Learn what this product does, how it works, and how to get set up…
Delivery Options is an API designed for eCommerce sellers. It lets you display relevant shipping choices to consumers browsing your website.
It works by checking which services are able to fulfil a consumer's order. Querying the delivery address and product details of each potential order, this information is compared against the warehouse availability and carrier services set up in the Metapack shipping platform Delivery Manager. Results can then be displayed on your product and checkout pages.
This ensures that you only show consumers the services that can fulfil their orders, while also giving them accurate delivery dates that you can actually meet.
Because Delivery Options is integrated with Delivery Manager, changes to your warehouses, carriers, carrier services and selection rules are automatically reflected on your website.
Slow and inconvenient delivery choices are key reasons for online basket abandonment.
But adding more convenient delivery options to your website can be difficult:
Direct carrier integrations can be time consuming to set up, and using just one can create supply chain risks should it become unavailable.
Using estimated delivery dates can cause order anxiety for customers who do not know exactly when their orders will arrive.
Hard-coded delivery options are not sufficiently flexible to satisfy each unique consumer that visits your website. You may, for example, have to set up complex rules to manage options for different sizes of product.
Showing fixed shipping options at your checkout (as shown on the left below) means that you may present services that you cannot fulfil, and failed delivery promises cost you customer loyalty.
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Because Delivery Options allows you to tailor the choices shown to each visitor and order, with accurate delivery dates based on their location, you can present your consumers with a range of accurate delivery choices, both on product pages and at checkout (as shown on the right above).
Because Delivery Options connects you to the Metapack shipping platform, you gain immediate access to the world’s largest carrier and collection point library through a single integration.
You can access almost 5,000 home delivery services from over 400 carriers, including the following service types:
Economy
Next Day
Nominated Day
Timed
Note
For the creation and use of the carrier 'service groups' that map to these service types, refer to Setup.
With over 350,000 PUDO locations worldwide, you can display convenient collection points to your consumers, regardless of the markets you are serving.
You can display collection options at your own stores to reduce shipping costs and drive footfall into your own branded locations. Refer to Setting up your Own Stores.
Don't worry, we take care of the setup of your retailer configuration and API key, and we will even help with the initial API calls.
However, you will need to provide the front end design input so that you are then ready to integrate the options returned by the API calls. We can leverage experience with other sellers to help you provide a first-class checkout experience.
Note
Refer to Understanding REST if you've not used such an API before and you want to learn more. Most of the parameters are optional and, if you need to get started very quickly, you can return a wide range of realistic options by using just the few Basic Parameters.
If you are not yet a Delivery Options customer, you can contact our sales team to arrange a consultation, either online or in person, at a time that best suits you.
If you are an existing customer, and need help with the product, click here for support.
Tip
If you are new to the product, then downloading and running some of the API calls in the Delivery Options Postman Collection is a good place to start.
The following are the main steps to get you up and running with Delivery Options :