DHL, DPD, UPS, GLS: prerequisites and ways
Whoever ships parcels every day loses time with labels from foreign portals and copied tracking numbers. This guide shows how you connect shipping carriers to Magento, which prerequisites are needed and which ways exist.
Table of contents
- 1. What it brings to connect shipping carriers to Magento
- 2. The shipping process with integration at a glance
- 3. Prerequisites before you connect shipping carriers to Magento
- 4. Three ways to connect shipping carriers to Magento
- 5. The providers at a glance: what DHL, GLS, UPS, DPD and Hermes name
- 6. Typical pitfalls of the integration
- 7. Effort and costs
- 8. How we support you
- 9. Summary
- 10. FAQ
1. What it brings to connect shipping carriers to Magento
Without an integration shipping runs in several steps by hand: open the order, transfer the address into a portal, create a label, copy the tracking number back and inform the customer. Each of these steps costs time and can contain a typo. Whoever has shipping carriers connected to Magento replaces this with a process in which a label arises from the order at the push of a button or automatically.
The tracking number goes into the shipment, the customer receives the shipping confirmation with tracking, and the status of the parcel can be retrieved in the shop. For returns a return label arises that the customer retrieves himself. That noticeably relieves warehouse and customer service, especially with many shipments, and it is the main reason to connect shipping carriers to Magento.
This guide is aimed at shop owners who want to connect shipping carriers to Magento. We describe our service on the page Magento shipping carrier integration.
A practical gain shows at peaks: before Christmas or during promotions the number of parcels quickly doubles. Whoever has shipping carriers connected to Magento copes with such days with the same employees because the label is no longer typed but generated.
2. The shipping process with integration at a glance
| Step | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Order becomes ready to ship | Goods are picked and packed | Warehouse |
| Label is created | Recipient, weight and shipping method go to the provider | Integration |
| Label is printed | PDF or printer format for the thermal printer | Integration and warehouse |
| Parcel is handed over | Pickup or drop-off at the provider | Warehouse and provider |
| Tracking number goes to the customer | Shipping confirmation with tracking | Integration |
| Status is updated | Delivery or problem becomes visible in the shop | Provider and integration |
When you connect shipping carriers to Magento, the integration takes over the steps that can be automated and leaves the warehouse the actions that people need. It is important that every step stays traceable in the log so that in case of problems it is immediately clear where a parcel is stuck.
3. Prerequisites before you connect shipping carriers to Magento
Five prerequisites
- ✓A contract with the provider: most interfaces require a business customer contract.
- ✓Access data of the provider for the interface and, if possible, a test environment.
- ✓Maintained product data: weight and dimensions must be correct in the shop.
- ✓Clarified shipping methods: which products of the provider do you offer?
- ✓A warehouse that can print labels, often on a thermal printer.
No contract, no interface: whoever wants to connect shipping carriers to Magento should first clarify which contracts exist and which access data the provider issues. That is the most common reason why projects stall and can be clarified early with a call to the provider.
Also plan who in the house is the contact for the provider. With problems with access data, pickups or tariffs a fixed person who knows the contract helps, and that speeds up every project in which you connect shipping carriers to Magento.
4. Three ways to connect shipping carriers to Magento
The first way is a ready-made module for a single provider. It is set up quickly and covers the usual processes. The second way is a service that bundles several providers and offers the shop a single connection. It saves effort with many providers but brings an additional dependency and running costs.
The third way is an individual development directly against the interfaces of the providers. It pays off with one or two providers with high shipment volume or with special rules, for example shipping method by weight and destination, bulky goods or freight forwarding. It is more expensive at the start but fits exactly. Which way fits you we check honestly before a decision.
A hint for the choice: begin with the simplest way that covers your rules and extend later. Whoever first connects only one provider and lets returns and foreign shipping follow later sees results faster and lowers the risk when you connect shipping carriers to Magento.
5. The providers at a glance: what DHL, GLS, UPS, DPD and Hermes name
Through its developer portal DHL provides interfaces for parcel shipping, including for labels, pickups, return labels, tracking and the search for pickup stations. Access requires a business customer contract. With ShipIT GLS offers interfaces in the forms REST and SOAP through which shipments are created and labels retrieved as PDF, image or printer format, with access data from the provider.
According to several sources UPS provides an interface based on the REST principle with login through OAuth 2.0. For DPD and Hermes we did not find a complete public developer documentation, and both require business customer access. These statements can change. Whoever wants to connect shipping carriers to Magento should therefore check them directly with the provider before the project, and we do that before every quote.
6. Typical pitfalls of the integration
Among the most common pitfalls are missing weights and dimensions on the product, addresses in which street and house number are separated wrongly, several parcels per order with mixed-up tracking numbers and foreign shipping without the necessary customs details. The printer format also often causes surprises when the label does not fit the thermal printer in the warehouse.
A good integration withstands short outages of the interface: orders are buffered and caught up later, and a label can in an emergency be created in the portal of the provider. Test before the start with test shipments, including a parcel with several packages and a foreign shipment, when you connect shipping carriers to Magento.
7. Effort and costs
The effort depends on the number of providers, the shipping methods, the special cases and the chosen way. A ready-made module for one provider is set up quickly, a direct connection with several providers, returns and foreign shipping needs concept, implementation and tests. Besides the development, include the running items: licenses or fees of ready-made modules and services as well as care.
We estimate in writing after an inventory, the hourly rate is 30 euros net, see pricing. General hints on costs are in the guide Magento costs. How the shipping costs themselves can be calculated is described in the guide shipping costs in an online shop.
With ready-made modules and services always ask about the costs over several years too. A small monthly fee weighs differently with many shipments than with few, and a direct connection can pay for itself after some time.
8. How we support you
We are a web agency in which fixed freelancers work together, all from home offices. We develop the integration project by project, according to your processes and with documented rules, and we do not sell a ready-made connector off the shelf. Source code and access stay with you. If you want to outsource warehouse and shipping, read the guide outsource fulfillment.
This guide gives general orientation. For a first conversation a short message through our contact page is enough. Please name your providers and your shipment volume, then we can assess the feasibility specifically.
9. Summary
Whoever wants to connect shipping carriers to Magento creates labels and tracking numbers directly from the order. Prerequisites are contracts and access data of the providers and maintained product data, the way ranges from a ready-made module to a direct connection.
Connect shipping carriers to Magento at a glance
Benefit
Labels, tracking numbers and tracking without manual work
Prerequisite
Contract, access data, weight and dimensions, label printer
Ways
Ready-made module, shipping hub or direct connection
Providers
DHL, GLS, UPS, DPD, Hermes: check statements before the project
Note: This article offers general orientation. Interfaces and terms of the providers can change.