Multi-carrier shipping software is essentially a feature rich program that lets e-commerce merchants compare rates and transit times, create shipping labels, and keep track of shipments all in one place.

In a way, it’s like using a travel website like Expedia or Kayak. Except, instead of finding the best possible travel method for yourself, you’re finding discounted shipping options and/or the best service level to fit the needs of delivering your products to your customers.

Other features like automation and tracking allow your e-commerce store to save time and stay organized.

Here are answers to the top questions people have about multi-carrier shipping software.

What is Multi-carrier Shipping?

Multi-carrier shipping offers access to multiple carrier options at once so you can compare rates and find the best price, transit time, and/or service-level to meet your specific shipping needs.

What are the benefits of multi-carrier shipping software?

The most compelling benefit of multi-carrier shipping software is the ability to compare rates and transit times from across all carriers large and small, around the world, simultaneously.

Other advantages include lower rates sourced from master account access, shipment tracking services, simplified returns, and data and analytics dashboards to keep track of shipping spend and other key fulfillment metrics.

How do multi-carrier shipping solutions work?

Multi-carrier shipping software connects almost all aspects of the broader shipping ecosystem. These solutions sync directly with your e-commerce store so you can view your order info, compare and purchase the best shipping labels from a wide range of carriers, track your shipments, notify customers of their shipping status, easily enable returns, and more.

Which Are the Best Multi-carrier Shipping Software Options?

The best multi-carrier shipping software options provide an all-in-one shipping solution. This means they:

• Connect you to the best shipping rates across carriers.
• Help you track your shipments and shipping costs.
• Integrate seamlessly into your workflow.
• Scale along with your business.
• Provide experienced, reliable, and quick customer support.

Shippo provides all of these functions and more. Sign up to Shippo for free and begin creating shipping labels for your business in minutes.

This article was originally published on the ShipBob Blog.