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The Ultimate Guide to Shipping with Xero and Shiptheory
Shiptheory now integrates directly with cloud-based accounting software, Xero, making it easy for you to print shipping labels from your Xero account.
If you haven't heard of it yet, Xero (pronounced 'zero') efficiently streamlines your invoicing and banking process to get paid faster. As a small business owner, you can use Xero to automate and manage your finances on the go.
Let us walk you through how to set up and manage your shipping from Xero with Shiptheory.
Connecting to Shiptheory
Have your shipping labels taken care of in the background automatically when you integrate with Shiptheory. Connecting your account is easy, just add Xero under 'manage channels'. Log in to your Xero account - and viola! You're connected.
Within the Xero dashboard, you can view your connection to Shiptheory and other third-party apps by visiting Settings > Connected Apps in the drop-down menu.
Shipping Rules
Shiptheory allows you to set up custom rules based on a range of criteria such as the weight, size, delivery carrier, and order value of your package. Once set up these will run in the background and print labels based on the criteria of orders that are sent.
For example, you can create a rule to print same-day delivery shipping labels for customers who spend more than £50.
Creating an invoice
To generate your shipping labels, you will need to create a new sales invoice. This is quick and easy with Xero, just make sure you have the contact details of your customer and order information.
To speed up this process you can connect Xero to your e-commerce platform including Shopify, Squarespace, and Etsy. This enables invoices to be automatically created when an order is completed. View the full range of Xero app connectors on their marketplace.
Adding delivery addresses
When you create an invoice you must add the address of your customer to be able to generate a shipping label.
To do this you will need to log into your Xero dashboard and visit Contacts > Add contact. This will take you to an online form where you can fill out customer information, including their delivery address.
Integrated Labels
Another feature is the ability to easily create integrated labels for your Xero orders. Integrated labels can be used to combine invoices and despatch notes with your shipping label. Plus, you can enhance your brand by inserting your brand logo and a personalised message for your customer.
Integrating with Shipping Carriers
Shipping labels can be created from Xero with a shipper that suits your business, Shiptheory is officially partnered with many of the worlds most popular shipping companies, including Royal Mail, FedEx, UPS, and DHL.
All you need is a Shiptheory account, and an account with the delivery/courier service to integrate with Xero. Find out more with our support guide.
Xero Inventory Management
When you integrate Shiptheory with Xero, the product information from your orders will automatically populate a virtual inventory. You can edit the details of each item, such as the country of manufacture, size, price, and barcode.
Delivery Notes
Customers can add delivery notes and instructions during the checkout stage. If you connect your Xero account to our platform, these will be automatically passed on to your chosen delivery carrier.
Packing Slips
Packing slips can be included in your packages to act as a receipt for the customer, itemising the products bought and total paid. These are invaluable for warehouse staff who will be able to clearly see which products need to be picked and packed.
Xero has created a step-by-step guide here on how to create a packing slip within the app.
Printing Shipping Labels
Once an invoice has been sent from Xero, the correct shipping labels are automatically generated and ready to print. Now you can sit back with a cuppa and watch your shipping labels print instantly without lifting a finger.
Alternatively, if you want a bit more control, shipping labels are attached to Xero Invoices and can be manually printed any time by downloading as a PDF.
A handheld barcode scanner can also be used to scan and print shipping labels. If you don't own a barcode scanner, you can transform your mobile device into one with the Shiptheory handheld barcode scanner.
