A shipment can be a letter, package, or item sent from one place to another. The shipment can be transported either by a courier or postal service.
What is a shipment?
A shipment is something that is sent from one place to another. It can range from a postcard, letter, or online order to a private customer, or an item sent from one company to another.
A shipment can also consist of multiple packages. The common denominator is that it’s transported either by post or courier.
Postage vs. Shipping labels
When you need to send a shipment, you must pay for and affix either postage or a shipping label.
You can use the cheaper option of postage if you are sending a letter, document, or a small item of low value.
However, with this method, the shipment often takes a few days to arrive, and if you use stamps, there is no tracking or liability for the carrier in case of loss or delay. This solution can be sufficient when dealing with small items of little value.
Shipping labels are carrier-specific, and each carrier has its requirements and rules that must be followed.
When using a shipping label, the shipment is often delivered faster, usually within 1-2 business days, depending on the carrier.
The carrier also has liability in case of loss and possibly for delays. If you want to track the package, you need to use a shipping label.
With this, the reciever can typically follow where and when the package arrives or can be picked up. This is also known as Track and Trace.
When using a shipping label, one should also pay attention to how the label is placed. For correct placement, we have created a helpful label guide.
Label guideHowever, we always recommend that you contact your carrier and get the correct instructions from them, as the guide is only advisory.
By doing so, you ensure that you do it correctly according to the carrier’s instructions and avoid additional fees.
What is a return shipment?
If the customer needs to send the package back to the sender after receiving it, it’s called a return shipment or a return.
This could be because the customer wants the item in a different size or simply regrets the purchase. A return shipment will require a return label.
Do you run a webshop? You can make it easy for your customers to obtain a return label.
You can set up a Shipmondo Return Portal, which allows the customer to easily and quickly order a return label and a return slip.
Shipmondo Return PortalShipping and delivery
Another term for shipment is freight.
Freight is most often used to refer to the amount paid to send a package but also describes the shipping process - namely, transporting something from one place to another.
Typically, the webshop itself does not handle the delivery and instead chooses to book freight with a carrier such as GLS, PostNord, or UPS.
The webshop will either have the packages picked up or deliver them to a parcel shop. After that, the carriers will take care of the delivery.
All businesses can book freight through Shipmondo with popular carriers.
You can create a free account and start shipping packages right away.
Which carrier should you choose?
As a company, you can choose which carrier you use, and the choice of carrier depends on several parameters.
How much do you send? Do you send only domestically or internationally?
Do you send small packages or pallets? Among our [carriers](/carriers/), you can find the one that best matches your needs.
See our FAQPick-up, drop-off, and delivery
There are different ways in which the handover of the shipment can take place for both the sender and the recipient. The options vary depending on the carrier you use.
Pick-up or drop-off
Some carriers will pick up your package when you book your shipment.
If your business has a large volume of shipments, you can typically arrange a pick-up agreement directly with a carrier, where your shipments are picked up at an agreed-upon address, such as your warehouse, once a day, week, or as needed.
The details should be specified in the agreement.
Delivery of packages
Depending on the chosen delivery method for the shipment, there is a different process for delivering the shipment.
For home delivery, it typically requires the recipient to be home to sign for the receipt, or authorization can be given for the shipment to be delivered without a receipt.
For delivery to a parcel shop or locker, the customer receives a notification when the package is ready for pickup, and it can be collected at the specified delivery location.
drop-off and pickup pointsShipments through Shipmondo
As a newly started business, it’s not easy to negotiate good deals with carriers, which are often based on a high volume of shipments.
In Shipmondo, you can book freight across carriers through our agreements at attractive shipping rates - regardless of the size of your business.
You can book freight and print your shipping labels right away once you have created an account.
Create free accountThere are many benefits to sending packages through Shipmondo, whether you are a large or small business.
You can mass-create your shipments, send personalized messages to your customers with track and trace, and keep an eye on your shipments throughout the delivery process.
In Shipmondo, you also have the option to automate your order and shipping management.
You can automatically import your orders from your webshop or accounting system - or you can import them from an Excel or CSV file.
If you need a custom solution, use our API solution. The choice is yours. Customize your account to suit your unique needs.
Use your own shipping agreements
As a customer of Shipmondo, you have the freedom to use our shipping agreements, which we have negotiated in advance with various carriers - you only pay for what you use.
If you have a high volume of shipments, you also have the option to negotiate your own agreements with one or more carriers.
Once you have an agreement, you can have it activated on your Shipmondo account - so you can gather all your shipping agreements in one place and take advantage of Shipmondo’s free features and functionalities.