Watch your dispatch team for an hour and you will probably see the same thing: an order on one screen, the courier's website on another, and someone typing the address across. Every parcel. Courier integration removes that step, and with it the delays and the wrong-address deliveries that come from retyping. Here is how it works and what the options are.
What courier integration does
From the order or delivery screen in your store or ERP, the integration:
- Sends the parcel details (address, weight, dimensions, service) to the courier.
- Receives a label to print and a tracking number.
- Stores the tracking number against the order and sends it to the customer.
- Books the collection or adds the parcel to the day's manifest.
- Updates delivery status as the courier scans the parcel, so customer service can see where it is.
The dispatcher picks, packs, clicks, sticks the label on, done.
The options
The courier's own API. Royal Mail, DPD, DHL, Evri, UPS and others all provide APIs. Integrate directly if you use one or two couriers and want the closest fit to their services. Each one is a separate integration.
A multi-carrier shipping platform. ShipStation, Sendcloud, Shippo, Metapack and others connect your store or ERP to many couriers through one integration. You get rate comparison, rules (cheapest service for weight and destination), consolidated tracking and returns. A monthly fee, but one integration instead of five.
Built-in ERP connectors. Odoo, for example, includes connectors for several major couriers, so labels and tracking work from the delivery screen without extra software. Coverage varies by courier and region; check yours.
eCommerce platform apps. Shopify and WooCommerce have apps for most couriers, suitable for stores that ship only from the platform.
Choosing between them
One courier, moderate volume: the courier's API or a platform app. Several couriers, or a wish to compare rates: a multi-carrier platform. ERP in place with built-in connectors for your couriers: use those. High volume with unusual rules: custom integration on top of courier APIs.
What it saves
Time per parcel, obviously. But also: address errors, because the address comes from the order not a retype; missed tracking emails, because they are automatic; customer service time, because status is visible; and money, because rate rules pick the cheapest suitable service instead of the habitual one.
Things to get right
- Weights and dimensions on every product, or the integration cannot choose services or price correctly.
- Address validation at checkout, so bad addresses are caught before dispatch. Postcode lookup pays for itself.
- Service rules. Which service for which weight, value and destination, and what the customer was promised.
- Manifests and collections. End-of-day processes still need to happen; the integration should handle them.
- Returns. A returns label flow saves a surprising amount of email.
Where it fits
Courier integration is usually one of the last pieces of a joined-up operation: store to ERP (see Shopify to Odoo), ERP to accounts, warehouse to courier. Each removes a retyping step; together they mean an online order can be fulfilled and accounted for without anyone typing anything. Our wholesale clients in particular see this in the warehouse first; see ERP for wholesale and distribution.
We set up multi-carrier platforms, ERP connectors and direct courier integrations. Read about our integrations service or request a quote.
Key takeaways
- Courier integration prints labels, books collections and returns tracking numbers straight from your order screen.
- It removes retyping addresses into courier portals, which is slow and where address errors come from.
- Options: the courier's own API, a multi-carrier shipping platform, or your ERP's built-in connectors.
- Multi-carrier platforms let you compare rates per parcel and switch couriers without changing your process.
Frequently asked questions
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