You wrote the book. Now what?

Writing and editing are hard enough. You got through that. Maybe you even figured out formatting, cover design, and ISBNs. Maybe not.

Either way, once you’re holding a copy of your book, or staring down the invoice from your printer, you’re suddenly staring at a bigger problem:

How do you actually sell it?

A lot of authors get stuck here. You’ve done the creative work, and no one can doubt how hard that it is. It’s a well-documented struggle!

But nobody tells you how to run the business side. Or they do, but the advice is vague. Or failing that, it’s expensive or they take the liberty of assuming you’re already famous, at least in the TikTok sense.

The truth is, selling a self-published book takes more than passion. It takes planning. You need the right storefront, a good understanding of your costs, and a plan for getting books into readers’ hands quickly, cleanly, and affordably.

This post will walk you through the big decisions: where to sell, how to print, and how to avoid mistakes that quietly kill your profit margins before your book ever leaves the warehouse.

Part 1: Choose where to sell your books.

There’s no perfect place to sell a self-published book. But there are a few great options—and each comes with its own pros, cons, and fulfillment challenges.

Option 1: Amazon KDP or FBA

Selling through Amazon is the easiest way to reach a wide audience. You can list your book through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), and Amazon handles the printing and shipping. That’s convenient. But it’s also expensive, and you have zero control over how your book is packed or delivered.

If you want to use Amazon as a storefront but ship your own inventory, you’ll need to use Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) or Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). Either way, be prepared for extra fees, strict rules, and limited branding options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baV7WY-Mh_k

Option 2: Shopify, Squarespace, or WooCommerce

Setting up your own storefront gives you full control. You can set your prices, use your own branding, offer bundles, and run your own promotions.

The tradeoff? You now have to handle payments, inventory, fulfillment, and customer service—or find a partner who does.

The upside is margin. Selling direct means you can keep more of each sale. And if you’re running a campaign on Kickstarter or directing traffic to your site from social media, this is often the best option.

Important Note: Fulfillrite integrates directly with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms. That means when someone buys your book, we handle the rest.

Option 3: Kickstarter and crowdfunding platforms

Kickstarter is great for launching a book with built-in urgency. You get upfront money, clear deadlines, and a crowd of early adopters who care about what you’re making. But fulfillment can be brutal.

Most creators underestimate what it takes to ship hundreds (or thousands) of books all at once. If your campaign goes well, you’ll suddenly need help storing, packing, labeling, and tracking every order. And, of course, you’ll need to do it right, the first time.

That’s a big ask.

So what should you choose?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you need reach, Amazon works. If you want control, go direct. If you’re launching something new, crowdfunding could help you build up your name in the way that new authors often like to do.

What matters most is knowing what your choice means for fulfillment—and whether you’re prepared to handle that part on your own. If not, now’s the time to think about a book fulfillment partner who can grow with you.

Part 2: Plan your book’s print run and run the numbers.

Let’s talk money.

A beautiful book is worthless if it never reaches your customer. And it’s even worse if you’re losing money every time you ship one.

Printing is where things get real. And your decisions here have a direct impact on your profit margin, your timeline, and your sanity.

Print-on-demand vs. bulk printing

Most new authors start with print-on-demand (POD). You upload your files, and the printer ships one copy at a time when someone places an order. No inventory, no upfront costs, no warehouse.

Sounds perfect—until you realize you’re paying $6–$10 per copy and have no control over packaging, shipping speed, or quality. POD is fine for low-volume, low-risk experiments. It is not how you build a long-term business.

Bulk printing is the opposite. You print 500 or 1,000 books at once, often for $2–$4 per copy, depending on specs. That slashes your per-unit cost, gives you control, and opens up better fulfillment options.

But bulk printing comes with its own challenges: you need to store inventory, handle packing and shipping, and keep tight control of your numbers.

This is one place where Fulfillrite, and companies like ours, help. We receive your inventory, store it in a climate-controlled warehouse, and ship each book to your customer, and on your terms.

Margins matter. Know them cold.

Let’s do some back-of-napkin math.

You sell your book for $20.

POD printing: $8
Amazon fees: $4–5
Profit: $7–8

Bulk printing: $3
Fulfillment + shipping: $5–6
Profit: $11–12

Again, you’ll definitely want to run your own numbers. Every situation is a bit different and you can’t take anything for granted when it comes to basic revenues, expenses, and profitability.

But even at the quickest glance, you can see that the difference adds up fast. Especially if you’re shipping a few hundred books, or bundling with extras.

You need to think about book fulfillment and packaging before it’s a problem.

Books are heavy. They dent. They warp. One bent corner is all it takes for someone to demand a refund or leave a bad review.

Your print specs—spine width, trim size, paper weight—affect not just cost, but how the book fits in a box, and what kind of packaging you need.

Bad fit = extra padding or oversized boxes = dimensional weight fees from carriers.

Good fit = optimized packaging = real savings.

Fulfillrite, and fulfillment centers like ours, also help optimize your shipments to avoid those hidden charges and keep your margins intact.

Here’s how you build a fulfillment system that works for you, not against you.

Shipping self-published books is harder than it looks.

Now you’ve got stacks of padded mailers, a thermal printer you barely know how to use, and a growing pile of orders to pack before lunch. Every mistake—wrong address, bent cover, missed tracking number—feels like a small fire to put out.

That’s the reality for a lot of first-time authors. Selling the book is exciting. Fulfilling the orders is…not. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

You don’t need to turn into a shipping expert. You just need a repeatable system—and maybe the right help.

Part 3: Prep your book fulfillment process.

Shipping is not just putting a book in a mailer and calling it a day. There’s a whole stack of decisions behind every package: where your books are stored, how orders are packed, how quickly they go out, and what happens when something goes wrong.

Let’s break it down.

What’s actually involved in fulfillment?

Here’s what goes into every single order:

• Pulling the right book (or books) from inventory
• Choosing the right packaging (mailers, boxes, bubble wrap)
• Packing it securely (no crushed corners, no sliding around)
• Printing and attaching the correct shipping label
• Adding tracking and updating the customer
• Handling returns if needed

Now do that 10, 20, 200 times. With speed. And accuracy. Across time zones and continents.

It’s not impossible. But it’s not free, either—not in time, energy, or money.

Many self-published authors start out packing boxes in their garage. That’s fine—until it isn’t. The moment fulfillment slows you down or starts hurting your customer experience, it’s time to get help.

Why books are trickier than most products

Books may seem simple. They’re not.

They’re heavy for their size. They have sharp corners and bendable covers. They’re often shipped in bundles or with extras—bookmarks, maps, signed inserts, stickers, you name it.

And they’re expectation-heavy too. A reader won’t be thrilled if your book shows up in good shape. That’s what they expect. But if it’s bent, delayed, or missing? You’re going to hear about it.

This is where working with a specialized books fulfillment center matters. Someone who knows how to pack media. Someone who has the materials and systems in place to ship on time, in good shape, and without drama.

Fulfillrite has shipped thousands of titles for authors, crowdfunders, and publishers. We’ve handled limited edition drops, press kits, subscription boxes—you name it.

Real-world fulfillment scenarios

Let’s say you’re launching a Kickstarter and need to ship 500 books to backers.

You’ve printed your run and stored it in your living room. Now the campaign ends and the clock starts ticking.

You spend your nights printing labels. Some addresses bounce. You run out of mailers halfway through. International orders stall at customs. Some backers get their books three weeks late. A few never arrive. You’re exhausted. And now you’ve got a dozen angry emails to answer.

Now rewind. Imagine those same books went to a 3PL that specializes in fulfillment for books.

Your backers receive their packages on launch day. No damage. No delays. You check a dashboard, see everything’s shipped, and spend your evening doing literally anything else.

That’s the difference a real fulfillment system makes.

Part 4: Plan for international book shipping.

International customers are loyal. They’re often your earliest fans. But shipping to them is a minefield. Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Here’s what can go wrong:

• Delayed delivery: Packages get stuck in customs. Some never arrive.
• Unexpected charges: Your reader gets hit with VAT, duties, or handling fees on arrival.
• Damaged goods: Long-distance shipping increases risk of crushed corners and torn packaging.
• Lost trust: A single bad experience can turn a fan into a critic—and they’ll post about it.

These problems aren’t rare. They’re normal if you’re not set up for international shipping.

Fulfillrite offers international fulfillment with Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) options. That means you cover the costs up front, so your readers don’t get surprise fees or angry emails.

DDU vs. DDP: Know the difference

• DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid): The buyer pays customs or VAT on delivery. Often leads to frustration, returns, or abandoned packages.
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): You, the seller, cover those costs. Slightly more expensive on your end—but a much better customer experience.

If you plan to ship overseas—and you should, because global readership is real—build international logistics into your plan early. Don’t treat it as an afterthought.

Fulfillment isn’t just domestic. And it’s not just boxes.

Book fulfillment isn’t about shipping paper. It’s about delivering experiences. Yes, it’s corny, but it’s true! And readers in the UK, Australia, Canada, and beyond expect the same quality as those in the U.S.

With the right books 3PL (third-party logistics company), you can serve international customers without fear of delays, damage, or surprise fees.

Staying Profitable After Launch Without Burning Out

Launch day is only the beginning.

You did it. You launched your book, made your first sales, maybe even ran a successful Kickstarter. You signed some copies. Shipped your first batches. Saw those early reviews roll in.

Then things changed.

A few weeks go by. Orders slow down. You’ve got half your print run still boxed up in the spare bedroom. A couple returns trickle in—wrong address, bent cover, buyer changed their mind. The momentum fades, and now you’re stuck in the least exciting part of the job:

Keeping the book available. Managing inventory. Handling problems.

This is where a lot of self-publishers fall off. The launch is exciting. The maintenance? Not so much.

But here’s the truth: most books don’t make money because of the launch. They make money over time. Weeks, months, sometimes years. That’s the long tail. And if you want to stay profitable, you have to treat fulfillment like an ongoing system, not a one-time task.

Part 5: Keep your profits (and sanity) as you grow.

Let’s talk about what happens after the hype dies down—and how to make sure your fulfillment process isn’t silently bleeding money.

Storage adds up fast.

Books take up space. And they don’t move quickly unless you’re on a bestseller list or constantly promoting.

Storing 50 copies? Easy. Storing 2,000? You’re suddenly talking about pallets, climate control, pests, and accessibility. That’s not a job for a closet—or even a rented storage unit—unless you want to be climbing over boxes every time you need to ship one order.

Fulfillrite stores books in a climate-controlled warehouse, which protects against warping, mold, and seasonal damage, all of which are things that a lot of new authors don’t consider until it’s too late.

Returns: small in number, big in cost.

Books have low return rates compared to apparel or electronics. But when they do come back, they hit hard.

A return usually means a refund plus lost shipping plus time spent fixing the issue. If it’s your fault (wrong item, damaged in transit), you lose even more: the buyer’s trust. That’s a problem if you only had one chance to make an impression.

A fulfillment partner with error rates below 0.1%, like Fulfillrite, helps reduce this risk. And if a return does happen, they’ll process it cleanly, without dragging you into a back-and-forth over one $20 book.

What about bundling? What if you want to add merch?

Many self-publishers add extras: stickers, bookplates, maps, pins. These aren’t just for fun. They boost perceived value, drive reviews, and can justify higher prices.

But here’s the catch: bundling adds complexity.

If you’re handling fulfillment yourself, you have to track stock for each item, pack orders carefully, and keep everything organized. One mismatched bundle means wasted postage and a disappointed reader.

It’s the kind of service that matters after you scale—not just at launch.

Don’t ignore the long tail.

Most indie books don’t blow up. They grow slowly. They reach niche audiences, get recommended, and sell a few dozen or few hundred copies at a time, often over the course of months or years.

That’s fine. That’s good, even.

But long-tail success requires long-tail systems.

You can’t ship every copy by hand forever. You can’t answer every tracking email. And you definitely can’t scale a business that needs you to tape every box.

What you can do is build a system that runs quietly in the background. Orders come in, they’re packed and shipped the same day, tracking is sent, returns are handled, inventory is updated—and you never touch a roll of tape.

That’s what real fulfillment does. And it’s what lets you stay focused on what comes next: marketing, writing your next book, building your catalog.

Final Thoughts

Selling a self-published book isn’t just about writing well. Or designing a good cover. Or even launching strong.

You’re getting into business, and that means you need to make sure every piece of the business works—especially the parts that readers never see.

Fulfillment isn’t the fun part. But it’s the part that keeps your customers happy, your margins intact, and your time protected.

If you’ve reached the point where packing boxes is taking too much energy, or mistakes are eating into your profits, or you’re just ready to hand off the shipping side of things to someone who actually enjoys it, then here’s your sign: reach out for help.

Fulfillrite handles book fulfillment for self-publishers, small presses, and crowdfunded campaigns. We specialize in fast, accurate shipping with real-time tracking, transparent pricing, and low error rates. You stay focused on writing—we’ll handle the rest.

Toys are weird. At least when it comes to fulfillment.

They come in every shape and size. Some rattle, some break, some are full of tiny choking hazards that’ll get you fined if you ship them wrong. And don’t even get me started on Q4—the whole toy industry lives and dies by the holiday season.

Whether you’re a new toy brand, scaling up from a successful Kickstarter, or just trying to get orders out without losing your mind, fulfillment is one of the hardest parts to get right. And the truth is, most people don’t think about it until it’s already eating their margins or sinking their customer reviews.

That’s what this post is for.

We’re going to break down what makes toy fulfillment different, how the process works, and what to look for in a fulfillment partner that won’t drop the ball.

Fulfillrite, by the way, specializes in toy fulfillment especially for eCommerce and crowdfunding brands who need reliable shipping without babysitting a warehouse.

So let’s talk about this a bit more.

What makes toy fulfillment unique?

Not every box is the same, and that’s doubly true for toys.

One shipment might contain squishy plush animals. The next, a boxed board game with dozens of small pieces. And the one after that? A STEM kit with magnets and a warning label big enough to cover the lid.

Here’s why toy fulfillment takes a little more thought.

1. Size and shape variance

Toys aren’t uniform. Plush toys can compress, but boxed games take up serious space. Action figures need padding. Storage and packaging have to adapt.

2. Fragility

Figurines snap. Plastic warps. Board game inserts collapse if you don’t handle them right.

Break something during shipping and now your customer has a sad kid—and you have a return.

3. Compliance

You can’t just slap a label on a toy and go. Small parts require warnings. Anything with a battery might fall under hazmat rules. If it’s intended for kids under 3, the bar’s even higher.

4. Seasonality

Q4 demand is brutal, or at least, it can be. From October to December, your orders may 5x overnight. Miss a holiday delivery window, and that order’s probably getting returned. Or worse—leaving a negative review.

All these issues make toy fulfillment trickier than standard eCommerce. You need systems in place. You need a team who understands what’s at stake.

That’s where specialized toy fulfillment services come in.

5 steps in toy box order fulfillment

Let’s walk through what actually happens when you work with a fulfillment provider or ship on your own.

