Print and fulfilment company Printful has built on its partnership with Shopify to extend the availability of print-on-demand for garments for large-volume online retailers.
It has joined the Shopify Plus Certified App Program, an e-commerce platform used by more than 14,000 brands globally for customising their digital stores and automating operations.
Printful is already one of the most installed apps on Shopify and the most used for print-on-demand. By becoming one of the apps in the Shopify Plus Certified App Program, it will enhance its service for “enterprise-level” businesses.
Separately, Printful has also announced that it will now offer customers the ability to make payments using cryptocurrency, linking up with BitPay, the world’s largest Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services provider.
The Shopify Plus Certified App Program supports the largest Shopify merchants and features Shopify partners that meet advanced requirements in product quality, service, performance, privacy and support.
Last year, Printful reported 115% growth in the segment of larger “enterprise-level” companies as more of them shift to the model of print-on-demand for garments and other products.
Joining the Shopify Plus Certified App Program aligns with Printful’s vision to make on-demand production the norm in the clothing industry as it leads to less waste and is more sustainable than traditional manufacturing.
Reinis Grikis, global strategic account executive at Printful, said: “We’re excited to bring Printful into the Shopify Plus Certified App Program. Being part of it is a stamp of approval on the reliability and product quality we provide to Shopify merchants.
“What’s more, Shopify is the go-to platform for large businesses – a segment we also support with a risk-free way to increase product offerings and react quickly to trends.”
Mark Bergen, vice president of revenue at Shopify, added: “The Shopify Plus Certified App Program is designed to meet the advanced requirements of the world’s fastest-growing brands.
“We’re happy to welcome Printful to the programme, bringing their insight and experience in print-on-demand to the Plus merchant community.”
Printful has introduced the option of paying through cryptocurrency in response to demand from existing and potential customers, especially those interested in selling clothing and other merchandise linked to NFTs (non-fungible tokens), the unique tradeable chunks of digital data such as artwork.
The many cryptocurrencies now available for Printful customers include Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins pegged to the US dollar.
Merrick Theobald, vice president of marketing at BitPay, said: “Crypto can transform the e-commerce industry, making payments faster, more secure, and less expensive on a global scale, benefiting companies like Printful.
“Our goal at BitPay is to make accepting crypto a seamless process and increase adoption as we believe crypto is the future of payments.”
Printful customers will also benefit from BitPay’s crypto payment solution as the blockchain – the networked system recording transactions – eliminates transaction fraud and improves borderless payments worldwide.
Janis Akmentins, head of engineering at Printful, said: “Our users have been asking for a cryptocurrency payment option for a while now. Since one of our main priorities is meeting our customers’ needs, we decided to collaborate with BitPay.
“With this partnership, we can be one of the first print-on-demand companies to offer a cryptocurrency payment feature to interested customers.”
Based in the US and Latvia, Printful has expanded to 10 in-house fulfilment centres around the world, including one in Wolverhampton in the UK where it provides direct-to-garment printing and embroidery services.
