Client
what3words
Industry
Location Technology
Goal
Official Shopify checkout app for precise delivery
Delivered
Live since Sept 2022, ongoing
Addresses Were the Weakest Link in Delivery
Every Shopify merchant collects delivery addresses at checkout. The problem is that traditional addresses are unreliable. They point to the front of a building, miss rural properties entirely, or get misread by drivers. The result: lost parcels, failed deliveries, customer service tickets, and costly redeliveries.
what3words had already divided the entire world into 3-metre squares, each with a unique 3-word address. The technology worked. What they needed was a simple way for Shopify merchants to collect those addresses at checkout, validate them in real time, and pass them to delivery partners automatically.
There was no off-the-shelf solution. The app had to work across Shopify Basic and Shopify Plus, integrate cleanly with DHL, DPD, and Evri, support multiple themes and languages, and be simple enough for customers to use without explanation.
Built for every merchant, tested for every edge case.
01.
Checkout Integration
Built a what3words address field that sits natively inside Shopify checkout. Customers enter a 3-word address and an autosuggest feature confirms the exact location in real time. No friction, no second guessing.
02.
Validation and Address Passing
Every address entered is validated against the what3words API before the order completes. The confirmed location passes directly to the delivery partner, cutting out the manual steps that cause errors.
03.
Delivery Partner Integrations
Integrated the app with DHL, DPD, and Evri so that confirmed what3words addresses flow directly into each carrier's system. Couriers navigate to the exact 3-metre square, not a vague street-level approximation.
04.
Theme, Language and 5 Years of Iteration
Engineered the app to work across every Shopify theme without custom configuration. Localized for multiple languages, built with country and region restrictions, and maintained as an ongoing technical partner as Shopify checkout extensibility evolved.
“Integrating what3words with both our Shopify ecommerce sites and our trade sales team ensures reliable deliveries to city centre delis, remote farm shops, and pop-up festivals.”
Richard Heath
Brand & Marketing Manager, Olives Et Al