1. Inventory receiving and inspection

This is step one. The 3PL (third-party logistics company) receives your goods and checks for visible damage or miscounts. If your product arrives with broken pieces or missing units, better to find out now than after customers start emailing.

2. Safe, compliant storage

Toys need more than a shelf. You may need climate-controlled space to avoid damage, clear labeling to stay compliant, and separation by SKU to keep orders accurate.

Some 3PLs skimp on this. You’ll pay the price when your board games collapse in on themselves or someone gets the wrong variant.

3. Pick and pack

This is the core of fulfillment. A worker grabs the right items, places them into packaging, and gets them ready to ship.

For toys, that often includes bundling (multiple items in one order) or kitting (assembling pieces into one finished product).

4. Shipping

Depending on your model, orders ship daily or in batches. For example, Kickstarter creators often need all 2,000 orders shipped in one go.

Ecommerce sellers may ship every day. Both need a plan for postage, tracking, and delivery times.

5. Returns and replacements

Not everything goes perfectly. Sometimes a customer gets a duplicate, or the box arrives crushed. A good fulfillment partner helps process returns, restocks what’s usable, and flags patterns like repeat breakage.

Mistakes at any step can cause big headaches. A missed piece in a STEM kit? That could tank your product’s reviews. A slow turnaround near the holidays? That’s a refund waiting to happen.

If you’re handling toy box order fulfillment yourself, every one of these steps takes time—and opens the door for human error. If you’re using fulfillment services for toys, make sure they do each of these steps right. And fast.

Choosing a toy fulfillment partner

If you’re growing, you’ll hit a wall. Maybe your garage is full. Maybe you’re dropping off 50 orders a day at the post office and your back hurts. Or maybe the customer emails are piling up because packages keep arriving late.

That’s the sign that it’s time to get help.

But not every fulfillment center is built for toys. Some don’t understand the space. Others overpromise, then fall behind when the holiday orders come in.

Here’s what to look for.

Experience with toys and games

Don’t assume a 3PL knows what to do just because they say “eCommerce fulfillment.”

Ask if they’ve shipped toys. Ask about board games, STEM kits, battery restrictions.

If they can’t speak your language, you can probably find a better fit.

Batch processing support

If you run a Kickstarter or preorder campaign, you need batch processing. That means 1,000+ orders go out all at once—accurately, without bottlenecks. Not every fulfillment center can do this well.

Climate-controlled storage

Board games can warp in heat. Plastic pieces can melt. Plush toys can mildew if the air’s too damp.

If your product is sensitive, ask about temperature and humidity control.

Platform integrations

Do they integrate with Shopify? Amazon? WooCommerce? Kickstarter?

A strong tech stack means fewer order errors, less manual work, and faster fulfillment.

Clear pricing and expectations

You want transparent fees—no nickel-and-diming. And you want service level agreements (SLAs) that spell out what happens if an order is late or wrong.

Common toy shipping mistakes (and how to avoid them)

If you’re doing your own fulfillment, or working with a generalist 3PL, here are some common screw-ups. Each one has a cost.

1. Oversized packaging

Toys are often oddly shaped. If you use boxes that are too big, you’re wasting money on postage and risking crushed contents if the items shift around. Use packaging that fits.

2. Skipping fragile item protection

Bubble wrap, air pillows, dividers—sometimes they’re essential. If your fulfillment provider is skimping, your returns will rise. Fast.

3. Inventory sync problems

You sell on Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy. Great!

But if inventory isn’t syncing in real time, you’ll oversell. Then you’ll cancel orders, lose trust, and maybe even tank your Amazon rating.

4. Holiday shipping delays

This one is brutal. If you don’t prep early and pad your delivery timelines, you’ll miss Christmas. That means returns, refund demands, and some very upset parents.

5. Hazmat noncompliance

STEM kits, RC toys, and anything with lithium batteries can’t just be dropped in the mail. You need proper labeling, certified packaging, and sometimes paperwork. Skip this and you risk fines or returned shipments.

The good news? A seasoned toy fulfillment partner already knows this stuff. They build processes around it. Fulfillrite, for example, has clear packaging standards, checks for compliance, and spikes capacity in Q4 to help clients survive the holiday rush.

How Fulfillrite helps toy and game brands

Let’s keep this simple. If you make toys or games, Fulfillrite is built to support you.

Here’s how:

Fast, accurate pick-and-pack

Every order is double-checked. Barcodes get scanned. Inventory is updated in real time.

That means fewer mistakes and fewer angry emails from customers.

Custom kitting and packaging

Whether you’re bundling two plushies or assembling a complex STEM kit, Fulfillrite can kit it all.

We’ll even help you find packaging that protects your products without wasting money on bulk or materials.

Clean, climate-controlled storage

No board games with dinged corners. No crushed figurines.

The warehouse stays clean and regulated, so your inventory stays sellable.

Integrations that just work

Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, Kickstarter—we’ve got APIs and native integrations.

Orders flow directly into the system. No spreadsheet headaches.

U.S. location with global shipping

This matters. Shipping from the U.S. cuts delivery time and avoids customs issues for American customers. But Fulfillrite can also ship abroad when needed without slowing you down.

In short, it’s a turnkey fulfillment option made for toy and game brands who need reliability more than they need buzzwords.

Final Thoughts

You can have a great product. A fantastic brand. Loyal fans.

But if your fulfillment is slow, sloppy, or inconsistent, customers won’t stick around. Especially during the holidays, especially for gifts, especially for toys.

Fulfillment is where you earn trust—or lose it.

So if you’re still taping boxes in your basement, or working with a 3PL that doesn’t quite get toys, it might be time to change.

Fulfillrite specializes in toy fulfillment. The team knows the stakes. And they’ve helped brands just like yours grow without burning out.

Ready to stop worrying about shipping? Talk to Fulfillrite. Let us handle the logistics so you can focus on making great toys.

 

You’ve got a great idea for a toy. Maybe it started as a sketch. Maybe you’ve already built a prototype. Or maybe you’ve had some success on Etsy or Kickstarter and you’re ready to scale.

No matter where you are in the journey, there’s one part of the toy business that’s easy to overlook until it becomes a problem: shipping.

Toy fulfillment cost can eat up your margins fast if you’re not paying attention. That goes double for new brands, small operations, and seasonal products. This post lays out what fulfillment really costs, how it ties into launching a real toy business, and what to expect as you scale.

Fulfillrite specializes in toy fulfillment for growing eCommerce brands. So if you feel like you’re ready to stop packing boxes yourself, give us a look.

But in the meantime, let’s start with the natural first question.

How do you start a toy company?

Starting a toy company is about creativity, but not creativity alone. It’s a business like any other—one with its own regulations, seasonality, and market pressures.

So before you even think about toy fulfillment cost, you need a plan.

1. Start with your niche.

Are you making plush toys? Wooden puzzles? STEM kits? Figurines? Pick a category you understand, ideally something that matches your skills or interests. Toy businesses thrive when they’re focused.

2. Decide how you’ll source your products.

Are you designing toys from scratch? White labeling? Dropshipping?

Most successful founders either build their own designs or work with reliable manufacturers to bring something unique to market.

3. Build and test your prototypes.

You can’t skip this. Toys have to be safe, especially if they’re for kids under 14.

In the U.S., you’ll need to comply with ASTM F963 (the standard for toy safety). That means choking hazard tests, chemical safety, and more. It also means you may need third-party testing labs before you can legally sell.

4. Know your customer.

Toys for toddlers aren’t the same as collectibles for adults. The age range affects everything: materials, safety warnings, marketing, and even where you can sell.

In short: the answer to “how do you start a toy company” is a lot more involved than just having a fun idea. But if you can get through those early steps, you’re well on your way.

How to plan your toy eCommerce operation

Once you’ve got a product that’s safe and ready to sell, it’s time to think eCommerce. This is where your toy business becomes a real company.

1. Pick the right eCommerce platform.

Shopify is the most common, and for good reason—it’s flexible, widely supported, and integrates with most fulfillment centers.

Amazon is powerful, but you’ll give up some control and a chunk of your margins.

WooCommerce is great if you’re already on WordPress, but it takes more setup.

2. Understand how toys eCommerce is different.

For one, toys are seasonal. Q4 (October to December) is everything. You’ll need to plan your inventory and marketing around that window.

Toys are also often gifted, which means higher stakes: late shipping or a broken item doesn’t just hurt you—it ruins someone’s holiday.

3. Presentation matters.

Your photos need to be top-notch. So do your product descriptions. And your return process needs to be smooth, especially if parents are buying for kids. Reviews will make or break your conversion rate, so deliver on your promises.

4. Manage your SKUs and inventory tightly.

Toys come in lots of variations. That makes tracking inventory tricky. Forecasting demand is hard, especially early on, but poor planning can mean excess storage fees, or worse, stockouts when orders roll in.

Everything you do here will directly affect your toy fulfillment cost.

What drives toy fulfillment cost?

Once you’ve got your toy business up and running, the next big cost bucket, after product and marketing, is fulfillment. And toy fulfillment cost can creep up fast if you don’t plan for it.

Here’s what actually drives the numbers:

1. Pick and pack labor.

Every order takes time to find, scan, box, and label. The more SKUs in your order, the more time it takes. If you’re bundling products, assembling kits, or adding inserts, that adds even more labor.

Some fulfillment centers charge per item picked. Others bundle it into an all-in-one fee. Either way, it’s real money.

2. Packaging.

Toys often need sturdy packaging. A collectible figure might ship in a custom die-cut insert. A plush might go in a poly mailer. The more fragile, oddly shaped, or high-end your toy, the more you’ll spend on materials and prep.

Overpackaging can waste money. But underpackaging risks returns, which cost more.

3. Storage fees.

Toys take up space. Big boxes. Awkward shapes. Slow movers. It adds up, especially during peak season.

Most 3PLs charge monthly for storage by pallet, bin, or cubic foot. Oversized toys cost more.

And if your stuff doesn’t move after the holidays? You’ll pay to keep it sitting there.

4. Shipping costs.

Shipping is always the wild card. It’s driven by weight, dimensions, speed, and destination. A small plush might ship for $4. A large building set might cost $15.

And if your customers are spread across the U.S. or abroad, those costs vary by zone. Choosing the right box sizes and carriers helps, as does working with a fulfillment partner who has good negotiated rates.

5. Returns.

Toys have a higher-than-average return rate, especially when bought as gifts. If something arrives broken, late, or not as expected, parents send it back.

Processing those returns takes time and labor, and some fulfillment centers charge for that separately.

DIY vs. 3PL

Doing it yourself means you pay in time. Renting your own space, hiring help, dealing with customer complaints—it’s all on you.

Outsourcing to a 3PL adds hard costs, but saves you the late nights and logistical headaches. Most growing toy brands start outsourcing when they hit 300–500 orders a month.

In short: toy fulfillment cost isn’t just a line item. It’s a whole set of decisions that shape how efficiently you can run your business.

How to reduce toy fulfillment costs (without sacrificing quality)

Cutting corners on fulfillment is a great way to lose customers. So the goal isn’t “cheap”—it’s efficient. Here’s how to manage toy fulfillment cost without hurting your customer experience.

1. Bundle your products.

Instead of shipping two or three individual SKUs per order, create bundles or kits. It reduces picking time, cuts packaging waste, and can even lower postage.

2. Work with a partner that understands toys.

Not all fulfillment centers are equipped to handle toys. Look for one that knows how to meet safety labeling requirements, deal with odd shapes and packaging, and handle spikes in Q4 volume.

Fulfillrite works with many toy companies and offers kitting, barcode scanning, and climate control where needed.

3. Right-size your packaging.

Don’t use a 12” cube box for something that fits in a padded mailer. Carriers charge based on dimensional weight.

That extra air in the box? It’s costing you.

4. Be smart with storage.

After the holidays, purge slow-moving SKUs or move them to long-term storage if your fulfillment center offers it.

Toy inventory tends to swell in Q4. Just don’t let it sit untouched through spring.

5. Use software integrations.

Syncing your orders automatically from Shopify, Amazon, or WooCommerce helps reduce mistakes. That means fewer failed shipments and less time spent chasing down errors.

There’s no magic bullet. But a few smart changes can make your toy fulfillment cost a lot more manageable, and keep customers happy while you do it.

What to look for in a toy fulfillment partner

Not every 3PL is built for toys. If you’re evaluating options, here’s what to look for:

1. Do they understand toys?

That includes handling fragile items, meeting labeling rules, and packaging products for kids and collectors alike.

2. Can they integrate with your platforms?

You need real-time order syncing with Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, and others.

Fulfillrite, like many fulfillment centers, offers strong integrations, which means less manual work for you.

3. Do they offer batching and kitting?

Especially important if you run monthly drops, crowdfunding campaigns, or bundles.

4. Can they scale for holidays?

Q4 is make-or-break for most toy businesses. Your partner should be ready to handle 5x or 10x your normal volume without falling apart.

5. What’s their communication like?

Can you reach a human? Will they flag low stock before it’s a problem? Do they tell you when something goes wrong?

Accuracy is great, but transparency is just as important.

Final Thoughts

Starting a toy business is exciting. But as soon as the orders start rolling in, you’re running a logistics operation, whether you meant to or not.

Calculating toy fulfillment costs might not be as fun as design or marketing. But it’s what keeps your customers happy and your margins intact.

Track your costs. Know what drives them.

And when you’re ready to stop packing boxes in your living room, talk to Fulfillrite. We can help you scale without losing sleep—or customers.

Running a subscription box business is more than just having a clever idea and cool products. Once the orders start rolling in, the real work begins: getting those boxes out the door on time, packed correctly, and shipped to the right place.

This is where a lot of companies stumble.

You can have the best curation and the slickest branding. But if a customer opens their box to find it late, melted, or missing something? You’ve probably lost them for good.

That’s why choosing the right subscription box fulfillment partner matters so much. It’s not just about finding someone who can “handle the shipping.” It’s about finding a team that can do it consistently, without excuses.

In this post, we’ll walk you through exactly what to look for when choosing a subscription box fulfillment partner and how to know if you’ve found the right fit.

Fulfillrite is one such provider, trusted by brands across the U.S. to deliver accurate, on-time shipments every month.

But we’ll get back to that later. First, let’s talk about the kind of things you need to consider when choosing a partner to trust with your business.

What is subscription box fulfillment?

At its core, subscription box fulfillment is everything that happens after a customer hits “Subscribe.”

That includes:

• Receiving your products into the warehouse
• Safely storing your inventory
• Picking and packing the right items each cycle
• Kitting boxes if needed (that is, assembling multiple pieces into a single shipment)
• Shipping to customers—whether in batches or on a rolling basis
• And sometimes, handling returns

Subscription box fulfillment is a special beast. Unlike traditional eCommerce, where orders come in one at a time, subscription boxes tend to ship all at once. You’re sending hundreds or thousands of identical boxes in a narrow window. The timing has to be perfect.

There’s also a presentation factor. Unboxing matters. A bent corner or messy label can ruin the whole experience.

