Fulfilment tags

Fulfilment tags define the different ways products can be fulfilled. You assign tags to products, then create pricing rules for each combination of tag and shipping method.

What are fulfilment tags?

Think of fulfilment tags as labels that describe how a product can be delivered to your customer. They're the bridge between your products and your shipping options.

For example, if you sell both books (which ship easily) and furniture (which requires freight shipping), you'd create different fulfilment tags for each. When customers checkout, they'll only see shipping options that match the fulfilment tags on the products in their cart.

Why use fulfilment tags?

Fulfilment tags give you flexibility to:

• Offer different shipping speeds - Let customers choose between standard and express delivery
• Handle different product types - Charge differently for heavy items vs. lightweight items
• Manage multiple locations - Ship from different warehouses or offer local pickup
• Mix delivery methods - Combine physical shipping with digital delivery or in-store collection

Without fulfilment tags, every product would have the same shipping options and prices, which doesn't work for most real-world stores.

Planning your fulfilment tags

Before creating tags, think about your business needs. Ask yourself:

1. Do you offer different shipping speeds? (e.g., standard vs. express)
2. Do you have products that ship differently? (e.g., heavy vs. light items)
3. Do you ship from multiple locations? (e.g., warehouse A and warehouse B)
4. Do you offer local pickup or collection?
5. Do you sell digital products that don't need shipping?

Common scenarios

Simple store (1 tag): If you sell similar products with one shipping option, you only need one fulfilment tag like "Standard Shipping."

Speed options (2-3 tags): For stores offering different delivery speeds:

• Standard Shipping
• Express Shipping
• Next Day Delivery

Multiple product types (2-4 tags): For stores with varied inventory:

• Standard Items (books, clothing)
• Heavy Items (furniture, appliances)
• Fragile Items (glassware, electronics)
• Digital Products (downloads, no shipping)

Multiple locations (2+ tags): For stores with warehouses or pickup points:

• Warehouse A Shipping
• Warehouse B Shipping
• Store Pickup - Location 1
• Store Pickup - Location 2

Hybrid model (3-5 tags): Combining multiple factors:

• UK Standard Shipping
• UK Express Shipping
• International Shipping
• Store Collection
• Digital Download

Understanding fulfilment tags

Fulfilment tags categorize products by how they can be shipped or collected. Here are some real-world examples:

Shipping speed examples:

• Standard Shipping - Regular delivery (3-5 business days)
• Express Shipping - Faster delivery option (1-2 business days)

Product type examples:

• Small Parcel - Lightweight items that fit in standard boxes
• Large Item - Bulky products requiring special handling
• Hazardous - Items with shipping restrictions (batteries, liquids)

Location examples:

• Local Collection - Customer picks up from your location
• East Coast Warehouse - Ships from your eastern distribution centre
• West Coast Warehouse - Ships from your western distribution centre

Mixed examples:

• Digital - No physical fulfilment needed (instant delivery)
• Same Day - Local delivery within hours
• International - Ships outside your home country

Creating a fulfilment tag

1. Go to Settings > Shipping Configuration
2. Click Fulfilment Tags
3. Click Create Fulfilment Tag
4. Fill in the details:
   • Name - Display name (e.g., "Standard Shipping")
   • Description - Optional details
   • Is Collection Option - Enable if this is a pickup option
   • Requires Weight - Enable if products need weight for pricing
   • Active - Toggle availability
   • Sort Order - Display order (lower numbers first)
5. Click Create

Tag settings explained

Is Collection Option

Enable this when customers pick up orders themselves instead of having them delivered.

When to enable:

• Local pickup from your store or warehouse
• Collection points or lockers
• In-person handoff

When to disable:

• Standard delivery to customer's address
• Courier or postal service delivery
• Any shipped items

Example: If you run a bakery and offer "Store Pickup" alongside "Home Delivery", create two tags - enable "Is Collection Option" for Store Pickup only.

Requires Weight

Enable this when shipping costs depend on how heavy the products are.

When to enable:

• Weight-based pricing (e.g., "£5 for 0-1kg, £8 for 1-2kg")
• Carrier rates calculated by weight
• Products with varying weights that affect shipping cost

When to disable:

• Flat-rate shipping (same price regardless of weight)
• Digital products (no physical weight)
• Collection options (customer picks up, weight doesn't matter)

What happens when enabled:

• You must enter a weight for each product that uses this tag
• Your pricing rules can charge based on total order weight
• The system can automatically split orders into multiple packages if they exceed weight limits

Active

Controls whether this tag is available for use.

• Enabled (Active): Tag can be assigned to products and used in pricing rules
• Disabled (Inactive): Tag is hidden but not deleted, preserving your existing configuration

Use inactive status to:

• Temporarily disable seasonal shipping options (e.g., holiday express delivery)
• Test new fulfillment options before making them live
• Phase out old shipping methods without losing historical data

Sort Order

Controls the display order when customers see shipping options at checkout.

• Lower numbers appear first (e.g., 0 appears before 10)
• Use gaps between numbers (0, 10, 20) so you can insert new options later
• Doesn't affect functionality, only display order

Example ordering:

• 0 - Standard Shipping (show first, most common)
• 10 - Express Shipping
• 20 - Next Day Delivery
• 30 - Store Collection (show last)

Managing fulfilment tags

Editing tags

1. Go to Settings > Shipping Configuration > Fulfilment Tags
2. Click Edit on the tag
3. Make changes
4. Click Update

Deleting tags

1. Click Delete on the tag
2. Confirm deletion

Printable shipping methods

Shipping methods can be configured as printable, enabling automatic generation of print jobs (shipping labels, envelopes, packing slips, etc.) when customers select those methods at checkout.

