Shipping Guide
This article will guide you through the different shipping settings available for your physical products.
Note: You must enter and save the "ZIP Code You're Shipping From" FIRST, to enable some of the other shipping settings.
Shipping "Modes"
The top box of the Product Shipping settings page asks you to "Enable Shipping Pricing?" This sets the shipping "mode" for your product, one of the following:
- No Shipping Calculation: The shipping cost, if any, will be included in the product price. Shipping is "free".
- Simple Flat Rate Shipping: Set a single rate per shipping method (ground, air, express, etc.) for this product. No matter where the customer is in the country, they will pay the same rate for that shipping method.
- Calculated Shipping Rates: Get an "exact" cost for shipping to the customer's address; this can only be calculated at checkout, and only works for USPS and UPS shipping methods.
- Local Pickup Only: No shipping is offered; the customer must pick up the product at your location.
Shipping "Methods"
Shipping "methods" are the different shipping providers and service levels you offer. For example, "USPS Ground" and "UPS 2-Day Air" are two different shipping methods. You can offer multiple shipping methods for a single product, and the user can choose which one they want at checkout.
If you use a different shipping provider other than USPS or UPS, you can use the "Generic Ground" and "Generic Priority" shipping methods; these will only work with flat-rate pricing.
Package Information
Please add information about your packaging, like weight and dimensions, and the Zip code you ship from. This information is used to calculate shipping costs for "Calculated Shipping Rates" mode.
Setting Flat Rates
After you enter the package information, shipping methods, and origin zip code, you'll be presented with a table of Shipping Rate Examples. This table will show you the calculated shipping cost from your zip code to three other zipcodes around the country. You can use these example rates to set your flat rates for each shipping method.
Note: You can still use this rate calculator tool even if you disable shipping pricing entirely. Simply enter the package information and save, and you'll be shown the examples.
Combined Shipping
The "Allow Combined Shipping?" option allows you to offer discounted shipping rates to customers who buy more than one item at a time.
When combined shipping is enabled, your product has a "primary rate" and a "secondary rate". The primary rate is whatever is set up in the shipping settings, either flat rate or calculated. The secondary rate is always a flat rate that is used if the item is combined with a more expensive-to-ship item. We always choose the most expensive shipping rate as the primary rate, and add the secondary rate for each additional item.
Example 1: You sell stickers that can be mailed in standard envelopes. You set a flat rate shipping fee of $1 for your stickers, enable combined shipping, and set a secondary rate of 0 (free). A customer orders three stickers; they will pay $1 shipping for the first sticker, and $0 shipping for each additional sticker, for a total of $1 shipping.
Example 2: You sell t-shirts that ship in small boxes. You set calculated shipping rates for your t-shirts, enable combined shipping, and set a secondary rate of $3. A customer orders two t-shirts; the calculated shipping rate for the first t-shirt is $9, and the second t-shirt adds $3 shipping, for a total of $12 shipping.