Shipping Methods
Configure carrier accounts, rate rules, fixed rates, and shipping defaults that control how shipping options appear at checkout.
The Shipping Methods page is your central hub for configuring how shipping rates are calculated and presented to customers during checkout. Here you manage carrier account credentials (FedEx, UPS, ShipEngine), define fixed-rate shipping options, control rate rule behavior with status modes and handling fees, and set global shipping defaults like display order and free shipping.
The page is divided into two main areas: a rate rules grid on the left showing all configured shipping methods, and a right sidebar with fixed rates, carrier account settings, and shipping defaults.
Rate Rules Grid
The rate rules grid occupies the left two-thirds of the page and lists every shipping method configured for the storefront. Rate rules are generated from your carrier accounts and fixed rates, and each rule controls when and how a particular shipping option appears at checkout.
Grid Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Provider | The shipping carrier or rate source (e.g., FEDEX, UPS, FIXED, SHIPENGINE). Rows can be drag-reordered by grabbing this column. |
| Description | The shipping service name displayed to customers at checkout (e.g., "FedEx Ground", "UPS Next Day Air", "Standard Shipping"). |
| Status | Whether the rate rule is currently active. Controlled by the display mode setting on the edit page. |
| Display Order | The position of this method in the checkout shipping options list. Drag rows to reorder. |
| Handling | The handling fee added to the carrier's base rate for this method. |
| Free | Checkbox indicating whether this method has been marked as free shipping. |
| Action | Edit button to open the rate rule detail page. |
Header Actions
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Refresh Rate Rules | Re-fetches rate rules from carrier APIs and rebuilds the grid. Use this after changing carrier account credentials or when new services become available. |
| Save | Saves all carrier account credentials and shipping default settings. |
| Export (overflow menu) | Downloads all rate rules as a spreadsheet file. |
| Import (overflow menu) | Opens a dialog to upload a rate rules spreadsheet, replacing existing rules. |
Edit Rate Rule
- From the rate rules grid, click the Edit action on any row.
- The edit page opens with the rule's description in the header (e.g., "Rate Rules > FedEx Ground").
Status (Display Mode)
The status radio buttons control when this shipping method appears at checkout:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Always Disabled | This shipping method never appears at checkout. |
| Always Enabled | This shipping method always appears at checkout when the carrier returns a rate. |
| Enabled for price range | This method only appears when the cart subtotal falls within the configured Minimum Price and Maximum Price range. |
| Enabled for weight range | This method only appears when the total cart weight falls within the configured Minimum Weight and Maximum Weight range. Only available for FIXED provider rules. |
| Enabled for postal codes | This method only appears when the shipping destination matches configured postal code weight ranges. Only available for FIXED provider rules. |
Rate Rule Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Handling | A surcharge added on top of the carrier rate. The amount is interpreted based on the Handling Methods selection. |
| Minimum Price | The minimum cart subtotal required for this method to appear. Only visible when status is "Enabled for price range". |
| Maximum Price | The maximum cart subtotal allowed for this method to appear. Only visible when status is "Enabled for price range". |
| Minimum Weight | The minimum cart weight required for this method to appear. Only visible when status is "Enabled for weight range". |
| Maximum Weight | The maximum cart weight allowed for this method to appear. Only visible when status is "Enabled for weight range". |
| Help Text | Optional text shown to customers alongside this shipping option at checkout to provide additional context (e.g., estimated delivery time). |
| Free Shipping | When checked, the rate for this method is set to zero regardless of the carrier's calculated rate. |
| Hide other shipping methods | When checked, all other shipping methods are hidden when this method qualifies. Only available for weight range mode. |
| Handling Methods | How the handling value is applied: Flat Charge adds a fixed dollar amount, Percentage of rate adds a percentage of the carrier's base rate. |
| Residential Markup | An additional surcharge applied when the shipping destination is a residential address. Only available for FIXED provider rules. |
Weight Ranges (Postal Code Mode)
When the status is set to "Enabled for postal codes", a weight ranges grid appears. Each weight range defines a cost tier for a range of package weights.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Min Weight | The minimum weight for this tier. |
| Max Weight | The maximum weight for this tier. |
| Cost | The shipping cost charged when the package weight falls within this range. |
Click +Add Weight Range to create a new tier. Each weight range can be edited or deleted from the grid.
