After a connection has been granted between a Fulfillment Provider and their Client or dropship manager accounts, orders will import into the Fulfillment Provider's Orders grid, alongside any orders created by the Fulfillment Provider.
Connected accounts will send any orders they wish to be fulfilled by the Fulfillment Provider via the Configure Shipment Widget in ShipStation. Once the order imports into their account, the Fulfillment Provider will use this same widget to configure the order for shipment.
Auto-Update Store Imports
We highly recommend that Fulfillment Providers and their connected accounts both enable the auto-update feature for the stores to alleviate the need to use the manual import too frequently. Learn how to set a store to auto-update.
Access the Configure Shipping Widget in either the Orders grid shipping sidebar or in the Order Details screen (to open the Order Details, either click an order number or double-click the order in the grid).
To delegate an order to a Fulfillment Provider, you must have at least one Ship From Location set up.
Item SKU Must Be Included in the Order
Order items must include a SKU to be sent to a Fulfillment Provider for fulfillment.
Watch this video to learn how to delegate orders to a fulfillment provider:
Follow these steps if you are a Client or a dropship manager sending an order to a Fulfillment Provider.
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Go to the Configure Shipment Widget (either in the Orders grid Shipping Sidebar or the Order Details screen).
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Select the Fulfillment Provider as your Ship From location. Then, select the service you would like to use.
This list shows a set of preferences that give you the ability to define the time frame you want for the order's shipping, without being specific about the service.
Your Fulfillment Provider may use this information when picking a specific shipping service for the order. If you don’t have a preference, you can select Requested Shipping Method, and that will send the Fulfillment Provider the service that the customer chose at the checkout when they placed the initial order.
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Click the Send Shipment button to send the order to the Fulfillment Provider.
This will place the order into a Pending Fulfillment status, viewable from the left sidebar of your Orders screen. Orders that are in the Pending Fulfillment status mean the Fulfillment Provider is in the process of picking, packing, or placing the package on a truck for shipment. To avoid conflicting with this process, Clients and dropship managers cannot cancel orders in this status.
If you have wrongfully sent your order to Pending Fulfillment and would like to ship this yourself, please contact your fulfillment provider.
Automatically Delegate Orders to a Fulfillment Provider
You can automate the delegation of orders to a Fulfillment Provider by creating an Automation Rule.
Go to Settings > Automation > Automation Rules and create a new rule. The rule can apply to every order that is imported or just orders that match specific criteria.
Select Action Type :: Set Fulfillment Provider. Select the fulfillment provider in the Ship From drop-down and select the Service you wish to apply.
Then, be sure to check the box "Automatically send fulfillment request to provider" and save the rule.
Learn more about how to use Automation actions.
Watch this video to learn how to process orders from your DropShip Manager:
Follow these steps if you are a Fulfillment Provider preparing a Client or dropship manager order for shipping.
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The ShipStation 3PL and Dropship Manager features are only available on the modern version of ShipStation (not supported in Legacy).
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If delegating orders via Automation Rules, we recommend that you import orders at least once a day to avoid missing any incoming orders from your store. Learn how to set your stores to auto-update for regular importing.
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Clients can view Inventory counts for 3PLs who use ShipStation Inventory.
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Fulfillment Providers need to create separate Ship From Locations for each Client and dropship manager account with the appropriate return address on it. Ship From Locations do not inherit the brand company name for an order.
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If a Fulfillment Provider voids a label, and/or if another label is printed after the first voided label, the Client or dropship manager is not notified of the voided or new label.