Shopify is a subscription-based e-commerce platform that makes it easy for anyone to sell products online in their Shopify store. Shopify partners with several shipping carriers: USPS, UPS, DHL Express, Canada post, and Sendle for Australian post.
Support from the Shopify app store allows you access to things like order tracking apps so that you can customize your customer experience so you're not sending your customers to a boring Shopify tracking page.
How do I track my shipment on Shopify?
To track a shipment on Shopify, you can check the order status page to see real-time order updates. There, different parcel statuses will display depending on where the parcel is at in the shipping process:
Confirmed: The customer has ordered an item from your inventory, but it has not yet been shipped.
On its way: Within Shopify Admin, the order has been marked by you as fulfilled (or partially fulfilled).
Out for Delivery: The picked-up order should arrive at the customer's location soon and is in their shipping area.
Delivered: The shipment has arrived at the customer's location.
Attempted Delivery: There was a failed attempt to leave the package at the customer's address.
Does Shopify shipping include tracking?
Shopify does include shipment tracking if you ship through one of these supported carriers: Canada Post, FedEx, UPS, USPS, or DHL Express.
There are certain caveats for automatic shipment tracking that are dependant on where you are shipping from and what class fares you are using. In some cases, you may have to look to the Shopify App Store to find the integrations to bridge gaps in your needs.
For example, different carriers have apps to help your customers calculate real-time shipping rates on the checkout page. Other apps can show your shipping and fulfillment data in easy-to-read dashboards, so you can analyze trends and make critical business decisions.
Most apps in the Shopify app store allow free trials for easy testing before committing to a fee to continue your service. However, because many of the apps are developed by third-party vendors, be sure to check app reviews and consider the overall rating before payment to ensure that the current state of the app is still functional and can provide the service and support you need.
How do Shopify customers track orders?
Your customers can see their order statuses in real-time for their fulfilled orders by going to their order status page. You can send this page to your buyers automatically through email notification, SMS, or the Shopify application. How this notification sends is dependent on what information the shopper entered during the checkout process. For example, if the customer provided an email address, Shopify will send them a tracking email for order lookup. You can give them an option to opt-in if you would like on this checkout page as well. If you want to send your customers tracking status information, the best way to do so is to customize your email templates to link to the order status page.
How do I add a tracking number to a Shopify order?
If you buy your shipping label through the Shopify Shipping functionality, any shipment options that include tracking will automatically add that tracking number. But if you have a tracking number that you would like to add to manually, take these steps:
Go to your orders page from Shopify Admin.
If you have not yet fulfilled the order, mark it as fulfilled.
In the Tracking Information section, manually enter the shipment's tracking number.
Pick your carrier from the Shipping Carrier drop-down if needed, and select "Other" if your shipping service isn't supported.
Then, click "Fulfill Items." If you have already fulfilled the order, you can follow the same method by selecting "Add Tracking" in the Fulfilled section of your Orders.
How does Shopify shipping work?
Within Shopify, you can buy and print shipping labels. Shopify also works with popular shipping carriers to streamline the fulfillment process.
Each shipping carrier offers different rates and mail classes to accommodate several delivery options.
Before you choose your carrier, make sure that you know:
The shipping source location and destination
Any shipping restrictions for your products
Your shipment weight
Your shipping budget
Can you access things like flat-rate shipping, free shipping, or exact quote shipping for more oversized parcels
Although you can set your Shopify store to ship with most carriers, using Shopify shipping partners DHL Express, UPS, and USPS will allow you to pay shipping costs and access shipping labels within your Shopify environment, which may not be possible with other carriers.
Ultimately, remember that you are responsible for your customer's shipping experience, not Shopify.
Summary
Shopify has some integrations that allow for tracking updates. However, these options are limited and exclude many international carriers such as China EMS, China Post (ePacket), and Royal Mail. The functionality of Shopify also changes if you live outside of the US, Canada, or Australia. While it is a leader in e-commerce, finding a supplemental shipping platform can significantly benefit your Shopify experience.
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