Multi-Origin Shipping - Multiple inventory locations, how to stop double shipping charges?

Shopify Plus
1

Hi guys,

Shopify is still planning on rolling out Multi-Origin shipping, currently our store is holding on to single origin shipping for as long as we can, because with multi origin shipping we will begin facing a series of problems. I’m looking for some realistic solutions to combat Multi-Origin shipping when it inevitably is forced upon us, because the apps Shopify support keeps recommending to me will not work with their new shipping logic.

The main problem I face is that we hold stock at multiple locations, and sell it all online. However, we do the actual shipping out of only 1 location. Our stores are located close enough to each other that we’re able to transfer items to and from no problem. So if we hold stock at any location, we’re able to sell it online with single origin shipping.

However with multi origin shipping I have 2 negative options:

Option 1 - If I add all of my inventory locations to a multi origin shipping profile, the customer gets charged the flat rate shipping x how many inventory locations the items they’re ordering are from. So lets say my flat rate shipping is $15, and the customer is ordering items that exist in 3 warehouses. They will get charged $45 shipping, even though we are still actually shipping the items out of only 1 location. Kind of defeats the purpose of flat rate shipping, but alas.

Option 2 - I only set our shipping profile to 1 location. HOWEVER then the items show as “in stock” online, but when the customer goes to check out, they are unable to purchase that stock because we are not shipping from that location that the item is in stock in. There seems to be no way to go into back order from my main location to sell this stock online from 1 location?? Unless I am missing something? This will effectively make 1/3 of our inventory unable to purchase and create a bad user experience.

It seems apps are out of the question, every app I have asked or tried cannot get around the location logic (unless you guys have tried an app that is different from the Shopify suggested ones?). I did find a script that can discount the shipping costs that the customer gets at checkout (https://community.shopify.com/c/payments-shipping-and/multi-origin-shipping-solution-needed-double-charging-shipping/td-p/1049711 - scroll down to HockeyStickMan comment for the code)

this can work short term however script editor will also be depreciated very soon so this will not work long term. Not to mention customers will still see the original shipping cost.

Doing away with shipping is simply not an option for us in Canada. Selling 1/3 of our inventory is also not an option. Charging our customers exorbitant shipping charges unnecessarily is obviously not an option either.

So I’m wondering… for those of you living with Multi Origin Shipping with multiple warehouses, how have you solved this issue?

2

Sigh. Same issue here. Slightly different scenario, but like you, we’re holding onto single-origin for as long as we can, I just do not have a viable solution if Shopify forces us to multi-origin.

For context of how long it’s been an issue, here’s the “solved” thread on the regular community forum. Obviously, it’s not in any way solved, but despite 134 replies and multiple @Shopify_77 mentions, it remains an open issue.

Our scenario is that we ship from multiple 3PLs. Deliverr, formally Shopify, and now Flexport(!) ship from many locations, but in Shopify appear as a singular location. However, they can’t ship big stuff or do kitting, so we have a second 3PL for that, which just has one location, but of course in Shopify, that means two separate locations, and when a customer places an order that includes inventory from both 3PLs, they are double-charged in the multi-origin scenario.

As you say, none of the shipping apps can fix this; we were with Intuitive Shipping (for other reasons), which is a great app with great support, but there’s nothing they, or any of the others, can do, due to the way Shopify presents the order to them (essentially two separate orders).

All Shopify needs to do to fix this is to add a checkbox to multi-origin that simply says “Only Charge Shipping Once Regardless of Shipping Origin(s)”. That’s it. It cannot be that difficult to do.

Until then, we’re stuck with single-origin, and a less than optimal scenario where we have to have manual rates in Shopify for orders that ship from our other 3PL, and the injected rates from Deliverr, so the customer sees multiple shipping options. i.e. If a product is shipped from Deliverr, and another from our other 3PL, they’ll be presented two shipping option, one that’ll say “Standard Delivery” (Deliverr), and the other, that’ll also say Standard Delivery (Shopify rates), but they’ll be priced differently.

For us, this is kind of a show-stopper. We had to threaten to leave to have then switch us back to single-origin a couple of years ago, but if, as they’re threatening to do, they force us back to multi, then I just don’t have a path forward with Shopify.

3

Hey @Pete , since writing this I have found an app that solves our issue of customers being charged multiple shipping rates for multiple locations. It works for us because we’re selling the same items across 3 different inventory locations.

Within the app, there is an option to get single origin shipping only. The app takes the shipping cost from 1 single location, and is able to apply that to the order instead. It works like a charm.

I am not sure how it would fare on stores that do dropshipping or have certain items enabled at certain inventory locations only, but if you’re interested the app is Shipping & Delivery - ShipZip: https://apps.shopify.com/shipping-based-on-zipcode?st_source=autocomplete

So far this is the only app I have found that can do something like this, so I really can’t compare with any others. I’m still holding out for Shopify to be able to add a solution to the problem, like what you suggested. In our case, we went forward with the switch to Multi Origin and local pickup ourselves with the app in place, rather than waiting for it to be forced to all stores. I hope you were / are able to find something that works for your store.