Shipday is a cloud-based dispatch and delivery tracking software tool for restaurants and small businesses wanting to manage in-house couriers. It integrates directly with popular ecommerce and online ordering platforms and can communicate with other small business toolslike your point of sale (POS) via an open application programming interface (API). The basic Shipday subscription is free to use for up to 300 deliveries per month.
Shipday
What We Like
- Free basic subscription & flexible pricing model
- Dynamic driver app with live tracking and SMS text messaging
- Web-based dispatch dashboard
- Robust online training resources
What’s Missing
- Discounts and fees are not automated
- Separate merchant account required
- Limited cash tracking functions
Deciding Factors:
- Software monthly pricing: $0 $59 with additional charges per order over the first 300 orders
- Order entry options: Manual input, templated forms, Excel sheet upload, direct integration; Scheduled or on-demand
- Direct integrations: 12
- Contract length: No long-term contract required
- Customer support: 24/7 via email and web chat; 9 a.m.9 p.m. Eastern time MondaySaturday via phone
- Standout Features:
- Smart automation capabilities
- Address verification and proof-of-delivery tools
- Robust branding options
- Report generation
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When To Use Shipday
The Shipday team designed this software to support small businesses with tight budgets. It is an excellent tool for small independent restaurants, farms, and retailers wanting to manage a team of in-house delivery drivers.
In particular, we recommend Shipday for:
- Small restaurants, farms, and retail shops needing free software: Shipday is free to use for up to 300 deliveries per month.
- Restaurants and retail shops wanting online ordering integration: Shipday integrates with several popular online ordering platforms and retail ecommerce sites. Restaurant users can easily sync Shipday with GloriaFood plus several others. Retailers can connect to their Square, Shopify, or WooCommerce sites.
- Businesses needing proof of delivery: Shipday allows you to require proof of delivery with photos or digital signatures.
- Shops and restaurants taking delivery orders by phone: Shipdays manual order entry is a streamlined way to organize delivery orders placed by phone or email. You can also upload new orders in bulk via an Excel sheet.
- Farms and small wholesalers distributing to other businesses: If your team delivers your products to the same clients regularly, you can use Shipdays tools to optimize your drivers routes. The templated online ordering forms and delivery scheduling tools will keep your routes organized.
When To Use an Alternative
- Restaurants wanting POS integration: Shipday only integrates directly with Toast POS and lacks other pre-built integrations with the other popular restaurant POS systems . You could build an integration using the systems open API, but try Revel if you want a POS with built-in, comprehensive delivery management and integrated payment processing.
- Shops and restaurants needing cash tracking: Shipdays cash tracking functions are limited. If you need to accept a high volume of cash on your deliveries, check out Tookan .
- Shops and restaurants wanting integrated marketing: You can, technically, download customer contact information from Shipday and use it to create email and SMS text lists for customized marketing. But if you want customizable marketing tools with your delivery system, look into Tock .
Shipday Pricing
Shipdays delivery management software is available at three pricing tiers: Starter, Professional, and Branded Professional. The pricing varies based on the number of deliveries you process monthly and the degree of function you need. This model ensures that small shops and restaurants dont pay for tools they dont use. If you deliver fewer than 300 orders in a month, you can use Shipdays Starter tools for free.
| Starter | Professional | Branded Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $29/month | $59/month |
| Order limit* | 300 orders/month | 300 orders/month + 10 cents per additional order | 300 orders/month + 20 cents per additional order |
| Customer Messaging options | Email or SMS text | Email or SMS text | |
| Customer support | Email and web chat | Email and web chat | Phone, email, and dedicated account manager |
| Driver app with location tracking | |||
| Customer delivery tracking via SMS link | Not included | ||
| Automated dispatch | Not included | ||
| Branded customer experience | Not included | Not included | |
| Custom integrations | Not included | Not included |
*Order limits shown apply to the US and Canada. Use Shipdays global pricing tool to see order limits for other countries.
Shipday also offers an Enterprise-level plan. Previously priced at $1,299 per month, this top-tier program is now custom-quoted and includes all available features, plus greater infrastructure flexibility.
All Shipday subscriptions sync with the Shipday Driver App, which tracks your drivers in real time. Starter subscribers can see this information in their dispatch dashboard; Professional and Branded Professional subscribers can send customers a tracking link to follow.
Another nice feature for small operations: Shipday does not require long-term contracts for any of its subscribers. Use the system as long as you want, and let it go if it no longer fits your business.
Shipday Features
The platform was created by a couple of grad school classmates on a mission to build affordable tools for small businesses. It is easy to see their mission at work in Shipdays flexible pricing structure and right-size tools for small businesses.
Its delivery management tools are incredibly streamlined, giving independent business owners the tools they need to compete with bigger industry players.
The browser-based Shipday dashboard accepts manually entered delivery requests alongside delivery orders from integrated online ordering platforms or built-in delivery request forms. The system has all the tools you need to assign those orders to in-house delivery drivers, dispatch driving directions, and track drivers in real time.
Your dispatch dashboard syncs with the Shipday driver app, giving your delivery team a streamlined interface to accept new deliveries, communicate with customers, and track their earnings.