That’s what makes reliable subscription box order fulfillment so essential. You’re not just mailing stuff. You’re delivering an experience, and your fulfillment partner has to treat it that way.

What to look for in subscription box fulfillment services

There are a lot of fulfillment companies out there. But not all of them are built for subscription boxes.

Here’s what to look for:

Same-day shipping capability

Even if your boxes go out monthly, you’ll want a partner that can move quickly—especially if you offer one-off or replacement shipments.

Batch shipping support

You need someone who can handle volume. If you ship 3,000 boxes in a day, they better have a system built for that.

Kitting and assembly

Subscription boxes often contain multiple products, inserts, and packaging materials. Kitting is the process of assembling that into a single unit. Not every fulfillment center does this well.

Climate control

If your products can melt, freeze, or spoil—like chocolates, beauty serums, or supplements—you need a partner with temperature-controlled storage.

Inventory tracking and expiration management

For perishable goods or regulated products, lot tracking and expiration date control aren’t optional.

Real software integrations

You should be able to sync orders automatically from platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more. If your provider doesn’t integrate with your eCommerce tools of choice, keep looking.

Transparent pricing

You don’t want to be surprised by extra charges for “manual handling” or “odd-shaped packaging.” A good subscription box fulfillment services provider will give you a clear rate sheet with no hidden fees.

Red flags to watch out for?

Slow replies. Confusing reports. Vague answers when you ask, “How do you track expiration dates?”

These are all signs that the provider isn’t built to handle subscription box order fulfillment—and that’s a risk you can’t afford.

Domestic vs. overseas subscription box fulfillment

Plenty of fulfillment companies operate overseas, especially in places where labor is cheap. And yes, that can mean lower upfront costs.

But here’s the tradeoff:

Shipping times. U.S.-based fulfillment can usually get boxes to your customer in 2–5 days. International fulfillment? You’re looking at 10–30+ days, depending on customs and carriers.

Returns and exchanges. Returning a box to a warehouse in New Jersey is easy. Returning one to Shenzhen? Not so much.

Customer support. When something goes wrong, you want to talk to someone who can fix it. Language barriers and time zones don’t help.

Customs delays. If your product gets flagged at the border, you could be weeks late. That’s death for a subscription box brand.

That’s why many brands stick with subscription box fulfillment USA-based partners. You’re paying for speed, predictability, and happier customers.

And when churn is always one bad shipment away? That’s worth a lot.

Questions to ask before signing with a subscription box 3PL

Before you sign any fulfillment contract, ask real questions—and expect real answers. If a provider can’t speak clearly about their own systems, that’s a red flag.

Here’s a straightforward checklist:

Can you handle my volume now and in six months?

Some fulfillment centers are fine with 100 orders a month but collapse at 500. Ask about their capacity, staffing, and how they handle growth.

Do you support kitting and batch shipping?

If they hesitate, or if they charge sky-high fees for anything beyond “insert product A into box,” they may not be the right choice for subscription box fulfillment services.

What eCommerce platforms do you integrate with?

Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Amazon—if you’re using any of these, your fulfillment partner should connect to them directly. No manual order uploads. No duct-tape workarounds.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Ask how they handle shipping errors, damaged goods, or inventory discrepancies. If they don’t have a clear process in place—or if they push blame every time—it’s going to be a headache later.

Can you keep up during peak season?

Holiday months are brutal. Inventory spikes, demand doubles, and shipping carriers fall behind. A reliable partner plans for this. Ask what they do to avoid delays when volume surges.

Do you offer climate-controlled storage or lot tracking?

Even if you don’t need it now, it’s useful to know whether they support these services. That flexibility can help you scale into new products later.

It’s easy to get wowed by cheap rates or shiny software. But what you really need is a team that can ship your boxes accurately, on time, and with minimal drama. A provider that takes subscription box fulfillment seriously. Anything less will cost you more in the long run.

Why Fulfillrite is a strong fit for subscription box brands

We’ll keep this quick.

Fulfillrite specializes in accurate, fast, and flexible fulfillment. That’s what we do. We’ve worked with hundreds of subscription box companies across categories—wellness, hobby, kids’ crafts, you name it.

Here’s what makes us a good fit:

High accuracy rate.

We get orders right. Not 98% right. Really right. Because that’s what your customers expect, and it’s what keeps them subscribed.

Batch shipping and kitting.

We can prep and ship thousands of boxes in a single day, all packed to your exact specifications.

Climate control.

Have temperature-sensitive products? We’ve got you covered. Our facility supports proper storage and handling to protect product integrity.

Real-time software integrations.

We integrate with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, WooCommerce, and more. Our dashboard gives you full visibility into orders, inventory, and shipping status. No guessing.

U.S.-based.

We’re located in New Jersey. That means fast domestic shipping and easier return handling. But yes—we ship worldwide.

Fulfillrite handles the nitty-gritty of subscription box fulfillment so you can focus on growing your business. We don’t design your box. We don’t choose your products. But once you’re ready to ship—we make sure your box gets there, on time, every time.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to think about when choosing a subscription box fulfillment partner. It’s not just about price. It’s about performance. Can they consistently deliver, without mistakes, and without making your life harder?

Look for providers that offer:

• Batch processing and kitting
• Reliable software integrations
• Real-time inventory tracking
• Climate control if needed
• Transparent pricing

And ask the right questions. Don’t assume every 3PL understands what makes subscription box fulfillment unique.

If you’re ready to take fulfillment off your plate—and do it without losing sleep—talk to us at Fulfillrite. We’re happy to walk you through our process and help you decide if we’re the right fit for your brand.

When it comes to subscription boxes, a little preparation goes a long way. But the right fulfillment partner? That’s what keeps the whole thing running.

If you’re thinking about making your board game in the United States, you’re not alone. Between rising overseas shipping costs, supply chain delays, and the threat of tariffs, a lot of board game publishers are considering manufacturing games in the US.

That’s why I sat in on a panel at GAMA 2025 called Domestic Manufacturing in the United States. The panel featured three experienced voices in the industry: Tavis Parker from The Game Crafter, Nick Haas from Delano Games, and Hung Le from Cartamundi. Each brought a unique perspective, from print-on-demand and small-run jobs to high-volume mass production.

In this post, we’re sharing 8 key pieces of wisdom from their discussion—covering everything from turnaround times and tooling to sourcing materials and setting realistic expectations.

Whether you’re a first-time creator or a seasoned publisher, this post is here to help you better understand what domestic manufacturing can (and can’t) do for your next project.

1. There are many reasons to consider manufacturing in the USA.

Manufacturing your game in the U.S. can help you avoid some of the biggest risks in the industry today—delays at sea, customs holdups, port strikes, and rising political tensions. “You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket,” said Hung Le of Cartamundi, stressing the importance of diversifying your manufacturing sources.

Domestic production also gives you a major speed advantage. Nick Haas from Delano mentioned fulfilling a 25,000–50,000 unit order in just three weeks—something that would be impossible with a trans-Pacific supply chain. Shipping from a U.S. facility takes days instead of months, and eliminates overseas freight altogether.

Communication is also much easier. You’re in the same time zone, speaking the same language, and can often visit the factory in person. Finally, domestic production can reduce your environmental impact, especially as European markets push for stricter sourcing rules. FSC-certified paper is becoming more important—and harder to get.

2. U.S. manufacturing can do a lot — but there are some places where overseas manufacturers still shine.

The biggest challenge with U.S. manufacturing is cost. “The average Chinese worker makes in a day what an American makes in an hour,” said Nick Haas, pointing out the 7x wage difference.

Domestic plants use automation and tech to close part of that gap—but some labor-intensive tasks are still more feasible overseas. That includes things like stuffing tokens into cloth bags or assembling small parts by hand.

Certain components—especially plastics, bags, and novelty items—are hard to source domestically. Even Cartamundi, with full molding capabilities, still imports some specialty pieces.

There are also technological gaps. While U.S. printers are catching up, China still leads in gang-running multiple SKUs, swapping art mid-run, and producing at massive scale with extreme efficiency. “They’ve built entire systems around it,” said one panelist.

U.S. factories can often match the quality—but not the tooling or labor structure that makes it cost-effective at volume.

3. Different manufacturers have different specialties.

When considering manufacturing in the US, it’s important to recognize that different manufacturers perform better at different tasks.

The Game Crafter focuses on low-volume, custom-friendly manufacturing. Tavis Parker described their service as “the stepping stone” for game designers.

With 28,800 components in stock, no MOQs, and full online ordering, they’re ideal for prototypes and early-stage launches. They also offer a crowdfunding tool, custom 3D printing, and a concierge team for complex projects.

Delano Games shines in the 2,000–20,000 unit range. Nick Haas emphasized their speed and flexibility, including the ability to fulfill directly from the production floor to Kickstarter backers. Delano provides offset printing with attentive support.

Cartamundi handles the biggest jobs. Hung Le spoke about their 1.2M sq ft Massachusetts facility, built for large-scale runs of cards, packaging, and molded plastics. They print high-profile games like Pokémon and Monopoly, with strong security protocols and efficient logistics. They’re ideal for publishers who need scale and speed.

4. Paper is a huge part of board games, and sourcing it is about to become more complicated.

Starting in late 2025, new EU regulations will require proof that your paper products don’t contribute to deforestation. FSC certification will likely become the standard—but only about 15% of U.S. pulp currently qualifies.

That’s a concern for any publisher looking to export to Europe. Nick Haas from Delano Games raised the issue during the panel, noting that the change will especially affect smaller domestic forests for pulp, many of which are family-run and not set up to provide this documentation.

The scramble for certified stock could drive up prices and limit availability. Some manufacturers are already preparing. Tavis Parker mentioned buying larger paper reserves months in advance, not just to hedge against costs but to ensure they can meet demand without delays.

While not an immediate crisis, it’s a trend publishers need to watch closely if they plan to sell in Europe.

5. Domestic plastics and component limitations

If your game includes plastic pieces or metal tokens, domestic manufacturing may hit some roadblocks. As several panelists pointed out, the U.S. simply doesn’t have the same depth of component options as overseas manufacturers.

Plastics are a particular challenge—U.S. factories tend to focus on large-scale industries like automotive and pharmaceuticals. That leaves games with fewer affordable suppliers.

Cartamundi has 31 injection molding machines and can produce many standard pieces in-house, but even they acknowledge limits. For anything out of the ordinary, some turn to 3D printing farms, like those at The Game Crafter, to fill gaps.

Still, if your game requires labor-heavy assembly—say, sorting tokens into bags—expect higher costs or slower lead times. “That’s where China still wins,” said one panelist, referring to the ability to assign 50 people to an assembly line if needed.

Domestic capacity is improving, but specialty parts and fine assembly remain difficult to scale affordably in the U.S.

6. Game complexity impacts manufacturing decisions.

Not every game is a fit for domestic production. The more complex your components and assembly needs, the more likely you’ll need to look overseas. “If your game has punchboards with tokens that go into bags, that’s tough to do here,” said one speaker.

It’s not about quality—U.S. plants like Cartamundi and Delano can hit high standards—it’s about cost and logistics. When a game requires many steps, hands-on labor, or unique materials, Asian factories are still more equipped to handle the process efficiently.

Even high-capacity U.S. manufacturers sometimes recommend offshoring when a project exceeds what can be done cost-effectively in-house. On the flip side, if you’re working with a streamlined format—standard cards, simple boxes, or a single mold—it’s much easier to keep production local.

Complexity itself isn’t the issue. It’s whether that complexity requires resources and workflows that domestic facilities can handle at your scale and price point.

7. U.S. manufacturers can provide consulting services for complicated issues like file prep.

Interest in U.S. manufacturing has surged since COVID exposed the fragility of global shipping. Delays, lost containers, and skyrocketing freight costs pushed many publishers to explore domestic options. But that shift brings its own learning curve—especially for first-time designers.

“Design your files in CMYK, not RGB,” said Nick Haas from Delano. “300 DPI, full bleed, proper dielines—these are basic things that avoid disappointment later.”

The panelists agreed: better file prep saves time, money, and sanity. The Game Crafter’s platform helps with this through automated file checks and online pricing tools, but even then, early-stage creators often need help.

That’s why some companies offer concierge services or hands-on consulting. The goal is to guide publishers through the print process before costly mistakes happen. If you want your game to look great in print—and stay on budget—it pays to get familiar with production standards, or at least work with someone who is.

8. Think twice about pricing.

Domestic production is rarely cheaper—but many publishers are underpricing their games anyway. “If you’re selling a game for $20 and it costs you $9 [per unit] to print 2,000 copies, how do you make money?” asked one speaker.

Inflation, labor costs, and materials are all up—and it’s not sustainable to ignore that. Still, nobody wants to be the first to raise prices and risk losing sales. One solution: be transparent. “Spell it out,” said Tavis Parker. “Tell your customers the five reasons your game costs more now—paper, packaging, shipping, wages, benefits.”

If you’re clear and respectful, many people will understand. To paraphrase one panelist, consumers routinely spend $60 on takeout. A well-made board game should be worth that and more. If you believe in the product and you’ve run the numbers, don’t be afraid to charge what you need to. It’s not about gouging—it’s about survival, sustainability, and respecting your own work.

Final Thoughts

Domestic manufacturing isn’t a silver bullet—but it’s no longer a fringe option, either. It’s a viable path for many creators, especially those who value speed, flexibility, and long-term resilience.

The key is knowing what each manufacturer does best, understanding your game’s specific needs, and building relationships that go beyond simple transactions. The best results come from collaboration, not just cost comparison.

Every panelist emphasized one thing: this is still a people business. Whether you’re prototyping a passion project or shipping 50,000 units, your manufacturing choices shape more than your margins—they shape how quickly and reliably you can deliver what you’ve promised.

If you’re serious about publishing, it’s worth investing the time to learn the possibility of producing games in the U.S. It may not be a good fit for your business, but it’s worth considering all the options available to you before committing to manufacturing in China.

If you’re planning a global Kickstarter, you probably already know that international fulfillment is complicated. It’s no overstatement to say it can quickly become the most complex part of your campaign.

I sat in on a panel at GAMA 2025 called International Fulfillment and Logistics, featuring experienced partners from across the world: Matt Goldrick (Quartermaster Logistics, USA), Chris Matthews (ZATU, UK), Floris Toorenberg (Meeples Group, EU), and Paul Johnson (Aetherworks, Australia & New Zealand).

Together, they broke down what creators need to know about shipping products to backers in different regions, including tax registration, customs, biosecurity, and the paperwork that can make or break your campaign.

This post contains 8 of my favorite takeaways from that panel. Here, you’ll find practical advice drawn from years of experience handling Kickstarter campaigns large and small.

If you’re new to international fulfillment for Kickstarter, or just want to avoid costly mistakes, this is a great place to start.

1. You might end up working with multiple order fulfillment companies.

If you’re shipping a Kickstarter campaign worldwide, don’t expect a single fulfillment partner to handle everything. As Matt Goldrick from Quartermaster Logistics (QML) explained, even large, experienced U.S. companies outsource international fulfillment.

