How to integrate BigCommerce store with Shipstation?

Regarded as one of the top shipping services in the world, Shipstation provides users with a plethora of useful features to import, manage and ship your orders effectively. Hence, it is a helpful tool for numerous marketplaces, including BigCommerce, in terms of delivery.

But is it hard to integrate BigCommerce with Shipstation? Which advantages can BigCommerce users gain from this integration? All will be clarified in this post!

What is Shipstation?

Founded in 2011, Shipstation is a mighty solution for merchants in terms of shipping and fulfillment. This platform empowers retailers to take control of shipping small parcels and fulfill their products on eCommerce stores effectively.

Via Shipstation, retailers are allowed to implement multiple actions on just one platform which can be named as processing their order, managing inventory, generating shipping labels, as well as communicating with your customers. In addition to this, this user-friendly software has integration with more than 100 leading carriers, marketplaces, and selling channels in the industry, such as USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. Also, Shipstation is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform so that users are able to start using it without downloading or using any hardware.

What are the advantages of using Shipstation?

Manage sales online easily

Via Shipstation, you are equipped with almost all features for controlling your store virtually. You can manage carriers, BI systems, eCommerce tools, etc., which plays a vital role in ensuring that your business runs smoothly. What’s more, people can know how to use Shipstation after several minutes so that they can rapidly apply this platform to their shops.

This tool also offers users a detailed instruction that allows them to handle some common problems without contacting Shipstation customer service. By using Shipstation, your customers will be given professional and convenient services and save money and time for errors or delays.

Help merchants import data simply

Thanks to Shipstation, users can combine multiple sources to import data for their store. Instead of getting information from one platform, they can get it from plenty of marketplaces and shopping carts, regarded as a competitive advantage. Nowadays, entrepreneurs tend to sell their products on more than one platform to maximize profit.

What’s more, this platform enables users to exploit numerous advanced features when they finish importing data. For instance, they can automate the ordering system or print labels for multiple merchandise at the same time.

Comfortably work with your favourite carriers

If your favorite carriers are not included in the default list of supported sources on Shipstation, don’t worry, it is completely possible to add them to the list. Indeed, Shipstation allows you to add the carriers you want to the list of supported sources without requiring any fees. By doing that, this platform can facilitate your stores and help you get the best shipping services.

Also, adding preferred carriers on Shipstation is easy as a pie: choose the one you like, finish the setup and then you are allowed to select carriers for each individual order. After a few minutes, your orders will be shipped to customers’ addresses by the carriers you want.

Get discounts from carriers

Thanks to Shipstation, users will be able to purchase products at lower price than normal. The reason for this is that this platform maintains the discounted program with up to 40 percent when buying goods from different selling channels, carriers, or fulfillment providers. More than that, you can add these discounts to your account on USPS postage to apply.

What are features of BigCommerce Shipstation integration?

When integrating Shipstation with BigCommerce, users are given the ability to make use of almost all features, such as Customer Emails, Request Service, Payment Service, Discounts, and more. However, there are some characteristics that are not supported, namely Custom Statuses, Identifies Gift Orders, or sending updated emails about Service and Carrier Free.

Besides, you are given various additional features that BigCommerce users will obtain from this integration. So, what are they?

Send rates from Shipstation to BigCommerce

Shipstation often offers users multiple discount codes like shipping costs or live rates. When integrating with BigCommerce, you can send the rates from this shipping software to your BigCommerce check out, allowing you to save money for each order.

See BigCommerce inventory on Shipstation

In each order detail, merchants can see the quantity of merchandise left in their BigCommerce store right on Shipstation. Hence, you will no longer have to come back to your BigCommerce account just to see the inventory count. However, the prerequisite for this feature is that BigCommerce is the Inventory Source for Ship From Location.

Set same orders to multiple locations automatically

In case there are more than one addresses in the section of Ship To, Shipstation will automatically create orders to each address. This will help merchants save time for creating the same order to numerous places.

Update shipments on eBay and Amazon

In fact, many BigCommerce store owners possess more than a store on different popular marketplaces like Amazon or eBay, so the synchronization among these platforms is often considered a problematic issue. Nevertheless, via Shipstation this step will be conducted without human control. When your BigCommerce store is linked with Amazon or eBay, Shipstation will automatically send the latest news about the shipment to BigCommerce and Amazon and eBay.

Enable FedEx Hold at Location

Suppose your BigCommerce store is equipped with ShipperHQ. In that case, you will be given a feature name FedEx Hold at Location (HAL), which allows customers to select the suitable location in the predefined list instead of using their address. When the integration with Shipstation is established, this feature will be added to your Shipstation account, and customers will have more options for delivery methods.

How to integrate BigCommerce with Shipstation?

Step 1: Open BigCommerce Apps Marketplace

To start integrating BigCommerce stores with Shipstation, the first step is to log in to your BigCommerce store account.

After that , click on Apps in the dashboard located in the left side of the screen and then open the Marketplace section.

There, you will see a button stated BIGCOMMERCE.COM/APPS, open it and you will be redirected to the eCommerce Apps Marketplace page.

Step 2: Select Shipstation

There are many apps available for merchants like ClearSale’s, MailChimp, Brightpearl, and more on this page. You can scroll down to find Shipstation, but, of course, the fastest way is to search for it on the search bar, which is placed at the top of the screen.

When seeing Shipstation, choose it, and the basic information about this shipping platform will be displayed to you. Click on it, and the site will navigate to the page of Shipstation, where you can see the button Get This App.

Select it.

Step 3: Install Shipstation

After choosing Get This App, you will be given two options: to log in to your existing BigCommerce store or sign up for the new one.
Click on Log in.

Then, select Install to install Shipstation.

Step 4: Connect Shipstation with BigCommerce store

After agreeing the permission, you will be redirected to a site where you can confirm the integration. Select the button named Confirm.

After that, you will be required to fill in the information about your name, store’ name, your email, password, and coupon code, and then click on ACTIVATE FREE ACCOUNT.

Step 5: Customize your BigCommerce store

After the connection, you are allowed to customize the store via the Settings, such as branding, notification preferences, or products handling.

Next time, if you want to access Shipstation by two ways: to log in to Shipstation directly or choose Shipstation in My Apps of BigCommerce.

However, keep in mind that your Shipstation can only be used with one BigCommerce store, so if you want to transfer your Shipstation account to another account, follow these steps on Shipstation to remove Shipstation from your BigCommerce store.

• Open Settings then select Selling channels. After that, click on Store Setup and you can modify your BigCommerce store
• Click on the box Is Active? and save the changes
• Log out your Shipstation account
• Log in your BigCommerce store and find Shipstation then uninstall it

Now, you can connect your Shipstation to your new BigCommerce store.

Final thoughts

Ranked 4.5 out of 5 on G2, Shipstation should be put into your consideration when seeking for a shipping software for your BigCommerce store. With it, you will decrease a large amount of time spent on solving problems related to delivery.

Related Posts:

• How to integrate Mailchimp with BigCommerce Store?
• How to integrate Braintree with BigCommerce store?
• How to integrate Yotpo with BigCommerce?