Complete Guide to Order Fulfillment for Global Selling (Part 3): Freight Forwarder Orders, Labels, Pickup & Tracking

This article covers the final steps after receiving an order: submitting orders to freight forwarders, printing and attaching shipping labels, arranging courier pickup, and updating tracking numbers in Shopify.

Pre-Order Preparation

• 1.1 Research Shipping Options: Based on your product selection, research corresponding freight forwarder products, pricing, delivery times, and packaging requirements.
• 1.2 Purchase Packaging Materials (Optional): Based on your products and operational needs, purchase appropriate packaging such as boxes, poly mailers, thank-you cards, etc.

Post-Order Process

• 2.1 Purchase Products: Source products from suppliers like 1688.
• 2.2 Repackage: After products arrive, inspect and repackage as needed.
• 2.3 Attach Shipping Labels: Submit order information on the freight forwarder platform, print and attach shipping labels.
• 2.4 Courier Pickup: After everything is ready, submit a pickup request on the freight forwarder platform and wait for courier pickup. (Some areas don't have pickup service and require you to ship to the forwarder's warehouse)
• 2.5 Update Tracking: Return to Shopify to enter the tracking number and mark as fulfilled.

Submitting Orders + Attaching Labels

(This tutorial focuses on manual order submission for beginners. I'll create a separate tutorial for ERP-based automation later.)

Using a typical freight forwarder platform as an example.

1. Set Pickup Address

After registering your freight forwarder account, set your pickup address - this is where they'll collect your packages. It's as simple as filling out an online shopping delivery address.

For example, if you ship from home, enter your home address and contact information.

2. Submit Freight Forwarder Order

(See video tutorial for details)

FAQ

Does weight need to be extremely precise?

No, the freight forwarder will re-weigh everything when they receive it. Their measurement is what counts.

What should I declare as the value?

1) First, ask your freight forwarder sales representative about your target country's tax and duty policies.

For example, the US has duty-free import for declared values under $800 USD. EU countries have zero threshold - even $1 declared value incurs taxes.

2) Second, check your freight forwarder's requirements for declared value. As shown below, this forwarder requires that a single recipient cannot exceed $800 USD in one day.

How do I pay customs duties? What is IOSS? What is VAT?

For IOSS/VAT, here's the direct answer: new independent site sellers don't need to worry about this at all. By the time you need to handle it, you'll be a medium-sized seller with the resources to hire service providers.

VAT/IOSS are company tax numbers applicable to the UK/EU, similar to how you need company information when issuing invoices domestically.

How are customs duties paid?

For EU countries that require mandatory tax payment but you don't have IOSS, the solution is that the freight forwarder pays on your behalf. If you don't fill in IOSS, they default to paying for you but charge a service fee of about 2% of the tax amount.

So what value should I actually declare?

For tax-free countries like the US, it generally doesn't matter as long as you stay under the duty-free threshold. I recommend using your website's selling price.

For EU countries with taxes, there's some flexibility here. Whether to declare high or low is up to you. Some suggest declaring the website price, but that could result in heavy taxation.

I've told you there's significant flexibility here, so figure it out yourself and experiment. I can't give you an exact number since everyone's situation differs - otherwise, if someone follows my advice and has issues, they'll say "But Lvsao taught me to fill it this way!"

Can I combine two products ordered by the same customer into one package?

Yes, just make sure to include both products in your declaration.

3. Download and Attach Shipping Labels

Where to get a label printer?

Search for "10x10 label printer" - costs around 300 RMB.

Can I do this without a label printer?

Yes, use a regular printer to print on A4 paper, then cut it out and tape it on.

How to attach? Where to place it?

I recommend attaching to two sides, one label each. As long as the barcode and text are clear, attach it however you want.

Pickup and Shipping

After your goods are ready and the forwarder order is placed, the next step is sending your package to the freight forwarder. This is called pickup service (think of it like Cainiao courier pickup).

Select the warehouse you added earlier and fill in the pickup time (for this platform, I don't fill in other details - check your specific forwarder's requirements).

See video tutorial for details.

The courier will deliver to your city's nearby freight forwarder warehouse. When the warehouse receives your package, they'll first remove the outer bag, then scan your attached label to identify the information and officially ship it overseas.

Update Tracking Number in Shopify

When your freight forwarder officially scans and ships your package, an international tracking number is generated. You need to enter this number in your Shopify admin.