QML doesn’t handle UK, EU, or Australian fulfillment directly — instead, they rely on trusted regional partners: ZATU (UK), Meeples Group (EU), and Aetherworks (Australia and New Zealand). At Fulfillrite, we operate the same way, sometimes even sharing our clients with some of the companies mentioned in this post.

Each region has unique rules, import processes, and tax requirements. For example, what’s legal and simple in Australia might be a bureaucratic nightmare in the EU. Even two countries in Europe may require different paperwork. “It’s not just the EU,” said Floris from Meeples Group. “Norway and Switzerland aren’t part of it. You’ll need to know the difference or you’ll get double-taxed.”

Trying to manage each region on your own is technically possible, but time-consuming and risky. “You can work with all of us individually,” said Matt, “but then you’re managing four sets of taxes, four sets of paperwork.”

For most creators, it’s smarter to work with a central partner who coordinates across trusted local experts. These teams know the terrain — literally and figuratively — and can save you from expensive mistakes.

2. The UK has unique rules. If you ship there, you need someone who knows them.

Shipping within the UK is fast, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. As Chris Matthews from ZATU put it, “You can ship around the UK in one to two days max. Couriers are fairly reliable, and there’s no volumetric pricing — only actual weight matters.” You can even use large letter sizing for small items like spare parts or mini-expansions, which keeps postage costs low.

But creators still run into trouble. Why? “Speed issues are usually from lack of preparation,” Chris explained. “If your fulfillment partner doesn’t have your product data or SKU list in advance, things fall apart.” He also warned that some UK partners are slow to adopt new tech. “Ask them what tools they use. Can you see live updates? Do they have service-level agreements?”

Import rules are another sticking point. “Do not use your fulfillment partner as the importer of record,” Chris stressed. “It’s illegal.” You must register for a UK VAT number and an EORI number — even if you’re only selling one game. Both are easy to get, or you can hire a VAT agent to handle it for you.

Lastly, don’t reuse barcodes across different language versions of your game. “Same barcode on the English, German, and French versions? That’s a recipe for mistakes.”

3. The European Union has even more complex rules than the UK.

Shipping into the EU comes with a whole new set of challenges. As Floris from Meeples Group explained, many creators mistakenly assume the EU and UK work the same way — but they don’t. “The UK is not the EU. Norway and Switzerland aren’t either. They all have different rules, and if you don’t understand that, you’ll pay double tax or get stopped at customs.”

Like the UK, selling in the EU requires a VAT number and an EORI number. The EORI application is simple — just a 10-minute online form. You’ll also need to appoint a GPSR representative, which is essentially a local point of contact in case there’s a product issue. “It’s not about who’s at fault,” Floris clarified. “It’s about who can be reached in Europe if something goes wrong.”

Another key point: barcode hygiene. Make sure every SKU has a unique barcode — and don’t reuse the same code across language editions or product variants. Fulfillment centers need to identify items clearly and quickly.

Above all, zoom out. “Think about the big picture,” said Floris. “What’s your post-campaign strategy? Retail? DTC? Your fulfillment plan should support that long-term model, not just ship a few boxes.”

4. Australia & New Zealand: easy to ship in terms of tax, tough in terms of biosecurity.

Shipping to Australia and New Zealand is more straightforward than most people think — at least on the tax side. “You don’t need to register for VAT in Australia unless you’re doing over $100,000 AUD in sales,” said Paul Johnson of Aetherworks. “We can act as the importer of record and settle the GST on your behalf.” That alone simplifies the process for most Kickstarter creators.

But what Australia lacks in tax red tape, it makes up for in strict biosecurity. “Between September and April, anything coming from the Northern Hemisphere may need to be fumigated,” Paul said. “Books and games are low-risk, but it still helps to pre-treat the container.”

Creators must also include a timber declaration — pallets must be heat-treated or plastic. If not, the shipment can be held at port, and you’ll start paying demurrage fees: hundreds of dollars per day while customs sits on your container.

Other watchouts: lithium batteries, aerosols, and other “dangerous goods” are expensive to ship and best avoided.

And don’t forget geography. “Australia is big,” Paul warned. “Getting something from Sydney to Perth is like going from New York to San Francisco. Plan accordingly.”

5. Paperwork is the real work.

Shipping games internationally isn’t just about packing boxes—it’s about paperwork. All four panelists made it clear: documentation is what actually moves product through customs. “I’ve got great people in the warehouse to put tape on boxes,” said Paul Johnson from Aetherworks. “That’s not the hard part. This is the hard part.”

Every shipment should include a commercial invoice—not based on your retail price, but the cost of manufacture. Customs wants to know what the goods are actually worth, not what you’re selling them for. You’ll also need a packing declaration that details what’s inside each box and how many units.

If you’re manufacturing in China and shipping to Australia, a Certificate of Origin can help you take advantage of trade agreements like CHAFTA (China–Australia Free Trade Agreement), which can waive duties.

Beyond that, you’ll need the proper registrations: VAT numbers for the UK and EU, EORI numbers for importing, and a GPSR representative for Europe. Don’t forget scannable barcodes, either. “You don’t need a UPC unless you’re going into retail,” said Matt Goldrick. “But you do need a unique barcode that matches what’s in the system. That’s how pickers know what to pack.”

6. Avoiding common mistakes is half the battle.

Plenty of crowdfunding creators learn these lessons the hard way. The panelists shared a long list of common pitfalls that can derail fulfillment—or worse, cause customs to hold your shipment and charge you thousands in fees.

One of the biggest? Waiting too long to set up paperwork. VAT registration, EORI numbers, and GPSR reps all take time. “We’ve all had the Hail Mary container,” said Matt. “A call out of nowhere, saying ‘I think I shipped you a container six weeks ago—can you help?’ That’s when it’s too late.”

Another major issue is barcode confusion. “People put the same barcode on the English, German, and French versions,” said Chris from ZATU. “Then the warehouse can’t tell them apart.” That leads to mix-ups, delays, and angry backers.

Failing to plan for damage and overage is another risk. Paul from Aetherworks recommends always sending at least 5% extra stock. “Sometimes a forklift goes through the middle of a pallet. It happens. Better to be ready.”

And while some creators try to manage multiple fulfillment centers themselves, the overhead quickly adds up. Without a coordinator like QML or Fulfillrite, you’ll spend more time tracking tax filings than running your business.

7. You probably shouldn’t do DIY VAT registration.

You can register for VAT yourself—but should you? That depends on your time, comfort with bureaucracy, and risk tolerance.

In the UK and EU, VAT registration is legally required to sell to customers in those regions. “It doesn’t matter if you sell one game or a thousand,” Chris said. “If you don’t have a VAT number, it’s illegal.” You’ll also need an EORI number to import goods and a GPSR representative in the EU.

VAT registration is free if you do it yourself, and the process usually involves filling out a few forms online. But it’s easy to make mistakes. Some creators hire VAT agents to handle registration and quarterly filings for a flat fee—Chris mentioned his company charges around £400 for registration.

“It’s not that hard, but there’s a time cost,” said Floris. “If you like handling logistics and forms, go for it. But if your strength is creative work, it’s worth paying someone to do it right.”

A good fulfillment partner may even include EORI assistance as part of their onboarding process. Either way, get started early so your paperwork is ready before your games hit port.

8. Know when to consolidate and when to segment freight.

If you’re running a smaller campaign, you might assume international fulfillment is out of reach. Not true. The panelists emphasized that networks like Quartermaster Logistics can help creators of all sizes take advantage of consolidated shipping and regional fulfillment.

Paul Johnson explained that Aetherworks is part of Australia’s Trusted Traders Program, which allows them to consolidate goods from multiple creators into a single pallet. “I can have 10, 20, even 30 suppliers on one consolidated run,” he said. That way, you don’t have to ship a full container on your own just to reach Australian backers affordably.

This same principle applies in the EU and UK, where partners like Meeples Group and ZATU can integrate smaller shipments into broader fulfillment pipelines.

Of course, some campaigns are big enough to ship directly to each region. But if you’re under that threshold, the smarter move may be to work with a central partner like QML who routes inventory to regional experts.

“Find a company that can build your infrastructure,” said Floris. “It doesn’t matter if you’re sending 1,000 games or three per month. The network is already there—you just need to plug in.”

Final Thoughts

Kickstarter fulfillment doesn’t mean you have to become a freight expert or tax consultant. It does mean you need the right partners and a plan that goes beyond your campaign’s delivery date.

What stood out most from this panel wasn’t the complexity—it was the clarity these experts offered. The systems are in place. The networks are built. The biggest risk isn’t ignorance—it’s silence. Start conversations early. Ask questions. Double-check your assumptions.

You can’t eliminate every surprise, but you can avoid most disasters by treating fulfillment like the business function it is. That’s not glamorous, but it’s how campaigns turn into companies—and how creators stay in the game long after the first project ships.

You’re ready to launch your Kickstarter campaign any day now. But you’re worried about taxes and VAT, customs, duties, and tariffs.

How are you going to handle that for your Kickstarter?

Customs & VAT may seem very complicated, and we won’t lie to you — they are. But with a little bit of planning, you can handle your Kickstarter backers’ customs with ease. In this article, we will discuss four ways you can do so.

Please note: we are writing this article assuming that you’re doing business in the US. If you’re not, though, most of the advice in this article still applies.

How Customs & VAT Work

The whole idea behind customs is to allow different countries to control the flow of goods in and out of their borders. Customs agencies are responsible for making sure that every business shipping goods into the country is following the law and paying the right taxes.

Customs duties — often referred to as tariffs — are taxes imposed when goods cross international borders. These taxes are based on tariff codes, which correspond to the type of item being exported or imported. VAT, or value-added tax, is a tax that countries apply based on a percentage of the item’s sale price.

To simplify: many times, when your Kickstarter backer in a foreign country imports your item, someone will have to pay for customs duties and/or VAT.

Customs and VAT don’t apply to everything. Many countries do not have VAT at all, so that often does not apply. Customs duties only apply if the imported good’s value exceeds the importing country’s “customs de minimis value.” (A similar principle applies to VAT). But beyond that, you may owe customs.

Note: the U.S. de minimis threshold is currently $800, but proposed policy changes could lower it for goods from certain countries.

Lastly, you might be saying “how do tax authorities know what an item is worth?” Simply put, you – the sender – tell them. The value you tell them is the declared value.

4 Ways Your Kickstarter Can Handle Customs & VAT

In this section, we’re going to talk about four ways you can handle customs and VAT for your Kickstarter campaign. You can generalize these lessons to business as a whole, though, even if you aren’t using crowdfunding.

To help us give you the best possible advice, we’ve reached out to Robert Ruutsalo, Chief Revenue Officer at EAS. In their own words, EAS is “your trusted partner for European tax compliance.” When it comes to customs and VAT matters, including IOSS and UK VAT, they’re the best people we know to answer.

With that context in mind, let’s talk about four ways you can handle these tiresome taxes.

1. Use the IOSS/UK VAT Scheme (EU & UK Only)

Up until 2021, there were basically three ways to handle customs and VAT for Kickstarter. You could make backers pay for fees, store inventory in other countries, or use delivery duty paid (DDP) shipping.

The Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) was rolled out to simplify and expedite customs clearance. In Ruutsalo’s words, “for shipments to the EU, the IOSS is a cost-effective way for  Kickstarter creators to manage VAT for goods valued at €150 [about $165 USD] or less. This allows creators to collect VAT at the point of sale, simplifying customs and ensuring that backers receive their rewards without additional customs fees upon delivery.” [Emphasis ours.]

Ruutsalo goes on to clarify that “it’s important to note that IOSS applies only to EU countries, but a similar VAT system is in place for shipments to the UK, where you can collect and remit VAT for low-value goods in the same manner. For US merchants with many backers in Europe, using IOSS for the EU and UK VAT registration can significantly streamline customs clearance and reduce the chance of delays.”

You may wonder where it makes the most sense to use IOSS for Kickstarter. In response to that question, Ruutsalo states that “IOSS is ideal for campaigns with smaller items and a significant number of EU backers. Compared to other methods, it offers a cheaper and faster way to handle customs for low value shipments, reducing the complexity of dealing with multiple tax authorities.” [Emphasis ours.]

It should be noted, however, that IOSS is complex to understand. If you want to take advantage of it, your best bet is to work with a professional such as EAS.

2. Make Backers Pay For Fees

You have another option when it comes to customs and VAT, and it’s deceptively simple. Do nothing.

The benefit of this method is clear: it’s very easy. Even Kickstarter itself does not require Kickstarter creators to specify how customs will be handled. They merely recommend it.

Kickstarter creators are not obligated to go out of their way to ensure that backers don’t pay customs. In fact, if your item is really low in value, it may fall under the customs de minimis of most countries, making it not worthwhile to try to create a “customs-friendly” campaign. What’s more, many international backers are accustomed to paying for customs and VAT for Kickstarter campaigns that they receive.

It’s not hard to imagine the problems you might encounter if you do take this path, though. In Ruutsalo’s words, “this option pushes the responsibility of paying customs duties and taxes to the backers, which can lead to a negative experience if they are surprised by additional fees upon delivery.”

Put another way, it might make people mad!

But Ruutsalo doesn’t dismiss this path entirely, saying that “this option may work for smaller campaigns or those that do not expect to have significant international backers.” But he cautions that “it can be risky in terms of customer satisfaction for larger campaigns.”

3. Store Inventory in Multiple Countries

“Customs-friendly” is a phrase you will see a lot of on Kickstarter if you look. You can often find variants of it such as “EU-friendly,” “UK-friendly,” “Canada-friendly,” and “Australia-friendly.” This is generally understood to mean one of the following:

1. Goods are shipped from within a country or region, avoiding import fees and taxes.
2. Goods are below the customs de minimis value.
3. The import fees are handled on behalf of the backer. (This is a definition we have added on our own, based on our understanding of backers’ underlying needs.)

So with this in mind, it makes sense that if your Kickstarter rewards exceed the customs and/or VAT de minimis values of the countries you plan to ship to, that you must split your inventory between warehouses in different regions in the world. Many board game Kickstarters, for example, have a warehouse in the US, one in the EU, one in Australia, one in Canada, and so on.

This approach has a number of benefits. Backers receive their rewards pretty quickly after shipping since the warehouse is in their country. What’s more, they never see Kickstarter-related customs or VAT fees.

But there are some downsides to be aware of too:

1. You have to coordinate multiple freight shipments to different warehouses in different countries, which can become complex. For smaller campaigns, this can be prohibitively expensive.
2. When each of those freight shipments docks, you have to pay customs. Granted, the customs fees will be levied on the wholesale value of the goods and not the retail value, but this can still add up depending on how many countries you ship to.
3. It’s complex. The more warehouses you’re working with, the more room there is for errors, customer service issues, delays, and unexpected bills.

“It’s a complex and expensive solution that may not make sense for smaller campaigns, especially when the high upfront costs outweigh the benefits,” says Ruutsalo.

