Learn About Post-Purchase Estimated Delivery Dates (EDDs)
Plans: Premium, Enterprise Platforms: All Platforms
Estimated delivery dates (EDDs) are critical in eCommerce businesses as they provide customers with an expectation of when they can expect to receive their orders. It helps customers plan and manage their schedules accordingly and ensures they are available to receive their packages.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
Original Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
Sources of EDDs
Carrier estimated delivery date
AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date (AEDD)
Promised delivery date
Custom estimated delivery date
FAQs
EDD is the date customers see on their email and branded tracking page, sourced from the list of priorities described here.
There are certain circumstances wherein the EDD will not be shown to end customers if it is sourced from AI EDD or custom EDD:
There are exceptions or failed attempts with the parcel, making the EDD inaccurate.
The parcel is out for delivery or available for pickup, making the EDD not useful to the customer.
We will record the Original EDD at admin, representing the first EDD customers see on their email and BTP.
The Original Estimated Delivery Date depends on which EDD comes up first, with source described here.
If there are no changes to the EDD, we won't show the Original EDD at admin.
Note: AfterShip displays both the Original EDD and EDD on the admin dashboard. However, it only displays the EDD on the email and BTP.
There are different sources of EDDs available, and hence to your customers the most accurate EDD, AfterShip takes these into account based on the priority given below:
Carrier estimated delivery date
AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
Promised delivery date (Imported with shipments)
Custom estimated delivery date
Let’s discuss all the sources of EDDs in detail.
The Carrier estimated delivery date is sourced directly from AfterShip’s integration with carrier tracking services, representing the carrier’s best estimate of when the shipment would be delivered.
Carrier EDDs are provided by the carrier anytime throughout the course of a tracking journey and are subject to change and update accordingly.
Carrier EDDs become more accurate once the shipment is on the route towards the recipient.
AfterShip leverages AI and proprietary tracking data to provide the estimated delivery date known as AfterShip AI Predicted Estimated Delivery Date (AEDD). AEDD proactively engages with your customers and provides EDDs with higher than industry-level accuracy.
AEDD is provided after the parcel is picked up by the carrier. It dynamically updates predictions by leveraging key logistic events throughout the course of a tracking journey. Please refer to the Set up AEDD help guide on how to set it up.
The Promised delivery date is a date that is passed to AfterShip Tracking via the tracking API. It is used in cases where the merchants have their own projections of when their shipments will arrive.
To provide a Retailer Promise Date, please pass the data through the AfterShip Tracking API using the field order_promised_delivery_date.
The Custom estimated delivery date is a date that can be configured on AfterShip Tracking’s admin dashboard. It is used in cases where merchants already have a mechanism to calculate the estimated delivery date based on the shipping type, carrier, and destination.
To provide the Custom EDD to your customers, feel free to set it up on AfterShip Tracking admin > Add-ons > Estimated Delivery Dates (EDD) > Dashboard > Post-purchase EDD > Edit > Custom EDD. You can also refer to the help guide Set up custom EDD for more details.
Below are scenarios to explaining how EDD changes throughout a tracking journey:
When the order is placed, only the Promised delivery date is provided and displayed to consumers until the Carrier EDD is provided.
❌ Carrier estimated delivery date
❌ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
When a carrier picks up the parcel but does not provide an EDD, AfterShip provides and displays an estimated delivery date based on AI until the Carrier EDD is provided.
❌ Carrier estimated delivery date
✅ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
When the parcel is carried and transported by a carrier, and the estimated delivery date has been provided by both the carrier and AfterShip, then the Carrier EDD is displayed to the customer.
✅ Carrier estimated delivery date
✅ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
Estimated delivery date will be selected according to the priority: Carrier EDD (estimated delivery date provided by the carrier) > AI EDD (estimated delivery date detected by the AfterShip's AI model) > Imported with shipment > Custom EDD (estimated delivery date calculated according to your settings)
Not all carriers provide EDD. Therefore, it's better to enable both AI EDD and Custom EDD
Your customers will be able to check the EDD via:
Order tracking page
Email notification
We will clearly mention whether it is a Carrier EDD, AI-EDD, EDD imported with the shipment, or Custom EDD.
Go to your AfterShip's Shipments section and click on any shipment to see its detail page
Move down to the Promised delivery date section under Order details. There you can see the estimated delivery date and the original estimated delivery date. Below each title you can see which EDD your customers will be looking at. For example, Provided by carrier or Based on custom settings.
To view additional EDD sources, click View EDD sources. Based on your EDD settings, you can see the estimated delivery date calculated for a particular shipment.
If you still find it difficult to find your way around the feature, reach out to our support team now.
If you have any queries, feel free to connect with our support team for quick assistance.
Overview
Estimated delivery dates (EDDs) are critical in eCommerce businesses as they provide customers with an expectation of when they can expect to receive their orders. It helps customers plan and manage their schedules accordingly and ensures they are available to receive their packages.
