Ship without an order
Make a shipment that isn't part of a Shopify order (a trade show, a sample, a replacement), or a UPS import picked up from a supplier abroad.
Available on the Operations plan and higher. Compare plans
Updated November 5, 2026
Not every shipment starts from a Shopify order. The Shipments page makes shipments of their own: a display for a trade show, a sample, a replacement part, or goods bought from a supplier abroad and picked up by UPS. Each one gets its own number, like SH-1001, and its own page with boxes, carrier, rates, the label, customs forms and documents.
Before you start
- Add at least one location on the Locations page. A shipment is billed to a location’s carrier account, even when it’s picked up somewhere else.
- Connect the carrier you want on the Carriers page. A UPS import needs UPS, and your UPS account must have Import Control turned on (ask UPS or your UPS reseller).
Make a shipment
- Open Shipments in the menu.
- Click New shipment, or New UPS import for goods picked up abroad.
You can also start one from Quick Quote: after getting rates, click Create shipment on a rate. The new shipment starts with the quote’s location, destination, boxes, carrier and service. Add the street address, then continue below.
Fill in the shipment
Ship from. Choose From one of my locations, or From another address for a pickup somewhere else in the United States, such as a trade show venue. With another address, pick the location whose carrier account pays (Your location (account)) and type the pickup address in Ship-from address. UPS shows your location as the shipper and picks up at the address you typed; FedEx, Shippo and freight carriers ship from the typed address and bill your account.
Ship to. Type the address and click Save address. Tick This is a home for a residential address.
Boxes. For each box choose one from your library or Custom size, then enter the length, width and height in inches, the weight in pounds, the declared value and what’s in the box. Add box adds another. Click Save boxes.
Carrier and service. Pick the carrier, then click Check address and get rates (Get freight rates for Estes and FedEx Freight). Pick a service from the list. Set a ship date, Signature required or Saturday delivery when you need them, and a Recipient email for tracking updates if the recipient should get the carrier’s emails. Freight shipments also have a destination type, special instructions and delivery options.
If the carrier suggests a different address, choose Use suggested or Keep mine. If it can’t confirm the address at all and you know it’s right, click Use the address as entered.
Related order (optional). Type an order name, such as S11085, and click Link order. The shipment then shows on that order’s page under Other shipments for this order, and its label counts toward that order on Shipping Costs. It isn’t part of the order’s boxes or fulfillment, and nothing is sent to Shopify.
Create the label
Click Create label (Create BOL for freight). Then:
- Print labels sends ZPL labels to a Zebra printer. Without a Zebra, or for other label formats, use Download PDF and print from your browser.
- Customs documents, when there are any, are under Documents.
- Void label cancels the label with the carrier. To change anything after the label is made, void it first.
A shipment without a label can be deleted with Delete shipment. Its number isn’t used again.
UPS imports
A UPS import is a shipment picked up outside the United States (for example from a supplier in China) and billed to your UPS account, using UPS Import Control.
- Click New UPS import.
- Billed to (your location): the location whose UPS account pays.
- Pickup (supplier): the supplier’s address in English, as on their commercial invoice, with a contact name, phone and email.
- Ship to: where the goods go in the US.
- How the label reaches the supplier: I print it and send it to the supplier, or UPS emails it to the supplier (to the email on the pickup address).
- Fill the customs form from the supplier’s commercial invoice. See below.
- Get rates, pick a service and create the label.
Send the supplier the label and Parcello’s commercial invoice (under Documents) and ask them to put the invoice in a document pouch on the box. UPS asks for a paper invoice with Import Control shipments.
The customs form on an import
- Commodity rows: describe the goods as the supplier’s invoice does. Enter the quantity and the value of one unit, for example 20000 at 0.03 for 20,000 parts bought for $600. US duties are a percentage of the total value, so the total must be the price you paid for the goods, without shipping.
- HS code: the code for the goods (dots are fine; Parcello sends digits only).
- Country of mfg: where the goods were made.
- Sold to: you, the importer. Enter your company, contact and, if the delivery address is someone else’s, tick The sold-to party has a different address and enter yours.
- Duties and taxes: Billed to my carrier account (DDP) bills the duties to your UPS account; Billed to the recipient (DAP) bills them to whoever receives the box.
- Importer tax ID: your EIN. US Customs identifies the importer by it.
UPS can take about 20 seconds after an Import Control label is made before it can be voided. If Void label says UPS hasn’t registered the label yet, wait a minute and try again.
Where standalone shipments appear
- Tracking lists them under their number, with ”· for S11085” when linked to an order. Search finds them by number or by the linked order.
- The daily emails, Potential claims and the Pickups card name them by number. A shipment picked up at a typed address or abroad isn’t offered for a pickup at your location.
- Shipping Costs counts a shipment linked to an order toward that order.
Notes and limits
- On the Operations plan and higher. Estes and FedEx Freight need the Freight plan.
- Imports are UPS only.
- No packing slips or return labels on these shipments.