Shopify's partnership documentation mentions LCL and FCL ocean freight with customs clearance for shipments from China to the US. Does that freight-forwarding side require a separate Flexport contract from the 3PL fulfillment side?
Short answer
Yes, Flexport's freight side sits in a separate contract from its fulfillment side, because a different Flexport company runs each. Fulfillment sits in Deliverr, Inc.'s terms of service, "a contract between you and Deliverr" (flexport.com, October 2026). Ocean forwarding runs through Flexport International LLC and US customs brokerage through Flexport Customs LLC (Flexport Terms and Conditions, October 2026).
- Fulfillment counterparty
- Deliverr, Inc.Its terms of service call themselves "a contract between you and Deliverr" and make fee changes effective 30 days after notice.Source: Flexport (Deliverr Terms of Service for Distribution and Fulfillment Services)
- Freight and customs counterparties
- Flexport International LLC; Flexport Customs LLCOcean forwarding by a licensed ocean transportation intermediary; US customs brokerage by "a licensed customs broker with a national permit".Source: Flexport (Flexport Terms and Conditions)
- Freight in Flexport's Shopify app
- Ocean only; China to the US per its help articleLess-than-container-load and full-container-load ocean freight with customs clearance; no third-party brokers. Flexport's Chinese product page also lists Vietnam, Taiwan, India and Australia to the US.Sources: Flexport Help Center (The Flexport App on Shopify); Flexport (Shopify shipping made easy with the Flexport App (Chinese edition))
- Ocean freight and the $5,000 minimum
- Not on Flexport's qualifying listOnly truckload and less-than-truckload freight booked in Flexport's Seller Portal counts toward the monthly fulfillment minimum.Source: Flexport Help Center (Monthly Minimum Fee)
Deploi’s call
Buy the freight side on its own merits and leave the warehouse decision where it is. These are two purchases with two counterparties, and bundling them at the contract stage hands the vendor your bargaining power for no operational gain.
BuyBuy Flexport freight on its own when
- Your current warehouse partner works, because Flexport's ocean service includes drayage and moves "containers from port to warehouse" (Flexport, October 2026).
- You'll accept Flexport as your customs broker, because the Shopify app supports no third-party brokers (Flexport Help Center, October 2026).
- Your ocean freight ships to the US from a country the Shopify app serves. Flexport's help article names only China to the US, while its Chinese product page adds Vietnam, Taiwan, India and Australia (Flexport Help Center, Flexport, October 2026).
DependsPut both sides with Flexport when
- Inbound freight and fulfillment must sit with one vendor, the case the ShipBob vs. Flexport record keeps for Flexport (October 2026).
- Every month clears $5,000 of qualifying spend without counting ocean freight, which isn't on Flexport's list (Flexport Help Center, October 2026).
- Your counsel has read Deliverr, Inc.'s fulfillment terms beside the freight terms.
Basis: ShipBob vs. Flexport on Shopify: Which 3PL Wins?, our Build vs. Buy decision record, scored BUY.
Is Flexport's freight side a separate contract from its fulfillment side?
Yes: Flexport contracts its freight side separately from its fulfillment side, through different Flexport companies. Flexport's terms page says its Primary Terms "apply to all services provided by Flexport", with supplemental terms for each service (Flexport Terms and Conditions, October 2026). US fulfillment runs under Deliverr, Inc.'s terms of service, "a contract between you and Deliverr" (Flexport, October 2026). Ocean forwarding is provided by Flexport International LLC, and US customs brokerage by Flexport Customs LLC.
The Shopify setup paths are separate too, so the two sides don't start from one signature. The freight app sends an account invite "Upon accepting your freight estimate and completing enrollment" (Flexport Help Center, October 2026). Fulfillment connects from Apps > Fulfillment Network in the Shopify admin (Shopify Help Center, October 2026). The wider decision, whether Flexport adds anything for a US-domestic-only brand, comes first.
How do Flexport's freight and fulfillment sides differ?
Flexport's freight and fulfillment sides differ in who you contract with, how you pay and what you commit to, so procurement should treat them as two purchases. The partnership documentation behind the question is Flexport's help article, which opens "Through a strategic partnership with Shopify" (Flexport Help Center, October 2026). It covers less-than-container-load (LCL) and full-container-load (FCL) ocean freight with customs clearance.
| Term | Freight side | Fulfillment side |
|---|---|---|
| Who you contract with | Flexport International LLC; Flexport Customs LLC for US customs | Deliverr, Inc. |
| What you buy | Ocean freight, drayage, customs clearance, optional cargo insurance | Storage, pick, pack, ship and returns |
| Lane or footprint | China to the US; "Additional countries will be added soon" | Seven warehouses in the US, Canada and UK |
| Shopify surface | The Flexport App on Shopify, whose listing reads "not currently available" | Shopify's Fulfillment Network app |
| How it's priced | A quote per shipment, valid for the period it states | A fee schedule, plus a $5,000 monthly minimum |
| Price changes | Carrier surcharges "may occur without prior notice" | Fee changes take effect 30 days after notice |
Does ocean freight booked with Flexport count toward the fulfillment minimum?
