In the world of E-commerce, customer satisfaction is a priority. This is why Shopify offers an option to ship orders to a relay point rather than to the customer's address.
Your customers' choice of relay points
At the time of payment, your customers can choose the delivery method that suits them best to ship their order to a relay point. They can then select the relay point where they want their order to be delivered. Once the order is delivered to the relay point, the customer receives a notification by SMS or email informing them that their order is ready for collection. It should be noted that some relay points are open 24/7, allowing your customers to collect their packages at their convenience.
Requirements for using relay points
For your store to use relay points, it must have an eligible order fulfillment location and use eligible Shopify Shipping carriers. For France, one of the eligible carriers is Colissimo.
Variety of relay points
Relay points can vary from one carrier to another. They can be local post offices, retail businesses that are part of the carrier's pick-up network, specialized parcel shops, or self-service pick-up lockers located near shopping centers, car parks, and metro stations. These are generally available 24/7.
Checkout experience
If you enable the relay point option, eligible customers can choose this option during checkout. Using a map or a list of relay points, customers can select where they want their order to be delivered. Once a relay point is selected, relevant information is displayed, such as opening hours, address details, the name of the relay point, and the price.
Set up shipping to relay points
To set up shipping to relay points, you can follow these steps in your Shopify admin interface:
- Go to "Settings" > "Shipping and delivery".
- In the "Shipping to relay points" section, click the location where you want to offer shipping to relay points.
- Select "Ship to relay points from this location".
- In the "Relay point rates" section, click the "..." button, then "Edit rate".
- Select the relay point providers to apply the rate to and configure your flat rate, weight-based, or price-based shipping rates. If you want to offer free shipping, enter 0.
- Click "Done", then "Save".
Once you have set up shipping to relay points, you can learn how to purchase Shopify shipping labels.
Customer requirements
Your customers must meet the following requirements to be able to select the relay point option at checkout:
- All physical products in the cart must be eligible for shipping from a single location.
- The order fulfillment location must have sufficient stock to fulfill the entire order.
- The customer must not choose an accelerated payment method at the first step of checkout. If the customer pays using Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, or PayPal, shipping to relay points is not available.
In conclusion, relay points are a convenient alternative for customers who cannot receive their orders at home. With Shopify Shipping, E-commerce store owners can easily offer this option to their customers, while ensuring certain conditions are met. It's an effective way to improve your customers' shopping experience, by offering them more flexibility in receiving their orders.
Shopify Shipping with Colissimo: a solution for shipping in France
When you run an E-commerce business based in France, the ability to efficiently ship your products is essential. One of the options available to you is the Shopify Shipping option in partnership with Colissimo.
Shipping with Colissimo: the essentials
If your business is located in France, you have the option to purchase Shopify Shipping labels from Colissimo. This option allows you to ship your products from a Colissimo drop-off point, either directly to your customer's address or to a relay point located in France. Shipping costs are based on Shopify's contract with Colissimo.
To use this option and ship orders to relay points, you will need to set up shipping to relay points in your Shopify admin interface.
Important considerations for shipping with Colissimo
It is crucial to consider certain specificities when using the Shopify Shipping option with Colissimo. Here are some of the elements to take into account:
- The Shopify Shipping option with Colissimo is only available for shipping parcels within France. International destinations are not supported.
- It is not possible to schedule pickups for Colissimo to collect your shipments.
- Your store's address must be in France for you to purchase Colissimo shipping labels.
- Services with signature on delivery and proof of delivery are not supported.
- You cannot redirect a shipment or dispute surcharges added by Colissimo.
- Your customer's billing address must be in France. You cannot purchase Colissimo labels for billing addresses outside of France.
How to get your products to Colissimo?
To deliver your products to Colissimo, you can drop them off at a Colissimo drop-off point. Simply find the Colissimo drop-off point closest to you.
National shipping with Colissimo
With Colissimo, you can ship parcels from a Colissimo drop-off point to your customer's address or a relay point in France. Colissimo promises delivery within two business days.
Shipping services
When you purchase a Colissimo shipping label, the shipping service displayed depends on your customer's choice at checkout. This can be one of the following services:
- Colissimo Domicile: This service allows you to ship parcels weighing up to 30 kg to the customer's address in France.
- Colissimo Point Retrait: This service allows you to ship parcels weighing up to 20 kg to a relay point located in France.
Colissimo collection points
During checkout, your customers can choose the "Ship to a relay point" option as their delivery method. They can then select the relay point where they want their order to be delivered. These relay points can be post offices, relay points, or self-service pick-up lockers.
Once the parcel is delivered to a relay point, your customer receives a notification by SMS or email informing them that their shipment is ready for collection. This notification also indicates the deadline by which the customer must collect their parcel.
If the customer does not collect their parcel within the indicated timeframe, Colissimo automatically returns it within 10 to 15 business days, at no additional cost.
Parcel requirements for national shipments with Colissimo
It is important to note that Colissimo has specific requirements for parcel dimensions and weight:
- Minimum length: 16 cm
- Minimum width: 11 cm
- Minimum height: 1 cm
- Maximum weight: 30 kg (for Colissimo Domicile service) or 20 kg (for Colissimo Point Retrait service)
- Maximum length, width, or height is 100 cm
- Maximum sum of parcel dimensions is 200 cm
Insurance coverage
Colissimo offers insurance of EUR 23 per kilogram for lost or damaged parcels, up to a maximum of EUR 690.
Prohibited items
It is important to remember that certain items are prohibited from shipping with Colissimo. If you ship a prohibited item, your shipment will be intercepted and held by Colissimo, and the prohibited items will not be returned to you.
Assistance for Colissimo shipments
If you encounter problems with your Colissimo shipments, you can contact Shopify support. If your shipment is lost or damaged, you can submit a claim within 30 days of the shipping date.
In the event of a delivery delay of more than two days, you can submit a claim within 7 days of the scheduled delivery date. Claims for delivery delays are not supported for parcels shipped to Colissimo relay points.
Shipment adjustments
If your shipment is heavier or larger than indicated on the shipping label, Colissimo will charge you the difference.
In conclusion, the Shopify Shipping option with Colissimo offers a flexible and practical solution for shipping products in France. By understanding its specificities and respecting its conditions, you can optimize your shipping operations and offer your customers a quality service.
Would you like to be supported by a Shopify integrator or an expert Shopify Plus integrator to create a relay point map before checkout?
