Managing Shipments

Once an item has a payment successfully saved for it, it will show up on the packing list. You can view the items currently on the packing list by clicking the Shipments tab. The person managing shipments can monitor this page for items that need to be packed.

Each shipment record contains the shipment address, any special shipping instructions that were sent in with the payment, and the list of items associated with the shipment.

One each shipment, there is a link to print a packing slip next to the Ship button. Click this link to view and print a packing slip to put into the packed box.

After the shipment has been physically packed, fill in the number of packages, shipping carrier type, and any shipment details, and then click the Ship button. The status dropdown box for the shipment is already set to Packed for your convenience, so this doesn't need to be changed. After you click the Ship button, the shipment goes into the status of Packed, and the current page is reloaded with the previous shipment removed. Continue in this manner for as many shipments are ready to pack.

The final step in the shipment process is to close out the shipments. Items that have been moved from the Packing list will show up on the Packed page. This page can be viewed by clicking the Packed button on the Shipments tab.

At the end of the day (or whatever shipping cycle you use), when the shipments have been dropped off or picked up by a shipping carrier, you will want to view the Packed list to close out the shipments. For each of the day's shipments, enter the actual shipping cost paid in the Shipping field, insurance costs in the Insurance field, and click the Close button for a particular shipment. Clicking the Close button will set the status of the shipment and it's auctions to Shipped. A "Shipment Shipped" email will also be sent to your customer if this option is turned on in your account settings. The page will reload and you can close out the next shipment.

All closed shipment can be viewed on the Shipped button. The other buttons on the Shipments tab will allow you to view shipment records filtered by various statuses. Most of the pages will allow you to view the details of a shipment (by clicking on the magnifying class icon):

and modify the details of necessary if necessary.

The Paid column will indicate the actual shipping cost paid as entered on the packed page, and the Cost column represents the shipping costs from the invoice. The Paid column will show in red if it's less than the Cost.

Exporting Shipments

You can export your shipments into a downloadable CSV file. The CSV file has been specifically formatted to be used with UPS Worldship, but it contains the basic shipment information and may be used with other shipping software as well.

To begin exporting your packed shipments, click on the Export button on the Shipments tab. Only shipments that are in the Packed status and have a carrier type of UPS will be included in the export. Simply click on the Download button, and you will momentarily be prompted to save the CSV file to your computer. The CSV file is just a plain text file that can be opened with any text editor, Microsoft Excel, or any shipping software that supports the format.