Assigning Order Carrier and Shipping Method

Goflow automatically assigns a carrier and shipping method to orders upon import. The shipping method is determined in one of the following ways:

• Channel Instructions - The channel specifies the exact carrier and shipping method to use. This usually applies to dropship orders where the channel pays for shipping.
• Default Carrier - Goflow applies the store fallback carrier and selects a shipping method based on the order service level.
• Shipping Policies - User creates shipping policies to assign a carrier or shipping method.
• Rate Shopping - Rate shopping compares available shipping options and selects the best shipping method.

Carrier assignment determines the order shipping method only. It does not determine which carrier shipping account is used.

Setting the Fallback Carrier

The fallback carrier is the default carrier assigned to orders when no shipping policies override it, or when rate shopping cannot determine a valid shipping method.

By default, the fallback carrier is set to USPS. To update the fallback carrier for a store, follow these steps:

1. From the left sidebar, go to Directory › Stores and open the store.
2. On the Shipping card, click Manage Shipping.
3. On the Fallback Carrier card, click the pencil icon.
4. Select a fallback carrier and click Save.

Using Shipping Policies

Use shipping policies to automatically assign a carrier and shipping method to orders. You can apply a policy to all orders in a store, or only to orders that meet specific conditions. For example, you might target:

• Heavy - Orders that exceed a certain weight. Create a condition: Total Weight: Greater Than: 50 lbs.
• Expedited - Orders that require expedited shipping. Create a condition: Service Level: Is Less Than or Equal: 2 Day.
• PO Box - Orders shipping to a PO box. Create a condition: PO Box: Is PO Box.
• International - Orders that ship to international destinatons. Create a condition: Ship-To Address: Is Not: United States.

For Action, select Carrier, and choose one of the following:

• Carrier & Method - Assign both the carrier and shipping method, such as UPS Ground or FedEx 2Day.
• Carrier Only - Assign only the carrier. Goflow determines the shipping method using the order service level or rate shopping.

When rate shopping is enabled and a policy assigns the carrier, Goflow rate shops only between shipping methods available for that carrier. When a policy assigns both the carrier and shipping method, Goflow limits rate shopping to the assigned shipping method and compares only available shipping accounts.

For store buy-shipping carriers, you can assign only the carrier, and Goflow automatically selects the best shipping method during label purchase.

Assigning the Shipping Method on Manual Orders

When entering a manual order, select the carrier and shipping method directly on the order.

Shipping policies apply to manual orders and may unintentionally override the selected carrier or shipping method. For example, even if you manually select USPS Ground Advantage, the order could be reassigned to UPS 2nd Day if it matches a policy condition, such as a shipping charge greater than $25.

To prevent shipping policies from applying to manual orders, add a condition where Order Source: Is Not: Manual.

Updating Carrier and Shipping Method

You can update the assigned carrier and shipping method on open orders. Follow these steps:

1. From the left sidebar, go to Orders › Orders, and open the order.
2. Click the pencil icon in the Shipping section.
3. Select the carrier.
4. Select the shipping method.
5. Click Save.

You can only select carriers with connected shipping accounts.

Updating Carrier and Shipping Method in Bulk

To update the assigned carrier and shipping method for multiple orders, follow these steps:

1. From the left sidebar, go to Orders › Orders.
2. Filter or select the orders you want to update.
3. At the top of the page, click Actions, and select Change Shipping Details.
4. If more than 500 orders are selected, confirm the total number of orders before proceeding.
5. Select the carrier.
6. Select the shipping method.
7. Click Save.

Restricting Shipping Methods

You can restrict the shipping methods available to orders. Common use cases include:

• Channel - Some channels require specific shipping methods. For example, a channel may allow only FedEx Home Delivery. This is common for dropship orders where the channel pays for shipping.
• Unused - Disable shipping methods you never want to use, such as Media Mail. This prevents the warehouse from using them by mistake.
• Dedicated - When using multiple shipping accounts, limit specific methods to each account. For example, enable Ground on one account and Overnight on another.

To restrict shipping methods, follow these steps:

1. From the left sidebar, go to Directory › Stores and open the store.
2. On the Shipping card, click Manage Shipping.
3. Under Shipping Accounts, click + Add Shipping Account.
4. Select a carrier.
5. Select the carrier account.
6. Click the All Shipping Methods button.
7. Select Only These Methods, and select the shipping methods allowed.
8. Or select All Methods Except, and select the shipping methods blocked.
9. Click Done.
10. Click Save.

Restricted methods cannot be used when purchasing shipping labels and are excluded from rate shopping. However, restricted methods can still be used on externally shipped orders.