires commitment, so you must choose the right partner that caters to your needs. Here are three things to ask about when looking for an order fulfillment partner:

eCommerce Platform Integration

Different businesses sell on different eCommerce platforms. To ensure you don’t encounter problems when processing orders, ensure that your fulfillment partner can integrate seamlessly with ChannelAdvisor.

Some major eCommerce platforms to ask about are Squarespace, BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce and Square.

Multichannel Integration

Multichannel order fulfillment means you can use one warehouse to process orders from all your storefronts instead of having a warehouse for each channel. Naturally, order fulfillment companies that integrate fulfillment across all physical and online channels can save you a lot of money, which is why it’s an essential consideration when picking partners.

Ease of Use

Many order fulfillment companies provide dashboards and software to help you manage inventory and warehousing. An important consideration when choosing these partners is finding one that offers the easiest software to use, which minimizes time spent training and lets you process orders as quickly as possible.

How We Chose the Best ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Companies

You have many order fulfillment partner choices, so choosing one can be tough. Fortunately, we can do that for you. Here are the criteria we use when choosing the best ChannelAdvisor fulfillment companies:

Shipping speed
Fulfillment network
Fulfillment software features
Returns management
Subscription, storage and shipping costs

Best ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Companies

Without further ado, here are some of the best ChannelAdvisor fulfillment companies to work with today:

1. ShipHero

ShipHero is an order fulfillment partner that offers high-accuracy order fulfillment and efficient warehouse management services with flat-rate fees, free of any hidden costs.

Pros

Seven warehouses located across the United States and Canada
Warehouse management with real-time inventory and order visibility
Integration with major eCommerce, shipping and marketplace platforms

Cons

Software encounters occasional errors
Limited shipping label customization

Pricing

ShipHero offers single-rate pricing for all lower 48 states with no setup or hidden fees. Visit our pricing page to discuss customized order fulfillment pricing for your company.

Request an order fulfillment quote from ShipHero today!

2. Shipwire

Shipwire operates a global fulfillment network to help your eCommerce business sell to customers worldwide.

Pros

30 warehouses located in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
Integrations with over 200 eCommerce platforms and websites
Support for B2B and B2C eCommerce

Cons

Occasionally unhelpful customer service
Relatively high shipping rates and long-term storage fees

Pricing

Shipwire doesn’t publicly post its pricing information. Contact a customer service representative for more details.

3. Red Stag Fulfillment

Red Stag Fulfillment offers a full suite of eCommerce order fulfillment and third-party logistics (3PL) services for online sellers.

Pros

100% inventory accuracy and same-day fulfillment guarantee
Affordable shipping costs for large items
No long-term contract commitment

Cons

Only two warehouses in the United States
High pick-and-pack fees

Pricing

You have to get a quote from Red Stag to get information about its pricing plans. You can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.

4. TrueCommerce

TrueCommerce is a cloud-based order fulfillment service that offers integrations with all aspects of your supply chain, so you don’t have to purchase any additional software.

Pros

Integrations with major eCommerce storefronts like Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce
Easy-to-learn software
Simple setup

Cons

May not integrate well with other software
Conflict-causing updates

Pricing

Contact a TrueCommerce representative to get pricing information. You can also book a free demo by completing the form on its website.

5. ShipBob

With over 30 distribution centers in six countries, ShipBob helps your eCommerce company sell anywhere in the world. It also boasts a 99.96% on-time delivery rate, meaning your merchandise will be well-handled.

Pros

Affordable two-day shipping costs with easily understood pricing
Transparent fulfilling performance reports
Options for custom-branded packaging

Cons

Slow-loading dashboard pages
Hard-to-implement online store integration

Pricing

You can use the calculator on ShipBob’s website to estimate order fulfillment prices. For more detailed pricing breakdowns, request a quote.

Choose ShipHero for all your order fulfillment needs.

6. ShipBots

ShipBots offer pre-built integrations with eCommerce platforms so you can capture orders from your sales channels in no time at all. It also boasts best-in-class customer support teams to ensure you get a solution if a problem comes up.