What are printable shipping methods?

A printable shipping method automatically creates print jobs when:

1. Customer selects the method at checkout
2. Order is placed
3. System calculates number of packages needed
4. Print jobs are created (one per package)
5. Print jobs are ready in your print queue

This streamlines fulfilment by automating label creation instead of manually generating labels for each shipment.

Configuring a shipping method as printable

To make a shipping method printable:

1. Go to Settings → Shipping Configuration → Shipping Methods
2. Create or edit a shipping method
3. Enable the Printable toggle
4. Enter the Print Addon Product SKU - this is the product template used for label printing
5. Save the shipping method

Print Addon Product SKU

The Print Addon Product SKU tells the system which label format to use:

Examples:

• shipping-label-a4 - A4 size shipping labels
• shipping-label-10x15 - 10×15cm label format
• royal-mail-label - Royal Mail specific labels

Your print management system administrator configures these SKUs. Use the exact SKU that matches your label format and printer setup.

How package count is determined

The system automatically calculates how many packages an order will require based on:

Weight calculations:

• Total weight of all items in the order
• Maximum package weight for the shipping method
• Automatic splitting when weight exceeds limits

Example:

• Order total weight: 5kg
• Maximum package weight: 2kg
• Result: 3 packages (2kg + 2kg + 1kg)
• Print jobs created: 3 shipping labels

This ensures you always have the correct number of labels for multi-package shipments.

Benefits of printable shipping methods

Time savings:

• No manual label creation for each order
• Labels ready immediately when order is placed
• Reduces fulfilment preparation time

Accuracy:

• Correct number of labels for package count
• Automatic address inclusion from order
• Reduces manual data entry errors

Integration:

• Works with existing print management system
• Labels queued automatically
• Streamlines workflow from order to shipment

Print job generation

When an order uses a printable shipping method:

1. Order placed: Customer completes checkout
2. Package calculation: System determines package count
3. Print job creation: One print job per package created
4. Queue ready: Labels appear in print queue
5. Fulfilment: Print labels and attach to packages

Print jobs include:

• Shipping address from order
• Return address (your store)
• Order reference number
• Package number (e.g., "1 of 3")

Requirements

To use printable shipping methods:

Print management system:

• Integration with print addon API
• Configured label templates (Product SKUs)
• Active print queue monitoring

Shipping method configuration:

• Valid Print Addon Product SKU
• Correct package weight limits
• Active shipping method

Product configuration:

• Products assigned appropriate fulfilment tags
• Product weights entered (if weight-based)
• Products marked as printable (if applicable)

Use cases

E-commerce fulfilment:

• Generate labels automatically for all shipped orders
• Handle high-volume periods efficiently
• Reduce manual label creation time

Multi-package orders:

• Automatically create correct number of labels
• Each package gets proper labelling
• Prevents missing or duplicate labels

Mixed shipping methods:

• Some methods printable (standard, express)
• Others not (local collection, digital)
• Customers see all options at checkout

Troubleshooting

Labels not being created:

1. Verify shipping method has "Printable" enabled
2. Check Print Addon Product SKU is valid
3. Ensure print management system is running
4. Review print queue for errors

Wrong number of labels:

1. Verify package weight limits are configured correctly
2. Check product weights are entered accurately
3. Review weight calculation logic
4. Test with known order weights

Invalid SKU errors:

1. Confirm Print Addon Product SKU exists in print system
2. Check for typos in SKU
3. Verify SKU is active and available
4. Contact print system administrator

Common questions

How many fulfillment tags do I need?

Start with one or two. Most stores need between 1-4 tags. You can always add more later. Only create multiple tags if you truly need different shipping options or prices for different products.

Can a product have multiple fulfillment tags?

Yes! A product can have multiple tags. For example, a book might have both "Standard Shipping" and "Express Shipping" tags, letting customers choose their preferred delivery speed.

What's the difference between fulfillment tags and shipping methods?

• Fulfillment tags categorize your products (what you're selling)
• Shipping methods are how items get delivered (Royal Mail, FedEx, local pickup)
• Pricing rules connect them together and set the cost

Think of it this way: A product tagged "Standard Shipping" might be deliverable via "Royal Mail 2nd Class" or "DPD Standard" - the tag describes the product's shipping category, and the methods are the actual carriers.

Do I need weight for all products?

Only if the fulfillment tag has "Requires Weight" enabled. For flat-rate shipping or collection options, you can skip weights entirely.

Can I delete a fulfillment tag?

Yes, but be careful. Deleting a tag affects:

• Products that use the tag (they'll lose that fulfillment option)
• Pricing rules that reference the tag (they'll stop working)

Consider making the tag inactive instead of deleting it if you're unsure.

Why can't customers see my shipping options at checkout?

Check these things:

1. Is the fulfillment tag active?
2. Have you assigned the tag to your products?
3. Have you created a pricing rule that connects the tag to a shipping method?
4. Is the shipping method active?

All four must be true for customers to see the option.

Should digital products have a fulfillment tag?

Yes, create a tag like "Digital Download" with:

• "Is Collection Option" disabled
• "Requires Weight" disabled
• Pricing rule set to "Free" (no shipping cost)

This ensures digital products don't accidentally get physical shipping charges.

Next steps

• Set up shipping methods and pricing
• Assign tags to your products
• Test your shipping setup with a test order