Order Packaging Checklist

Generate the wave from ShipStation, Veeqo, or your OMS. Filter to paid orders only — unpaid Shopify drafts and Amazon pending-charge orders should never enter the pick queue. Sort by carrier cutoff so same-day commitments pick first.

Stripe / Shopify Payments / PayPal can flag orders for fraud review after the order is placed. Skip any order in the OMS fraud-risk hold queue and route to CX for manual review.

Channel drives downstream packing rules: Amazon SFP requires Buy Shipping labels and on-time guarantees, eBay needs a tracking upload to maintain Top Rated Seller, Walmart enforces strict on-time ship rates, and wholesale orders typically need a packing list with PO number on top of the carton.

Common cause of overselling across channels: SkuVault / Cin7 syncs lag a few minutes behind real picks. If the bin is empty, mark the order short on the OMS and trigger an oversold alert before the customer is shipped a different SKU.

Hazmat (lithium batteries, aerosols, flammables) requires UN-rated packaging and carrier-specific labeling — UPS and FedEx have different ground hazmat acceptance rules. Oversize freight gets pulled from the parcel queue entirely.

Carriers bill on dimensional weight (DIM) — UPS and FedEx use a divisor of 139 for domestic. Oversizing a box by two inches per side can flip a 1-lb shipment into a 4-lb billable shipment. Use the smallest stock box that fits with adequate void fill.

Air pillows for low-fragility apparel and accessories; bubble wrap or foam-in-place for ceramics, glass, electronics. Loose-fill peanuts settle in transit and leave product against the box wall — avoid for anything fragile.

Lithium-ion batteries shipped alone require UN3480 marking; with equipment, UN3481. Use the certified inner / outer combination from your hazmat SOP. A non-UN box on a hazmat shipment is a refused package and a carrier compliance strike.

Shopify DTC orders get the unboxing insert and a return QR code (Loop / Happy Returns). Amazon FBM orders get a plain packing slip — never include marketing inserts or review-request cards, which violate Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging policy and can suspend the seller account.

Barcode scan-verify before the unit goes in the box. This is the single biggest control on Order Defect Rate (ODR) on Amazon and on mis-ships across channels — handheld validation in ShipStation or ShipHero blocks the ship action if the wrong UPC is scanned.

Two inches of dunnage on every side for fragile items. Box should pass a shake test — no audible movement. Carrier damage claims are routinely denied when packaging fails ISTA-3A drop standards.

Tape the center seam and both end seams (the H pattern). Single-strip seams burst on top-load conveyors at FedEx Ground hubs. Use 2.0+ mil tape for boxes over 10 lbs.

Required for items over the order-value threshold defined in the CX SOP (commonly $250+) and for any SKU with an active porch-piracy claim history. Provides evidence in carrier and chargeback disputes.

For Amazon SFP and FBM Prime orders, buy the label through Amazon Buy Shipping to retain on-time delivery protection and A-to-z claim coverage. eBay labels should be purchased through eBay Labels to feed Top Rated Seller tracking automatically.

Weight on the label must match the actual scale weight to within carrier tolerance, or UPS / FedEx will issue a dimensional adjustment chargeback that erodes margin per package. Reweigh if the label was generated from manifest defaults.

Smudged thermal labels are a leading cause of late-shipment metric hits on Amazon (Late Shipment Rate > 4% triggers account health warnings). Reprint if the barcode is degraded; ensure no tape covers the barcode.

Required for high-value and fragile orders. The image is the primary evidence in INR (item not received), SNAD (significantly not as described), and carrier damage disputes. Capture the label, all seals, and condition before handoff.

Mis-picks, damaged inventory pulled from the bin, or DIM mismatches go in the daily QC log. Weekly review against returns reason codes catches trends — sizing complaints, recurring damage on a specific SKU — before they become a returns rate spike.

Sort by carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS, regional like OnTrac or LSO) and by service (Ground, 2-Day, Overnight). Mixing carriers on a single pickup pallet is the most common cause of mis-scanned parcels going on the wrong truck and missing the cutoff.

Get the driver's signed end-of-day manifest (SCAN form for USPS, pickup record for UPS / FedEx). Without it, lost-package claims for parcels never scanned at the carrier hub are routinely denied.

OMS should auto-sync, but verify Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) on Amazon stays above 95% and eBay tracking uploads complete within the same business day to preserve Top Rated Plus protections.

For oversize / pallet shipments, book through your LTL TMS (Freightquote, Flock Freight, FreightPros). Confirm BOL accuracy on freight class, NMFC code, and accessorials (liftgate, residential delivery) — reclassification charges from the carrier are typically 2-3x the original quote.

Klaviyo or Shopify shipping notification with tracking link. For DTC, branded tracking pages (AfterShip, Wonderment, Malomo) reduce WISMO support tickets by 20-30% and recover post-purchase real estate.