Pros

Large shipping discounts
Dashboard for inventory and warehousing performance insights
Extra user accounts at no cost

Cons

Requires a full quote to see detailed pricing

Pricing

Storage with ShipBots starts at $9/week per pallet or $1.25/week per bin. Prices for receiving, picking, packing and shipping vary depending on the volume of orders you handle.

7. Rakuten Super Logistics

Rakuten Super Logistics’ 3PL services guarantee next-day shipping with 100% order accuracy for all your products. Its wide delivery network also ensures customers get their items within one or two days.

Pros

Nationwide network of fulfillment centers to ensure fast shipping
Real-time shipment tracking
Lot tracking to monitor the expiration dates of perishable products

Cons

Outdated user interface
Occasional discrepancies between stock listed on the software and real-world stock

Pricing

Rakuten Super Logistics doesn’t post its prices publicly, but you can request a quote by completing a form on its website.

8. ShipMonk

ShipMonk provides various services like order management, inventory management, purchase tracking and packaging to simplify your B2B and B2C fulfillment processes.

Pros

Real-time inventory tracking across all your sales channels
Automatic shipping report generation
Multi-warehouse management dashboard

Cons

Occasional hidden fees in the fine print
Lack of climate control for temperature-sensitive items

Pricing

ShipMonk uses a volume-based pricing model that you can calculate on its online calculator. You can also get a custom quote by contacting a sales representative.

9. SPS Commerce

Boasting over 105,000 clients, SPS Commerce provides cloud-based supply chain solutions that let you easily share product information, get insights into retail data and improve logistics efficiency.

Pros

User-friendly interface
Useful data insights from its analytics tool
Easy integration with retail partners

Cons

Hard-to-decipher error messages
Lengthy purchase order processing

Pricing

SPS Commerce doesn’t publish pricing information on its website. Contact its sales team to get a free quote.

Experience lightning-fast eCommerce fulfillment with ShipHero today!

10. eFulfillment Service

eFulfillment Service aims to be one of the most affordable 3PLs in the business with low fees, freight discounts and zero long-term storage fees. However, its numerous 3PL provider awards show that while affordable, it doesn’t mean this company offers bad service.

Pros

Order fulfillment for various industries
Scalable services
No minimum order requirements and setup fees

Cons

Relatively slow stock check-in times
Occasional stock accounting errors

Pricing

You can get a quote from eFulfillment Service by completing a form on its website.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right order fulfillment partner for ChannelAdvisor is crucial to unlocking its full potential. Combining ChannelAdvisor’s insight and marketing assistance with robust order fulfillment services means you know what products to sell, how to market them and get them to customers on time. Additionally, you can gain insights from ChannelAdvisor’s reporting tools to see whether or not your products are selling well.

Don’t work with ChannelAdvisor? Find the best carriers for many of the highest profile marketplaces on the web.

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Top 6 Best Order Fulfillment Options for Square

Nov 2, 2022 | Blog

If you’re a small or medium business owner that takes credit card payments online, you’ve probably heard of Square even if it’s not your preferred payment platform. They’ve been all over the news as a success story of a company that grew from a niche manufacturer of payment processing hardware for small merchants into a $100-billion-plus financial ecosystem.

And if you’re a client of Square Online or thinking about becoming one, then you know you need a strong, reliable fulfillment partner to complement the ease of use Square Online offers. Because if only two of the three elements of your customers’ experience with you are operating at peak efficiency (shopping and paying), and the third (fulfillment) is lacking, you’re playing with fire:

45% of shoppers expect their items to be delivered within four to five days
69% of online shoppers say they will be significantly less likely to shop with a retailer if they do not deliver within two days of the promised date
16% of online shoppers will take their business elsewhere after one incorrect delivery date

Before getting into the best fulfillment options for Square Online users, below is a quick recap for new eCommerce entrepreneurs. If you’re a veteran in the eCommerce space, skip down to “How We Choose the Best Square Fulfillment Companies.”