4. Use Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) Shipping

There is one last way you can handle customs & VAT for your Kickstarter campaign. It’s tempting to think that if you are unable to split your inventory between different warehouses or if you don’t want to deal with IOSS, that you are out of luck when it comes to customs & VAT. You may think that you have to default to Method #2.

We’re here to tell you that there is a viable middle ground. You can house your inventory in the US, ship internationally, and avoid having your backers pay customs & VAT. The trick is that you must use “delivery duty paid” shipping.

“In DDP shipping,” says Ruutsalo, “the creator covers all customs duties and taxes upfront, ensuring that backers receive their packages without any surprise fees. This approach creates a seamless experience for backers but is more expensive than IOSS/UK VAT, for shipments to the EU or UK under €150. DDP involves paying duties and taxes on all  orders, which can significantly increase costs for creators, particularly for high-volume campaigns.”

“For US merchants shipping to Europe, IOSS/UK VAT is the more affordable solution for low-value goods, as it eliminates customs fees for backers while keeping costs lower than DDP. DDP is more suitable for high-value items or campaigns where maintaining a premium backer experience is essential, but it should be used cautiously as it can cut into profit margins.”

Our experience lines up well with Ruutsalo’s. We’ve found that DDP shipping is generally more expensive than using IOSS/UK VAT, though some prefer to go that route due to either high-value goods or a strong preference to not deal with IOSS, either directly or through a third party.

How Can I Make Kickstarter Customs Clearance Easier?

Seeing how much of a hassle it can be to handle customs clearance and VAT, you may wonder what you can do to cut down on the difficulty.

In response to that Ruutsalo says “the single most effective way to make customs clearance easier is to provide accurate and complete documentation upfront. This includes correctly filled-out commercial  invoices, precise product descriptions, appropriate HS codes, and clear shipping labels. These details ensure that customs officials can process shipments swiftly, reducing the risk of delays or additional fees.” [Emphasis ours.]

He goes on to state that for the EU and UK, using IOSS dramatically streamlines the process. That’s because IOSS allows you to use a single VAT identification number of all EU countries, which makes cross-border compliance easier. The same basic principle applies to UK VAT, even though it is outside of the EU.

How Do You Find a Good Customs Broker?

If you’re like a lot of creators, the idea of dealing with international trade at all is migraine-inducing. So you may want to hire a customs broker just to avoid the trouble altogether.

If you choose to do that, there are a few things you need to know. To quote Ruutsalo, “finding a reliable customs broker is crucial for smooth international shipping, but it’s  important to note that for EU and UK shipments using IOSS and UK VAT, a customs broker is not required for goods valued at €150 or less. These schemes simplify the process, allowing you to manage VAT and customs clearance without needing a third-party broker.” So first, make sure you need one!

If you determine that you need a broker, Ruutsalo suggests focusing on these three factors:

• Experience and Specialization: You want a broker who is experienced with both eCommerce and crowdfunding.

• Global Reach: Your broker needs to have a strong network in key shipping regions like the US, EU, UK, and beyond.

• Clear Communication: Their pricing needs to be sensible, have no hidden fees, and they should keep you informed of the status of your shipments and any regulatory changes that might impact deliverability.

Should you find yourself needing a customs broker, looking for someone who checks these boxes will help you feel confident that you’ve made the right call.

Final Thoughts

Handling customs and VAT might feel scary, especially if it’s your first Kickstarter campaign. But if you approach the right way, you can prevent a lot of issues and streamline the process.

There are a lot of ways you can handle customs and VAT. You can use IOSS, make backers pay fees, store inventory in multiple countries, or opt for DDP shipping.

Each method has its pros and cons. Choose the one that fits your campaign best. As long as you plan well, customs won’t be an obstacle to your Kickstarter’s success.

FAQ

What are customs?

Customs are fees charged by a government when goods are imported or exported. These charges are applied to ensure goods meet legal requirements and can include taxes or duties.

What is VAT (value-added tax)?

VAT is a tax added to a product at every step of production or sale. The final buyer usually pays it, while businesses collect it for the government.

What is the IOSS?

The IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) is an EU system for managing VAT on low-value imports. It allows sellers to collect VAT at the point of sale, making it easier for goods under €150 to clear customs and avoid extra charges on delivery.

What are tariff codes or HS codes?

Tariff or HS codes are numbers used to classify products in international trade. They help apply correct taxes, track shipments, and ensure compliance with trade laws.

Launching a successful Kickstarter campaign is a ton of fun! But it also requires a lot of planning in order to do it properly. Kickstarter reward fulfillment is notoriously tricky and there are a lot of things that go into it.

In this article, we’re going to share everything we think you need to know about Kickstarter fulfillment. You’ll walk away knowing exactly how to fulfill a crowdfunding campaign.

That means you can find information on:

• Forecasting backer demand
• Finding a manufacturer
• Creating a shipping timetable
• Booking freight
• Lining up order fulfillment
• Handling returns and complaints, and
• A hard-to-categorize tips and tricks that are generally helpful to know

We hope you find these tips helpful for your next campaign!

Part 1: Plan for demand

Accurate demand planning helps avoid shortages and overproduction. That’s easier said than done with Kickstarter, of course, because you don’t know how much you will raise!

But if you can get an at least moderately reliable estimate, you can plan the rest of your campaign accordingly. Here are some tips on how you can do that.

#1: Check other campaigns to see how much funding is reasonable for your product type

Look at data from similar Kickstarter campaigns as well as your own audience size to forecast demand. Consider the product type, target audience, and funding goals.

When you look at enough campaigns, you will understand what the best-case scenario is, as well as what a typical success story looks like. Collecting this information will give you a rough estimate of how many potential backers you could see.

This will help you know what general direction you need to go with production, should you fund. For example, if a typical campaign in your niche has about 1,500 backers, you probably need a manufacturing run of about 2,000 units. But if a typical campaign has more like 5,000 backers, you would need to be ready for a much larger run size.

The same principle applies to freight, order fulfillment, and other parts of the shipping process.

#2: Estimate how much funding you will raise based on your audience size and reward price

Estimate backer numbers based on your mailing list. For example, if you have 5,000 people on your list and expect 4% to back you, that’s 200 backers. Account for a 30-40% Kickstarter boost and adjust your projections to include these potential backers.

You can then take your estimated backer figure and multiply that by the price of your main reward. If the results of the previous calculation suggested you would have about 500 backers at $50 each, as an example, you could then expect to raise around $25,000.

#3: Plan for multiple scenarios

Sometimes Kickstarter campaigns raise way more than expected. And sometimes they raise a lot less!

Even though you need to have an idea of what the average outcome will be for your campaign, it’s a good idea to plan for both low funding and high funding scenarios. That way, you can handle manufacturing, freight, and shipping even if your funding estimate is way off.

#4: Order extras, but not too much

If you have 1,500 backers, you will need more than 1,500 units. Some will be defective and some will be lost in the mail. You may also end up selling more units via late pledges if you use a pledge manager as well.

At a minimum, you should order 20% more stock than you need to fulfill your campaign. If you plan on selling via eCommerce or traditional retail after the fact, you will need even more stock than that.

Naturally, you won’t want to go too overboard. Ordering too much stock is expensive and then you have to store it somewhere. But while having too much stock is bad, running out is much worse!

Part 2: Find a manufacturer

Finding the right manufacturer for your campaign is incredibly important. It requires a lot of research and due diligence.

Here are a few tips on how you can do this properly.

#5: Vet multiple manufacturers and choose the best one

Finding the right manufacturer is not a fast process – you need to vet several before committing. Start by scouring platforms like Alibaba and ThomasNet. These sites will help you get in touch with potential manufacturers.

When you narrow down your list of manufacturers to contact, you need to vet them. Check their references. Request samples to assess product quality. If a sample looks shoddy, the final product might be even worse.

Make sure the manufacturer has experience in your specific product category. Needless to say, a manufacturer specializing in electronics might not be the best for your fashion line. Experience ensures they understand the nuances of your product, leading to higher quality and fewer production issues.

And remember, communication is key. Choose a manufacturer that communicates clearly and promptly. Misunderstandings can lead to costly mistakes and delays.

#6: Identify reliable suppliers for stretch goals, packaging, and other non-core items

If you need stretch goals, custom packaging, or non-core items like custom stickers and T-shirts, make sure you account for that as well. The manufacturer of your core reward, deservedly, will get most of your attention. But don’t forget how important these other pieces are as well – you don’t want to send an amazing product in the mail with cheap extras!

#7: Secure backup options

Have a primary and backup manufacturer to avoid delays. This gives you alternatives if your main manufacturer has problems. That way, even if things go wrong, you can keep your production schedule and campaign momentum on track.

Part 3: Make a timetable

You need to be able to provide a good estimate of how long it will take to ship rewards. Otherwise, what will you tell your backers?

Every step, from payment to shipping, needs a clear schedule with buffer time for unexpected delays. Here is what you need to consider.

#8: Plan for payment processing

Allow two weeks for Kickstarter funds to clear after your campaign ends. Remember, Kickstarter takes a 5% cut, credit card companies take another 3%, and expect a 1-3% failed transaction rate. Remember: you probably can’t start manufacturing until the funds clear.

#9: Make time for manufacturing

Add a 25-30% buffer to your manufacturer’s estimated production time. This covers unexpected delays and keeps you on track. Clear communication with your manufacturer is crucial to manage timelines effectively.

#10: Plan around freight shipping

Work with a reputable logistics provider for timely transportation. Add buffer time for unexpected delays like bad weather or disruptions. Sometimes, freight shipping is delayed for completely unforeseeable reasons, so be sure to pad any estimates you receive to account for that as well.

#11: Don’t forget about clearing customs

Factor in time for customs clearance in destination countries. Customs processes can vary, so research the specific requirements for your product. This helps avoid delays and ensures smooth international shipping.

When in doubt, assume that customs clearance will take at least two weeks. For certain product categories, this can take much longer.

Be aware that tariff rates may change quickly, especially in 2025 with many countries adjusting import taxes. Check your product’s HS code classification and estimate tariff costs early so you don’t get surprised after your goods ship.

#12: Line up order fulfillment

Make sure you account for time spent receiving, unpacking, and preparing products for shipping. If using a fulfillment center, make sure they are prepared to handle your inventory.

How long this will take will depend heavily on how many orders you need to ship. Ask your fulfillment center(s) for estimates if you are working with them.

If you are shipping on your own, plan on sending out about 100 orders per full workday.

Part 4: Book freight

Booking freight for your Kickstarter project isn’t just about getting products from point A to point B. It’s about timing, cost, and efficiency.

Here’s what you need to consider.

#13: Choose freight options

First, decide between a freight broker or a freight marketplace based on your needs. Then, consider sea, air, and rail shipping options, balancing cost and speed. This choice impacts your shipping efficiency and costs, so choose wisely.

#14: Understand incoterms

Next, familiarize yourself with incoterms. These terms define seller and buyer responsibilities in the shipping process. Choosing the right terms minimizes risks and ensures smooth customs clearance.

Put plainly, incoterms tell you who does what when it comes to freight shipping.

Please note that tariffs are separate from shipping fees but can heavily impact your total landed cost. When booking freight, double-check how your incoterms handle customs duties — especially if you are responsible for paying tariffs. Plan for tariff costs early to avoid unexpected cash flow problems during delivery.

#15: Prepare documentation

Make sure all necessary customs forms and invoices are ready. Accurate documentation helps avoid delays and complications during transit. Work closely with your logistics provider to keep all paperwork in order.

#16: Track shipments

Use your logistics provider’s tracking system to monitor shipments. Stay informed about your shipments’ progress and be prepared to address any unforeseen challenges. You may not be able to do anything with this information, but it will likely settle your nerves while you wait.

Part 5: Find a fulfillment center

Choosing the right fulfillment strategy is really important to shipping a Kickstarter on-time. Self-fulfillment offers control but doesn’t scale well with larger campaigns.

For larger campaigns, hiring a fulfillment center helps with efficient processing and shipping. But if you choose to work with one or more fulfillment centers, you need to make sure they have experience in crowdfunding.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to fulfillment.

#17: Consider self-fulfillment

Self-fulfillment is great for less than 250 orders, giving you direct control over quality control when it comes to shipping. If you choose to do this, purchase supplies in bulk and use a label printer to save on costs.

With low order volume, this is usually the cheapest and easiest solution. But it doesn’t scale well for thousands of orders and it also doesn’t work very well if you need to send a lot of international shipments. Be aware of these issues should you choose to ship your own orders.

#18: Hire a fulfillment center

If you don’t want to ship on your own, you can hire a fulfillment center. With large order volumes, fulfillment centers are much more efficient. They handle the picking, packing, and shipping for you so you can save your time.

If you have a lot of international shipments or you’re shipping at least 500 orders, at least consider reaching out to a fulfillment center to learn more. Just make sure they specialize in crowdfunding fulfillment because it is a niche service!

Part 6: Prep for international shipping

International shipping is tricky and expensive. But Kickstarter campaigns are usually international events, so you need to plan for it all the same.

Here are a few things that you will need to consider.

#19: Ship internationally from your own country

If your order volume is low, shipping directly from your home country is a straightforward option. However, be aware that customers might need to pay VAT and customs fees. This method is simple but may not be cost-effective for larger campaigns.

#20: Use delivery duty paid (DDP)

DDP shipping can enhance the backer experience because you pay duties and taxes on their behalf. This method is a good way to offer “EU-friendly” or “Australia-friendly” shipping even if you’re not working with fulfillment centers in those regions.

This can be a good way to simplify international logistics for your campaign. But you should know – this is really expensive and if you have hundreds of orders to ship to those regions, then you need a better solution!

#21: Partner with international fulfillment centers

For high order volumes, partner with fulfillment centers in target regions. This reduces shipping costs and improves delivery times.

Managing multiple centers requires efficient coordination and logistics planning, it’s true. But if you are shipping thousands of orders and they’re spread out across the globe, this is probably the best way to do it.

Part 7: Prep for returns & complaints

Some of your rewards will get lost or broken in the mail. And some backers will simply be unhappy, despite your best efforts to satisfy them.

You need to have a plan to handle returns and complaints. Here are a few things to consider.

#22: Establish a return policy

Clearly define acceptable reasons and time frames for returns. Communicate this policy on your campaign page and with backers. A well-defined return policy helps manage expectations and handle returns smoothly.

#23: Efficiently process returns

Efficient processing of returns will keep backers happy. Make sure it is easy for them to get in touch with you if something goes wrong. Then make sure you have stock to send out as a replacement, if that is necessary and appropriate.

#24: Address backer complaints

Set up dedicated channels for backers to voice their concerns. Respond promptly and transparently to complaints. Demonstrating empathy and responsiveness builds trust and ensures a positive experience for backers.

Part 8: Collect addresses for your Kickstarter campaign

Choosing the right method to collect addresses is an important part of handling fulfillment. Options include using Kickstarter’s built-in survey tool or a pledge manager, either shortly after the campaign or right before fulfillment.

