A Simple Guide to Kickstarter Fulfillment

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, online merchants often find themselves excited by the unexpected amount of support they receive for their product ideas, while overwhelmed by the thought of having to ship many more rewards then anticipated.

The good news is that with a plan in place, shipping thousands of Kickstarter rewards can be done quickly and easily. In this post, we talk about a simple Guide to Kickstarter fulfillment service to help Kickstarter and other crowdfunding creators learn how to keep backers happy, such as sourcing from China manufacture into warehouses, ship them out, and reach backers domestically and internationally.

When should a Kickstarter project start thinking about fulfillment?

It doesn’t hurt to look for a shipping partner up front, but don’t over think it too soon. Make sure the project is successful and your product is optimized first. Once your project is successfully funded, contact your fulfillment partner who is ready to receive the products from your suppliers.

What should you consider when choosing a fulfillment partner?

1. Location: Ideally, your utility warehouse partner should be located near your customers to facilitate quick delivery. However, having a fulfillment warehouse in every country might be prohibitively expensive. A strategic alternative is to choose a utility warehouse partner located near your suppliers, enabling quick and cost-effective product shipment to the warehouse.
2. On-demand Pricing: Look for a utility warehouse partner that offers on-demand pricing, which scales with your business as it grows. This flexibility is crucial for managing costs effectively while expanding your operations.
3. Smart Fulfillment: Your utility warehouse partner should provide smart fulfillment services. These include selecting the best shipping channels based on products and destination countries, and assisting in address verification and quality checks before dispatching products to your customers.
4. Custom Packaging: Inquire if your utility warehouse partner offers custom packaging options. Delivering an extraordinary customer experience can be achieved through customized boxes and marketing inserts, which can significantly enhance brand perception and customer satisfaction.
5. Inventory Management: Ensure that your utility warehouse partner provides real-time visibility of inventory status. Knowing the pace of inventory replenishment is crucial, as backers (or customers) will be dissatisfied if they purchase something that is out of stock.

When should you start to think about packaging?

The answer is as early as possible. Intelligent packaging can make or break the profitability of a product. Keep your fulfillment partner informed of the packaging requirements, because they play a key role in delivering your brand image and a satisfied shopping experience.

What information should you provide to a fulfillment company?

In order to provide a custom shipping solution and send rewards to backers as the estimated date, a fulfillment company often requires the following information:

• Product catalog
• Packaging requirement
• Weight and dimension
• Main destination countries
• Estimated shipping date

Knowing the above information is good for a fulfillment company to help you find out the most suitable shipping channel, thus save you a small fortune on shipping.

For more information about Kickstarter fulfillment, you can contact us to get a fulfillment quote to learn more.