1) Introduction
In the face of skyrocketing customer demand and fierce competition among online retailers, ecommerce companies are left with no choice but to choose a multi-carrier shipping solution provider to manage logistics.
Ecommerce has blurred national boundaries, necessitating the use of multiple carriers to fulfill deliveries within the country and without. A single carrier cannot be expected to cover as many regions/areas as multiple carriers can.
Also, by using multi-carrier delivery management software, an online store is always ready to mitigate risk with backup options in case something goes wrong during shipping.
2) What is a Multi Carrier Parcel Management Software?
A multi-carrier parcel delivery software is a logistics and supply chain management company. It uses multiple courier partners to facilitate the delivery of orders.
The multi-carrier parcel management software provides shipping solutions to ecommerce stores so they can promptly fulfill orders at home and abroad. A multi-carrier logistics firm brings markets from all over the world within reach of an online store.
3) Top 10 Multi Carrier Parcel Management Software for Ecommerce Business [2024 Updated List]
Multiple carriers can help ecommerce companies ship orders faster, penetrate remote areas and quickly choose a fallback option during emergencies. These factors make multi-carrier software companies an ideal choice for online store owners. Below, we have listed the best multi-carrier parcel management software to make your search easier.
3.1) ClickPost
ClickPost is a leading SaaS platform offering end-to-end logistics solutions to e-commerce companies worldwide. ClickPost is pre-integrated with 150+ couriers to deliver orders globally. More importantly, it can integrate with any carrier at the request of an online store in a single day.
Their multi-carrier shipping feature leverages the strengths of all carriers to bring the best delivery experience to your customers.
With so many carriers at your disposal, you can shop to find the best shipping rate for your service. ClickPost's best feature is its order tracking system, with real-time updates on a parcel's journey, and it notifies customers accordingly.
Moreover, ClickPost enables easy shipping label generation and order management from a single dashboard. To reduce cart abandonment and fulfillment exceptions, ClickPost provides Pincode accessibility during checkout. Business owners can also avail of this service during carrier allocation.
This intelligent A.I.-powered software auto-allocates carriers to ensure the fastest delivery based on customer location, order type, shipment volume, etc. ClickPost can help online stores manage delivery exceptions with a solid NDR Management system (Non-Delivery Report).
3.2) Shippo
Shippo is a multi-carrier parcel management solution serving ecommerce ventures since 2013. It is headquartered in San Francisco. Shippo integrates with different carrier partners to deliver various kinds of services both domestically and internationally.
Shippo allows stores to compare rates between carriers, print shipping labels, schedule pickups, manage returns, etc. It allows businesses to fully customize their customers' post-purchase shipping experience.
Shippo offers discounted shipping rates for leading carriers like USPS, UPS, and DHL. It swiftly integrates with eCommerce stores and enables retailers to preset rules for generating shipping labels. Like other parcel shipping software Shippo also validates addresses, particularly in the U.S., to avoid failed deliveries.
3.3) XPS Ship
XPS Ship is shipping management software that provides multi-carrier delivery benefits to online stores. It provides integrations with the best marketplaces and shopping carts worldwide, like Amazon, Walmart, WooCommerce, etc.
It ties up with UPS, USPS, FedEx, and other carriers to deliver multi-channel shipments. It does not charge any fees from online stores. This is one of the biggest advantages of using XPS and, frankly, what sets it apart from its competitors.
Like Shippo, XPS Ship integrates with online stores to import orders and compare shipping rates across carriers. Another highlight of XPS Ship is its ability to streamline shipping. You can create an address book for your best clients and batch-print shipping labels with XPS.
3.4) ShipStation
ShipStation is a shipping platform that offers shipping solutions to businesses all across the globe. They have 65 active carrier integrations, which deliver orders to North America, Europe, and Australia. This Austin-based shipping company makes shipping easy and cost-efficient with order management, order fulfillment, and inventory management services.
One of the best features of ShipStation is its highly discounted shipping rates for carriers like USPS, UPS, and DHL. Retailers focusing on customizations will find multiple options with ShipStation, like custom emails and tracking pages.
As an inventory management software, ShipStation provides multi-parcel and shipment splitting, bulk-print of shipping labels, and automated workflows.