If you’re looking up “how to fulfill a crowdfunding campaign”, then here are some things you should know about this part of the process.

#25: Choose to use a pledge manager or Kickstarter’s built-in survey tool

There are two ways you can collect addresses. You can either use a pledge manager like BackerKit or you can use Kickstarter’s built-in survey tool.

Kickstarter surveys can only be sent one time. So if you send it too early and collect address information, people may forget to update it when they change addresses. Kickstarters take a long time to manufacture and fulfill, so this problem can cost you a lot of money.

Similarly, if you choose not to use a pledge manager, then you will need to collect shipping fees upfront via Kickstarter pledges. That means you need to be able to accurately estimate shipping costs at the time of the campaign. Plus, you will pay Kickstarter’s 5% fee on any shipping fees collected.

Even with these issues, it might still be worthwhile to use Kickstarter to collect address information. After all, using a pledge manager means you and your backers need to use separate software. Depending on the nature of your campaign, that might not be something you want to do.

#26: Decide when to collect shipping addresses and charge for shipping accordingly

Whether you use Kickstarter’s built-in survey tool or a pledge manager, it’s best practice to collect addresses late. That way, people won’t send in their address, move, and forget to tell you. This cuts down on lost shipments and the costs associated with that.

#27: If using a pledge manager, upsell and cross-sell

If you do happen to use a pledge manager, you should know that you can upsell and cross-sell in the pledge manager. Even if you don’t have other products to ship, you can still ask people if they want to increase the quantity of items they are buying. It’s an easy way to increase your sales revenue.

Part 9: Understand Kickstarter funds release and fees

When you successfully fund, you don’t walk away with 100% of the funds the minute you fund. Here is some of the fine print information you should know about before you launch.

#28: Know when Kickstarter releases funds

Kickstarter releases funds about 14 days after the campaign ends. This delay allows for transaction processing and addressing potential issues, ensuring all funds are finalized before release.

#29: Account for Kickstarter and payment processing fees

Kickstarter takes a 5% fee, plus 3-5% for payment processing. Handle shipping separately, such as through a pledge manager like BackerKit, to save on fees. Understanding how these fees work can help you plan your budget and manage campaign finances effectively.

Final Thoughts

Kickstarter is an amazing way to raise funds for new products. It’s one of the best ways to build up a community and see how far your product ideas can go.

Kickstarter reward fulfillment can be tricky. There’s no denying that. But if you know how the basic processes work, then it’s fair to say that you know how to fulfill a crowdfunding campaign!

We hope this guide has given you all the information you need to confidently launch.

How do you know when you need help with order fulfillment? It’s not an easy call. But deciding when to outsource order fulfillment is absolutely critical if you want to grow your business and keep it running efficiently.

As your business scales, shipping physical products becomes increasingly difficult. So does handling the logistics in-house. This can quickly become overwhelming and expensive.

Order fulfillment partners can help streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Knowing the signs that indicate the need for outsourced order fulfillment will help you make an informed decision when the time comes.

6 Signs Your Business Needs to Outsource Fulfillment

Outsourcing fulfillment can significantly benefit your business. But knowing when it’s time to do this isn’t easy.

Below, you will find a list of signs that your business needs to outsource fulfillment. If you say “yes” to any of these, it’s probably time.

#1: Your customer base is growing faster than you can keep up.

As your order volume increases, it becomes harder and harder to keep up with demand. But once you are set up with an order fulfillment partner, a surge in the size of your customer base doesn’t have to mean hours spent packing boxes in your home office.

Order fulfillment companies can easily handle large volumes of orders. That way, they all go out in the mail on time and to the right address, keeping your customers happy and loyal.

#2: You are unable to quickly and accurately ship orders to customers.

If you can’t ship orders out on-time or to the right address, then you need help. If you even suspect that your order fulfillment process is becoming slow or inaccurate, it’s time to consider outsourcing.

Delays and mistakes can frustrate customers and damage your reputation. Fulfillment companies specialize in quick and precise order processing, helping you maintain high service standards and customer satisfaction.

#3: Your staff are overworked.

When your employees are overwhelmed with fulfillment tasks, their productivity in other areas can suffer. This overload can lead to burnout and decreased morale.

Outsourcing fulfillment can free up your team to focus on core business activities, improving overall efficiency and job satisfaction.

#4: Your business feels overly complicated.

As your business grows, it becomes more complex. This increased complexity can weigh heavily on your mind and you may feel like you can never reach the end of your to-do list!

There are a lot of aspects of in-house fulfillment that can be hard to manage. If you have a lot of SKUs, ship internationally, or have special packaging requirements, this can all add to the complexity.

A dedicated fulfillment partner can handle these complexities for you. That way, you can concentrate once again on strategic growth and business development.

#5: Shipping costs are adding up.

Postage and supplies are expensive. Shipping costs can eat into your profits, especially in eCommerce.

Fulfillment companies almost always get bulk shipping discounts because of the sheer order volume they handle. The same is true of supplies like boxes and other packing materials.

But fulfillment companies are also very competitive, and cannot simply pocket the savings for themselves. They often split the difference with their clients.

By outsourcing, you can take advantage of these cost savings, improving your bottom line and offering competitive shipping rates to your customers.

#6: You are running out of storage space.

If you run out of space to store your own items, you need help. Storing products in-house can clutter your workspace and limit your operational capacity. When you outsource to an order fulfillment center, they handle the inventory management for you and that can free up a lot of space.

How Order Fulfillment Services Are Priced

Order fulfillment pricing can seem complicated. That’s because order fulfillment services are priced based on several factors.

These factors include account or storage fees, the number of packages shipped, postage, supplies, and pick and pack fees. Understanding how fulfillment pricing works will help you estimate fulfillment costs and decide whether or not outsourcing fulfillment is financially sensible.

Order fulfillment pricing can generally be understood by using the following formula:

Fulfillment Cost = Account/Storage Fees + (Packages Shipped * (Postage + Supplies + Pick and Pack Fee))

In the following sections, we break this down further.

#1: Account/Storage Fees

Account and storage fees are the baseline costs for holding your inventory. These fees cover the space your products occupy in the fulfillment center. They vary based primarily on the amount of space required. However, for some special cases like hazardous or refrigerated materials, there may be additional upcharges.

#2: Packages Shipped

When it comes to calculating order fulfillment costs, the number of packages shipped is the most important factor. The more you ship, the more postage and supplies you need. Plus, fulfillment centers charge a fee for each package they handle. So as they handle more packages, you pay more of these fees as well.

In short, the more you ship, the more you pay.

#3: Postage

Postage costs are the fees associated with shipping your items to customers. Fulfillment centers often negotiate bulk postage rates, which can be significantly lower than standard retail rates.

Like with retail postage, the most important factors here are the size and weight of the package to be shipped, as well as the destination.

Heavy and large items shipped long distances cost more. Smaller, lighter items shipped short distances cost less.

#4: Supplies

Supplies costs cover the materials needed for packing and shipping, such as boxes, bubble wrap, and tape. Basic materials are typically included in the pick and pack fee (discussed below), but special packaging requirements may incur additional charges.

#5: Pick and Pack Fee

The pick and pack fee is the cost of retrieving items from storage, packing them, and preparing them for shipment. This fee covers labor and basic materials for each order processed. Think of this as the cost to have a human being put your items into a box and get them in the mail on your behalf.

How Outsourcing Fulfillment Can Save You Money

Saving time and running your business more efficiently are good enough reasons to outsource fulfillment on their own. However, outsourcing fulfillment can – in some scenarios – save your business a lot of money.

These cost savings come from bulk postage rates, reduced supply costs, and better labor allocation. Understanding where these cost savings come from is worth it, since they can help you see whether or not outsourcing fulfillment will be financially beneficial rather than merely an operational necessity.

#1: Fulfillment centers get bulk discounts on postage and supplies.

Fulfillment centers usually have lower postage rates because they ship so many packages. Carriers are more willing to cut them a price break. The same principle applies to supplies, which are purchased in massive bulk quantities.

Because the fulfillment industry is competitive, these savings are passed on to you, which can reduce your shipping and material expenses. Over time, these savings can really add up!

#2: Order fulfillment companies have staff that dedicate 100% of their time to shipping.

Outsourcing fulfillment allows you to reallocate labor to more valuable tasks. Employees can focus on revenue-generating activities instead of packing and shipping orders. This improved labor efficiency can lead to higher productivity and profitability.

#3: You can cut down on training and overtime costs related to shipping.

Fulfillment centers handle all aspects of order processing, reducing the need for overtime and extensive training. That means if you or your staff are doing overtime shipping packages, you can stop!

Cutting down on overtime, or even time spent training employees on how to ship, can save a lot of money. This isn’t just because it helps keep wages in check, but it also helps smooth out your workflows.

#4: You no longer have to purchase your own supplies.

Outsourcing eliminates the need for purchasing packing supplies like bubble wrap, boxes, and tape. These costs are largely covered by the fulfillment center and included in the pick and pack fee. This reduces your overall expenses and simplifies budgeting.

#5: You may be able to reduce storage costs.

Storing inventory in a fulfillment center can be more cost-effective than renting additional space. You avoid the expense of storage units and the hassle of managing inventory on-site. This can free up valuable workspace and reduce overall costs.

#6: Order fulfillment partners are generally more efficient.

Outsourcing streamlines your operations, making them more efficient. With professionals handling fulfillment, you reduce errors and improve workflow. This allows you to focus on core business activities instead of shipping.

#7: More consistent shipping experiences can reduce customer turnover.

According to eCommerce delivery platform, FarEye, 85% of customers will not shop again with retailers after negative shipping experiences. This is really bad, since acquiring new customers is far more expensive than retaining them.

Fulfillment centers ensure faster, more reliable shipping, improving customer satisfaction and retention. This reduces refund requests and increases repeat business.

#8: More consistent shipping experiences can improve customer retention.

Reliable fulfillment improves customer satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates. Happy customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend your store to others, boosting your revenue and growing your customer base.

How to Choose an Order Fulfillment Company

Deciding to outsource fulfillment is one thing. Choosing the right company is another.

In order to pick the right one, you will need to consider a number of factors. Among them, include your average item weight and size, shipping volume, number of SKUs, and the location of your customer base. You will also need to make sure that any fulfillment company you choose to work with provides good quality service.

Note: if you import goods internationally, rising tariffs in 2025 could also impact your landed costs before goods even reach the warehouse. It’s smart to factor in total landed costs when budgeting for fulfillment.

Here is a quick guide to help you make the right choice.

#1: Consider the weight and size of your items.

The weight and size of your products significantly impact shipping costs and handling requirements. Select a fulfillment company with experience in your industry.

For example, if you sell small, lightweight items, choose a provider experienced in handling such products. Likewise, if your items are large and heavy, find a partner experienced in managing big and bulky shipments. That way, you can choose a fulfillment partner that provides cost-effective shipping tailored to your needs.

#2: Estimate shipping volume.

Understanding your shipping volume helps in selecting a fulfillment partner that can scale with your business. If you have a low order volume, choose a company with no minimum requirements, allowing you to pay only for the services you need.

For businesses with high order volumes, select a provider capable of managing huge quantities of orders. That way, you can rest easy knowing they can handle your peak times and have capacity for future growth.

#3: Count the number of SKUs you plan to ship.

The number of SKUs you have affects the complexity of inventory management. Choose a fulfillment company capable of handling your SKU count efficiently. If you have a high number of SKUs, find a provider with a flexible system that can manage diverse inventory without additional costs.

This ensures accurate order fulfillment and streamlined operations, preventing issues such as stockouts or mispicks.

#4: Consider where your customers are located.

Customer location is very important when choosing a fulfillment company. Make sure you choose a fulfillment company that has a location which can cost-efficiently ship to most of your customers within a short period of time. This will have a dramatic impact on postage costs, which is almost certainly going to make up the largest percentage of overall shipping costs.

#5: Carefully vet fulfillment centers for service quality and fit.

Vetting fulfillment centers ensures you choose the right partner. Start by researching online reviews on platforms like Google and Trustpilot to make sure their client base is happy.

Request quotes to understand their pricing structure. Make sure they are good communicators and that you feel like you can trust them. Check for hidden fees or long-term contracts that may not suit your business.

Finally, test their software for ease of use and functionality. Software is going to be the primary way you interact with the company, so make sure you like what you see.

Final Thoughts

Deciding to work with an order fulfillment partner for the first time can be scary. But once you start shipping a lot of orders on a regular basis, it’s something you will want to think about.

The right order fulfillment company can really help you streamline operations and save money. That can put your company on the path to long-term growth for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is order fulfillment important?

Well-managed order fulfillment means that customers will receive their products on time and in good condition. This directly impacts customer satisfaction and brand reputation, not to mention customer retention. Efficient order fulfillment can reduce operational costs, minimize errors, and improve inventory management, leading to better overall business performance and profitability.

Should I use a fulfillment company?

Using a fulfillment company can streamline operations, reduce shipping costs, and improve delivery times. Outsourcing fulfillment allows businesses to focus on core activities like marketing and product development.

Manufacturing is at the heart of many businesses. Whether you’re making kitschy Etsy crafts or Silicon Valley high tech devices, the manufacturing process will be a huge part of your success. It is, after all, where your products are turned into physical reality. This is true whether you’re making something with massive machinery or with your own two hands.

Even as early as the manufacturing stage, you need to be thinking about logistics. You can optimize and tweak the supply chain after a product is created, it’s true. Yet there are few opportunities where simple smart decisions can make such a massive impact quite like what we’re about to talk about.

Reducing Item Weight

Nothing tips the scales on price like weight. At least, this is true for the supply chain process. Whether you transport cargo by air, sea, rail, or road, you will be billed by weight. Not all means of transportation are equal when it comes to price, time, or quality of service, but this rule remains the same.

Once your inventory arrives at a warehouse, you’re not out of the woods. Not by a long shot! Indeed, whether you store goods in your own warehouse or use a third-party service like Fulfillrite, order fulfillment costs are driven by weight as well. When you send goods through a carrier like UPS, USPS, FedEx, or DHL, they will always ask you the same question. “How much does it weigh?” Weight will drive cost there, too.

At the manufacturing level, you have the ability to dramatically cut costs. The difference between a 4.5-pound product and a 5-pound product is huge. For bulk shipments in freight, you can pay a lot less because your 5,000-unit shipment of products weighs 10% less than it otherwise would have. Once it’s time to fill orders, you’ll save once more on postage costs.

In short, even at the manufacturing stage, you need to ask yourself: “how do I make this shipment as light as possible?”

Reducing Item Size

Packing cargo for transportation is a giant game of Jenga. Individual items are packaged after manufacturing, usually in boxes. Those boxes are then put into master containers. The master containers are then loaded into standard-sized shipping containers. We’re referring to the big 20-foot metal containers, as well as containers better suited for different modes of transport. The larger your product is in terms of volume, the more containers you will use, and the higher your bill will be.