What you’ll learn
In this article, we’ll discuss:
Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
Original Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
Sources of EDDs
Carrier estimated delivery date
AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date (AEDD)
Promised delivery date
Custom estimated delivery date
FAQs
Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
EDD is the date customers see on their email and branded tracking page, sourced from the list of priorities described here.
There are certain circumstances wherein the EDD will not be shown to end customers if it is sourced from AI EDD or custom EDD:
There are exceptions or failed attempts with the parcel, making the EDD inaccurate.
The parcel is out for delivery or available for pickup, making the EDD not useful to the customer.
Original Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)
We will record the Original EDD at admin, representing the first EDD customers see on their email and BTP.
The Original Estimated Delivery Date depends on which EDD comes up first, with source described here.
If there are no changes to the EDD, we won't show the Original EDD at admin.
Note: AfterShip displays both the Original EDD and EDD on the admin dashboard. However, it only displays the EDD on the email and BTP.
Sources of EDDs
There are different sources of EDDs available, and hence to your customers the most accurate EDD, AfterShip takes these into account based on the priority given below:
Carrier estimated delivery date
AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
Promised delivery date (Imported with shipments)
Custom estimated delivery date
Let’s discuss all the sources of EDDs in detail.
Carrier estimated delivery date
The Carrier estimated delivery date is sourced directly from AfterShip’s integration with carrier tracking services, representing the carrier’s best estimate of when the shipment would be delivered.
Carrier EDDs are provided by the carrier anytime throughout the course of a tracking journey and are subject to change and update accordingly.
Carrier EDDs become more accurate once the shipment is on the route towards the recipient.
AfterShip AI Predicted Estimated Delivery Date (AEDD)
AfterShip leverages AI and proprietary tracking data to provide the estimated delivery date known as AfterShip AI Predicted Estimated Delivery Date (AEDD). AEDD proactively engages with your customers and provides EDDs with higher than industry-level accuracy.
AEDD is provided after the parcel is picked up by the carrier. It dynamically updates predictions by leveraging key logistic events throughout the course of a tracking journey. Please refer to the Set up AEDD help guide on how to set it up.
Promised delivery date
The Promised delivery date is a date that is passed to AfterShip Tracking via the tracking API. It is used in cases where the merchants have their own projections of when their shipments will arrive.
To provide a Retailer Promise Date, please pass the data through the AfterShip Tracking API using the field order_promised_delivery_date.
Custom estimated delivery date
The Custom estimated delivery date is a date that can be configured on AfterShip Tracking’s admin dashboard. It is used in cases where merchants already have a mechanism to calculate the estimated delivery date based on the shipping type, carrier, and destination.
To provide the Custom EDD to your customers, feel free to set it up on AfterShip Tracking admin > Add-ons > Estimated Delivery Dates (EDD) > Dashboard > Post-purchase EDD > Edit > Custom EDD. You can also refer to the help guide Set up custom EDD for more details.
FAQs
1. How EDD changes through a tracking journey?
Below are scenarios to explaining how EDD changes throughout a tracking journey:
When the order is placed, only the Promised delivery date is provided and displayed to consumers until the Carrier EDD is provided.
❌ Carrier estimated delivery date
❌ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
When a carrier picks up the parcel but does not provide an EDD, AfterShip provides and displays an estimated delivery date based on AI until the Carrier EDD is provided.
❌ Carrier estimated delivery date
✅ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
When the parcel is carried and transported by a carrier, and the estimated delivery date has been provided by both the carrier and AfterShip, then the Carrier EDD is displayed to the customer.
✅ Carrier estimated delivery date
✅ AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date
❌ Custom estimated delivery date
✅ Promised delivery date
2. What will happen when both AI EDD and Custom EDD are enabled?
Estimated delivery date will be selected according to the priority: Carrier EDD (estimated delivery date provided by the carrier) > AI EDD (estimated delivery date detected by the AfterShip's AI model) > Imported with shipment > Custom EDD (estimated delivery date calculated according to your settings)
Not all carriers provide EDD. Therefore, it's better to enable both AI EDD and Custom EDD
Your customers will be able to check the EDD via:
Order tracking page
Email notification
3. How would I know which EDD my customers will see?
We will clearly mention whether it is a Carrier EDD, AI-EDD, EDD imported with the shipment, or Custom EDD.
Go to your AfterShip's Shipments section and click on any shipment to see its detail page
Move down to the Promised delivery date section under Order details. There you can see the estimated delivery date and the original estimated delivery date. Below each title you can see which EDD your customers will be looking at. For example, Provided by carrier or Based on custom settings.
To view additional EDD sources, click View EDD sources. Based on your EDD settings, you can see the estimated delivery date calculated for a particular shipment.
If you still find it difficult to find your way around the feature, reach out to our support team now.
If you have any queries, feel free to connect with our support team for quick assistance.
Updated on: 15/03/2024
Thank you!