ApproveThis manages your ShipStation Integration approvals.

Why Approval Workflows Belong in Your Shipping Process

Let’s cut through the noise: if you’re using ShipStation to manage orders but still chasing down email approvals for exceptions, you’re playing whack-a-mole with your operations. ApproveThis isn’t just another task management tool – it’s the missing layer of decision-making clarity that turns ShipStation from an order printer into a controlled business process engine.

ShipStation excels at mass-order processing. ApproveThis owns structured decision-making. Together via Zapier, they create an audit trail for every exception, approval, or quality check that impacts your fulfillment. For mid-market companies scaling past 50 employees, this combo stops operational leaks that quietly drain margins.

How It Works (Without the Tech Jargon)

ApproveThis acts as the control panel for any ShipStation action needing human judgment. When specific order conditions hit ShipStation – high-value items, custom shipping requests, or new vendor purchases – Zapier automatically routes them through predefined approval chains in ApproveThis. Approvers get email-based decisions (no logins required), and once resolved, ShipStation picks up right where it left off.

Key advantage? ApproveThis doesn’t require approvers to have ShipStation access. Your accounting team can vet high-risk orders without seeing your entire fulfillment pipeline. External partners get looped in via email without complicating user permissions.

Real-World Use Cases That Move Needles

1. The High-Risk Order Checkpoint

When ShipStation detects orders over $5K (or from new customers), ApproveThis triggers CFO-level reviews before labels print. A Portland-based electronics retailer reduced chargebacks by 37% using this combo to flag risky orders for manual fraud checks.

How it clicks: ShipStation’s New Order → ApproveThis calculates order value → If threshold met, CFO gets email approval request → Only upon approval does ShipStation proceed.

2. The Vendor Purchase Handshake

Manufacturers use this to automate purchase order approvals when restocking via ShipStation. Procurement teams set cost ceilings – any inventory order exceeding limits gets auto-routed to department heads. One Midwest auto parts supplier eliminated $220K in overspending last year by plugging this gap.

The kicker: ApproveThis’ calculated fields automatically compare ShipStation order totals against budget thresholds, so there’s no manual number crunching.

3. The Quality Control Gate

When ShipStation marks items as shipped, trigger ApproveThis checklists for warehouse teams to confirm proper packaging documentation. A premium cosmetics brand uses this to enforce unboxing experience standards, reducing customer complaints by 41%.

Why it sticks: Approval requests include ShipStation’s tracking data and photos – approvers have full context without jumping between systems.

Department-Specific Wins

Operations Teams

Stop being the human API between departments. Set up rules where ShipStation order exceptions (expedited shipping, international) auto-pause until ApproveThis gets the right sign-offs. Vacation delegation ensures backups cover approvals so nothing stalls.

Finance Controllers

Embed budget checks into fulfillment. When ShipStation orders hit predefined cost centers, ApproveThis routes them through budget owner approvals. Real-time tracking gives auditors a clear paper trail without digging through emails.

Customer Service Leaders

Reduce “Where’s my order?” calls by 22% (industry average). Use ApproveThis to mandate service notes on delayed shipments – every paused ShipStation order requires CSR input before resuming.

Setup: Nerd-Level Simplicity

1. Connect the dots in Zapier: ShipStation’s triggers (new orders, shipments) → ApproveThis actions (create requests).
2. Define your rules: In ApproveThis, set thresholds (order value, customer tier) that determine when approvals are needed.
3. Assign approvers: Use groups for team-based decisions or sequential chains for hierarchical sign-offs.
4. Test with live data: Zapier’s debugger catches snags before full rollout.

Pro tip: Start with one high-impact workflow (like CFO order approvals) before scaling to complex rules. Most teams see ROI within 11 days.

Why This Isn’t Just Another Integration

ApproveThis doesn’t just pass data to ShipStation – it adds governance. Features like approval thresholds and calculated fields turn ShipStation events into decision points. Example: When ShipStation receives a bulk order, ApproveThis can:

• Check inventory levels via connected APIs
• Calculate margin impact
• Auto-approve or escalate based on real-time data

This isn’t automation for automation’s sake. It’s inserting strategic checkpoints where they impact P&L statements.

The Bottom Line

If ShipStation is your shipping workhorse, ApproveThis is the reins. For companies scaling past 50 employees, unchecked manual approvals create operational drag. This integration replaces email chains and spreadsheet trackers with a structured system that scales.

Ready to stop being the approval bottleneck? Register for ApproveThis and connect your ShipStation account in under 18 minutes. Or, schedule a demo to see how approval thresholds can automate 30% of your routine sign-offs.

P.S. If you’re still approving ShipStation exceptions via Slack emojis, we need to talk.