As a merchant, you’re probably no stranger to the occasional shipping hiccup, whether it’s sudden tracking updates or interruptions during delivery. One of Shopify's most confusing tracking labels and shopping processes is the “SHOPIFY-EP.”
When using platforms like Shopify, understanding its intricacies can enhance your online store performance and customer experience. Whether you want to help them out or find a way to improve your shipping, you must first learn the basics. Since there isn’t an accurate and official guide on Shopify-EP meaning, we hope this article can help out merchants, on addressing Shopify-EP tracking number and on how it affects your fulfillment and shipping process.
What is Shopify-EP?
Shopify-EP means that an order is shipped through the Shopify Shipping system, indicating that a third-party carrier, such as USPS, UPS, DHL, or Canada Post, is involved. The term first appeared when a few customers received a package or a delivery mail notification with a Shopify-EP tracking label.
This only appears for merchants when they use Shopify Shipping. This advanced Shopify feature allows merchants to work directly with carriers to handle the process, ensuring a more optimized process and faster delivery than other shipping types.
However, this doesn’t mean all Shopify packages shipped through USPS or DHL will be marked Shopify-EP.
Reasons why your customers receive the Shopify-EP package.
The “Shopify-EP” label is harmless for both merchants and buyers. It can be nothing or simply a mistake sent by the system. However, unexpected tracking notifications can confuse your customers, especially when they receive unfamiliar shipping notifications.
Source: Burst.
As far as we’ve known, “Shopify-EP” appears randomly, but these are the most common cases:
- Recent purchase: Your customer buys from your store, and you are using Shopify Shipping system with USPS or DHL as the carriers.
- Gift or Surprise packaged: A customer buys from your Shopify store as a present for somebody else, or you have been sending out gifts for customers.
- Mistake: If the customer hasn't ordered anything from your online store and still got Shopify-EP tracking number, it might be a system-related issue.
- For pre-ordered items or recurring orders: The Shopify-EP package tracking might be assigned once the item is available or each time the order is refilled.
How Shopify Merchants Benefit From Shopify-EP Delivery: Key features
As part of Shopify’s logistic service, Shopify-EP is currently available for Shopify stores in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The tool empowers merchants to streamline and fasten their delivery process, but the benefits can also reach much wider than that.
Simplified Order Management and Fulfillment
Shopify-EP delivery is seamlessly integrated with your Shopify store, allowing you to manage orders and shipping directly from the admin dashboard. You don’t need to install third-party logistics platforms, hence minimize data errors as much as possible.
Every order routing step is automated, ensuring faster order processing and timely delivery to your customers.
Seamless Integration With Reliable Carriers
No need to install another app, you can directly work with well-known domestics and global carriers on Shopify. To check the full list, you can visit here. This includes the partners that support Shopify-EP package tracking numbers.
Real-Time Package Tracking Features
Shopify Shipping tracks every order generated through its reliable shipping system, including the ones with Shopify-EP tracking numbers.
This centralized database helps merchants easily navigate their package status and offer customer instant support when needed. You can access the tracking features directly from the main dashboard. On the other hand, you need to integrate third-party tracking apps if you don’t use Shopify Shipping.
Competitive Shipping Rates
Compared to other shipping methods, Shopify-EP offers a pretty fair and competitive rate, since they cut down on many intermediate steps.
Becoming its user also grants you access to many discount rates with major carriers when using their tracking labels. You can pass these savings on to your customers to increase conversion rate or increase profit margins.
For price-sensitive customers, your online store can stand out with cost-effective shipping. One thing to note is that by shipping with USPS and DHL under Shopify-EP tracking number, you might get up to $200 shipping insurance.
Automated Label Printing
Merchants can generate and print 100 Shopify-EP shipping labels in bulk. This is a great support during peak seasons such as BFCM or holiday sales.
International Shipping Support
Despite only supporting stores based on the above-mentioned locations, you can still deliver to international customers. Shopify also offers features like duties and tax calculations to simplify cross-border sales, fostering your online store’s growth without any additional operational complexities.
Shopify-EP vs Other Shipping Options
On Shopify, you can tweak between these common delivery methods, including:
- Handling your shipping.
- Local delivery or in-store pickup.
- Third-party fulfillment.
- Dropshipping.
- Shopify Shipping including Shopify-EP.
While Shopify-EP shares similarities with standard shipping configurations, it also stands out. Thanks to the merchant-friendly features, you can easily streamline logistics, make delivery shipping, and improve the customer experience with Shopify-EP. With features like package tracking, automated workflows, and discounted shipping rates, merchants can save time and reduce costs, all while enhancing their service quality.
Compared to handling your own shipping, this takes less sweat and also is safer and faster. However, choosing between Shopify-EP and dropshipping or third-party fulfillment will depend on your products and store setup.
