export const metadata = {
  title: `Item Fulfillment Concepts`,
}

# {metadata.title}

In this document, you’ll learn about the concepts related to item fulfillment.

## Fulfillment Data Model

A fulfillment is the shipping and delivery of one or more items to the customer. It’s represented by the [Fulfillment data model](/references/fulfillment/models/Fulfillment).

A fulfillment can be created to fulfill orders, [returns](../../order/return/), [exchanges](../../order/exchange/page.mdx), and [claims](../../order/claim/page.mdx).

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## Fulfillment Processing by a Fulfillment Provider

A fulfillment is associated with a [fulfillment provider](../fulfillment-provider/page.mdx) that handles all its processing, such as creating a shipment for the fulfillment’s items.

The fulfillment is also associated with a [shipping option](../shipping-option/page.mdx) of that provider, which determines how the item is shipped.

![A diagram showcasing the relation between a fulfillment, fulfillment provider, and shipping option](https://res.cloudinary.com/dza7lstvk/image/upload/v1712331947/Medusa%20Resources/fulfillment-shipping-option_jk9ndp.jpg)

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## data Property of Fulfillment Data Model

The `Fulfillment` data model has a `data` property that holds any necessary data for the third-party fulfillment provider to process the fulfillment.

For example, the `data` property can hold the ID of the fulfillment in the third-party provider. The associated fulfillment provider then uses it whenever it retrieves the fulfillment’s details. 

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## Fulfillment Items

A fulfillment is used to fulfill one or more items. Each item is represented by the [FulfillmentItem data model](/references/fulfillment/models/FulfillmentItem).

The fulfillment item holds details relevant to fulfilling the item, such as barcode, SKU, and quantity to fulfill.

![A diagram showcasing the relation between fulfillment and fulfillment items.](https://res.cloudinary.com/dza7lstvk/image/upload/v1712332114/Medusa%20Resources/fulfillment-item_etzxb0.jpg)

---

## Fulfillment Label

Once a shipment is created for the fulfillment, you can store its tracking number, URL, or other related details as a label, represented by the [FulfillmentLabel data model](/references/fulfillment/models/FulfillmentLabel).

---

## Fulfillment Status

The [Fulfillment data model](/references/fulfillment/models/Fulfillment) has three properties to determine the current status of the fulfillment:

- `packed_at`: The date the fulfillment was packed. If set, the fulfillment has been packed.
- `shipped_at`: The date the fulfillment was shipped. If set, the fulfillment has been shipped.
- `delivered_at`: The date the fulfillment was delivered. If set, the fulfillment has been delivered.