3.5) StarShip
Starship is parcel management and delivery software that offers multi-carrier delivery options with the help of 22 carriers. StarShip is a good option for delivering time-sensitive parcels. It offers fast ecommerce and ERP integrations with Magento, BigCommerce, Acumatica, Acctivate, Fishbowl, etc.
StarShip works as a consolidator for both parcel and LTL shipments. StarShip automatically selects carriers based on your given rules. It works as a plug-and-play integration for warehouses, facilitating access to invoices and packing lists. StarShip enables shipping label generation and integrations with multiple WMS and ERP software like other parcel management software.
3.6) MetaPack
MetaPack is a shipping and delivery management software with international offices in France, Germany, the UK, the US, Brazil, and the Netherlands. It connects online stores with 350+ couriers worldwide to optimize order delivery.
MetaPack provides Next-day and Same-Day deliveries. It can also automate carrier selection for orders based on their destination, shipping class, order type, etc. MetaPack is known for managing massive order volumes and automatically allocating carriers for parcels.
It also has avenues for generating shipping labels instantly. Moreover, with MetaPack, retailers can display multiple delivery choices and ETAs at checkout.
3.7) ShippingEasy
Shipping Easy is a parcel shipping and customer marketing solutions provider software. It brings multi-carrier shipping options to ecommerce businesses with UPS, USPS, FedEx, and other international carriers. The parcel management software can automate shipping, tracking, and product returns.
The best feature of Shipping Easy is that it offers the lowest discounts on orders of all sizes with USPS and UPS carriers. It has an easy user interface and automatically connects with your eCommerce store to manage orders.
It also offers branded shipping solutions like printing logos on shipping labels. Its customer marketing tool offers automated promotional emails.
3.8) Centiro
Centiro is a cloud-based global shipping and supply chain management software company headquartered in Sweden. It was established in 1998 with offices in Sweden, India, the US, and the UK. It currently delivers multi-carrier deliveries in 120+ countries with the help of 100+ carriers.
Centiro modulates carrier allocation in real time by configuring with your set rules. The best feature of Centiro as a parcel management software is that it offers self-service onboarding that saves 75% of onboarding costs.
Depending on the current scale of your online business, Centiro can help design personalized shipping plans that deliver on their promise of cost-effecient fast deliveries. Centiro's Delivery Management Cloud service integrates stores with varied carriers. You can select carriers for same-day and hyperlocal deliveries or LTL shipping.
3.9) ShipWorks
ShipWorks is a multi-carrier shipping software based out of St. Louis, Missouri. It distributes orders at home and abroad with the help of 6 major carriers - FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS, OnTrac, and Global Post.
ShipWorks provides swift integrations with online marketplaces and carts like - Shopify, PrestaShop, Amazon, Etsy, etc. Apart from shipping solutions, it also offers fulfillment services like warehouse management and order management services.
As a cloud-based solution, it offers critical services like intelligent order routing and batch shipment processing.
Moreover, it automates shipping workflows, integrates with WMS and ERPs, and processes orders without downtime. Like other parcel delivery software, ShipWorks automatically selects carriers for every shipment. It also presents discounted carrier rates and covers insurance.
3.10) OrderHive
OrderHive provides ecommerce automation for online stores with the help of 300+ carrier partners across the globe. OrderHive works through a mobile app as well for easy order management.
It also offers warehousing solutions, Amazon inbound shipments, advanced logistics, and reverse logistics management.
OrderHive has smart shipping features like processing orders in bulk and generating shipping labels in batches. It also allows customizable shipping rules like setting default rules, adding due dates, and setting packing slip templates.
OrderHive also allows online stores to display tracking information from carriers to customers. Its shipping software can compare rates across all supported carriers and choose the best rate based on order size and delivery area. It also offers 50% off on USPS rates for U.S. customers.
4) How to Choose the Best Multi-Carrier Parcel Management Software Solution for Your Online eCommerce Store
Generally, any multi-carrier order delivery software that provides excellent overall assistance to businesses is a good option. Still, there are a few requisites of good multi-carrier shipping software that an online store should find out.
4.1) Extensive Serviceability
Greater reach and serviceability are among the biggest perks and features of tying up multi-carrier parcel delivery software. Therefore, the greater the number of carriers supported by a logistics provider, the better.
Check the number of carriers supported by a shipping company and see if the regions serviced by those carriers work for your business. Also, talk to your courier provider to find out how to integrate new carriers for your business.
