Shipping is one of the most critical components of running a successful eCommerce business. Whether you're fulfilling orders yourself or leveraging a third-party logistics provider (3PL), your shipping strategy directly impacts customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and profit margins. Fortunately, UltraCart makes managing shipping effortless, scalable, and adaptable to your business model.
In this article, we’ll break down the core shipping options available through UltraCart, including self-fulfillment with UltraShip, integration with fulfillment houses and 3PLs, and how to process orders efficiently within the platform.
Flexible Shipping Options for Every Business Model
UltraCart is designed to support a variety of fulfillment strategies, giving merchants the flexibility to ship products their way. Generally, merchants fall into two categories:
- Self-Fulfillment: Handling shipping in-house, either directly or with a warehouse.
- Fulfillment House/3PL: Outsourcing inventory storage and shipping to a third-party provider.
UltraCart accommodates both approaches with seamless workflows and robust integrations.
Self-Fulfillment Made Easy with UltraShip
For merchants who prefer to ship in-house, UltraShip is UltraCart’s proprietary high-volume shipping application, designed to simplify the fulfillment workflow from your warehouse or shipping station.
- Local Desktop Application: UltraShip runs on Windows and is installed directly on your shipping computer.
- Direct Carrier Support: Works with major carriers like USPS (via Stamps.com, VIPParcel, Express 1), FedEx, UPS, and DHL.
- Hardware Integration: Supports Zebra barcode scanners, Zebra ZPL label printers, and scales for streamlined packing and labeling.
- Batch Order Processing: Retrieve, process, and print shipping labels and packing slips in bulk from within the UltraShip interface.
UltraShip is ideal for businesses managing their own inventory and fulfillment, eliminating the need for browser-based processing or manual file transfers. It’s a reliable solution for businesses looking for performance and automation at scale.
Integrating with 3PLs and Fulfillment Centers
If you're scaling your business or prefer to outsource logistics, UltraCart offers powerful integrations with dozens of leading fulfillment providers. These integrations allow for:
- Real-Time Inventory Sync: Stay updated on stock levels across fulfillment centers.
- Automated Order Routing: Send orders to the right warehouse automatically.
- Tracking Updates: Customers receive notifications with tracking info from your 3PL.
- Streamlined Communication: Reduce manual tasks and shipping errors.
Whether you’re using ShipBob, Amazon FBA, or a niche fulfillment house, UltraCart’s fulfillment integration system ensures that your orders are shipped quickly and accurately.
🔗 View Fulfillment Integrations
Shipping Integrations You Already Use
UltraCart offers a wide variety of pre-built shipping integrations with major carriers and tools, including:
- USPS
- UPS
- FedEx
- DHL
- Endicia
- Stamps.com
These integrations allow for automated rate calculations, label generation, and shipment tracking—all without needing extra plugins or third-party apps.
🔗 Explore Shipping Integrations
Order Management: From Purchase to Delivery
Whether you’re shipping from your own warehouse or via a 3PL, UltraCart offers a comprehensive Order Management System that simplifies the process:
- View, filter, and batch-process orders in real-time
- Assign shipping methods based on rules or cart conditions
- Automate notifications for fulfillment and tracking
- Easily switch between fulfillment modes (self-ship or 3PL)
This makes UltraCart an ideal shipping solution for growing businesses that need a flexible and scalable eCommerce platform.
🔗 See Order Management Features
End-to-End Order and Shipping Management
UltraCart simplifies the process of handling and fulfilling orders, no matter how complex your shipping requirements are. Key features include:
- Real-Time Order Processing: View and manage orders through a centralized dashboard.
- Shipping Rules and Automation: Assign shipping methods automatically based on cart conditions, weight, or destination.
- Label Generation: Print shipping labels for any carrier directly from the UltraCart platform.
- Customer Notifications: Send tracking updates and shipping confirmations automatically.
Whether you’re shipping 10 orders a day or 10,000, UltraCart’s system can scale with you and reduce your overhead.
Get Started with Shipping on UltraCart
Whether you're just starting out or scaling fast, UltraCart's shipping tools are built to grow with you. Setup is simple, documentation is thorough, and our U.S.-based support team is ready to help if you ever need it.
🔗 Explore UltraCart Shipping Documentation