TL;DR
Fulfillment settings determine what actually happens with a shipment — not how it looks in checkout, but the logistics behind it. The most important decisions here are whether a shipping option is meant for returning goods (rather than delivering them), whether the customer pays cash at the door, and what happens when an order is stocked across more than one warehouse.
These settings are often set once and rarely changed, but getting them right from the start saves a lot of confusion. A return shipment option should be its own dedicated option in your checkout, not a toggle you flip on an existing outbound delivery method. Similarly, multi-warehouse decisions affect speed and packaging in ways that directly impact the customer experience.
Return Shipments
What Is a Return Shipment?
A return shipment option is a shipping method designed specifically for customers sending goods back to you — not for delivering orders outward. When this flag is enabled on a shipping option, Shipit treats it as a return method rather than a standard outbound delivery.
This matters because return shipments follow a different logistics flow. The label is addressed to your warehouse, the carrier may handle it differently, and the documentation generated is designed for inbound goods rather than outbound parcels.
When to Use This Setting
Use the return shipment flag when you want to offer customers a dedicated way to send products back — for example, a "Free Return" option shown after purchase or on a returns portal. You would not use this on a standard delivery option that customers choose at checkout when placing an order.
Tip: Create a completely separate shipping option named something like "Return Shipment — PostNord" rather than toggling the return flag on your existing outbound PostNord method. Mixing outbound and return logic on the same option causes reporting confusion and can interfere with carrier integrations.
Return Freight Documents
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Return Freight Document | Automatically generates a return label or return paperwork when this method is used |
When this setting is enabled, Shipit instructs the carrier integration to produce a return freight document alongside (or instead of) the standard shipping label. This document is typically included in the parcel or emailed to the customer so they can use it to send the goods back without needing to pay at the post office.
If you handle returns manually or through a separate system, you can leave this off and manage return documentation yourself.
Cash on Delivery (COD)
What It Means
Cash on delivery means the customer does not pay online at checkout. Instead, they pay the courier or the post office agent at the moment the parcel is handed to them. The merchant receives the payment after the carrier collects and remits it, typically with a small COD surcharge added to the order.
This is a niche but important payment method in certain markets — particularly in parts of Northern and Eastern Europe where some customers distrust online payment, or where bank infrastructure makes card payments less convenient.
Which Checkout Providers Support COD
Not all checkout providers can handle cash on delivery, because it requires a payment flow that happens outside the normal online checkout.
| Provider | COD Supported |
|---|---|
| Qliro | Yes |
| Walley | Yes |
| Kustom | Yes |
| Shopify (native checkout) | No |
If your store runs on Shopify's native checkout, COD is not available through Shipit. You would need to use one of the supported third-party checkout providers listed above.
Tip: COD typically carries a fee that the carrier charges you or the customer. Make sure your pricing on the shipping option accounts for this, and check your carrier contract to understand how COD remittance works.
Multi-Warehouse Handling
Why This Setting Exists
Many merchants stock different products in different warehouses — perhaps a main fulfillment center and a regional depot, or a third-party logistics partner alongside their own storage. When a customer orders items that are held in more than one location, you have a choice about how those items are shipped.
Shipit gives you two modes for handling these situations.
Single Shipment vs. Split by Origin
| Mode | Field Value | What Happens | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Shipment | single_shipment | Items from all warehouses are gathered into one shipment before dispatch | Customers who prefer receiving a single parcel |
| Split by Origin | split_by_origin | Each warehouse ships its items separately, potentially on different days | Faster dispatch; customers who want items as soon as each is ready |
Single shipment mode means the customer receives one parcel with everything in it. This is simpler from the customer's perspective — one tracking number, one delivery event, one parcel to receive. The trade-off is that fulfillment is slower, because the order cannot ship until all items are gathered from all locations.
Split by origin mode means each warehouse dispatches its own parcel as soon as it is ready. A customer ordering a jacket from your main warehouse and a hat from a regional depot would receive two separate deliveries, potentially on different days. This can be faster overall, but the customer may be confused about why they are receiving multiple parcels for one order.
Choosing the Right Mode
There is no universally correct answer. Consider:
- If your customers frequently order across categories stored in different locations and speed matters to them, split by origin mode reduces wait time.
- If your average order ships from a single warehouse most of the time, single shipment mode adds little delay but keeps the experience clean.
- If you sell high-value items where the customer expects a single, well-packaged delivery, single shipment mode is usually preferred.
Tip: If you are unsure which mode suits your operation, start with single shipment. It is easier to explain to customers ("your order will arrive together") and reduces support queries about missing parcels.