4.2) Reduced Shipping Costs
A logistics partner can significantly lower the operational costs for an ecommerce company. Along with bulk-shipping options that usually come at huge discounts, they also offer loyalty programs and other opportunities for cost reduction.
These software companies have economies of scale that help them make deliveries across borders at very low prices. An in-house shipping team of an online store can never manage to ship as effectively or offer the same advantages as these carrier companies.
4.3) Rate Shopping Options
A multi-carrier parcel management system offers incredible rate shopping options. With so many carriers to do your bidding, an online store can compare shipping rates between several carriers (often above 100 or so) and choose the one that best fits their budget and guarantees a cost-efficient solution.
4.4) Better Customer Care Support
A multi-carrier parcel management software company has a robust customer service team to answer client and customer questions.
This is one of the most important factors influencing customer satisfaction and business success.
You will face customer dissatisfaction if they cannot contact you after a failed or delayed delivery. With a dedicated customer support team, ecommerce companies will always manage to keep their customers happy.
4.5) Order and Inventory Management
Ecommerce businesses often find themselves lacking insufficient storage or warehouse space. A multi-carrier order management software can come in handy when providing warehouse management for online stores overwhelmed with order volumes.
Such software can also help online shops restock inventory and manage product returns. Such fulfillment services can ease the burden of shipment management on online storefronts.
5) Final Thoughts
Many ecommerce stores feel content with using only one carrier for all delivery operations. However, if you plan to speed up operations and hit newer geographical markets radically, you will do well considering multi-carrier shipping software.
Not only do they provide access to a wider ecommerce market, but they also provide a fail-safe option in case of an unforeseen situation.
A multi-carrier parcel management system will significantly reduce your shipping cost because its rate-shopping functionality allows you to choose the best service at the cheapest rates. We believe our selection above will convince and help you to figure out a multi-channel system that works for you.
6) FAQ
6.1) Why should you invest in multi-carrier parcel management software?
The greatest advantage of having multi-carrier parcel management software is a simplified and automated shipping structure. Such software ensures that your parcels reach customers on time while tackling any exceptions that arise en route.
It also helps companies lower shipping costs with discounted carrier rates and increases the visibility of the supply chain by tracking parcels in real time. Overall, a parcel management system will ensure that your customers are satisfied with your brand in the long run.
6.2) Which is the best multi-carrier shipping software?
To determine the best parcel delivery and shipping software, you must first define your business goals, budget, and shipping methods.
Depending on your order volume, you can pick one from the list of multicarrier shipping software above. However, each has unique features that might appeal to you differently.
For example, if you face frequent failed or delayed deliveries, then ClickPost’s NDR management portal and order tracking system can change this situation.
However, if you are more interested in offering branded shipping experience, then ShipStation and OrderHive are good options. Similarly, for discounted shipping rates, you can take a look at Shipping Easy. For shipping software that works well with warehouses, you can consider ShipWorks, StarShip, and Centiro.
Software
|
Founded in
|
Headquarter
|
Founder
|
Employees
|
Location Served
|
Revenue
|
ClickPost
|
2015
|
Gurgaon, India
|
Naman Vijay, Prashant Gupta
|
100+
|
UA, UK, IN, CA, AU, JP, SG |
$2.4M
|
Shippo
|
2013
|
San Francisco
|
Laura Behrens, Wu Simon Kreuz, Max Diez
|
260+
|
US,UK, Canada, France, Germany
|
$64.4M
|
XPS Ship
|
2014
|
Utah, US
|
Wasaga Clack
|
40
|
$8M
|
|
ShipStation
|
2011
|
Austin, Texas
|
Jason Hodges, Byron Weir
|
270+
|
$39.9M
|
|
Starship
|
2014
|
San Francisco, US
|
Ahti Heinla, Janus Friis
|
470
|
US, UK, Germany, Estonia
|
$48.4M
|
MetaPack
|
1999
|
London,UK
|
Marcin Wójcicki, Patrick Wall
|
200
|
$46.4M
|
|
Centiro
|
1998
|
Sweden
|
Niklas Hedin
|
400+
|
SN, IN, UK,US
|
$63M
|
OrderHive
|
2013
|
Gujarat, India
|
Niraj Patel
|
50+
|
$7.7M
|