What is Square?

Square is a mobile payment processing app and card reader, and the very first of its kind, which is why the adoption rate was so high.

Overnight, Square (and then Square Online) let anyone accept credit card payments with their phones or tablets. And that “anyone” included those who up until that point only knew their business as a cash business like farmers’ market and flea market vendors.

Square was also unique when it launched because it didn’t require contracts, commitments, applications or monthly fees. All you needed was an email address and knowledge of how the Square dashboard works.

Today, Square Online is a complete revenue collection system for vendors on and offline; every account holder is enabled to accept online orders, ring up orders at POS and receive payments through the Square dashboard.

What is Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment is a quick way to describe the process of receiving a purchase order from a customer, processing that order and getting the purchased product to the purchaser. The fulfillment process begins when a customer’s order is received and ends when that customer receives their order.

When the customer receives the item or items they ordered in the time they were promised, this is considered positive fulfillment. If a hiccup anywhere along the fulfillment chain disrupts the process and the customer either receives their package late or doesn’t get what they asked for, this is considered negative fulfillment.

How Does the Square Fulfillment Process Work?

Square (and Square Online) makes fulfillment extremely easy for anyone from the Square dashboard.

From your Square dashboard that you can integrate into your site, you can set up curbside pickup or shipping fulfillment for any item. And you can set up a shipping fee if you see fit. Alternatively, you can use Square Online to build your own eCommerce site with a fulfillment option.

Either way, once you’re ready to accept orders with Square Online, you can choose your fulfillment method form the Square dashboard: fulfill yourself (i.e., you find the item, wrap it, box it and add arrange for curbside pickup or prepare the shipping label, ship it and track the shipment to make sure it gets to your customer), or you can bring in a third-party logistics (3PL) company for fulfillment.

What Does a 3PL Order Fulfillment Provider Do?

A 3PL order fulfillment provider will set the fulfillment method and handle the entire fulfillment process. It’s a massive headache off your plate and it gives you back hours of time per week (or more depending on how much you sell and how many shipping labels you have to produce) to put towards growing your business.

Some 3PLs will be software to help you pick, pack, create shipping labels and ship items purchased by your customers. Others own and operate their own warehouses to store your products and ship from there. And a few (like ShipHero) offer both.

What Are the Benefits of Using an eCommerce Order Fulfillment Service?

As mentioned above, the big benefit of using a 3PL for eCommerce fulfillment is getting rid of a huge pain in the neck, which you can do right from the Square dashboard.

The fulfillment process has so many moving parts and so much that can go wrong along the way that entire college-level courses are dedicated to it. And if you run an eCommerce business, you’re most likely too busy to take it. This would put you in a disadvantageous position if things went off the rails.

With a 3PL behind the scenes, whatever happens wouldn’t be your problem. And if the worst did happen, you’d know you had real experts in the field to respond, react and fix the issue before it cost you a customer.

Find out more about ShipHero’s fully-outsourced Fulfillment Solution now.

Factors to Consider While Selecting an Order Fulfillment Partner for Square Online

Like in almost every other business-to-business service market, the 3PL options for fulfillment are plentiful and varied, with many pretenders for every one contender. That’s why it’s important to be diligent in your research before selecting a 3PL fulfillment partner for your eCommerce business.

Fulfillment Type/Order Fulfillment Speed

This is the biggest one because failure here can lead directly to lost business (as stated above). You should definitely be looking for a 3PL that offers some sort of same-day delivery, as 41 percent of consumers are willing to pay a charge for same-day delivery.

Pricing and Storage/Fulfillment/Transaction Fees

On the surface, you’ll pay more for 3PL fulfillment than if you were to do it yourself. But if time is money, the investment in self-fulfillment is substantial. So, the goal when finding a 3PL is to spend less than you’d spend doing it yourself. Only you know that number, but be steadfast getting under it.

Returns Management

Less than one in 10 products bought in bricks-and-mortar stores are returned. Online, it’s close to 30 percent. So, the effectiveness of your returns process is very important for operations, but also for customer retention: 92 percent of consumers surveyed said they would buy again if the product return process was easy.

