How to add a BigCommerce store to ShipStation, what features are available, and other need-to-know details.
BigCommerce’s cloud-based platform enables merchants to grow their mid-market brand businesses. BigCommerce integrates directly with ShipStation to automatically import your orders so you can start shipping quickly. ShipStation will automatically notify your BigCommerce account with each order's shipment details as soon as you create each label.
If you also sell on Amazon and eBay, you may want to learn about the two available methods to use BigCommerce for Amazon and eBay orders.
New BigCommerce Connection
ShipStation has updated its integration to support BigCommerce's most up-to-date features. If you would like to take advantage of new features and functionality that are available for the new BigCommerce Integration, please contact support to have your ShipStation account enabled for migration.
Connection Requirements:
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An active BigCommerce account.
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Your BigCommerce username and password.
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The ShipStation app installed in your BigCommerce account (available from the BigCommerce App Marketplace).
Order Import Requirements:
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Order includes at least one physical product and a Ship To address.
To connect your BigCommerce store to ShipStation:
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Log in to your BigCommerce store.
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Go to the apps marketplace either by clicking Apps and following the link or go to https://www.bigcommerce.com/apps/.
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Click the Search bar at the top and search ShipStation.
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Select the ShipStation app in the search results.
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Click Get this App.
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Click Log In when prompted.
This will take you back to your BigCommerce Dashboard to continue the process.
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Click the Install button.
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Agree to the permissions by clicking Confirm.
Next, you'll be taken to a page where you can either sign up for a free ShipStation trial or log in to your existing ShipStation account.
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Log in to your ShipStation account.
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Click Connect to complete the connection.
After you've completed the connection steps, your store will be connected to ShipStation. You'll be taken to the store's Settings page to adjust the store-specific settings like branding, notification preferences, and product handling.
Going forward, you'll be able to access ShipStation either by logging in to ShipStation directly or through your BigCommerce account by clicking ShipStation under My Apps.
Each BigCommerce store can only be connected to a single ShipStation account.
If you need to transfer your BigCommerce store to a different ShipStation account, you should:
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In ShipStation, go to
Settings > Selling Channels > Store Setupand Edit your BigCommerce store. -
Deselect the Is Active? checkbox and click Save Changes.
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Log out of ShipStation.
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In BigCommerce, locate the ShipStation app and uninstall it.
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Follow the steps listed above to connect the BigCommerce store to the new ShipStation account.
The ShipStation integration with BigCommerce supports the following standard features:
ShipStation's integration with BigCommerce allows for the following additional features:
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
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Send ShipStation Rates to BigCommerce Checkout |
The ShipStation Checkout Rates Options allow you to send the rates you get in ShipStation to your store checkout. Please see our Send Rates to Store Checkout article for setup instructions, and the Enable Checkout Rates Option for BigCommerce section of our Connect Checkout Rates to Your Store article. |
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Access to ShipStation Carrier Services |
ShipStation accounts created through BigCommerce also come with ShipStation Carrier Services activated, granting you access to create USPS shipping labels. See our page on ShipStation Carrier Services for more details. |
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Supports ShipperHQ |
You can use ShipperHQ with BigCommerce. It will not work with multi-recipient orders. |
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Displays BigCommerce Inventory counts |
ShipStation can display BigCommerce inventory stock counts in the Order Details, as long as the BigCommerce store is set as the Inventory Source for your Ship From Location. External inventory is visible in Order Details but is not tracked in the ShipStation Product Detail section. Learn how to View Total Available Inventory Counts in this article. |
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Will import orders with multiple Ship To addresses |
If a BigCommerce order has more than one Ship To address, ShipStation will create multiple orders based on each Ship To address. |
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Receives shipment updates for linked Amazon and eBay stores |
If you have Amazon and/or eBay connected to both BigCommerce and ShipStation, ShipStation will also update your BigCommerce store whenever a shipment update is sent to the Amazon or eBay store. Please review the Using BigCommerce with Amazon or eBay article for more details about your available options. |
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FedEx Hold at Location available during Checkout |
With ShipperHQ installed, you can enable FedEx Hold at Location as an option at checkout. ShipStation imports these orders with a Hold at Location designation so they can be appropriately processed. |
In addition to the features listed above, you can enable the following settings for your BigCommerce store via the ShipStation User Success team.
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Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
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Custom Fields |
The Payment Method field can be mapped as Custom Field 1, 2, or 3 in ShipStation. |
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Multiple Ship Addresses |
This setting is enabled by default. If enabled, ShipStation will import BigCommerce orders with multiple Ship To addresses as separate orders based on the Ship To address. If disabled, only a single BigCommerce order will be created that uses the primary Ship To address for the order. |
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Import 'Manual Verification Required' orders as Awaiting Payment |
If enabled, ShipStation will import BigCommerce orders in the Manual Verification Required status into the Awaiting Payment status. If this setting is not enabled, Manual Verification Required orders are imported into the Awaiting Shipment status. |
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Import Unpaid Orders |
If enabled, ShipStation will import BigCommerce orders in the Awaiting Payment status as Awaiting Payment. If this setting is not enabled, Awaiting Payment orders will not import into ShipStation until they enter a supported status. |
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Exclude eBay orders from import |
If enabled, ShipStation will ignore BigCommerce orders that originated on eBay. |
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If you use ShipStation Legacy and split a BigCommerce order in ShipStation:
Remove the Order Number suffix during the split process. This ensures the Order Number for the split orders matches the Order Number in BigCommerce. If the suffix is not removed, ShipStation will not be able to communicate properly with BigCommerce when the order is shipped.
If using ShipStation's new layout, there is no need to amend the split order number.
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A BigCommerce store can only be connected directly to a single ShipStation account. If the BigCommerce store is added to another ShipStation account, the authentication credentials will be invalidated for the previous connection.
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If you are on the BigCommerce Enterprise Plan, you can use the Multi-Storefront Feature if you upgrade to the new BigCommerce integration that supports this feature. Please contact support to have your account enabled and once confirmed please follow the Migration Guide to ensure a successful migration with no disruptions in your workflow.
Here are some common issues experienced by users, potential causes, and available troubleshooting tips.
|
Issue |
How to troubleshoot or resolve |
|---|---|
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Connection error when trying to import BigCommerce orders into ShipStation. |
This may mean that the authentication credentials ShipStation is using to communicate with BigCommerce are no longer valid and need to be updated. To do this, you'll need to uninstall the ShipStation App from BigCommerce, then reinstall it. Follow the connection steps again to re-authorize your BigCommerce store. |
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Error: The quantity specified is greater than the quantity of the product that is available to ship. |
This means BigCommerce's servers have denied our shipment notification because that shipment exceeds the available inventory. This happens most often when re-shipping a BigCommerce order (because BigCommerce has already set aside inventory in relation to that order). To clear this error message, log in to your BigCommerce store and increase the inventory quantity for the product(s) you are trying to ship. Then, go back to ShipStation and click Retry Failed Steps in the marketplace notification pop-up screen. |