No, ocean freight booked with Flexport doesn't count toward the $5,000 fulfillment minimum, because Flexport's list of qualifying spend leaves it out. The list covers fulfillment, reserve storage, parcel, "FTL/LTL Freight (booked via Seller Portal)", pallet and case handling, label services, prep and credit card processing (Flexport Help Center, October 2026). Full truckload (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight counts only when it's booked in Flexport's Seller Portal.
So a container from China doesn't shrink a short month's top-up, which means the two sides can't be traded against each other. A brand that books containers with Flexport still needs $5,000 of qualifying fulfillment spend every month, or it pays the gap. Get Flexport's answer for your account in writing before you model it any other way.
What should you confirm before signing either side?
Confirm four things before signing either side, because the two contracts end and change on different terms:
- Which document wins if they conflict. Flexport's Primary Terms apply to every service, while the fulfillment terms call themselves "the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding of the parties" (Flexport, October 2026).
- Who your customs broker is. The Shopify freight app uses Flexport's brokerage: "Third-party customs brokers are not supported" (Flexport Help Center, October 2026). How Flexport handles customs paperwork on international orders separates import entries from outbound parcels.
- How each side ends. Fulfillment can end "at any time" with a cancellation request (Flexport, October 2026). On freight, Flexport may charge if you cancel an ocean shipment "within 2 days prior to shipper instructions cut-off" (Flexport, October 2026).
- Whether the freight app is still the route. Its listing reads "This app is not currently available on the Shopify App Store" (Flexport on the Shopify App Store, October 2026), while Flexport's help article still points to it. Ask Flexport which surface is current.
When does buying only one side make sense?
Buying only one side makes sense when your current setup already covers the other, so price each side on its own:
- Freight only: viable, and it leaves your current third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse untouched. Drayage is part of Flexport's ocean service in the Shopify app (Flexport Help Center, October 2026), and its forwarding page describes moving "containers from port to warehouse" (Flexport, October 2026). Book the receiving appointment with your 3PL before the container lands.
- Fulfillment only: viable, but at a $5,000 monthly floor (Flexport Help Center, October 2026). You'd be buying a domestic warehouse from a company whose distinct strength is the freight you're not buying. Price it against ShipBob and Shipfusion on rates alone. What to ask for in a first Flexport quote lists the lines.
Deploi’s point of view
Our own position, from building on Shopify. Kept apart from the sourced facts above.
- Where we disagree
- The integration is marketed as end to end, factory floor to customer door, and the capability claim is fair. The commitment claim is not: one side carries a $5,000 monthly floor and the other publishes none, and ocean freight booked with Flexport doesn't count toward that floor. Ask which document the minimum lives in and the seam shows at once.
- What this page adds
- The parent asks whether Flexport adds anything for a US-domestic-only brand. This page answers the contract question an importer meets next: fulfillment runs under Deliverr, Inc.'s terms while ocean forwarding and customs run through other Flexport companies, ocean freight doesn't count toward the $5,000 minimum, and buying freight alone leaves an existing warehouse partner in place.
Decision records behind this answer
When this answer changes
- Flexport changes which companies or terms cover freight, customs or fulfillment.
- Flexport adds ocean freight to the spend that counts toward the $5,000 minimum.
- The Flexport freight app becomes available again on the Shopify App Store, or Flexport retires it.
- Flexport's help article and its product page agree on the app's lanes, or the app adds airfreight or third-party customs brokers.
Related questions
- Does Flexport handle customs and duties documentation for a Shopify Markets international order differently than a domestic-only 3PL would?
Flexport handles customs paperwork on a Shopify Markets order no differently from a domestic-only third-party logistics (3PL) provider, because the merchant-of-record setup decides it.
- Since Flexport doesn't publish standard pricing, what should a mid-market Shopify brand ask for in an initial quote conversation?
A first Flexport quote needs three things in writing: your own rates, how the $5,000 monthly minimum applies (Flexport Help Center, October 2026), and the notice and exit terms.
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. Official and vendor pages are checked on the date shown; Deploi records are our own published decisions.
- Flexport, Deliverr Terms of Service for Distribution and Fulfillment Services
- Flexport, Flexport Terms and Conditions
- Flexport Help Center, The Flexport App on Shopify
- Flexport Help Center, Monthly Minimum Fee
- Shopify Help Center, Getting started with Flexport
- Flexport, Rate and Quote Terms and Conditions
- Flexport, Flexport Freight Made Easy on the Shopify App Store
- Flexport, Ocean Freight Forwarding
- Flexport, eCommerce Order Fulfillment Services
- Flexport, Shopify shipping made easy with the Flexport App (Chinese edition)
- Deploi Build vs. Buy, ShipBob vs. Flexport on Shopify: Which 3PL Wins?