Streamlining your shipping process is crucial for warehouse efficiency. Instead of manually selecting shipping methods for each order, ShipHero allows you to automate this process by mapping orders to specific shipping methods based on what the end customer selects at checkout. This guide will walk you through mapping shipping methods by store and explore how they integrate with other ShipHero features.
These mapping options include:
- Setting a Specific Shipping Method: Assign an order to a carrier service, like "UPS Ground."
- Cheapest Available Option: Select the most cost-effective shipping method among your configured carriers.
- Cheapest Available Option within a Delivery Window: Choose the most affordable shipping method that ensures delivery within a specified number of business days.
- Cheapest Option using RateShop+ Shipping Profiles: Define a custom set of shipping methods used when calculating the cheapest shipping option. To use this option when mapping shipping methods select Cheapest as the Carrier and then your Rate Sop+ profile as the Method.
NOTE: Automation rules can also be used to map the shipping methods on an order. Want more info? See How to use Automation Rules
Shipping Method Settings Defined
You'll need to understand several settings within the Shipping > Methods page before getting started. These include:
-
Mapped vs Unmapped Filter: Use this filter to see which shipping methods need to be mapped and which have already been completed.
- By default, all store shipping methods are unmapped. If an order imports with an unmapped shipping method, it will be assigned a generic, unpaid label.
- Store shipping methods appear in the unmapped section after they are used on an order.
- Store Filter: The Shipping > Methods page organizes shipping methods by store. Use this filter to see the shipping methods associated with each store connected.
- Wildcard Matching: Map multiple shipping methods at once that start with the same naming convention (more information below)
- Shipping Cut-Off: Used to calculate the Required Ship Date. These settings determine the expected turnaround time of an order. (more information below)
NOTE: When creating a new shipping method in the store portal, we recommend creating a test order using that shipping method to be able to map it, or manually add the method to the list using the +Add a Shipping Method button.
Wildcard Matching
The Use Wildcard Matching setting can be incredibly useful when you have numerous shipping methods that share a common naming convention. This feature is disabled by default.
The effectiveness of wildcard matching relies on consistent naming conventions for shipping methods from your e-commerce platform. Inconsistent naming can lead to unmapped orders.
Wildcard Matching Example:
If your e-commerce platform uses shipping methods like:
- Free Shipping – New York
- Free Shipping – New Jersey
- Free Shipping – California
You would make one rule for “Free Shipping—” and select the Use wildcard matching checkbox to avoid mapping each state's method individually.
Shipping Cut-Off
The Shipping Cutoff is used to calculate an order's Required Ship Date. These settings are based on the expected processing turnaround time and are usually set in conjunction with the carrier pickup times to ensure that processing goals are attainable. You can configure different cutoff times for shipping methods based on your business requirements and service level agreements (SLAs).
NOTE: You can also set the required ship date using automation rules or make manual adjustments to the order on the order details page or in bulk using the manage orders feature.
Depending on your account settings, ShipHero allows you to sort orders by their required ship date, prioritizing the most urgent orders. If your warehouse capacity allows, you can always ship orders that are less urgent earlier. The dashboard also conveniently displays all orders due today based on their required ship date.
Important Notes:
- Shipping cut-off times are NOT the estimated delivery window set by a carrier service level.
- Shipping cutoff times are strictly enforced. Orders received after the cutoff will be assigned a required ship date for the next available shipping day, regardless of urgency, unless manually overridden.
Shipping Cut-Off Time Examples
Example 1: Standard Shipping Cut-off
Suppose a team's standard turnaround time from order inception to label generation is 6 hours, and the carrier pickup is at 4 PM. In this case, the shipping cutoff should be set to 10 AM for same-day shipping to ensure those orders are complete by the carrier pickup at 4 PM.
Any orders imported after 10 AM will have the required ship date of the next day.
Example 2: Expedited Shipping
Some companies offer expedited shipping and processing times, usually with an associated fee at checkout. For these orders, the shipping cut-off is extended later, and custom order statuses are utilized to ensure operations teams can quickly identify the orders.
In the example below, the shipping cut-off time is changed to 1:00 PM so that the order can be processed on the same day using an expedited shipping method to ensure a speedy delivery.
Mapping to a Specific Method
If you know the carrier and service level you want to use for all orders that import with a particular shipping method, select those when mapping the method.
- Go to the Shipping > Methods page.
- Filter for Unmapped and select the store from the dropdown.
- Click on the Shop Shipping Method name to edit it.
