How shipping methods work
A shipping method is a delivery option the buyer picks at checkout, for example "Standard delivery" or "Express". Every shipping method belongs to one market (country). At checkout, buyers only see the active methods of the market they are shopping in. You can add as many methods as you want to each market, each with its own price, products and delivery time.
Shipping methods set what the buyer pays for delivery. To send orders to a delivery company automatically, you use a courier app instead. See How do I connect a COD fulfillment or courier network to auto-forward orders?
Add a shipping method
- Go to Settings, then Markets.
- Open the market you want to set up.
- Click Shipping, then Add new shipping method.
- Fill in the fields below and click Add.
The fields
- Activate: when on, the method shows at checkout. It is on by default. Turn it off to hide the method without deleting it.
- Shipping Name: the name buyers see at checkout, for example "DHL Express" or "Free delivery". Required.
- Pricing type: how the shipping price is worked out (see below).
- Filter type: which products can use this method (see below).
- Shipping duration: optional text shown under the method at checkout, for example Between 24h and 48h. Leave it empty to show no delivery time.
Pricing types
Free shipping
Buyers pay nothing for delivery.
Fixed pricing
One flat Shipping price for every order, in the market's currency.
Pricing by quantity
The price grows with the items in the cart. Enter a Shipping price and a Per value (how many units that price covers). The cost scales in proportion: with a price of 10 and Per set to 3, you charge 10 for 3 items and 20 for 6 items. Every unit counts, so 2 of the same product count as 2 items.
Pricing by weight
The price grows with the cart weight, so give your products a weight. The cart weight is each product's weight times its quantity, added together.
- Shipping price and Per first: the price for the first block of kilograms. A lighter cart pays a matching share of that price.
- Charge price and Charge every (optional): an extra amount added for every step of extra weight above the first block. Leave both empty to charge only the first block.
Calculated later
Checkout shows "Calculated later" instead of a price, and the order is saved with a shipping cost of 0. You agree the delivery cost with the buyer after the order, for example when you call to confirm it.
Pricing by states / regions, and Pricing by cities
Every country has a list of its cities, and countries whose addresses use states, regions, provinces or governorates also have a list of those. The market's country decides which type you see, and you set a different price for each place:
- Pricing by states / regions: countries with a list of regions, for example Algeria (69 wilayas), Egypt, the United States or India. The price follows the region the buyer picks.
- Pricing by cities: every other country, for example Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya or Côte d'Ivoire. The price follows the city the buyer picks.
The lists come from GeoNames (geonames.org) and are checked against the cities buyers really enter at checkout. If a town you deliver to is missing, contact support and we will add it.
Two things to know:
- A place you leave empty is free for that method. Fill every place you deliver to.
- Your checkout form needs the matching field (State or City) turned on with its Type set to Select. At checkout the method shows "Choose the state / region" or "Choose the city" until the buyer picks one, then the price appears. See the checkout form settings for the checkout form.
Free shipping rule
For fixed, quantity, weight and per-place pricing, you can make delivery free once the cart qualifies. Pick a Free shipping rule and enter a Free shipping amount greater than zero:
- None: always charge the price above.
- Cart total: free when the cart total reaches the amount.
- Item count: free when the buyer takes that many items or more.
- Cart weight: free when the cart weighs that many kilograms or more.
- Product price: free when any one product in the cart (its price times its quantity) reaches the amount.
Fill both fields or neither. The rule is hidden for Free shipping and Calculated later.
Filter type
- All products: the method is offered for any cart.
- Only specific products: search and add products with the plus button. The method shows only when every product in the cart is on your list. One other product in the cart hides it.
You can filter by single products only, not by collection.
Edit or delete a method
Click a method in the Shipping methods list to edit it, then click Save. To delete, tick one or more methods and choose Delete shipping methods from the table menu. Deleted methods disappear from checkout right away.
Troubleshooting
- No delivery option at checkout: check that the buyer's market has at least one method with Activate on, and that the Shipping field is turned on in your checkout form.
- A method is missing: if it uses Only specific products, one product in the cart is not on its list.
- Shipping shows as free by mistake: for per-place pricing, the buyer's state or city was left empty. Also check your Free shipping rule.
- Weight pricing looks wrong: check the weight on each product and the Per first value.