Allocate an order to another child account

Overview

• This article explains how you can allocate an order to a child account when it is imported into DHL Express Commerce.
• For example, you might own multiple stores in the same country and you want every store to manage their own shipping to reduce the cost. You can set up a rule that will allocate an order to the correct store (child account) according to the location.
• You can manually allocate an order to a child account, or you set set up a rule to do so. 

Allow direct assignment between child accounts

Direct sibling assignment is available but is off by default. The parent enables it separately for each child account that will send orders:

1. In the parent account, go to Settings > Child accounts.
2. Edit the sending child account.
3. Select Allow sending orders to other child accounts.
4. Select Save child account, then reopen the account to confirm the setting.

This permits the sending account to assign eligible New orders to other eligible child accounts under that parent. It does not enable the reverse direction; enable the option on the other account too if it needs to send orders back.

When the option is off, use the existing two-step route: assign the New order back to the parent, then assign it from the parent to the destination child account.

Manually allocate an order to a child account

1. Go to the New tab in your Orders page.
2. Right-click the order(s) you want to reassign, then click Assign to account.
3. Select the child account from the list.
   • NB: This will only be possible if you have set up a child account.
   • NB: You can reassign orders back to your parent account from the child account using the manual method, but you can't reassign orders from one child account to another.
   • NB: This can only be done with orders in the New tab.
4. Click Assign to reassign the order.

Verify the assignment

Open the destination account and find the order in New. Check its items, delivery address, shipping service and package details before printing. Confirm the order has moved out of the sending account's New list.

If an assignment fails, check the order in both accounts before trying again. Do not create a replacement order just because a transfer result is uncertain.

Create a rule to allocate an order to a child account

You can create a rule to automatically allocate orders to a child accounts based on certain conditions. For example:

1. Go to Settings > Rules > Add a new rule.
2. Under conditions, select Destination Post Code.
3. Enter your list of postcodes.
4. Select Assign to Another Account.
5. Select the account name.
6. Click Save

Troubleshooting

The sibling account is missing

Check the option on the sending child account, that both accounts belong to the same parent, and that neither is a multi-user or multi-workstation account. Reopen the order after saving the account setting. Use the parent route if direct sibling assignment is unavailable.

The order cannot be assigned

For a sibling move, check that the order is still in New and is not a return or deleted order. An enabled account option does not make printed or shipped orders eligible.

Orders re-import into the parent account

Manual assignment does not change your integration import logic. If auto-import and webhooks are still enabled on the parent account, the same order can be imported again.

To avoid this, use one approach consistently:

• Manual workflow: manually import and manually assign orders (with auto-import/webhooks disabled where required).
• Automated workflow: use Assign to Another Account rules with auto-import/webhooks enabled.

Avoid mixing both workflows for the same order stream.