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What Does Pending Fulfillment Mean?

the term "Pending Fulfillment" holds a specific significance within e-commerce

  • Written by Ellie Kwon
  • Published on December 28, 2023
  • Time to read 9 minutes

The term “Pending Fulfillment” holds a specific significance within e-commerce.

What is Pending Fulfillment?

Typically, when an order is labeled as Pending Fulfillment, it indicates that either the invoice hasn’t been sent, or the fulfillment process has commenced but is yet to reach completion. During this phase, the company has acknowledged and accepted your order for fulfillment but is currently awaiting the processing of the order. This implies that the picking and packing procedures are still underway, with one of the teams actively retrieving items from the designated location or about to commence this process.

Awaiting Fulfillment vs. Pending Fulfillment 

“Awaiting Fulfillment” is frequently used interchangeably with “Pending Fulfillment” in e-commerce scenarios. Essentially, there’s no substantive difference between the two terms; they both signify that your order hasn’t been dispatched because the picking and packing tasks haven’t been finalized, and the company isn’t prepared to hand it over to a shipping partner or have it picked up.

When checking the status of your order and encountering “Pending Fulfillment,” it signifies that the logistics team in the warehouse has yet to initiate the fulfillment process involving the picking and packing the items specified in your order.

Pending Fulfillment and Warehouses

The “Pending Fulfillment” status is crucial for warehouses because it indicates that the order is being fulfilled, which involves picking and packing items. Warehouses need to ensure that they have enough stock of the items requested by the customer and that the products are in the right location for efficient picking. Once the picking and packing tasks are completed, the order can be handed over to a shipping partner or picked up by the customer. By monitoring the “Pending Fulfillment” status, warehouses can keep track of the orders they need to fulfill and ensure that they meet their customers’ expectations.

Other Statuses To Keep in Mind

Apart from the Pending status, there are several other order statuses to be aware of:

Submitted for Fulfillment

This indicates that your order has been accepted for fulfillment, and the fulfillment and delivery processes are in progress at the fulfillment center.

Pending/Awaiting Fulfillment

After submission for fulfillment, your order is in the queue, awaiting acceptance and processing by the logistics company.

Partially Shipped and Shipped

Only a portion of the ordered items has been shipped, possibly because the customer requested partial shipment or early delivery of specific items.

Delivery

When the order status shows completed or delivered, the carrier has delivered the package, and the product has reached the buyer.

Regarding the time frame for Pending Fulfillment, companies typically require 48-72 hours for this process. You’ll receive an email notification when the fulfillment is complete, along with tracking information for your order.

Conclusion

It is crucial to note that the time frame for the Pending Fulfillment process typically spans 48-72 hours. This information is a valuable reference for customers wondering about the duration before their order transitions to the following status. Ultimately, the conclusion of the Pending Fulfillment stage is marked by an email notification containing details of the completed fulfillment, including tracking information. This comprehensive insight into the order fulfillment process contributes to a more transparent and informed consumer e-commerce experience.

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