How does DS-Mate fulfill my orders?

Steps

1. 1A paid order arrives from your store. First it waits in Protection Window so the buyer can still cancel. To change how long, go to Settings > Stores and click Configure under "Set a protection window per channel".
2. 2DS-Mate checks the order (Checking order…). If something is missing, the order shows a status such as Needs attention or Address needed instead. Open it and follow the notice.
3. 3Payment happens one of three ways:

• Auto-pay (Starter and Growth): with Auto-pay with credits on for the store (Settings > Stores, on the store's card), DS-Mate pays the supplier from your service credits and the order moves to Placing your order.
• Pay yourself: the order shows Ready to Fulfill, with a Pay with card button in the list. On Order Details you can choose Pay with card or Pay with service credits. Service credits need Starter or Growth.
• Your own AliExpress account (Starter and Growth): click Place on AliExpress. The order then shows Awaiting AE Payment. Pay it on AliExpress (Pay on AE), then click Mark as Paid or wait for DS-Mate to detect the payment.

4. 4After payment the order moves through Queued for processing, Awaiting shipping (the supplier has it), In transit and Shipped.
5. 5When a tracking number is available, DS-Mate sends it to your sales channel, and the channel's status (Shipped, then Delivered) takes over.

Good to know

• Monthly order allowance: Free 30, Starter 100, Growth 250. Every order fulfilled through DS-Mate counts, including ones you pay for by hand. The meter above the orders table shows "N / M orders used this month".
• When the allowance runs out on Free, you are asked to upgrade (Upgrade to Starter). On Starter and Growth, orders past the allowance are charged your plan's per order rate. Starter can also upgrade to Growth. Growth has no higher plan, and its allowance resets at the start of the next billing period.
• Free uses the DS-Mate supplier only (AliExpress catalogue). Your own supplier accounts, service credits and auto-pay need Starter or higher.
• If your service credits run out, auto-paid orders stop at Ready to Fulfill. Top up, or pay for them with Pay with card.
• Turning Auto-pay with credits off makes new orders wait for you. Orders already paid from credits still finish.
• If the supplier price rises above what you approved, the order shows Price Changed. Review it and pay again. Failed orders show Failed, and many can be cleared with Retry on Order Details.