In addition to the integrations and delivery, driver, and customer management tools well explore in detail below, the Shipday platform also includes:
- Reporting: Shipday tracks your driver performance, delivery history, and customer feedback. You can view these reports from the Shipday dashboard and filter the information by day, week, month, or year. If you want to analyze it further, you can download any report as an Excel sheet.
- Excel integration: Excel communication works in both directions. Professional and Branded Premium subscribers can bulk-upload new deliveries in an Excel file to populate their dispatch screen with new orders quickly. This function is especially useful for farms and wholesale businesses that deliver to the same customers regularly.
- Customizable pickup locations: Courier businesses that need their drivers to pick up items from multiple locations can accept any address as a pickup location. Businesses that only deliver their own products (like flower shops and restaurants) can set a single pickup location for all deliveries.
Integrations
Shipday has a few pre-built integrations, primarily with online ordering and ecommerce platforms. Enabling these integrations requires a Professional- or Branded Premium-level Shipday account. You will also need to subscribe separately to the partner app, which may have its own fees.
Connecting to these pre-configured partners is easily done in the Shipday dashboard. The Shipday team includes foolproof, step-by-step instructions on how to connect these tools.
Shipdays restaurant integrations include:
- Toast POS
- GrubHub
- ChowNow
- CloudWaitress
- Menufy
- GloriaFood
- Zuppler
- eHungry
- Slice
Shipdays retail integrations include:
- Square Online
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
You can also build your own integrations via Shipdays open API. The Shipday team tries to make this as easy as possible, offering comprehensive API codes categorized by function and in multiple programming languages. If the phrase programming languages terrifies you, youll probably want to hire an IT specialist to build the integration for you. Or, opt for the Branded Professional Shipday subscription (which includes custom-built integrations).
Delivery Management
- Manual or automated delivery entry: Enter deliveries directly in the Shipday dashboard, or connect to your ecommerce or online ordering platforms to automate delivery requests.
- Online order form templates: Create delivery request forms and include links on your website.
- Google verified addresses: Shipday scans for address accuracy, so you know an address is valid before dispatching a driver.
- On-demand deliveries: Choose to allow delivery requests at any time.
- Scheduled deliveries: Choose to accept delivery requests on a set timeframe, days, or weeks in advance.
- Delivery confirmation: Require a photograph or digital signature to confirm items were delivered.
Your Shipday dashboard accepts new orders via manual input, Excel sheet upload, or direct integration with compatible ecommerce and online ordering platforms. Shops that use Shipday without any online ordering or POS integrations can accept online orders using one of Shipdays templated order forms.
You can include links to these order forms on your website or social media accounts, and customers fill in all their relevant order information. The only information these online order forms cannot accept is payment. To process payment, youll need to have a merchant account and physical card reader or have an invoicing system.
In your Shipday dashboard, you can choose to accept on-demand delivery requests (i.e., for a restaurant) or scheduled deliveries (i.e., for a flower shop or farm). Shipday scans Google Maps to verify delivery addresses as they are entered, so you can immediately spot errors. To keep everyone on the same page, you can require a photograph or digital signature to confirm completed deliveries.
Driver Management
- Detailed driver profile: Driver profiles include a photograph, contact information, and vehicle information.
- Customizable driver pay: Choose to compensate drivers by mileage or delivery fees.
- Smartphone driver app: The driver app alerts drivers to new orders and provides driving directions.
- Maps integration: Drivers can choose Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze for navigation.
- Driver route optimization: Optimize routes in the Shipday dashboard. Drivers can re-optimize routes from their smartphones.
- Automated dispatch: Professional and Branded Premium users can let Shipday handle driver assignments.
The combination of the Shipday dashboard and the attached Shipday driver app can make any small business owner feel like Ubers CEO. Your drivers download the app on their phone, then choose to go online. As soon as your drivers go online in the driver app, you can see them in your Shipday dashboard. When you assign deliveries to drivers, they receive a prompt in their smartphone app to accept or decline the delivery.
The dispatch screen in your Shipday dashboard shows your driver locations in real time. Professional and Branded Professional users can send customers a text message with a live tracking link so that they can follow their deliveries in real time. You can assign new deliveries to drivers manually, orif you have one of the higher subscription tiersset parameters and allow Shipday to assign deliveries for you automatically.
Shipday lets you choose to compensate your delivery drivers per delivery, by distance, or with a percentage of the delivery fee. You could also choose a combination of these or none at all.
If you deliver to the same customers weekly or only accept scheduled orders, you can create optimized driver routes in your Shipday dashboard. If drivers run into bad weather or construction, they can re-optimize their assigned route in the driver app.
Customer Management
- Email updates: All Shipday subscriptions include email order confirmation and delivery receipts.
- Real-time delivery tracking link: Professional and Branded Premium users can allow customers to track their driver in real time.
- SMS text messaging: Enable drivers to text customers with questions or updates from the driver app.
- Ratings: Prompt customers to rate their experience and track feedback in your Shipday dashboard.