Again, it doesn’t stop there. Carriers like UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL are also playing cargo Jenga. The more room you take up on their trucks and planes, the higher the postage costs will be. This is unavoidable no matter how you choose to fulfill orders.

Once again, subtle differences made at the manufacturing level can go a long way. A product whose longest dimension is 7 inches will cost more to ship than a product whose longest dimension is 5 inches. Some people even design products around the size of USPS flat rate mailer boxes. That’s how big of a factor physical size is when shipping.

Cost-Efficient Transportation Tips

One of the biggest trade-offs in supply chain management is time vs. cost. You can air ship goods from anywhere in the world far faster than sea shipping, but it costs a lot more. Likewise, sea shipping can take two months or more, but the cost is very low compared to everything else.

Why does this matter when manufacturing goods? It’s simple: where you manufacture goods determines transportation cost. Many businesses like to use landed cost to evaluate different manufacturing and shipment solutions. The landed cost includes the original price of the product, transportation fees (both inland and ocean), customs, duties, taxes, new 2025 tariffs, insurance, currency conversion, crating, handling, and payment fees.

Tariffs, especially those recently expanded in 2025 on key imports from China, can drastically raise landed costs. Be sure to research whether your product category—such as electronics, EV-related parts, or metal components—is affected. If it is, consider sourcing from alternative countries or reshoring production when feasible.

Or, put more plainly, it may be cheaper to have goods manufactured near you. The labor costs may be higher, but you avoid excessive transportation fees and customs.

The ways to transport goods are as follows, from cheapest and slowest to the most expensive and fastest:

• Sea shipping
• Rail shipping
• Truck shipping (less-than-truckload or full truckload)
• Air shipping

Which transportation method or methods you choose for your business depends on how long you can wait, how far your goods have to go, and what you’re willing to spend. Imagining the entire process of shipping from start to finish may decide where manufacturing takes place.

Regulations, Compliance, and Customs

Nothing can break an otherwise efficient supply chain quite like exports and imports. Let’s be completely clear about this: if you are not following all laws and regulations for your industry, your shipments will be delayed. At the manufacturing stage, the single best thing you can do from a logistics standpoint is to obey the law.

It sounds unbelievably obvious when stated like that, but the implications are more complicated. If you’re not sure where to start, find out the tariff code for your product. Then figure out applicable regulations from there.

Another piece of the puzzle that can derail an otherwise cost-efficient supply chain would be customs fees. Based on your tariff code, customs fees or taxes may be levied upon your inventory. You have to pay those fees one way or another. Sometimes your supplier will pick up the tab and then bill you for it later. Other times, you have to pay a freight forwarder or a customs broker. It depends on the specifics of your situation.

In 2025, tariff rates on goods from some countries—especially China—have increased significantly in certain categories. Reviewing updated Harmonized System (HS) codes and cross-checking against current tariff schedules is critical before choosing a supplier.

The point is that customs fees need to be baked into your cost estimates. It may even make it more sensible to commence manufacturing within the borders of your own country. As tariff structures shift, manufacturers in countries like Vietnam, Mexico, and India have become more attractive for U.S. importers. Consider whether diversifying suppliers could reduce your customs burden.

Labeling for Warehouse Use

Scannable bar codes are the backbone of order fulfillment. There’s a reason why nearly every product you purchase has one of these labels on them. Items must be uniquely identified, and bar codes – which are nothing more than a series of numbers represented by bars and spaces – help all sorts of companies do this. These companies range from distributors to retailers to order fulfillment services like Fulfillrite.

Each individual item must have a scannable bar code. That means you need to buy a bar code from either the GS1 or a reputable bar code reseller. Your packaging or, in some cases, the item itself needs to include the bar code. The bar code must also be large enough to be useable, which is at least 1.175 inches wide and 0.816 inches tall (for the commonly used UPC-A codes).

Why is this relevant during manufacturing? The reason is simple: it’s far easier to get this right early than to pay a company to apply labels later. At Fulfillrite, for example, we charge $0.39 per item to affix labels. This can be a lifesaver if you’ve made a critical mistake, but it can add up quickly. It’s an expense most business owners would rather avoid.

Outsourcing Fulfillment to a Third Party

Fulfillrite is an order fulfillment company. We warehouse your inventory, fill orders, and generally make your day better. In fact, we had a whole post recently that explains how we and our peers can make running your business a lot easier.

If you decide to take the plunge and use Fulfillrite or a similar company’s fulfillment services, you naturally want to get the best bang for your buck. How can you do that? Turns out there are a lot of ways, many of which happen at the manufacturing level.

As we had mentioned above, you want to make your items as small and lightweight as possible. Naturally, you’ll also want to apply bar codes correctly. Avoid using hazardous materials, if at all possible.

This last point is especially valuable: if items are sold as a set, manufacture them as a set in a single box. It is possible for a fulfillment company to bundle common items into a single package to send to a customer. This is called kitting and the process is labor-intensive. If you manufacture sets of items to be stored in a single box, you’re basically kitting items without having a fulfillment company do the kitting for you. It’s not always feasible, but when it is, it’s a big money saver.

Final Thoughts on Manufacturing & Logistics

Even at the earliest stages of making a product, you need to be thinking about logistics. All products which are created must be stored, transported, and sent to customers. A little bit of forethought can make this process smooth and cost-effective.

This won’t just save you money on the margins. An effective supply chain, especially one backed up by companies like Fulfillrite, can become a major competitive advantage for your business. Keep your items light, compact, legal, labeled, and ready to ship. You’ll be glad you did!

Listed from cheapest & slowest, to most expensive and fastest:

• Sea shipping
• Rail shipping
• Truck shipping (less-than-truckload or full truckload)
• Air shipping

Nothing beats making your ideas tangible. Creating a product prototype is how you do that. This is the process that turns concepts into realities.

When you have a prototype, you can test, refine, and perfect your design before mass production. But it’s not always a straight path to get there. You need to plan, research, and adapt as you learn new information.

Many aspiring inventors rush through the prototyping phase. They might overlook important details or skip critical tests, only to end up paying for it later. A well-thought-out prototype, on the other hand, can save time, money, and headaches later.

In this guide, we’re going to talk about how you can prototype your product in five simple steps. Along the way, we’re going to share thoughts from industry experts who’ve been through the process.

How Product Manufacturing Works

Before you start working on a prototype, it helps to know what goes into product manufacturing. It starts, of course, with an idea. You come up with a clear concept and then you make a prototype.

Prototyping means creating detailed specifications, including those around materials, dimensions, and functionality. Depending on what you’re making, you might end up using computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Once the design is finalized, you’ll need to choose a manufacturer, assuming this isn’t something you can make in-house. Manufacturers vary in terms of capabilities, quality standards, and costs. So if you want great results, you’ll be doing a lot of research.

Your design might require special processes, like injection molding, CNC machining, or 3D printing. But that will all depend on what you’re making.

Once you find a few manufacturers you like, then you request quotes. Once you review those, you settle one you like best and then start production. This might involve doing a small test run to make sure everything goes OK. If the sample run turns out well, you can move on to full-scale production.

Bearing all that in mind, we’ll now share advice from experts on common mistakes to avoid during the prototyping and manufacturing processes.

5 Tips Before You Start Manufacturing

When you start having product manufactured for you, it can be stressful, even if you know what you’re doing. But with some forethought, you can avoid common issues.

1. Know your customers.

Jason Wingate, CEO of Emerald Ocean Ltd., illustrates this especially well in a story he shared with us. He says, “a few years ago we released the Rotary Thread tool, a thread filing tool that was revolutionary and nothing was like it on the market. It could file threads quicker and faster than anything. We sold (and still sell) to Lowe’s and Home Depot in the USA, and Canadian Tire in Canada.”

“But sales were not as good as we expected. Why? Because the customers of most retail chains don’t need a thread filing tool most of the time. If a nut or bolt comes loose, they just buy a new one for a few cents.”

Wingate’s team was ultimately able to pivot into a much more profitable niche with time. But he stresses the importance of knowing your customer before total commitment to a certain course of action. “If the customer doesn’t have a problem or need your product – you need to reflect on that and find out what they do need and how your product fits.”

2. Start small and iterate quickly.

You’re not going to get everything right the first time. Multiple sources stated this to us, perhaps best said by Jorge Argota, a marketing consultant with a background in product development.

Argota says it’s best to “start small with your prototypes to keep costs down and iterate quickly based on feedback. Engage potential users early in the process to make sure the product meets their needs. Keep detailed records of all changes and decisions during the prototyping phase, it will help you in future development.”

He also emphasizes that it’s important to be flexible with your design, and to adapt to challenges or new opportunities as they come.

On a related note, Ryan McDonald, COO of Resell Calendar, states that it’s important to not “forget packaging and branding during the prototyping process. Early consideration of these elements can significantly impact the perceived value of your product. At Resell Calendar, we’ve found that your product’s resale value is much improved by appealing, well-designed packaging.”

3. Don’t underestimate the costs.

One unfortunately common issue that product creators run into is underestimating costs. It’s easy to overlook certain expenses, especially when they’re not obvious. But hidden or not, costs associated with material testing, design revisions, and multiple iterations add up. So does gaining access to specialized tools or machinery, like plastic molds.

When asked about mistakes best avoided, Argota said that “I underestimated costs early on, didn’t vet some manufacturers well enough and sometimes rushed through the prototyping phase without enough testing.”

The learning curve is formidable and making mistakes is common. But nevertheless, Argota emphasizes that “miscommunication about product specs led to some costly mistakes.  Looking back better planning and clearer communication would have saved a lot of trouble.”

When in doubt, assume manufacturing – including prototyping – will cost more than you think.

4. Don’t hurry the process.

Another tempting mistake is to rush through the prototyping process. But ironically, this can end up wasting more time, in addition to leading to costly mistakes. When you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to skip steps like testing, refinement of the design, and gathering feedback.

“Anyone beginning their own product prototype should never hurry the process,” says McDonald. “Spend time evaluating your prototypes in real-world conditions. Don’t be afraid to iterate, as every version should improve upon the last. Keep your target market in mind throughout the process. In the end, the product must fulfill the needs and wants of your customers.”

5. Consider hiring a broker.

You don’t necessarily have to manufacture your own products. In fact, you have the option to hire a broker to assist.

When asked what he would do differently, Wingate stated that “if I could change anything – first I would get a good broker. Without one we were just going back and forth ourselves looking up and trying to evaluate manufacturers, but a good broker will have that knowledge and possibly existing relationships already.”

5 Steps To Create A Product Prototype

It’s premature to start prototyping before you understand the underlying logic of manufacturing and prototyping. Having covered that in the previous sections, we can now provide a list five steps that you can follow to get started with prototyping.

1. Create the best prototype you can alone.

Everyone we talked to, independently of one another, agreed that it was vitally important to have a clear vision of what you want to make. One great way to do that is to make the best prototype you can on your own. This isn’t a substitute for a sample run, but rather a way to clarify your thinking.

McDonald says, “we’ve found that having a clear vision is crucial when prototyping products. First, we create detailed sketches and 3D renderings of our product ideas. This visualizes the end result, allowing us to identify potential issues early on. After that, we create physical prototypes. For smaller items, we use 3D printing, and for larger ones, we work with local craftsmen.”

Argota has a similar process, saying that he and his team would create “a basic version of the product using basic materials to test the idea. Depending on the product complexity and requirements, I used 3D printing, CNC machining, or even handcrafting. This stage [involved] a lot of iterative testing and gathering feedback to refine both design and functionality.”

Even Wingate, who advocates for working with a broker says that “while I don’t usually prototype the products myself – the general way is that we try to see if we can ‘throw it together’ as a prototype in-house using CAD drawings and, if possible, a 3D printer (of course – this depends on what you’re trying to create).”

2. Find a similar product.

Once you have a sense of what your product will look like, try to find similar ones. Buy them, if need be. You want to analyze similar products and try to understand how they are made.

If you’re not sure how a product is being made, you can try looking for “making of” or “X being manufactured” videos on YouTube. You might also have some luck looking for how to blogs or even searching for patents.

Even if you are unable to tell how specific products are made, finding similar ones will allow you to describe what you want to a manufacturer. They may be able to reverse engineer a product that already exists.

Sometimes, you can even find the manufacturer of products you like. That gives you chance to reach out to a company whose work you’re already familiar with.

3. Shop for materials.

Once you have similar products in hand, start researching material options through manufacturers’ catalogs, sourcing platforms like Alibaba and ThomasNet, and by consulting with industry experts if needed.

As you research, keep in mind that tariffs on imports — especially from China — have risen sharply in 2025. It’s wise to check tariff classifications (HS codes) for your intended materials and consider alternate sources, like Mexico, India, or Vietnam, if costs are too high.

The specifics of your material research process will differ greatly depending on the nature of the product you are manufacturing, but the basic information provided above is useful in most cases.

For example, if you know you need transparent plastic, you can figure out a more specific name using this method. The screenshot below shows you what happens when you look for “transparent plastic” on Alibaba. You have options ranging from food-grade R-PET plastic to cast acrylic to polycarbonate…the list goes on.

When asked about best practices on material selection, McDonald says that “we consider cost, durability, and user experience. To evaluate performance and quality, we often order samples from several suppliers. For electronics, we prioritize components that satisfy industry standards and have a track record of reliability. Regarding clothing and accessories, we pay close attention to materials that provide longevity as well as comfort.”

Argota has a similar method, saying that in his prior career, “material selection was driven by durability, cost, availability and how well the material suited the product’s purpose. I did some initial research by consulting with material experts and engineers and factored in sustainability if that was a priority. Prototyping with different materials helped me make a more informed decision.”

Wingate emphasized the importance of “research, research, research.” And indeed, his emphasis is well placed, since material requirements vary widely based on product, price, market, your target audience, and a variety of other factors.

4. Look for a manufacturer.

When the situation calls for it, it’s a great idea to make your own prototype. But your own in-house prototype is no replacement for a true sample of a manufacturer’s work. So it is very important to note that prototyping will also involve finding a manufacturing partner.

This can be an in-depth process. According to Argota, “finding the right manufacturer required researching companies that specialized in my type of product. I used online directories, attended industry trade shows and reached out to my contacts for referrals. I made sure to evaluate each manufacturer’s capabilities, quality standards, communication style and reliability before making a decision.”

McDonald says that his team has “had success with platforms like Alibaba and GlobalSources. These platforms let us connect with many different manufacturers and evaluate their capacity and cost performance. Whenever possible, we also go to trade events since they offer great chances to meet manufacturers personally and see their work firsthand.”

To add to the above, we believe it is best practice to contact multiple manufacturers so that you can compare quotes. Alternatively, you can consider Wingate’s advice to hire a broker.

And again, it bears repeating: rising tariffs on Chinese goods in 2025 have also made it increasingly important to explore manufacturers in regions with lower import duties. Some creators are shifting to Mexico, Southeast Asia, or even U.S.-based options for smaller production runs.

5. Request quotes.

Once you have a clear idea of what you need to manufacture and what materials you need to use to make it, then you can request quotes. You want multiple quotes from multiple manufacturers so you can compare them and make a smart decision.