What to Look for in a Square Online Fulfillment Partner

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of possible 3PL vendors, you’d be wise to look under the hoods of each to make sure they can work with Square Online and the Square dashboard, and that they are in fact a fulfillment expert for Square Online. How well they execute the fulfillment type they promise will dictate their value to you.

eCommerce Platform Integration

This is obviously the most important part. If a 3PL provider can’t plug into Square Online or the Square dashboard, they’re of no use to you whatsoever.

Multichannel Integration

You never want your 3PL to keep you from growing, so you have to trust them to know everything about where you want to start selling next, and how to follow or adjust their fulfillment type to handle those orders.

Ease of Use

Often overlooked in 3PL selection is smoothness across the fulfillment process, and this starts with an interface that everyone along the line can use. And be picky. Find something you know will work for you and your team, where the transaction fees are minimal or non-existent, and that works with the Square dashboard.

How We Chose the Best Square Online Fulfillment Companies

You have many order fulfillment partner choices, so choosing one can be tough. Fortunately, we can help with that. Here are the criteria we use when choosing the best Square fulfillment companies:

Shipping speed
Fulfillment network
Fulfillment software features
Returns management
Subscription, storage and shipping costs

The Best Square Online Fulfillment Companies

1. ShipHero

ShipHero was founded by a former eCommerce entrepreneur who was frustrated with the shipping software options available and decided to do something about it.

Pros

As mentioned above, the big pro ShipHero has going for it is the choice you have to either use their software to ship from your warehouse, or to let them ship your items from their warehouse, giving you back days of time by the end of every year.

Cons

Right now, the perceived knock on ShipHero is that it’s not a market leader yet. But that’s changing quickly.

Pricing

ShipHero Fulfillment offers flat rate shipping costs that includes picking, packing, shipping, mailing supplies and postage. Pricing is more competitive without shipping zones and costs are more predictable.

Find out more about ShipHero’s fully-outsourced Fulfillment Solution now.

2. ShipStation

ShipStation is a web-based order management and shipping software. They don’t have their own warehouses, but their software is used in North America, Europe and Australia.

Pros

Fairly flexible and relatively easy to use
Integrates with QuickBooks

Cons

Can be clunky to use for some people
Once your shipments reach 500 per day or more, the system loses its efficiency and can actually slow you down

Pricing

They offer six tiers up to $229.99/month based on how much you think you’re going to ship.

3. ShipBob

ShipBob is another web-based platform in the ShipStation family, and it has a built-in analytics cruncher.

Pros

The ShipBob staff is very large, so help with problems when they arise is easy to get

Cons

The learning curve is steep for beginners and tech newbies
Struggle with API issues and compatibility

Pricing

Shipping costs are customized per client.

4. Ordoro

A shipping solution for small- to medium-sized businesses with a small business, homespun feel.

Pros

It has an intricate inventory tracking tool, which works well for eCommerce companies with multiple SKUs.

Cons

Overall, the features aren’t as robust as others.

Pricing

Pricing is definitely competitive, but you get what you pay for.

5. Shipedge

Shipedge has a suite of products to manage the entire order management lifecycle, supply chain and logistics in one centralized platform.

Pros

Easy to integrate with most platforms.

Cons

Not the most user-friendly interface.

Pricing

Pricing is modular.

Find out more about ShipHero’s fully-outsourced Fulfillment Solution now.

6. Printful

Printful is a 3PL fulfillment company primarily for eCommerce apparel companies, and specifically apparel creators.

Pros

You can use Printful to design your own products

Cons

Its functionality is limited to the needs of its primary audience
Products are not made until ordered which could cause shipping delays

Pricing

Pricing is customized

Final Thoughts About Square Fulfillment

If you’re a Square Online customer, you clearly care about quality and about giving your customers the best possible experience. By choosing the right 3PL shipping partner, you complete the loop.

Don’t work with Square? Find the best carriers for many of the highest profile marketplaces on the web.