- Select the Carrier and desired service level in the Method dropdown.
- Enter a Shipping Cut-Off as needed.
- Hit Save.
Example Mapping to a Specific Method
In the example below, orders imported with the Shop Shipping Method "UPS Ground" are mapped to UPS/UPS Ground with a Shipping cut-off set to 1:00 PM. Any order received by ShipHero before 1 PM with this shipping method will have a required ship date of the same day; any order received by ShipHero after 1 PM will have a required ship date of the next day.
Mapping to the Cheapest Option
With this configuration, all new orders associated with the specified shipping method will automatically be assigned the cheapest available shipping option quoted when a packer hits Print Label during the pack-out process, eliminating the need for manual selection during packing.
- Go to the Shipping > Methods page.
- Filter for Unmapped and select the store from the dropdown.
- Click on the Shop Shipping Method name to edit it.
- Select Cheapest as the Carrier and Ever as the method.
- Enter a Shipping Cut-Off as needed.
- Hit Save.
Example Cheapest Option
In the example below, the shipping method named "custom" is mapped to the cheapest/ever option and has a shipping cut-off set to the same day the order is placed.
Mapping to the Cheapest Option within a Delivery Window
Determine which carrier options should be considered when quoting for the cheapest option based on the specified delivery windows offered by the connected carriers. Delivery windows are determined by the carriers' SLAs, not ShipHero.
Delivery windows can be set from Next Day up to 9 Days. ShipHero will also consider all faster delivery windows when multiple days are selected. For example, if Cheapest/4 Days is selected, a shipping method with a 3-day delivery window can still be chosen if quoted at a lower rate during the label generation process.
NOTE: When using the cheapest tools, for some carrier service levels to be considered, the cheapest mapping must be set to that specified service level. For example, when using the cheapest option to have FedEx One Rate considered as an option (a 2-day delivery service), the method must be mapped to cheapest/2-Day. Find more information on FedEx One Rate here.
- Go to the Shipping > Methods page.
- Filter for Unmapped and select the store from the dropdown.
- Click on the Shop Shipping Method name to edit it.
- Select Cheapest as the Carrier and the desired delivery window as the method.
- Enter a Shipping Cut-Off as needed.
- Hit Save.
Creating Custom Shipping Methods
While ShipHero provides robust mapping for existing carrier services, you might have unique shipping scenarios that require custom definitions. Custom shipping methods allow you to define services that don't directly correspond to a standard carrier offering but still need to be managed within ShipHero.
To create a custom shipping method:
- Go to the Shipping > Methods page.
- Click on the Add a Shipping Method button.
- Select the Store from the dropdown.
- Enter a Name for your custom service (e.g., "Local Pickup," "White Glove Delivery," "Special Freight").
- Map this custom method to an existing carrier method, or use the generic label option if it's an entirely internal process and no pre-paid postage is required. The key is that this custom method name can now be associated with orders in your e-commerce platform or through API imports, and ShipHero will recognize it for internal routing or reporting.
NOTE: Custom shipping methods are primarily for internal tracking and routing. They don't inherently create new carrier services but act as labels
Example Use Cases:
- Local Pickup: You can create a "Local Pickup" method if you allow customers to pick up orders directly from your warehouse.
- Special Handling: For items requiring specific handling outside standard carrier services, define a method like "Fragile Goods Shipping."
Important Considerations and Limitations
- Verify Carriers: Before getting started, ensure that all the carriers you intend to use are added and configured on the Shipping > Carriers page in ShipHero.
- Unmapped Shipping Methods: Orders that import into ShipHero without a mapped shipping method will default to a generic, unpaid label that carriers will not process.
- Retroactive Changes: Any changes to shipping method mappings will only apply to new orders created after the modification. Existing or older orders will not be retroactively updated.
- Service Levels: When choosing "cheapest / ever," the system prioritizes cost. If specific delivery timeframes are crucial, consider mapping to "cheapest / within X days" or a specific method.
- Carrier Integration: The "cheapest available option" and RateShop+ functionality depend on accurate and active integrations with your carriers. If a carrier integration is down or misconfigured, it may impact the ability to select the cheapest rate or generate labels for that carrier.
- Rate Discrepancies: While ShipHero's rate shopping tools aim for accuracy, minor discrepancies between quoted rates and final billed rates from carriers can occur due to various factors (e.g., dimensional weight adjustments, fuel surcharges not always factored into the initial quote).
- Custom Method Functionality:
Further Resources
For more in-depth information on related topics, explore these resources: