In order to be successful as an e-commerce business, one needs all the help one can get. There are a lot of things to keep track of- from the broad content strategies to the nitty-gritties of shipping and warehousing. As such, it might not always be feasible to try and do everything all by yourself. That’s where companies like AfterShip come in.
AfterShip is an automated shipping technology firm that leverages its tracking services as well as partnerships with hundreds of carriers to provide a seamless and comprehensive experience to its clients. It offers a suite of diverse features with rich functionality, such as branded tracking pages and connections with over 958 carriers. This allows it to be used by numerous client companies to manage their daily logistical operations. It also partners with several other platforms such as Shopify and Oracle so that its customers can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Today, we shall be taking a brief look at the features of AfterShip and the pricing plans that it offers.
AfterShip Features
AfterShip claims to offer all the services that an e-commerce company might need for ‘the best tracking experience. The key features of their include:-
1) Shipment Visibility
AfterShip provides access to insightful and relevant tracking data in a unified dashboard to resolve delivery issues faster.
2) Branded Tracking Page
It provides the best post-purchase customer experience with customized tracking pages to drive customer loyalty and additional sales. This also uplifts the brand image and helps to attract repeat customers.
3) Shipment Notifications
AfterShip makes use of both push and pull notifications for seamless communication with the customers, helping them engage in the post-purchase experience and driving traffic to the company website.
4) Actionable Analytics
Businesses can get relevant and actionable data and statistics to gain meaningful insight into the performance of the company, as well as how things can be changed to improve the delivery experience.
5) Delivery Date Predictions
AfterShip’s algorithm can communicate effectively throughout checkpoints to inform customers of a relatively reliable and accurate delivery time frame.
6) Order Lookup Widget
It allows businesses to add order lookup and tracking widgets to their websites without any coding knowledge. They can also add numerous delivery and shipping-related elements to make the experience smoother for customers.
7) Apps and Developers
As mentioned previously, AfterShip can easily connect with multiple other related software, such as Shopify and Magneto. It paves the way for seamless integration, saving time and costs massively.
Now that we have an idea of the features and functionality that AfterShip has to offer, let us also know more about its pricing and whether or not you should go for it.
AfterShip Pricing Plans
Free Plan
AfterShip ensures that its products stay accessible and affordable. Their services begin with a free tier that provides all the basics to get your business started. It allows for up to 50 shipments per month and a host of other features such as branded pages, a unified dashboard, and customizable widgets.
Essentials Plan ($9-$59)
The Essentials Plan begins at $9 per month when billed yearly, and $11 when billed monthly. It includes all the features and services of the Free tier and many other must-have features such as email notifications, CSV import and export, shipping analytics, engagement analytics, and 24/7 email customer support. Moreover, it comprises up to 1200 free shipments per year, with a $0.08 fee for every additional shipment. It also has an option for SMS notifications, with extra nominal charges that vary per country.
Pro Plan ($99-$1199)
The Pro Plan is the most popular plan offered by AfterShip. It is an advanced tier that provides several specialized services that businesses might require at times. It starts at around $99 per month, billed yearly. It allows companies to ship up to 24,000 shipments, again with an extra $0.08 charge for every additional shipment, leading up to $999 per month for 300,000 shipments a year. It includes all the functionalities available in the Free and Essential plans, with the added perks of-
- Dynamic and Multilingual Tracking Pages
- Custom email workflows
- Product Recommendations
- Remove AfterShip Branding
- 24/7 Live Chat Support
- Tracking API and Webhooks
- Klaviyo Marketing Integration
Enterprise Plan
The fourth and most feature-rich plan is the Enterprise-level plan, which can be fully customized and tweaked according to the preferences of your business. It does not offer any public pricing options, and you need to contact the AfterShip sales team to get a quote. The Enterprise plan handles over 300,000 shipments a year and typically includes all the features available in the previous three plans, in addition to the following:-
- Enterprise SLA
- Dedicated Account Manager
- Quarterly Account Reviews
- Custom Integration
- Custom API Rate Limit
Conclusion
As we can see, AfterShip offers a high degree of customizability, integrating with over 986 carriers to provide their professional tracking services. Newer businesses also have the option of trying out their free plans before deciding whether or not to go forward and pay. The API manages and simplifies many operations and allows businesses to focus on their product and not have to worry about logistics or spend a lot of time or resources on it. All in all, AfterShip is a solid option worth considering if you’re on the market for shipping software.