What is it?
Automated Booking Rules (ABR) allow retailers to define intelligent shipping method selection logic that runs automatically at the point of booking. Instead of relying on a single carrier product per shipment, ABR creates a priority list of shipping options and automatically tries the next best option if the first one fails.
Think of it as an "If This Then That" system for carrier selection — book the cheapest option first, and if it can't handle the shipment (due to weight, size, or carrier availability), automatically fall back to the next suitable option.
Key benefits
Reduce shipping costs — automatically select the cheapest suitable carrier product for each shipment based on conditions like weight, size, and parcel count
Eliminate manual error handling — when a booking fails, the system automatically retries with the next option instead of requiring warehouse staff to intervene
Increase warehouse efficiency — fewer manual interventions means lower cost per parcel and faster dispatch, especially in automated warehouse environments
Built-in fallback logic — if a carrier's API is unavailable or rejects a shipment, the next option is tried immediately — no downtime, no manual rebooking
Automatic pickup point selection — for supported carriers, the system can automatically select the closest pickup point based on the customer's address
How it works
Retailer defines booking rules — a priority list of carrier products with conditions (e.g., weight limits, dimension limits, parcel count)
Shipment is created — when an order is ready for dispatch, ABR evaluates the shipment against the defined rules
Priority list is generated — eligible carrier products are ranked in order of preference
Booking is attempted — the system tries the first option
If it fails → automatic retry — the system moves to the next option in the list, regardless of why the first failed (carrier error, validation failure, API timeout)
Until success or exhaustion — the process continues until a booking succeeds or all options are exhausted
Use cases
Cost optimization with automatic fallback
A retailer works with three carrier products: a budget option for small parcels, a standard option for medium parcels, and a premium option for large or heavy items. ABR is configured to always try the budget option first. If the parcel exceeds the budget carrier's weight or size limits, the system automatically books with the standard option instead — no manual intervention needed.
Result: The cheapest viable carrier is always selected, reducing average shipping cost per order.
Carrier resilience during peak periods
During Black Friday, a retailer's primary carrier experiences intermittent API failures. Without ABR, each failure requires manual rebooking by warehouse staff — creating a bottleneck. With ABR, failed bookings automatically retry with a secondary carrier, keeping dispatch running smoothly.
Result: No shipment delays during carrier outages. Warehouse staff focus on packing, not rebooking.
Multi-carrier strategy for different parcel types
A retailer ships everything from small accessories to large furniture. ABR routes small single-parcel shipments to a parcel locker carrier (cheapest), medium shipments to a standard home delivery carrier, and heavy multi-parcel shipments to a freight carrier — all automatically based on shipment characteristics.
Result: Each shipment is routed to the most appropriate and cost-effective carrier without manual carrier selection.
Automated pickup point selection
A retailer offers pickup point delivery but uses ABR to automatically fall back between carriers. For supported carriers (e.g., Instabox, Budbee, ICA Paket, PostNord MyPack Collect), the system automatically selects the closest pickup point based on the customer's address — no manual selection required.
Result: Pickup point delivery works across multiple carriers without warehouse staff needing to select specific locations.
Supported carriers for automatic pickup point selection
The following carriers support automatic closest-pickup-point selection with ABR:
Instabox
Budbee
ICA Paket
PostNord MyPack Collect
This list is expanding. Contact the Transport team for the latest supported carriers.
FAQ
Q: Can I set up Automated Booking Rules myself?
A: ABR configuration is currently managed by the Ingrid team through the Transport Administration platform. You can view configured rules in the Booking Rules section of the Transport settings.
Q: Does ABR guarantee every shipment will be booked?
A: No. ABR retries with all available options in the priority list, but if all options fail, the booking will still require manual handling. ABR significantly reduces the number of failed bookings that need intervention.
Q: What happens if my primary carrier's API goes down?
A: ABR automatically moves to the next carrier in the priority list. The system doesn't distinguish between carrier API errors, validation failures, or other issues — it simply tries the next option.
Q: Can I use ABR for pickup point deliveries?
A: Yes, for supported carriers. The system automatically selects the closest pickup point based on the customer address. Note that pickup points cannot be "translated" between carriers — the system selects the nearest option from each carrier's network.
Q: Can ABR be used alongside other booking rules?
A: Yes. ABR works on top of existing booking rule configurations. It adds fallback and cost-optimization logic without replacing your existing setup.
Getting started
Contact your Ingrid implementation team to discuss your carrier strategy and configure Automated Booking Rules for your shipments. You'll need to define your carrier products, priority preferences, and any shipment-based conditions (weight, dimensions, parcel count).