What is Shipping API?

You want to make shipping services easily accessible to your customers. From getting a rate quote to tracking an order, shipping API can give your business an edge. But what is shipping API? Get a better understanding of how this technology can impact your business.

When you understand what is shipping API, you might be aware of the flexibility this functionality can give your business. Shipping API allows you to fully integrate shipping services into your business enterprise or ecommerce system to help you improve fulfillment and grow your business.

What Does API Stand For?

API is an acronym for Application Programming Interface. APIs are used in development and business. In more technical terms, APIs are a set of protocols and routines. APIs can also be used for building software.

What does this have to do with shipping? A shipping API can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business. A shipping API can instantly connect your business software with a carrier’s software, allowing you to make the fulfillment process a seamless system for your employees and customers.

How Does an API Work?

An API is a software that makes two other softwares “talk.” For example, a shipping API makes a carrier’s software connect with a business enterprise or ecommerce system to exchange information. This could mean a customer could get real time rates for shipping their purchase within seconds thanks to an integrated shipping API on your business’s website. A good API makes it easy to do business.

APIs come to website or software developers as building blocks. The code for the API is complete and ready to go, so it simply needs to be plugged in to a compatible system. In fact, APIs allow developers to build apps and software quickly and easily thanks to highly reusable code. APIs are crucial to the development of applications and softwares.

Shipping APIs integrate with the carrier’s software system to provide direct access to information. Additionally, shipping APIs helps your freight make it to its destination with ease for both your business and your customers.

In many cases, ecommerce businesses take advantage of shipping APIs. These businesses use APIs to make sure customer orders are fulfilled. An API can present options that meet both business and customer requirements. Simply put, shipping APIs serve as the bridge that links businesses with customers and shippers.

R+L Carriers offers flawless API integration to make the shipping process simple. Integration provides regional, national and global support.

Benefits of Shipping API

There are many reasons why you might opt for a shipping API for your business. You might find that a shipping API can help your business avoid errors and other complications. The right shipping API can help you manage orders along the way — from when it is place until when it is delivered.

Other benefits of shipping API include:

 

• Access to more customers: When shipping services are easily accessible to your ecommerce customers, they’re more likely to click “buy.” It’s a fact. Sixty-nine percent of all ecommerce customers abandon their shopping carts, and in many cases, hassles with shipping cause them to virtually walk away. Making shipping simple with a built-in shipping API can give you access to more customers.

• Safe, secure and reliable services: R+L Carriers shipping API makes it easy to ensure safe, secure and reliable shipping. By relying on one of the country’s most reliable logistics networks, our shipping API is an easy solution to your fulfillment needs.

• Convenience: Get the tools you need integrated into your business’s ecommerce or enterprise systems. This makes obtaining shipping services easy for you and your customers. Shipping API makes for a great customer experience with tracking, pickup requests and more.

• Competitive service and rates: R+L Carriers shipping API offers competitive service at a rate that competes with shipping giants like USPS, Fedex, DHL and others.

• Shipping resources in real time: Thanks to companies like Amazon, the bar has been set high when it comes to the online shopping and shipping experience. Making shipping services simple and integrated is key to winning customers and providing a great customer experience. Customers want fast, quality shipping and an affordable price. You might find that shipping API make it easy to provide customers with the shipping options they need with just a few clicks.

• Easy tracking and order tracing: R+L Carriers shipping API makes it easy for your customer or staff to know where an order is in its journey. Real time tracking is a valuable tool.

• Transit time and delivery date information: Let your customers plan for delivery with transit time estimates and delivery updates. Your customers will be ready and waiting for their order when armed with this information.

 

Shipping API for Developers

When you’re working with a developer for your company’s ecommerce website or enterprise solution, it is important to know that R+L Carriers shipping API is ready to plug in to your system. The API is compatible with many systems and languages, including XML and JSON. The software is ready to work with complete automation of integration tools. Access to a test environment is available, so be ready to get to work with the right tools.

Get Started with Shipping API tools

Now that you understand a little more about what is shipping API, it’s time to plug in and get started. Get the services you need with seamless integration to make the most of your shipping services. If your company is ready to harness the power of this versatile system to move freight and products safely and securely to its final destination, contact R+L Carriers today for more information.