You can tell ShipStation to automatically set the service for an order based on what your customer selected during checkout. This is called Service Mapping and it applies to the order as soon as it imports into ShipStation.
ShipStation sees the shipping service selected by the customer at checkout as the Requested Service. With Service Mapping, you map the Requested Service value to the service and package type you plan to use for that order's label.
This feature is most helpful for stores that offer different tiers of shipping options, such as a Free or Standard option, an Expedited option, and a 1-day option, or if the store allows a customer to choose which carrier they want to deliver the product.
Not Available for All Selling Channels
Service Mapping must be configure for each store you wish to use it on. However, some selling channels do not provide ShipStation with a Requested Service value. For these selling channels, Service Mapping is not available.
Review the selling channel's page in the Integrations Help Guide to see if Requested Service is supported.
Service Mapping Example
You offer an Expedited shipping option for $20.00 in your online store. A customer chooses the Expedited service at checkout and the order imports into ShipStation after it's placed. When the order imports, ShipStation sees that the Requested Service is Expedited...
But since it's not mapped yet, ShipStation doesn't know which service you want to use to create the shipping label.
Service Mapping tells ShipStation which service to assign based on the order's Requested Service value.
For the above example, you want Expedited orders to arrive as soon as possible, so you use FedEx Standard Overnight® whenever you receive such an order. By mapping the Expedited service to FedEx Standard Overnight®, ShipStation will then automatically apply FedEx Standard Overnight® to any order that includes Expedited as the Requested Service.
Keep in mind that Service Mapping must be configure for each store you wish to use it on. This is because shipping options used in different stores may vary in name or import slightly differently than other stores. And, you may wish to map to different services depending on product, warehouse location, or destination.
Automation Order of Operations
Service Mapping is the second automation process ShipStation applies to your orders. It can override the service set by Product Automation and can be overridden by Automation Rules.