If you are looking for the best couriers to partner with in the Philippines for your Shopify store, we have created this article specifically for you! We have done the research and have tested out the integrations they have for Shopify specifically for the Philippines, and the results will be listed down below.

• How to choose the best courier?
• Who are the couriers available in the Philippines?
• Which Couriers are the Best for Philippine-based Businesses using Shopify?
• What are the options available for integrating a courier or shipping company in Shopify for the Philippines?

How do you choose the best courier?

With the current rise in the logistics industry, there are a few factors to consider when selecting the top courier or shipping firm for your business. Particularly now, there are a plethora of alternatives practically at your fingertips. We want to make the wisest decision possible when it comes to the courier with whom we will work. Here's a list of things to know about according to wsi.ph:

1. Availability

Select a courier service in the Philippines that can meet your requirements. It is advisable to tell your selected firm of the expected monthly amount of shipments you will require.

2. Security

When it comes to managing your products, the best courier service in the Philippines will provide you peace of mind. Protect your organization from responsibility by reviewing your courier's insurance policy thoroughly. You may also seek for a courier in the Philippines who would offer tracking numbers for each cargo.

3. Service Types

Your courier service provider should be able to handle your products with care and speed, no matter how large or modest they are. Otherwise, your packages may suffer harm.

4. Service Coverage

Will your packages be confined to major cities, or will you also be shipping to outlying parts of the Philippines? Make certain that the courier is capable of making your delivery. In the Philippines, most courier services conform to conventional service zones. Some places still accept delivery outside of these areas, though for a fee.

5. Pricing

Couriers in the Philippines may provide superior services to mail, yet they are still quite inexpensive. However, pricing varies greatly across service providers!

6. Customer Service

The Philippines' most dependable couriers are supported by great customer service. A reputable team will assist companies solve with receiver difficulties in addition to taking excellent care of your shipments. When picking a courier in the Philippines, prompt and effective replies are also a major bonus!

7. Reputation

Customer reviews should assist you in determining what to anticipate from a certain courier service in the Philippines. Make a list of comments on shipping times, customer service, and product handling.

Who are the couriers available in the Philippines?

If you are looking for a list of all the courier delivery services in the Philippines, the government published and updates the list on this page of the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) website: List of Authorized Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) or Courier Service Providers

The list contains (as of Aug 2021) 110 companies that are authorized to do business as courier service providers. This list includes big companies and also the small players handling last mile delivery services. The list is frequently updated so be sure to check it from time to time. Below I've listed some of the most popular courier companies in the list that have nationwide or close to nationwide coverage, based on their Authorized Areas of Operation (in alphabetical order):

• 2GO Express, Inc.
• 3PL Service Provider Phils., Inc.
• A-Best Express, Inc.
• AAI Logistics Cargo Express, Inc. (d.b.a.) Black Arrow Express
• Airspeed International Corporation
• Entrego Express Corporation
• Fastcargo Logistics Corporation
• Fastrak Services, Inc.
• GO21, Inc.
• Intertraffic Transport Corp.
  JRS Business Corporation (d.b.a.) JRS Express
• LBC Express, Inc.
• PH Global Jet Express, Inc. (d.b.a.) J&T Express
• Quadx, Inc. (d.b.a.) Gogo Express
• Republic Courier Service, Inc.
• Wall Street Courier Services, Inc. (d.b.a.) Ninja Van
• Wide Wide World Express Corporation
• Ximex Delivery Express, Inc.
• Xytron International, Inc.
• ZIP Business Services, Inc.

This list is not exhaustive and will be updated once there are new companies making waves in the courier network.

Which Couriers are the Best for Philippine-based Businesses using Shopify?

There are 3 couriers that stand out when considering a company that will handle your packages. They are chosen because they have made the extra effort to develop Shopify Apps that can integrate with your Shopify store and make the courier booking process a lot simpler. Rather than booking the orders manually through their website or mobile app, the shipping companies listed below wanted to make this process easier for Shopify store owners here in the Philippines.

• Ninjavan

Ninja Van Shipping and Delivery enables effortless shipment order creation with Ninja Van delivery services for your Shopify orders via a personalised dashboard.

Deliver delight one parcel at a time with Ninja Van.

Ninja Van is a tech-enabled express delivery company providing hassle-free delivery services for businesses of all sizes across Southeast Asia. Launched in 2014, Ninja Van started operations in Singapore and has become the region's largest and fastest growing last-mile logistics company, with a network covering six countries across Southeast Asia - Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Merchants are able to ship using the Cash on Delivery (COD) and standard Ninja Van shipping services via this App.

• Entrego

Entrego is a technology-driven business solutions provider for the fulfillment and logistics needs of enterprises in the Philippines.

The Entrego App aims to automate the booking of Entrego service by Shopify users. As soon as the order is confirmed, it will be directly booked to Entrego. Shopify store users will also see real-time package status updates depending on the milestone from ensuring it's in Entrego reaches for delivery.

• Borzo (formerly Mr. Speedy)

Borzo - same day delivery in the Philippines

Borzo app allows you to:

• Add a new delivery method to your checkout page
• Receive the date and time of delivery for your customers
• Automatically calculate the cost of delivery for each client, depending on the distance, delivery time and weight of the item
• Set the time for order processing - the courier will not arrive unless you got your shipment packed and ready
• Set a margin for our services to earn some extra money, or vice versa - add a discount to attract customers with a cheaper express delivery option
• Place orders with the transfer of payment from the recipient: the courier will pick up the goods from the point of delivery, the recipient will give the money to the courier, and the courier will transfer it to you.

If you check the reviews of these apps, usually they are pretty low but do not fret - I encourage you to test them out first since these companies are taking notes from these reviews and are continually updating their appss fixing bug

How to integrate the Courier Shopify App?

The installation of these courier Shopify Apps are actually pretty straightforward. If you have some experience with installing other apps then this will also fit right home. There might be also some steps required, like setting up an account, API key, or warehouse addresses. I've outlined some of the most common steps below:

1. Create an account with the courier. Some couriers require you to have a contract with them, some you can simply create an account online.
2. Install the specific Courier Shopify App from the Shopify App store
3. Configure the Shopify App settings. Some apps might require an API key or username and password.
4. Some may require setting up your warehouse or fulfillment location address in the courier app.

Can I automatically book an order in the courier when the order comes in?

With the 3 listed options above, it is considered more of an "aid" to the Shopify admins rather than fully automating the booking process. You will still need to do some steps in order to book an order in the courier dashboard, while saving some time in copying the customer and order info to and from the Shopify and courier dashboard.

If you really want a seamless process - i.e. when an order comes in, it automatically books the order with the courier for pick up - then that will need some custom Shopify App development. This is because the process will require an API integration to the courier so no human intervention is needed when booking the order to the courier. 

With this route, you would need to allot some time and monetary budget for the custom Shopify App development. But once done, the ROI on this is really seen through the swiftness of your order processes and overall customer satisfaction. After all, the lesser time and manpower needed it takes to process an order, the faster it can get to your customer and increase their loyalty to the brand.

Final thoughts

Here in the Philippines, if you are just starting out with your ecommerce journey - there are a plethora of shipping companies or couriers who would help take your business to the next level. If you're using Shopify - make sure to consider Ninjavan, Entrego and Borzo as courier options since they have available integrations to reduce the processing time of orders. However, if your company is ready to scale, then the option of fully integrating the courier in Shopify through API is the best choice for fulfilling high number of orders quicker and improve your brand's value to your customers.