Kickstarter is connecting crowdfunding campaigns extra on to eCommerce success, launching an official app within the Shopify App Store that lets creators switch finalized backer orders into their Shopify shops.
Available Wednesday (Nov. 11), the mixing connects Kickstarter’s Pledge Manager, its post-campaign software for accumulating delivery info, taxes and add-on purchases, with Shopify’s commerce platform. Creators can sync finalized orders to Shopify for success and mechanically ship monitoring info again to Kickstarter, the place backers can comply with their shipments.
The integration is designed for creators who use Kickstarter to introduce merchandise and construct preliminary demand however depend on Shopify to handle ongoing gross sales and success. It eliminates the necessity to export and reformat spreadsheets earlier than importing backer orders into Shopify.
The app permits creators to match Kickstarter reward variants with Shopify merchandise utilizing inventory preserving unit (SKU) numbers. They can switch orders in batches, pause or resume synchronization and schedule a number of waves of success. Backers have 48 hours to substantiate their delivery addresses earlier than orders are transferred.
The launch displays the rising overlap between crowdfunding and conventional on-line retail. Platforms akin to Kickstarter may also help companies validate demand and finance preliminary manufacturing, whereas commerce infrastructure offers profitable campaigns a approach to handle success and subsequent gross sales by established retail operations.
For creators, that distinction turns into extra essential as campaigns generate bigger order volumes. Kickstarter’s integration is meant to make the transition from a funded mission to a functioning commerce operation much less depending on handbook processes. Its Pledge Manager additionally integrates with ShipStation.
The app is free for Kickstarter creators utilizing Pledge Manager, though normal Kickstarter crowdfunding charges nonetheless apply. Users want a launched Pledge Manager, Shopify administrator entry and matching SKUs for his or her merchandise and Kickstarter rewards.
“Kickstarter is where creators prove there’s demand for an idea, and Shopify is where they grow it into a business,” Jeff Kennedy, who works in partnerships at Shopify, mentioned in a press release.