Setting Up Shopify-EP Through Shopify Shipping.
Keep in mind that Shopify-EP is a package tracking label of Shopify Shipping, so the first step is to activate this feature.
Step 1: Set up Shopify Shipping
From the Admin dashboard, move to Settings at the bottom left, then click Shipping and delivery.
Click on General Shipping rates. If your online store is eligible, Shopify Shipping will be added by default as an option in Shipping zones.
Step 2: Set your shipping rates and locations
Specify your available shipping locations, including domestic and international. (Remember to activate your international markets).
You can edit your shipping rates using the 3-dot next to every default option. There are 2 options: Use a flat rate or Use carriers to calculate rates (DHL Express, UPS, or USPS)
To estimate the most accurate shipping rates, pay attention to your package size and weight. You can opt for the Shopify sample packaging option - “Sample box”, use your carrier package, or custom a size of your own.
Step 3: Choose a carrier to enable Shopify-EP
USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx are carriers supported with Shopify-EP package tracking numbers. They also offer many shipping discounts, alongside real-time tracking and optimized delivery.
Once everything is set, create a Shopify printing labels and create it in bulk.
Step 4: Open tracking features
From your Setting dashboard, click on Notifications > Customer Notifications.
Pay attention to Order processing and Shipping updates, this is where you customize your notifications to include Shopify-EP tracking details sent through mail.
Step 5: Test an order
Make sure that:
- Your shipping labels are generated correctly.
- Your tracking numbers are assigned, including the Shopify-EP ones.
- Notifications are in place and sent.
Check out this quick guide from Shopify to enable Shopify-EP:
Your Shopify Admin Dashboard also contains many cool function. Check out this 2024 updated Shopify guide to optimize your storefront.
Helping Your Customers Navigate Shopify-EP Tracking Numbers
Shopify tracking number contains random numbers and texts. In case the Shopify-EP label is unusual for your customers and they come to you with any concerns, here’s what you can do.
Step 1: Identify the package’s origin
Ask for the order ID and tracking number. From there, you can search for it in the Orders section of your Shopify Admin account.
Source: Shopify
Once you successfully identify it, information on purchase history will show, including who is the buyer or sender. Clicking on the tracking number link, you can view real-time updates from the shipping carrier.
Step 2: Check if there’s a mistake from the system
Errors in inventory, product warehouse, or stock synchronization can create incorrect or mistaken notifications about shipping. Here’s how to identify and resolve them.
- Inventory error appears as "Unable to claim inventory" or "Inventory not available". You need to complete your fulfillment, or cancer the orders and refund your customers.
- Product warehouse error appears as "Line items is invalid" or "Title can't be blank". You need to process the order manually or cancel and refund the buyer.
- Stock synchronization issue appears under "Error while syncing inventory for variant". What you can do is to record the product ID and check with customer service of the third-party fulfillment system or contact Shopify support.
Step 3: Help the customer address the concerns
Inform your customers and offer support in any case. If they no longer want to receive the Shopify-EP package, you should cancel the order or allow them to return it.
They can find the “Return to sender” option on the shipping’s carrier app or at their local postal office. Keep in mind that areturn shipping fee will be required.
A few tips to optimize your Shopify Shipping
Compared to third-party shipping solutions, Shopify Shipping is directly built into your online business, ensuring a seamless setup with less friction. It also offers a wide range of features such as real-time tracking, automatically-generated shipping labels, customized shipping options, and many discount offers from carriers.
Here’s how to best use Shopify Shipping and Shopify-EP for faster delivery and better shipping rates.
- Utilize real-time tracking for timely inventory.
- Offering a wide range of shipping options is good, but opt for a controlled group of shipping carriers to ensure quality. Keep in mind that Shopify-EP tracking numbers may come up with third-party delivery, but it’s not a big deal.
- Optimize packaging to minimize shipping costs and ensure product safety during transit. At the same time, make sure you calculate the package’s dimensions and weight properly to avoid cost overrun, especially for flat-rate or carrier-calculated shipping.
- Offer free shipping options for large orders to enhance your AOV and customer satisfaction. You can easily set up a minimum spend threshold directly for Shopify-EP.
- Setting up reliable payment gateways is another great tip for a successful Shopify store. Much like Shopify Shipping, you can also opt for the 'Activate Shopify Payment' option within the settings to configure your payment settings efficiently.
Learn how Shopify works to set up, optimize all Shopify function and improve your store performance.
Wrapping Up
Shopify-EP and Shopify Shipping offer merchants an effective option in product shipping by not only fastening it but also giving merchants a better tracking view and management. By understanding Shopify-EP, you can choose the best option that fits your needs and Shopify stores. What’s better? It only takes a few quick steps to activate it.
