Introduction

PrettyDamnQuick (PDQ) is a leading software platform that enables Shopify’s fastest-growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to take control of their shipping and delivery process. PDQ helps shippers centralize data and analytics to optimize every stage of the customer journey, from browsing to delivery. With over 250 brands across the globe, PDQ helps businesses create personalized checkout experiences, boost conversion rates, and make smarter shipping decisions based on lifetime customer value (LTV) data.

As PDQ grew, they recognized their customers faced a major challenge: managing the complexities of packing orders.

The Complexities of Accurate Shipping Pricing

Shipping is one of the largest expenses for e-commerce brands and can be challenging to manage. Knowing exact shipping costs is crucial, especially when purchasing shipping labels and displaying costs in customer shopping carts. But when costs turn out higher than expected, shippers are left scrambling to cover unexpected fees, which can impact profitability.

For brands dealing with a wide range of products, fragile items, or perishables, it’s even harder to get these calculations right due to the complexities of packing. This often leads to mismatches between estimated and actual costs, making it challenging to offer customers accurate quotes at checkout. And if brands underquote shipping, they're stuck covering the difference out of pocket.

Calculating the price of shipping becomes even more complex when shippers struggle to ensure they have the right mix of cartons on hand and that the correct ones are used for every shipment. Without the proper carton suite or a clear strategy for packing orders, the negative impact of dimensional weight pricing becomes unavoidable. This is where cartonization comes in. Unfortunately, most cartonization algorithms out there today are outdated and overly simplistic which still leads to bad packing, wasted space, and incorrect shipping costs reflected in the shopping cart.

Cartonization: The Key to PDQ’s Precise, Real-Time Shipping Costs

To help customers take control of their shipping costs, PDQ integrated Paccurate’s advanced 3D cost-aware cartonization capabilities into its platform, focusing on two critical areas: shipping label costs and shopping carts.

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Shipping Label Costs

Cartonization is the process of identifying the correct box for a particular order based on SKU profiles. Paccurate takes cartonization a step further by identifying the best way to pack every order based on product dimensions, packing rules, and packaging requirements. When an order is placed, Paccurate’s 3D cost-aware cartonization engine references carrier rate tables to ensure the ideal box size is selected for packing, minimizing the potential for surcharges and helping PDQ give an accurate quote for shipping cost. This automation gives PDQ clients confidence in their shipping expenses.

Checkout Integration

Paccurate integrates within PDQ’s checkout process, delivering real-time shipping cost calculations with speed and accuracy. By predicting the optimal shipping box size in the shopping cart, Paccurate ensures that PDQ’s tool can estimate precise shipping rates, factoring live carrier data, negotiated rates, and complex packing rules, such as perishables requiring dry ice or items with specific stackability or foldability requirements. This collaboration ensures brands can confidently display accurate shipping costs to customers during checkout in milliseconds, minimizing the risk of unexpected overages.

Delivering Results

Integrating Paccurate has transformed how PDQ supports e-commerce brands in managing shipping costs. By cartonizing orders during the checkout process, providing precise shipping calculations is instantaneous. Brands can avoid inflated shipping costs post-checkout, reduce discrepancies, and set smarter shipping prices that not only cover delivery costs but also drive additional revenue. For brands facing higher shipping expenses, PDQ and Paccurate offer effective ways to recover those expenses.

Conclusion

Working together, PDQ and Paccurate deliver accurate insights that simplify fulfillment, maximize efficiency, and ensure profitability for e-commerce brands. By addressing the complexities of packing and shipping, this partnership tackles one of the biggest challenges e-commerce retailers face.

Together PDQ and Paccurate empower businesses to grow, stay competitive, and ship smarter.