What's the difference between Starshipit and NZ Post eShip?

For New Zealand online retailers that want to streamline their dispatch processes, there are two popular platforms that come to mind: Starshipit and eShip.

Starshipit and eShip are both fulfilment automation platforms that integrate with a range of online platforms. Starshipit works with thousands of online retailers all over the world.

NZ Post's eShip service is used by their customers sending parcels domestically and across the globe. eShip launched in 2014 as part of NZ Post’s eCommerce strategy. NZ Post recognised that Starshipit was the order fulfilment market leader and consequently partnered with Starshipit as their technology provider. NZ Post's customers across it's NZ Post Domestic, NZ Post Express and NZ Post International brands use eShip for their automated fulfilment delivery needs…

So, what’s the difference? 🤔

Live rates at checkout are currently available for retailers that are hosted on Shopify, Magento and Magento 2, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and PrestaShop (DHL Express only). This feature is currently not available on eShip so if your online store is hosted on any of these platforms and you want to display live rates at checkout, you will need to switch to Starshipit.

Shopify integration

If you use Shopify, another key difference between eShip and Starshipit is how it integrates with your Shopify website. Both integrate with the platform and pass your orders through, but only Starshipit lets you manage your fulfilment from within the Shopify dashboard.

This means that you can print and dispatch orders with Starshipit from within the Shopify interface. This feature is not currently available in eShip.

Pricing

Starshipit’s pricing plans start from $40/month, including unlimited multi-user accounts, branded tracking, returns, onboarding and ongoing support. To enable rates at checkout and multi-location accounts, you can upgrade to a higher plan.

Starshipit’s plans grow with your business. Choose the one that works for your store’s age and stage, then graduate to the next when you need to. There are no hidden costs or add-ons, and each plan includes the number of shipping labels that suits your company’s volume.

NZ Post offers eShip free of charge to its customers.

Why you might want to make the switch

eShip is an excellent product that’s free for merchants who exclusively use NZ Post services. If you need to work with other couriers, then Starshipit could be for you.

If you decide to make the switch, the good news is that you won’t have to learn how to use a new program. In fact, when you log into your new Starshipit account, what you see will look exactly the same as what you saw using eShip, except now you’ll have access to more features.

If you currently use eShip but would like to integrate with more couriers and unlock more features, simply contact Starshipit’s support team for help.