Shipdays customer management tools are slightly limited. Shipday automatically sends delivery confirmations to your customers via email so they know when you entered their order into your system and when it was delivered. Professional and Branded Premium users can also send updated text messages with the deliverys estimated time of arrival (ETA) directly from the dispatch dashboard or text a live tracking link to customers.
At the end of a delivery, customers can rate their experience, allowing you to address any issues or service failures immediately. Shipdays Customer Service report lets you spot trends in customer satisfaction and track your on-time and late deliveries.
Shipday Ease of Use
- Online resources: Detailed videos for multiple staff roles are available on Shipdays website.
- Multiple language support: The driver app is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, French, or Russian.
- 24/7 customer support: Available via email or web chat 24/7 and via phone during extended business hours (9 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern time MondaySaturday)
- Downloadable driver app: Drivers can download the Shipday driving app from Google Play and App Store.
Shipdays management dashboard is organized and easy to read. Tabs along the top of the screen allow you to quickly toggle between dispatch, orders, drivers, reports, and live map views. The main navigation menu also connects you directly to the integration screen, where you can easily toggle on any of Shipdays pre-built integration partners.
If you run into any trouble, you can reach Shipdays customer support team via web chat or check out the video tutorials on the Shipday website.
Drivers can download the Shipday driver app from Google Play and App Store, and they can choose to operate their app in seven languages. It is incredibly easy to navigate and includes live GPS driving directions via Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze. But if you need more support, Shipday offers detailed video tutorials to teach drivers how to use the interface.
To optimize your delivery operation, youll likely want to assign the dispatch tasks to an on-site staff member to enter and assign orders. Depending on the volume of orders, your dispatcher might be a shift supervisor, cook, or a dedicated employee. Anyone can quickly learn Shipdays dispatch functions by viewing the platforms detailed video tutorials.
Shipdays customer support team is available 24/7 via web chat and email. They can also be reached by phone during extended business hours, six days a week. During off-hours, it can take one to two hours to get a response from Shipday. The Shipday dashboard contains a wealth of information, so you may never even need off-hours support. If your shop is busiest during standard business hours, this will also never be a problem.
Shipday Restaurant Software Alternatives
Looking for something else? Consider these alternatives to Shipday.
| Best For | Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Visit Tookan |
Restaurants and retail shops wanting barcode and cash tracking on delivery orders | Monthly fees starting from $29 (plus per-ticket charge once monthly limit is reached) | Read our Tookan review |
 Visit Zippykind |
Small businesses requiring delivery management with a rewards program | Free; paid plans are priced per-ticket ranging from 19 cents to 29 cents | Read our Zippykind review |
 Visit GetSwift |
Retail stores and restaurants using bike couriers | Fees starting at 29 cents per delivery; custom pricing available for enterprise-level clients | Read our GetSwift review |
 Visit Toast |
Small restaurants needing built-in online ordering with payments and simple delivery | Monthly fees starting from $0 (plus processing fees); add-ons available | Read our Toast review |
 Visit Revel Systems |
High-volume delivery restaurants wanting a built-in POS delivery system | Monthly fees starting from $99 per terminal (plus custom processing fees) | Read our Revel Systems review |
What Users Think of Shipday
The platform is well-reviewed across the board. Small business owners who left a Shipday review and high marks like its affordable price and helpful customer support staff.
- Capterra : Shipdays earned a rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 15 user reviews.
- Shopify App Store: Shopify users give the Shipday software 4.2 out of 5 stars based on five reviews.
- Google Play: Drivers rate the Shipday drivers app 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 190+ reviews.
A few negative reviews mention API integration glitches, bugs within the Shipday Drive app, and long customer service response times. However, most reviewers expressed how helpful the Shipday support team is and how easy the system is to use. This difference could be due to the varying levels of customer support included in Shipdays membership tiers. All the Shipday representatives I have interacted with have been responsive and mission-driven.
A number of 3- and 4-star reviews report general satisfaction with the software, but wish for better form customization and more configuration options.
It would be great if Shipday included some marketing tools to enable small, independent businesses to create targeted campaigns for specific customer groups. Technically, users can build an email list by copying emails from their order history, but this requires a lot of administrative time.
For small farms and wholesalers that supply other businesses, it would also be nice to see some invoicing tools or a proprietary accounting integration. Currently, Shipday only connects with QuickBooks through a third-party Zapier integration.
| Users Like | Users Dont Like |
|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go subscription lets small businesses control costs. | Lacks robust integrations for marketing and accounting. |
| Driver app is intuitive and easy to use. | Some API integrations and app functions are glitchy. |
| Customer support reps are friendly and knowledgeable. | Can take time to hear back from customer support. |
Bottom Line
Shipday offers delivery management software with no long-term contracts or specialized equipment. The flexible pricing format is an excellent fit for shops and restaurants wanting to control their costs. Shipdays free Starter subscription is terrific for small shops and farm operations that deliver 300 orders or less every month.
With real-time driver tracking and several online ordering integrations, Shipday is robust enough to support higher-volume courier, retail, or restaurant businesses too. To see if it is right for your business, visit its website to schedule a free demo.
Visit Shipday