🌏 This content is for Shippit customers located in Singapore, Malaysia, and elsewhere throughout South-East Asia.
Getting Started with On-Demand couriers in Shippit
The following On-demand couriers are now available to SEA-based merchants:
Lalamove (Singapore and Malaysia)
Pandago (Singapore and Malaysia)
GrabExpress (Singapore)
There are a few things you need to consider when sending On-Demand orders with Shippit, due to the nature of the service (being basically instant and point-to-point):
On-Demand orders typically cost more than any other service level, so make sure your shipping fees adequately cover the increased cost. If you use Shopify for your online orders, you can actually surface live quoting to your customers at the point of checkout. For information see this article on our Shopify Integration.
If you wish to use Live Quoting, you need to enable Live Quotes for ‘On-Demand orders’ in your Shippit integration settings for Shopify.
If you wish to use flat pricing, you need to map the appropriate Shopify Shipping Methods to the ‘On Demand’ Shippit Service Type (or alternatively select a specific On Demand carrier, such as Lalamove or GrabExpress).
On-demand orders can only be fulfilled during your business operating hours and require someone to be ready to prepare the order as soon as the booking is made. Make sure that your hours of operation and preparation time needed are accurately reflected in your General Settings in your Shippit account.
Consider the vehicle type you require for your delivery. Shippit will provide you with the cheapest quote based on the size of the package, which will normally be a motorbike.
Determine your preferred workflow, and whether labels are required for your operations. If the person packing the order is not also responsible for creating the order in Shippit, then you will probably want a 2-step workflow. Labels are not essential for On-demand delivery, but may be helpful for adhering to your existing processes.
Booking an On-Demand order in Shippit
There are three supported approaches for creating an On-Demand order in Shippit:
In the Shippit User Interface
Using the Shopify Integration. Remember to update your Shopify Connect settings as mentioned above.
Using our APIs. Note: you will need to make sure to pass the Service Level as ‘OnDemand’.
Note that csv uploads do not presently support On-Demand order creation.
This guide will focus on the UI.
On the New Orders tab, click the purple button to ‘Add priority order’.
Enter valid recipient details, including a phone number in the format 65XXXXXXXX.
Adjust package details as required and view quotes, including pickup times. Note that the courier vehicle may be a motorbike or car, depending on availability, price and the size of your package. Also note that times are an estimate only, and may vary based upon driver availability at the time of booking.
When ready to book your order, you have two options depending on your preferred workflow:
If you are ready to pick and pack the item immediately – select ‘Book & download label’.
If you do not wish to pick and pack the item immediately, or a different Shippit user performs that task – select ‘Book’
Both options will book the order for pickup with the courier. ‘Book’ alone will first move the order to the Priority Orders table on the New Orders tab. This will create a checklist of sorts for the picker/packer to use to keep track of their work.
When the item is picked and packed, click the Label button to get the label, and move the order across to the Track screen.
Note that labels are not essential for delivery, but this button should still be pressed in any case to complete the operational workflow.
The order will then move to the Track screen for monitoring delivery progress, along with other orders.
At the time of booking, a tracking link will also be to the email and phone number on your account. | Use this link to track the whereabouts of your driver for pickup, view up-to-the-minute ETAs and call them if any problems arise. |
Once the pickup has been completed, a similar tracking link will be sent via email and SMS to your recipient. | Similarly, the recipient can track the whereabouts of the driver, view up-to-the-minute ETAs and call them for any issues. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What carriers and vehicle types are available?
As of November 2023 the following couriers and services are available:
Lalamove - motorbike and car
Grab offers - motorbike and car
Pandago - motorbike
Can I choose the vehicle?
Not at this stage. The cheapest vehicle is selected, as long as it can fit your package dimensions/weight limitations.
How long do I have to prepare an order?
Pickup times vary, but in Singapore during business hours you can expect a pickup within 15-30 minutes. You will see an estimated pickup time for each quote before you book.
Why am I not seeing an On Demand quote?
It might be for one of several reasons:
You have attempted to book outside of your listed hours of operations
The address or phone number details are not valid (or in the correct format)
Your package is too large to fit in the vehicle
Who do I contact for support?
Merchants and recipients can both contact the driver for pick-up or delivery issues, from the tracking page. Merchants can access additional support from the courier directly. Shippit will not be handling support for On-Demand orders.