Transfer Orders
What a transfer order is
A Transfer Order moves inventory between warehouses within the same Teamship account.
Although a transfer uses an outbound shipping action, it is not a customer shipment. Instead, it is an internal warehouse-to-warehouse movement of inventory.
Transfer Orders:
- Ship inventory out of a source warehouse
- Move entire pallets (LPNs)
- Create a corresponding receiving order at the destination warehouse
- Temporarily remove inventory from availability during transit
When to use a transfer order
Use a Transfer Order when:
- Inventory needs to be repositioned between warehouses
- Palletized inventory must move as a unit
- Stock should not be available for customer ordering during transit
- Both warehouses are managed within the same Teamship account
Common use cases include:
- Rebalancing inventory across regions
- Preparing inventory closer to demand
- Consolidating or redistributing stock
- Internal logistics optimization
Where transfer orders are created
Transfer Orders are initiated from the Inventory module using the Ship by LPN tab.
To begin:
- Navigate to Inventory
- Select the Ship by LPN tab
- Select one or more LPNs
- Click Transfer
This action creates an outbound transfer shipment from the source warehouse.
Selecting LPNs for transfer
LPNs selected for transfer must meet the following conditions:
- All LPNs belong to the same warehouse
- All LPNs belong to the same customer
- LPN Management is enabled
- Palletization is enabled
Transfer Orders move whole pallets (LPNs) between warehouses. To move stock from one customer to another in the same warehouse, without moving the pallets, use Transfer Inventory Ownership. It transfers every SKU on the selected LPNs to the new owner.
Selecting the destination warehouse
After selecting LPNs and clicking Transfer:
- You must select a destination warehouse
- The destination warehouse must exist within your account
- Only warehouses available to the warehouse user can be selected
This selection defines where the inventory will be received.
What happens after transfer is initiated
Once the transfer is submitted:
Source warehouse
- Inventory is removed from available stock
- LPNs are placed into an outbound transfer order
- Inventory cannot be ordered by customers during transit
Destination warehouse
- A receiving transfer order is automatically created
- Warehouse staff can:
- Scan LPN barcodes to receive
- Or manually verify receipt of pallets
- Inventory becomes available once received
No customer interaction is required.
Receiving transferred inventory
At the destination warehouse, the transfer appears as a receiving order.
Warehouse staff can:
- Scan LPN barcodes for fast receiving
- Verify pallets manually if scanning is unavailable
- Confirm receipt without re-entering SKU-level details
Because LPNs are preserved, pallet integrity is maintained end-to-end.
Inventory availability during transfer
While inventory is in transit:
- It is fully unavailable for customer orders
- It does not appear as available stock
- It cannot be allocated or shipped
Inventory becomes available again only after receipt is completed at the destination warehouse.
Permissions and restrictions
Warehouse users
- Can create transfer orders
- Can select source and destination warehouses
- Can receive transferred inventory
Customers
- Cannot initiate or view transfer orders
- Cannot order inventory in transit
System requirements
Transfer Orders are only available when:
- LPN Management is enabled
- Palletization is enabled
- Multiple warehouses exist in the account
How transfer orders differ from other outbound workflows
| Workflow | Purpose | Inventory granularity |
|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce Shipping | Customer fulfillment | SKU / unit |
| Bulk Shipping | Large outbound orders | SKU or LPN |
| Ship by LPN | Full pallet shipment | LPN |
| Transfer Orders | Internal warehouse movement | LPN |
| Transfer Inventory Ownership | Change which customer owns stock, same warehouse | SKUs on selected LPNs |