Packaging Materials Options

Last updated: October 19, 2026

As part of onboarding, each merchant selects a packaging materials (boxes or mailers) option that aligns with their brand’s approach to post-purchase experience and product handling. Manifest supports three packaging materials options, each with distinct technical configuration and warehouse workflows.

Please note: Your selected packaging materials policy determines the warehouse SOP, labor requirements, and handling expectations. Changes to your packaging materials option or SOP after onboarding may result in pricing updates to reflect the operational impact.

Option 1: Manifest "Stock" Packaging

*This is our most commonly selected packaging material option by our brands due to  cost, workflow, and configuration efficiency.

  • Packaging materials (boxes or mailers) are not included as a line item in the ShipHero order

  • Manifest utilizes standard "stock" (unlabeled, unbranded) mailers and/or corrugate boxes to ship all orders

  • ShipHero's packing workflow suggests packaging material based on the dimensions of the product(s) in the order against the cubic capacity of packaging material to minimize package void and cost

    • While directionally accurate, the packaging material suggestion is imperfect and may require a human packer's discretion to use more suitable packaging material

Option 2: Single, Uniform Custom Packaging Material

*If you plan to use custom packaging, we strongly recommend this option for single, uniform custom packaging material over Option 3 below.

  • Packaging materials (boxes or mailers) must be included as a line item in the ShipHero order

  • Merchant chooses a single custom mailer or box for all orders to ship in

    • *If the items in an order will not fit with integrity in the determined packaging material, Manifest will use their discretion to ship in Manifest stock material

  • Merchant is responsible for design, procurement, SKU creation (in ShipHero), and shipping to Manifest via Inbound PO

  • Manifest will set up an automation rule to include a single unit of the custom packaging material SKU as a line item along with the items in each customer order

  • Packaging material is billed at the Custom Packaging Material rate listed on the rate card

Option 3: Advanced Custom Packaging Material Logic

*This applies to any scenario where more than one single custom packaging material can be used, e.g. where smaller orders should go in a "small" custom box and larger orders go in a "large" custom box.

  • Packaging materials (boxes or mailers) must be included as a line item in the ShipHero order

  • Merchant and Manifest work through a custom Solutions proposal based on merchant's desired outcomes which may include:

    • Selling platform logic (e.g. Shopify Flow > set tags)

    • ShipHero automation rule logic (e.g. tag-based packaging material SKU inclusion)

    • Physical operations workflows on the warehouse floor

    • Value-added service (VAS) costs

  • IMPORTANT NOTES:

    • All custom packaging material must be set deterministically for each order by being included as a line item in the order to ensure both accurate placement within the custom packaging material as well as accurate inventory counts for the custom packaging material

    • Generally, the more possible order permutations a brand has as a result of their product catalog, the more complex the rule logic is to facilitate highly accurate determination of the "correct" custom packaging material from multiple sizes/options

Custom Assembly

The above options only cover placing orders’ line items into a custom packaging material for shipping (a custom mailer or a custom box). Custom assembly may include stickering, placing units into primary product packaging (not shipping mailers or boxes), specific orientation of goods within a package, etc. and is handled through Work Orders, through which we “pre-assemble” to specification. Work Order scope of work requests must be submitted to your account manager. Once submitted, our Operations team will review the request and your account manager will communicate with you regarding the details.