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Custom shipping rules

Examples from our most popular
Shipster is a truly custom shipping solution that allows you to automate large parts of your shipping operation with bespoke shipping and your couriers of choice. Read on to find out how it works and see popular shipping rules that will revolutionise the way you dispatch.

Rule Conditions (Triggers)

Automate shipping rules based on:

  • Data Matching

    Using virtually any piece of data associated with an order or product in your system, you can create rules that target keywords/labels/attributes by: “exact match”, “starts with…”, “ends with…” or “contains…”. You can also group data matches as: “and…”, “or…”, “neither…” and “not…”. This means you can affect multiple groups at once, and yes, create rule combinations.

  • Weight

    Item weight can play a big role in preventing overspend on your shipping. Shipster can take the weight and allocate them to the most cost-effective shipping service for that weight and instantly calculate whether it is more efficient to split or bundle items together.

  • Locations

    Use location data to automatically allocate shipments to the correct delivery service. You might also use destination data to print documentation translated to the recipient’s language or print additional labels e.g. CN22.

  • Language

    Shipster can check language attribution fields and print all customer documentation in the required language.

  • Number of Items

    Trigger rule commands for how [X] number of items should be shipped e.g. the packaging, courier service, parcel splitting, bundling etc.

  • Failed Shipments

    Decide a more efficient way to process failed shipments – pop them in a "skipped" queue for later, print a document containing all the details or automatically save them to a designated folder for an allocated member of staff.

  • Required Temperature

    Products requiring temperature-controlled storage and transport can be allocated to the appropriate temperature-controlled shipping service e.g. Polar Speed.

  • Currencies

    Automate how you handle currencies. For instance, convert currencies across platforms or on your shipping documentation. Conversions can be used in carrier service selection e.g. if an order sold in $ exceeds £100, then select Courier A, Delivery service X.

  • Hazard Labels

    Ship with a limitless number of shipping rules for dispatching hazardous goods safely and in compliance with national and international regulations. Items belonging to these categories will trigger Shipster to print the correct shipping documentation, display staff instructions and allocate to the appropriate carrier service.

  • Date and Time

    Create shipping rules based on the date and time of order or processing. Useful when managing next-day deliveries. Can use current day, time or time range e.g. 2 pm - 5 pm.

  • Order Value

    Order values are useful in dozens of shipping rules. Often the value is used to automate which delivery service is used during a product promotion, when the cost of insurance is higher or the general shipping rates. Such values can also be printed on your documents.

  • Promotions

    If an item has a related marketing campaign and the order is tagged to reflect this e.g. product category, you can have all the relevant marketing material printed with each applicable order – or trigger a pop-up telling staff to include pre-printed materials.

  • Influencers

    If you’re shipping goods to influencers and reviewers, you can tag orders in your order data to show this. This allows Shipster to print any additional documentation (marketing campaign brief? User instructions?), labels or staff processing instructions.

  • Peak Periods

    Create shipping rules that are only active during a specified period. Many of our clients also like to beef up their operations at such times with additional packing bench installations.

  • Bulky Items

    If an item or total package items exceed a dimensions limit, choose to send them on the most cost effective service, along with the necessary safety and care documents for staff and customers.

Rule Commands (triggered effects)

Example Rule Effects

  • Packaging Selection

    Automatically select the correct packaging e.g. parcel vs large letter for your packing staff or packing machine - plus the option for the user to override the decision based on what they see in front of them.

  • Carrier Selection

    Each shipment can be automatically assigned to the carrier you need according to the conditions criteria you have set e.g. over 1kg and outside EU = Courier B, service C.

  • Store Collection

    Automatically amend the delivery address of store collection orders to the selected store and produce a customer-collection label to support store operations.

  • Returns Labels

    Generate return labels with every order or selected items only. Labels can be standard 4x6” labels or integrated with an A4 invoice/returns document using your design.

  • Postcode Correction

    Faulty postcodes can be automatically corrected.

  • Pop-Up Screens

    Shipping rules can be set up to trigger a pop-up screen for shipments that require special attention, further instruction or more information from the packer.

  • Service Types

    Shipments can be allocated to specific courier service types according to the conditions criteria you set. The Shipster rules engine does this using your courier shipping codes.

  • Data Overrides

    Should you need to override an attribute that’s fed between your integrated software (or courier), Shipster can override any data at the point of despatch.

  • Split or Bundle Parcels

    This is a popular weight management tactic to reduce overspending on shipping. If items in an order are below or exceed your custom threshold, they can be bundled or split into separate parcels.

  • Notification Labels

    Print extra labels to conveniently notify warehouse staff with specific instructions for a shipment e.g. “NEXT DAY” or “FOR DESPATCH ON MONDAY”.

  • Document Branding

    Shipping documents can be branded at the instruction of the client - with a standard Shipster template and logo placement or the client's own complete design.

  • Fill Data Gaps

    If there’s a consistently missing field in your data, Shipster can fill these for you instead of using manual intervention every time. A good example is a missing product category or weight for a batch of products.
Branded Documents
  • Fill Data Gaps
    If there’s a consistently missing field in your data, Shipster can fill these for you instead of using manual intervention every time. A good example is a missing product category or weight for a batch of products.
  • Offers & Discounts
    Have relevant offers and discounts print with the applicable orders e.g. a value threshold, product category or destination etc.
  • Colour Coding
    Boost the speed of your sorting and loading at the despatch point by triggering colour coded labels per shipment type, e.g. Next-day orders printed on red labels.
  • Create Barcodes
    You might want to generate a barcode for all sorts of processing purposes such as returns.
  • QR Codes
    Shipster can generate QR codes on your shipping documentation for an easier returns process, marketing campaign or tracking.
  • Partial Dispatch
    If only part of an order is ready, pop up the choice to ship a partial dispatch now instead of delaying the whole order.
  • Shipping Upgrade
    Automate shipping upgrades or downgrades, e.g., a faster courier service when a customer pays extra, or a more economical service during your own free delivery promotion.
  • Block Address
    Block postcodes or countries that are risky to ship to due to extremely high costs, potential fraud or other complications.
  • Customs Declarations
    Automatically print the correct customs documentation with each order e.g. CN22/CN23 labels with every non-EU order.
  • Delivery Duty Paid
    Use rules to add service enhancements that create DDP labels for certain orders. Delivered Duty Paid is when the sender pre-pays for all shipping related costs including export and import duties. This option is only available for the couriers that provide this service.
  • Paperless Trading
    Shipster can be customzed to send customs documentation electronically, namely commercial invoices and airway bills. This feature is only available for couriers whose API is set up to request these documents for the countries that support paperless trading.

How it works

No Two Warehouses Operate the Same

Shipping methods vary hugely according to your business sector, your shipping goals within that sector, the nature of your product and how you like to operate.

In sectors such as fashion, quick and easy return processes are key in the current market. In pharmaceuticals, timing and temperature are critical. For businesses that are expanding, constantly improving efficiency at every shipping station is a must.

Whatever your goals and preferred shipping methods are, we work with you to build a bespoke shipping automated system that works for you and breaks the shackles of the usual off-the-shelf shipping integrations.

Need Better Shipping Automation?

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