Buy shipping labels in a shipping app

In this setup Scanpacker checks each order, and you buy labels in a third-party shipping app or integration, such as a carrier’s Shopify app or a multi-carrier service.

Shipping apps work in one of two ways, and that decides what you choose after checking an order:

Your shipping app After checking an order Why
Fulfills the order itself when it buys the label Show next steps Scanpacker leaves the order unfulfilled for the app
Buys labels for orders that are already fulfilled Go straight to fulfillment Scanpacker fulfills the order, then the app adds the label

If you’re not sure, check your app’s documentation, or try one order of each.

If your app fulfills the order

Set it up

  1. Make sure After checking an order is set to Show next steps, in Settings > Scanning & Fulfillment. This is the default.
  2. Turn on Auto-tag orders as ‘packed’ after scanning in Settings > Tagging. Checked orders are then tagged “packed”. Many shipping apps can filter or import orders by tag, so they only pick up orders that have been checked. See Order tagging.

Pack an order

  1. Start an order from the order queue, or choose Fulfill with Scanpacker from the More actions menu on a Shopify order page.
  2. Scan each item. When every item is scanned, you see the Checked screen, and the order is tagged “packed”.
  3. Buy the label in your shipping app. The app fulfills the order.

Move on to the next order

Check now, buy labels later. Tick Automatically start checking the next order on the Checked screen. Each order shows as checked for a few seconds, then the next one opens. When you’ve checked a batch of orders, buy their labels in your shipping app, using the “packed” tag to find them.

Buy each label as you go. Set up an automated tab that opens your shipping app When an order finishes being checked. Buy the label in the tab that opens, then come back to Scanpacker and click Check next order. If your app’s order page is inside the Shopify admin, you can also use Start next in Scanpacker from the More actions menu.

If your app labels fulfilled orders

Set it up

  1. Set After checking an order to Go straight to fulfillment, in Settings > Scanning & Fulfillment.
  2. Set up an automated tab that opens your shipping app When a fulfillment is created. Opening a shipping app after fulfillment shows how, using the DHL app as an example.

Pack an order

  1. Start an order from the order queue, or choose Fulfill with Scanpacker from the More actions menu on a Shopify order page.
  2. Scan each item. When every item is scanned, Scanpacker moves on to the Fulfillment page.
  3. Click Create fulfillment. Scanpacker fulfills the order, and your shipping app opens in a new tab.
  4. Buy the label in your shipping app.

Move on to the next order

Tick Start next automatically in the menu next to Create fulfillment. The next order opens in Scanpacker while your shipping app opens in its own tab, so it’s waiting for you when you come back.

See Auto-advance for how Scanpacker picks the next order, and how to skip one.

  • Automated tabs — open another app or website at a set point in the workflow
  • Order tagging — tag checked orders so your shipping app can find them
  • Auto-advance — move through the queue without stopping