Requirements¶
Before installing Emersoft Books, make sure you have the following.
Required for all plans¶
A Shopify store¶
Emersoft Books is installed into an existing Shopify store. You need:
- An active Shopify subscription (any plan)
- Admin access to the store
The app works with Shopify's Online Store, POS, and TikTok Shop sales channels. You do not need to have the Online Store sales channel active — TikTok Shop sellers can install the app without it.
CDF Lite fulfillment account¶
Emersoft Books is an Ingram Content Group® data reseller. Catalog access — searching, browsing, and importing books — works immediately after installation with no Ingram credentials required.
For automated order fulfillment through Ingram, you set up your own Ingram CDF Lite account and connect it to the app. This gives you a direct commercial relationship with Ingram — Ingram bills you directly for fulfillment, and you can negotiate your own discount tier as your volume grows.
Apply at ingramcontent.com/retailers/consumer-direct-fulfillment — follow the Retailer path. Once Ingram issues your credentials, you provide them to the Emersoft team during onboarding, who connect them in the app. See What to prepare for onboarding below and Your CDF Lite account details for the exact list.
Ingram's setup timeline
Ingram's CDF Lite setup process typically takes up to 2 weeks on their side. You can install the app and start importing books immediately while you wait — automated fulfillment goes live once Ingram issues your credentials and the Emersoft team connects them.
What Ingram charges for fulfillment
Ingram bills you directly for each order they fulfill — 40% trade discount on standard trade titles, $0.70 per unit pick-and-pack (capped at $4.00 per line), plus UPS/USPS freight at published rates. See CDF Lite Pricing for the full reference and margin-planning notes.
Required for Omnichannel Pro (Pubnet EDI)¶
If you are on the Omnichannel Pro plan and want to use purchase orders:
A Pubnet account¶
Pubnet is the EDI network used by publishers and distributors for purchase orders. You will need:
- An active Pubnet account with FTP credentials (username and password)
- Your Bill to SAN (Standard Address Number — a seven-digit identifier for your business in the book trade)
- Your Mailbox ID (for receiving incoming EDI documents from publishers)
- A Ship to SAN for each physical store location you will be ordering stock for — Pubnet treats each location as a separate account
If you do not have a Pubnet account, visit info.pubnet.org/support/for-booksellers or ask your book distributor or publisher for guidance. The Emersoft team will help verify your credentials and location setup during onboarding. See Pubnet Setup & Credentials for the full setup process.
Optional¶
Shopify POS¶
If you operate a physical store and want inventory sync between your Shopify POS locations and the app's receiving workflow, you will need Shopify POS set up with your store locations configured.
Multi-currency¶
If your store operates in a currency other than USD, the app will automatically convert Ingram's USD prices at import. No additional setup is required beyond having your Shopify store currency set correctly.
What to prepare for onboarding¶
Shortly after you install the app, the Emersoft team will reach out to schedule your assisted onboarding session. To speed the session along, have the following ready.
1. Collaborator access to your Shopify store¶
The Emersoft team needs collaborator access to complete configuration work inside your Shopify Admin — placing the Book Details Widget, installing the Shopify Flow workflow for pre-orders, confirming shipping rates, and connecting the app's credentials. Please send:
- The internal Shopify URL to your store (the one that includes
.myshopify.com) - A collaborator access code, if your store requires one (it's configured in Shopify Admin > Settings > Users and permissions)
The Emersoft team will then send a collaborator access request for you to approve from the same screen.
2. Your CDF Lite account details¶
Have the following credentials from your Ingram CDF Lite account ready to share during onboarding:
- Login
- Password
- Bill-to account number
- Ship-to account number
- Ship-to password
Don't have these details?
It's very common not to have them on hand. Contact the Ingram sales rep who helped set up your CDF Lite account — they'll send everything over. Let the Emersoft team know and we can wait for them before finalizing the connection.
3. Your Pubnet credentials (Omnichannel Pro only)¶
If you're on the Omnichannel Pro plan and plan to submit purchase orders via Pubnet EDI, have the following ready:
- FTP credentials (username and password)
- Bill to SAN
- Mailbox ID
- Ship to SAN for each physical store location you will be ordering stock for
See Pubnet Setup & Credentials for details on what each item is and how to obtain them if you don't already have them.
Not sure if you have everything?
The Emersoft team will check all of this with you during your assisted onboarding session. Get in touch before you start.