Back
Order consolidation for smarter shipping and happier customers
Merge multiple orders into one shipment to cut shipping costs, reduce packaging waste, and deliver a seamless experience—without changing your workflows.
Driving fulfillment for the world’s leading brands
Fewer boxes. Better customer experience.
Customers don’t want multiple boxes—and you shouldn’t pay for them. Send orders going to the same place into one shipment to improve margins and simplify fulfillment from checkout to doorstep.
Cut shipping costs without cutting service
Every extra label, carton, and pickup adds cost. Combine orders by customer or address so you ship fewer packages and avoid unnecessary surcharges. Reduce dimensional weight exposure, lower carrier fees, and protect costs.
Deliver a better customer experience
Deliver multiple orders from the same customer— together. Ship compatible items in one box with one tracking experience—reducing confusion and minimizing “Where is the rest of my order?” contacts.
Simplify fulfillment operations
Avoid risking errors and lagging with manual order consolidation. ShipStation API automates the logic within your existing OMS, creating a consistent, repeatable workflow across teams and fulfillment locations.
Order consolidation features built for real-world fulfillment
Combine multiple orders into one shipment
Programmatically group eligible sales orders that share a customer or destination. Your system evaluates address, timing, inventory availability, fulfillment location, and service levels—then creates consolidated shipments via the ShipStation API when it improves efficiency, or keeps orders separate when speed or inventory requires it.
Define flexible consolidation rules
Configure consolidation logic within your existing systems—such as time windows, order value thresholds, product exclusions, service levels, and warehouse eligibility. Once your business rules are set in your OMS, ShipStation APIs execute those decisions in real time as shipments are created.
Reduce packaging waste and carrier fees
Fewer boxes mean fewer labels, cartons, pickups, and surcharges. Order consolidation can lower dimensional weight exposure, reduce carrier spend, and support sustainability goals—improving cost control while minimizing packaging waste across your fulfillment network.
Keep orders moving together across locations
Operating multiple warehouses or 3PLs? ShipStation evaluates inventory location, cutoff times, routing logic, and SLA requirements before consolidating—helping you avoid unnecessary split shipments while maintaining inventory accuracy and protecting delivery promises.
Centralize orders before consolidation begins
Unify order data from multiple carts, marketplaces, and systems into a single stream before items are grouped together—so every shipment is evaluated consistently across channels, inventory locations, and service levels. One source of truth. Smarter grouping decisions.
RELATED CONTENT
Helpful Shipping Resources
Browse additional articles, guides, and insights related to shipping and fulfillment. These resources provide practical advice and best practices to support your day-to-day operations.
The Cheapest Way to Ship Packages
Finding the cheapest way to ship a package doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Affordable shipping rates are available to anyone that knows where to look.
Calculate Shipping Costs and Start Saving Now
Whether you’re shipping a single order or managing high-volume ecommerce fulfillment, ShipStation’s shipping cost calculator helps you get fast, reliable quotes from top carriers so you can save time and money with every label.
USPS Flat Rate Boxes, Envelopes, and Prices
USPS Flat Rate boxes and envelopes allow you to ship up to 70 lbs with USPS Priority Mail® at one low rate to anywhere in the US. The advantage of Flat Rate is that regardless of how much you fit into the packaging, it’s allowable.
Ready to get started?
ShipStation API removes the complexities of shipping. Scale your business with our industry-leading API, comprehensive documentation, and vast carrier network.
Order Consolidation FAQs
What is an order consolidation API?
An order consolidation API identifies multiple orders going to the same customer or address and combines them into a single shipment. Instead of processing each order separately, your system creates one bundled delivery—reducing cost and simplifying fulfillment.
How does consolidation reduce shipping costs?
By reducing the number of labels, cartons, and pickups per customer. Fewer packages typically mean fewer surcharges, lower dimensional weight exposure, and reduced overall carrier spend.
Does order consolidation impact delivery speed?
Not when configured correctly. ShipStation applies your timing and service rules before consolidating. Orders are only grouped when they can ship together without missing delivery commitments or cutoff times.
How does consolidation affect inventory accuracy?
The API evaluates inventory availability before merging orders. If items are split across locations or unavailable within your defined window, consolidation will not occur. This protects inventory integrity and prevents downstream fulfillment issues.
One place for your business
Begin a free trial to see what’s possible with ShipStation.