ShippingEasy

What is ShippingEasy

ShippingEasy is a cloud-based shipping automation platform designed for e-commerce businesses of all sizes. Its main purpose is to simplify the entire shipping process by centralizing orders from multiple sales channels, providing access to discounted shipping rates from carriers like USPS and UPS, and automating repetitive tasks. The software allows merchants to import orders, compare carrier prices, print shipping labels in batches, and automatically send tracking information to customers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, ShippingEasy is part of the Auctane family of brands, which includes other prominent shipping software solutions. It aims to save online sellers time and money, allowing them to focus on growing their business.

ShippingEasy Features

ShippingEasy offers a robust set of features to manage e-commerce shipping operations effectively.

• Discounted Shipping Rates: Gain immediate access to some of the lowest available rates from USPS and significant discounts with UPS, helping to reduce shipping costs.
• Order Management: The platform integrates with major e-commerce platforms and marketplaces, automatically syncing orders into a single, manageable dashboard.
• Automation Rules: Create custom rules to automate shipping decisions. For example, you can set rules to automatically select the cheapest shipping service based on package weight, destination, or delivery preference.
• Batch Label Printing: Process and print hundreds of shipping labels at once, which saves a great amount of time compared to processing orders individually.
• Branded Shipping Experience: Customize packing slips, shipping labels with your logo, and tracking emails to provide a consistent brand experience for your customers.
• Customer Marketing: The platform includes tools to create email marketing campaigns, such as abandoned cart reminders or review requests, to encourage repeat business.
• Inventory Management: Basic inventory management features are available to help track stock levels across your sales channels and prevent overselling.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Access detailed reports on shipping costs, order volumes, and delivery performance to make informed business decisions.

ShippingEasy Pricing Plans

ShippingEasy offers several subscription tiers designed to scale with a business's shipping volume. The plans are primarily based on the number of shipments processed per month. The entry-level plan is for new or small businesses with low monthly shipment counts. As a business grows, it can upgrade to higher-tier plans that accommodate thousands of shipments and offer additional features like more user accounts and advanced support. Each paid plan includes access to discounted shipping rates, all core automation features, and customer support. The highest-tier plans are suited for large enterprises with high-volume shipping needs.

ShippingEasy Free Plan

ShippingEasy offers a Free Starter Plan for new and small businesses. This plan is ideal for merchants who are just beginning and have a low volume of orders. It typically includes up to 25-50 shipments per month and provides access to the platform's core features, including discounted USPS rates and basic automation. For businesses with higher volumes, ShippingEasy also provides a 30-day free trial on all of its paid plans, allowing users to test the full range of features before committing to a subscription.

How to use ShippingEasy

Getting started with ShippingEasy is a straightforward process designed to get you shipping quickly.

1. Create an Account: Sign up for a free trial or a free starter plan on the ShippingEasy website.
2. Connect Your Stores: Integrate your e-commerce stores and marketplaces, such as Shopify, Amazon, eBay, or BigCommerce. This is done by authorizing ShippingEasy within your store's admin panel.
3. Import Orders: Once connected, your orders will automatically sync and appear on the ShippingEasy dashboard.
4. Configure Settings: Set up your printer, label formats, and create automation rules to streamline your workflow. For example, you can set a rule to assign a specific shipping service to all international orders.
5. Process Shipments: Select the orders you want to ship, verify the shipping details, compare real-time carrier rates, and print your labels in a single batch.
6. Fulfill and Track: Attach the labels to your packages. Once you ship, tracking information is automatically updated in your store and sent to your customers.

Pros and Cons of ShippingEasy

Here is a balanced look at the advantages and disadvantages of using ShippingEasy.

Pros:

• Ease of Use: The platform has an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, even for beginners.
• Significant Cost Savings: Access to deeply discounted shipping rates from USPS and UPS can significantly lower operational costs.
• Powerful Automation: The ability to create custom shipping rules saves a lot of time and reduces manual errors.
• Excellent Customer Support: Users have access to award-winning support via phone, chat, and email.
• Multi-Channel Integration: It connects with a wide variety of e-commerce platforms and marketplaces.

Cons:

• Dated Interface: Some users find the user interface to be less modern compared to newer competitors.
• Basic Inventory Management: The included inventory tools are sufficient for simple needs but may not be robust enough for businesses with complex inventory requirements.
• Marketing Tool Limitations: While useful, the customer marketing features are not a complete substitute for a dedicated email marketing platform.

ShippingEasy integrations

ShippingEasy integrates with a wide range of e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and business tools to create a connected workflow. These integrations allow for automatic order syncing, which eliminates the need for manual data entry.

• Shopify Integration: Connect your Shopify store to automatically import orders and sync back tracking information.
• Amazon Integration: Manage your Amazon FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) orders directly within the platform.
• eBay Integration: Seamlessly process and ship orders from your eBay marketplace sales.
• WooCommerce Integration: Link your WordPress-based store to manage shipping for all your orders.
• BigCommerce Integration: A direct integration allows for easy management of orders from your BigCommerce storefront.
• Etsy Integration: Perfect for Etsy sellers to automate their shipping process and access better rates.
• Walmart Marketplace Integration: Manage and ship orders from one of the largest online marketplaces.

ShippingEasy Alternatives

If ShippingEasy is not the right fit, consider these other popular shipping software solutions.

• ShipStation: A direct competitor (and sister company) known for its extensive list of over 100 integrations and powerful, feature-rich platform suitable for high-volume shippers.
• Shippo: Offers a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model in addition to monthly plans, making it a great option for businesses with fluctuating shipping volumes.
• Pirate Ship: A completely free service that focuses on providing the cheapest possible USPS and UPS shipping rates with a simple, no-frills interface.
• Easyship: A global shipping platform that provides access to over 250 courier services worldwide, making it an excellent choice for businesses with a strong focus on international sales.

ShippingEasy API

Yes, ShippingEasy provides a RESTful API for developers. This API allows for custom integrations and enables businesses to connect their proprietary systems or third-party applications directly with the ShippingEasy platform. Developers can use the API to manage orders, create shipments, retrieve rates, and print labels programmatically. You can obtain an API key and secret from the SETTINGS > API CREDENTIALS page within your ShippingEasy account. The documentation with endpoints and examples is available on their developer portal.

Here is a basic cURL example to retrieve a list of orders:

curl -X GET -u YOUR_API_KEY:YOUR_API_SECRET \
'https://app.shippingeasy.com/api/orders'

ShippingEasy Affiliate program

ShippingEasy is part of the Auctane Partner Program. This program allows affiliates, agencies, and influencers to earn commissions by referring new customers to ShippingEasy and other Auctane brands. To join, you need to apply through the Auctane Partner Portal on their website. Once approved, you will receive a unique referral link and access to marketing materials. You earn a commission for each referral that signs up and becomes a paying customer. Payouts are typically made on a regular schedule, such as monthly, once you meet the minimum payment threshold.