“To get quotes I reached out to several manufacturers with detailed specifications of the product, including drawings or CAD files, material requirements and expected quantities,” says Argota. “Comparing these quotes helped me understand the market rates and negotiate better terms. Having all the info ready upfront made the process smoother.”

This isn’t a process you can shortcut. As McDonald states, “though it can take time, the quote request procedure is necessary to get the best value. Usually, we reach out to various manufacturers with detailed product specifications. We request quotations breaking out labor, material, and any additional fees.”

This thorough approach has a lot of benefits. “This lets us compare offerings more easily. We also consider production capacity, quality control measures, and communication responsiveness as the lowest bid as not necessarily the best choice.”

If this process intimidates you, take heart. According to Wingate, “quoting isn’t too hard.” He further states that “you’ll get feedback and pricing from a variety of suppliers, and if you did your research (or had your broker do it for you), you can select from there.”

Final Thoughts

Making a great product prototype requires patience, planning, and willingness to adapt. The goal here isn’t just to bring an idea to life, but to refine an idea until it’s the perfect fit for your customers. If you follow the steps in this article, you’ll be well on your way to doing exactly that.

Don’t rush the process and don’t underestimate its complexities. Doing that can lead to delays and extra expenses. Take your time and do things right. Test, gather feedback, and improve at every stage. If you go through this process and you’re careful and attentive to detail, you won’t just make your idea tangible – you’ll make a really good product that people desperately want to buy.

Shipping your own orders gets old fast. But finding the right eCommerce fulfillment partner to take care of it is a tough decision and one you want to make properly.

Picking the right eCommerce order fulfillment partner (3PL) can save you time, money, and energy. That way, you can focus on growing your business because you’re not the one putting every box in the mail.

But if you pick the wrong one, shipments might get lost and customers might get angry. You might end up paying bills and not entirely understanding why.

It’s complicated. So to help you pick the right eCommerce fulfillment partner – and tell when it’s the right time to be thinking about this in the first place – we’ve put together this guide.

Step 1: Make sure you need eCommerce order fulfillment.

Before hunting for an eCommerce fulfillment partner, make sure your business genuinely needs one. Hiring help with fulfillment can streamline your operations by cutting down on the time spent shipping orders. But it’s also one of the most important business decisions you will make, and it’s not something you want to do lightly or at the wrong time.

Here are six surefire signs you need help. Even a single yes means it’s time to consider hiring an order fulfillment center.

#1: Your customer base is growing faster than you can keep up.

A rapidly growing customer base is a fantastic problem, but it’s still a problem! Having too many customers can overwhelm your ability to fulfill orders.

To scale your business effectively, you must manage increased demand without sacrificing quality. Third-party logistics (3PL) companies can help by taking over the fulfillment process. This will allow you to focus on other growth areas.

According to Chris Matthews from Zatu Fulfilment in the UK, “as your orders start to increase, you may find more and more of the time that should be spent on growing your business is taken up with shipping out orders. You may be finding that your inbox is swamped with shipping queries and return requests. These are signs it is time to speak with a 3PL.”

#2: Order fulfillment is becoming slow or inaccurate.

When order volumes spike unexpectedly, delays and mistakes often follow. Slow or inaccurate fulfillment frustrates customers and tarnishes your reputation.

Partnering with a 3PL can ensure orders go out on-time, intact, and to the right addresses. That helps cut down on customer complaints and boosts repeat business.

#3: Your employees are working too much.

Overworking employees to meet order fulfillment demands is unsustainable, increasing labor costs and leading to burnout, which negatively affects productivity and morale. Outsourcing to a 3PL can relieve this pressure, providing additional resources to handle peak times without overburdening your team.

#4: Your business is becoming really complex.

As your business grows, so does its complexity. Managing multiple sales channels, inventory locations, and shipping options can become overwhelming. A 3PL partner can streamline these operations, offering integrated solutions to keep everything running smoothly.

#5: Shipping is chipping away at your profits.

High shipping costs can eat into your profits and deter customers. A 3PL can leverage its network and negotiating power to secure better shipping rates, reducing costs and improving your bottom line.

As of April 2025 especially, be mindful that tariffs and customs duties can drive up landed costs. Fulfillment partners who can assist with customs paperwork or who are located near major ports of entry may help reduce these costs.

#6: You have run out of space.

Running out of storage space can limit your growth potential. Partnering with a 3PL provides access to their warehousing facilities, allowing you to scale without investing in additional infrastructure.

That means you don’t have to spend money paying for a storage unit!

Step 2: Decide how many warehouses you need.

Deciding you need a 3PL in the first place is an important step. The next important step before even making calls is to decide how much help you need.

If your store barely exceeds 100 orders per month, one warehouse might suffice for a lean, straightforward operation. No need to overcomplicate things by building a much larger network.

Centralizing inventory in one location simplifies bulk shipping and reduces costs. When issues come up with order fulfillment, that also means you have a single point of contact.

However, if you’re handling a high volume of orders, you might need multiple warehouses. That could mean having several within a country or even warehouses spread across the globe. The key is to make sure you have enough order volume at each location to justify the cost.

Having too few warehouses can slow shipping and hike costs, especially for long-distance or international deliveries. But the opposite is true as well. Too many warehouses can lead to soaring freight, storage, and overhead expenses.

You need to do a meticulous cost-benefit analysis before you sign any papers. If multiple warehouses are necessary, you have two options: either find a fulfillment partner with multiple suitable locations or partner with several fulfillment centers. In the latter case, managing all warehouses and inventory efficiently requires robust inventory management software like NetSuite, ChannelApe, Skubana, or QuickBooks Commerce.

“Look at where your target audience is and cater to their needs,” says Chris Matthews with Zatu Fulfillment. “If you are finding you have a high cart abandonment rate for one region compared to another, chances are they are looking for region friendly shipping options. In an age of next day shipping, customers don’t want to have to wait for orders to be processed and sent across the Atlantic.”

Step 3: Review service offerings.

Before reaching out to warehouses, you need to figure out what services you need. Sure, there are plenty of fulfillment partners for small, lightweight, eCommerce items.

However, if your inventory includes hazardous materials, fragile goods, perishables, or items needing refrigeration, you’ll need to dig deeper. For stores with a high SKU-to-order ratio, such as apparel companies with diverse sizes and colors, a specialized partner can make a world of difference.

Look for fulfillment partners adept in handling your particular type of products.

Also, think about value-added services. Many fulfillment partners offer extras like kitting and assembly, customization and personalization, and even refurbishment services. If these are crucial to your business model, be sure your chosen partner can meet these needs.

Some fulfillment partners even specialize in simplifying international returns, which can help reduce costs and friction if you sell heavily into the EU, UK, or Australia.

Step 4: Carefully narrow down your choices.

Please Note: The information in this section comes directly from Will Schneider at Warehousing & Fulfillment. He runs a company that specializes in matching fulfillment centers, like ours, with sellers who need help shipping.

What you read in this section was previously part of a guest post, which we’ve bundled into this post for your convenience.

Make no mistake about it – your choice of order fulfillment provider is a make-or-break decision.

Unfortunately, most companies make a huge mistake when vetting fulfillment providers: they put the emphasis on product and service specialization, technology integrations, and location rather than some of the more important selection criteria.

This is an understandable first instinct, as it’s certainly important to make sure a fulfillment company will be able to perform the required tasks in a suitable location.

However, not only do most fulfillment companies in the current landscape perform a comprehensive set of services and integrate with numerous technology platforms, but there are also some more critical things that need to be investigated to make the right choice. Simply put, these more common selection criteria are not always reliable indicators of the order fulfillment provider that best fits your business needs.

Of course, investigating compatibility in terms of product and service specialization, technology capabilities, and location are not without value. But more pertinent factors foretell whether a fulfillment company is worth the cost. Here is a comprehensive list of things to look for in a 3PL provider.

Key Factor #1: The Right Quality of Service

A high-performing fulfillment provider is easy to identify if you know a few things to look for. The following key concepts will point you in the right direction and help you eliminate the wrong companies from your shortlist.

Guaranteed Performance with Accountability

A 3PL company must be able to operate at a high level, and when they do make mistakes, they must take accountability for errors. Unfortunately, many companies will tell you anything you want to hear – assuring you that they will perform high-quality work and rarely ever drop the ball.

But how do you know if their promises will be kept?

The easiest way to gauge whether a fulfillment provider is trustworthy is to go straight to their contract or agreement. Reliable companies have SLAs (service level agreements) and are willing to include performance guarantees in their contractual agreements with customers. Unreliable companies who don’t take ownership of mistakes will have agreements that “pass the buck” and avoid any penalties for lack of performance.

3PLs that provide performance guarantees will include the following in their contracts:

• Specific performance guarantees that they will meet, including the timeframe to receive goods into their warehouse, inventory accuracy, order accuracy, and sometimes even shipping accuracy.
• Remedies for lack of performance, such as reimbursement for mis-shipments and lost inventory over an acceptable level, will be noted as well.

Performance is the foundation of a healthy 3PL relationship, and the right 3PL will have a pathway to measuring and being accountable for performance. Any service you consider should guarantee performance rates through a contractual agreement.

Key Factor #2: Regular and Consistent KPI Measurement

The fulfillment provider should measure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – and this is non-negotiable. KPIs track progress against specific targets set by your contract. KPIs often concern quality, costs, speed, efficiency, resource utilization, or personnel compliance.

It’s one thing to list KPIs in the agreement, but it’s altogether different to have codified processes and technologies that enable the measurement of them. A reliable fulfillment company will have documented processes and procedures for every task performed in the warehouse, and online reports will be available to view results on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.

Take inventory management, for example. Operating with a low percentage of inventory loss (lost or damaged product) requires:

• Having a thorough receiving process to ensure products are counted correctly, entered in the system correctly, and placed in the proper area within the warehouse
• Performing routine inventory counts, whether cycle counts or yearly counts, to ensure no mistakes are uncovered
• Executing a near flawless order picking strategy, so that incorrect items or quantities aren’t picked
• Providing a robust set of reports for staff, management, and customers to view in real-time

All these things combined will result in a low level of errors. It won’t guarantee perfection, as no fulfillment company is perfect, but it will ensure proper levels of performance.

So how do you know if a provider meets the mark in this area? Simple…ask for the processes and procedures manual and/or ask for a demo of their technology system and reporting. If a company doesn’t have these key components, you may want to drop them from your short list of options.

One other important note about KPIs – the best order fulfillment providers hold regular meetings with your business about KPIs. A reliable line of communication ensures that fulfillment companies are accountable for results and that they are being proactive instead of reactive. High-performing fulfillment providers will have monthly meetings or at least quarterly meetings to discuss performance.

Key Factor #3: Positive and Truthful Customer Reviews

The hallmark of quality service is positive feedback. Search for reviews and ratings of the fulfillment provider on the internet – this will give you a glimpse into their performance.

The overall quality of the reviews is more telling than the number. Pay attention to what clients say about the order fulfillment company. Then pretend you’re the client. Would you be satisfied with its performance? Do its practices encourage customers to shop for your product again? Or do its practices deter customers?

Key Factor #4: A Culture of Honesty and Integrity

A quality 3PL provider emphasizes its honest business practices. You can gain tremendous insights into an operation by the types of deals they strike and the transparency of their overall operations and relationships.

Be Wary of Back-Door Deals and Middlemen

The fulfillment provider should dissuade back-door deals that negatively impact your pricing – and they should champion your best interest. Without these measures, the relationship is built on a foundation of secrecy and lack of transparency, and you may pay more for your fulfillment services than needed.

Sometimes, providers strike deals with brokers or middlemen to increase their earnings. It’s not to say that every brokered deal is inherently bad, but they are extremely challenging and oftentimes harmful to you, the client. Unfortunately, by inserting another party, these providers most likely add an additional layer of costs to your business.

There are a few matchmaking services that are legit, matching you to the best fulfillment companies and only charging a small fee for the connection that does not in any way impact your pricing. But unfortunately, most lead generation companies, ‘top list’ websites, brokers, or fulfillment marketplaces take a cut of the deal anytime they refer your business to the fulfillment company. When commissions are involved, it’s far too easy to “play favorites” and pass deals to the companies that pay the highest dollar for referrals. This leads to extremely biased matches and should be avoided.

At the end of the day – be careful who you trust. Your fulfillment provider should be completely open with you about the structure of your deal. After all, if they can’t be honest with you about this important component, can you trust them fully with your inventory?

Key Factor #5: Best Match for Size of Operations

Another relevant factor is the size of the order fulfillment service. In many cases: small 3PL providers best match with smaller businesses, and larger 3PL providers best align with larger companies. A single provider usually cannot serve all business sizes equally.

The search engines make this type of analysis extremely difficult, because most of the top results are filled with larger 3PL providers. If you find yourself in the boat of startup operations and/or lower order volumes, keep searching past the first few pages of results and keep an open mind for single-location and smaller fulfillment providers, as they will likely offer the best overall pricing and terms.

Other Factors That are Important to You

Based on personal preferences, other factors may rank high to you. These factors are not the same for every business.

Perhaps it’s important to you that the fulfillment provider is close in physical proximity to your business. In that case, make it a priority to evaluate fulfillment companies on their locations. It might make economic sense to choose the fulfillment provider nearest to you.

In another example, you could prioritize the “personal fit” of the staff at the fulfillment facility. If you want to feel at ease around the personnel, choose the facility with that in mind.

Other businesses prefer a facility that matches their company style. Perhaps an eco-friendly business seeks facilities that reduce their carbon footprint or use recycled material.

Therefore, prioritize any important “other” factors that are most important to you before conducting your search.

Step 5: Request quotes.

Once you’ve shortlisted a few promising fulfillment partners, it’s time to request quotes. This part is simple.

But how these companies handle pricing? Not so much.

There are four main fee types:

1. Pick-and-pack
2. Postage
3. Account and storage
4. Value-added services

Pick-and-pack covers warehouse labor, while postage depends on package weight, destination, and speed. Both are applied on a per-order basis.

Then there’s account fees and storage fees. Account fees vary widely by company but are usually low. Storage fees depend on your inventory volume.

Value-added services like kitting, assembly, and refurbishment are typically priced on a per-project basis. This is because there is a lot of manual labor involved.

When reviewing quotes, forecast your sales volume and potential need for value-added services.

Use the quotes to estimate your total cost. The cheapest option isn’t always best, but the overall cost should be competitive.

Final Thoughts

Choosing an eCommerce fulfillment partner is a strategic move. If you pick the right one, you can more efficiently fill orders and keep customers happy. You’ll save a ton of time and possibly some money too.

It’s not an easy decision to make and it’s one you need to be careful about. You need to consider service quality, reviews, communication, transparency, and a number of other factors. But if you do your due diligence, you can find the right partner.

Having a good relationship with a 3PL makes it much easier to run an order-based business. That’s why so many companies call their 3PLs an “eCommerce fulfillment partner.” Because that’s what they are – key partners in keeping the business running!