{"id":905,"date":"2020-04-29T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/split-shipments\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T19:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T19:00:01","slug":"split-shipments","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/split-shipments\/","title":{"rendered":"Split Shipments: Why They\u2019re Used & Common Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is a split shipment?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are split shipments used?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The downside of split shipments<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to avoid split shipments<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipBob can help minimise split shipments and maximise customer satisfaction<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partial shipping FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve likely ordered several products online at once only to find the order is incomplete when it arrived at your house. Your reaction may have gone something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn\u2019t I order more than this? Was there an error? Did they forget to send me something I already paid for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you likely got the remaining items from the order a bit later, receiving separate shipments can be a confusing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Split shipments happen for a variety of reasons, from having inventory stored in different locations to being unable to fit all items in a single box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll explain why split shipments occur, FAQs about sending separate shipments for a single order, and the steps you can take to avoid this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a split shipment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A split shipment is when a single order containing multiple products is sent in separate shipments. The customer receives more than one package even though they ordered everything together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are split shipments used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While businesses should never aim to split shipments (unless they only sell very large products that couldn\u2019t fit more than one in a box), mailing separate shipments for a single order may happen for the following reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The products ordered are currently in different locations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When an ecommerce company has inventory in more than one location, each SKU<\/a> may have differing stock levels across facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a single fulfilment centre<\/a> doesn\u2019t have the units needed to fulfil a single order containing multiple products, different warehouses may need to be utilised. One item may be fulfilled from one fulfilment centre, and the second item may be fulfilled from another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than waiting on one fulfilment centre to get more inventory, separate shipments from each fulfilment centre will ultimately get the products to the customer with faster delivery times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With cargo and freight shipping<\/a>, at times there may not be enough room on a single truck or plane for an entire order, and individual boxes may be transported and arrive separately. This can get complicated with customs forms when shipping internationally<\/a>, so you must make sure each separate shipment has the appropriate documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, if inventory is partially ready, it may be shipped in parts, starting with any pieces that are ready for shipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The customer needs to send different items to different locations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While this isn\u2019t that common in ecommerce, a customer may want to split up individual items from a single large order into separate shipments so they are sent to different addresses. Most people will create unique orders for each new shipment, but it may be easier for customers to purchase gifts in a single order especially during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You likely won\u2019t see a split shipment option at checkout on the average Shopify store, but for large bulk orders of expensive items, it may be helpful for someone to enter a unique address for each item or separate shipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The items won\u2019t all fit in a single package<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The size of your items will determine whether you need to split shipments for a single order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, an order of four tubes of mascara should easily fit and arrive in a single package. However, if you order four large suitcases, you wouldn\u2019t expect to get one giant box the size of a couch \u2014 you would likely receive four individual boxes because each product takes up much more space. You also need to leave room for dunnage<\/a> and packing materials, especially if you\u2019re shipping fragile items<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecommerce brands must understand how dimensional weight<\/a> affects shipping costs and use the right sized packaging (not too big, not too small). Smaller, lighter shipments are less expensive than large, heavy shipments<\/a> (and there are surcharges for heavy weight and oversized shipments<\/a>). However, sending separate shipments is also expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The downside of split shipments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s why you should aim to avoid sending separate shipments at all costs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extra packaging waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shipping two boxes instead of one wastes packaging and materials. This isn\u2019t only costly for you, but the earth as well. You can always use eco-friendly packaging<\/a>, but regularly having split shipments isn\u2019t exactly on brand if you aim to be environmentally-conscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher shipping costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The more shipments you send, the more money you will pay. If you generate two shipping labels<\/a> for a single order, your cost per order<\/a> will increase significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not only about volume though \u2014 depending on where the separate shipments originate, the final cost to the same destination may differ based on how USPS shipping zones<\/a> work in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s walk through an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n