Fixed Rates
The Fixed Rate Account panel in the right sidebar lets you create custom flat-rate shipping options that are not tied to a carrier API.
Fixed Rate Grid Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | The name of the fixed rate method displayed to customers at checkout. |
| Price | The flat shipping price charged for this method. |
| Action | Edit or Delete the fixed rate entry. |
Add/Edit Fixed Rate Dialog
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | The display name for this fixed rate method (required). |
| Price | The flat shipping price (required). |
| Zip Codes | Optional comma-separated list of zip/postal codes. When specified, this rate only appears for customers shipping to one of these zip codes. |
Fixed rates support the same export/import functionality as rate rules, available from the overflow menu.
FedEx Account
Configure your FedEx API credentials to enable FedEx shipping rates at checkout.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Key | Your FedEx API authentication key. |
| Password | Your FedEx API password. |
| Tracking Api Key | API key for FedEx tracking functionality. |
| Tracking Secret Key | Secret key paired with the Tracking Api Key. |
| Account # | Your FedEx account number. |
| Meter # | Your FedEx meter number. |
| Pickup Code | How packages are picked up: Business Service Center, Drop Box, Regular Pickup, Request Courier, or Station. |
| Rate Type | The pricing tier used for rate calculation: List (published retail rates) or Account (your negotiated rates). |
| Enable Test Mode | When checked, API calls are routed to FedEx's sandbox environment for testing. |
UPS Account
Configure your UPS API credentials to enable UPS shipping rates at checkout.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Client ID | Your UPS OAuth client ID. |
| Client Secret | Your UPS OAuth client secret. |
| Account Number | Your UPS account number. |
| Pickup Code | How packages are picked up: Daily Pickup, Customer Counter, One Time Pickup, On Call Air, Suggested Retail Rates, Letter Center, or Air Service Center. |
| Rate Type | The pricing tier for rate calculation: Shipper, Daily, Retail, Regional, General, or Standard. |
| Shipper Number | Your UPS shipper number used for negotiated rates. |
| Shipper State | The state where packages originate, used for rate calculation. |
| Enable Test Mode | When checked, API calls are routed to UPS's sandbox environment for testing. |
ShipEngine Account
Configure ShipEngine to access multiple carriers through a single integration. The ShipEngine panel only appears when ShipEngine is enabled for your storefront.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Api Key | Your ShipEngine API key. Required before configuring carriers. |
| Configure Parcel Carriers | Opens a dialog to select which ShipEngine parcel carriers to enable for rate calculations. |
| Configure LTL Carriers | Opens a dialog to configure Less-Than-Truckload carriers with service codes and lift gate options. Only visible when LTL shipping is enabled. |
Shipping Defaults
Global settings that apply across all shipping methods.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Display Order | Controls how shipping options are sorted at checkout: Alphabetically by method name, Price from lowest to highest (default), or Custom Display using the manual order set by dragging rows in the rate rules grid. |
| Max Packaging Weight | The maximum weight (in lbs) allowed per package. When a shipment exceeds this weight, the system splits it into multiple packages for rate calculation. Defaults to 70 lbs if not set. |
| Shipping is free for all orders | When checked, all shipping methods are shown with a zero-dollar rate regardless of individual rate rule settings. |
| Box compacting | When checked, the system attempts to combine multiple items into fewer packages during rate calculation to reduce shipping costs. Enabled by default. |
| Group by Carrier | When checked, shipping options at checkout are visually grouped under their carrier name (e.g., all FedEx options together, all UPS options together). |
Associations
Print Store
| Area | Effect |
|---|---|
| