If you are a long-time shipper with Chit Chats, you may have noticed some recent changes in the formatting of shipment descriptions. Our line item view, which was solely used for Chit Chats International shipments, has been expanded to Canadian and US bound shipments. Now, when a shipment includes two or more different products, each item will be displayed on a separate line along with its corresponding quantity. The formatting not only aims to provide greater clarity and precision in listing the contents of your shipments but improves other aspects of your workflow. This also ensures our carriers have the proper details for your shipments as providing specific shipment descriptions is important along with quantities.
Line items impacts how you use presets and CSV files, particularly the difference between using shipment and line item presets. Moreover, if you use our standard CSV template to import, you will be required to make the switch to our advanced CSV template. Whether you are manually entering shipment details, using store integrations, or importing via our CSV template, understanding these changes will help streamline your shipping process and avoid potential errors.
In this article, we'll guide you through the specifics of line item view, explain how it affects your workflow, and provide tips on efficiently using presets and the advanced CSV template under this new format.
Store Integrations & Presets
Certain store integrations do not pass through all the order information. For example, Squarespace does not transmit shipment dimensions when imported onto the Chit Chats platform. In cases such as this, we would suggest using a preset to modify the dimensions of all imported orders.
With line item view for all shipments, it is crucial to understand the distinction between shipment and line item presets.
Shipment presets are used to change the overall characteristics of the shipment itself, examples include:
Package
Weight
Size
Postage
Ship date
Signature confirmation
Insurance
More+
Think of shipment presets as qualities that define the general characteristics of the entire shipment or order. For instance, in the previously mentioned case of shipments imported from Squarespace, you would use a shipment preset to bulk edit the dimensions of these orders.
On the other hand, line-item presets are used to modify the specific characteristics of the products in the shipment, examples include:
Quantity
Description
SKU
Unit value
HS code
Origin country
Think of line-item presets as the qualities that define the specific characteristics of each product in the shipment. Some store integrations, such as Etsy, do not import HS codes onto the Chit Chats platform, which are required for certain destinations. In this case, you would have to use a line-item preset in order to edit the applicable shipments to include the specific HS code of the product.
In summary, use shipment presets to modify the order/shipment, and use line-item presets to modify the product. For a more detailed overview on how to use presets, visit our dedicated support article.
CSV Templates
If you used our standard CSV template before the line item view feature was available, you will have to make the change to our advanced version.
Find the template here.
The Chit Chats advanced CSV template requires you to detail the contents of each package in separate rows, similar to the line-item view on the platform. Each row in the advanced CSV template represents a line item, connected by an order ID column. Unlike the Chit Chats standard CSV version, an order ID or unique number is required when importing shipments with the advanced CSV model. Additionally, the advanced template includes more categories, such as HS codes and Country of Origin (COO), which enhances your workflow. To learn more about how to use our CSV template, visit our support article.
Please note that starting September 2, 2024, the standard CSV template will no longer be compatible with the Chit Chats platformIf you have any further questions about line item view and how it may potentially affect your workflow, do not hesitate to contact us.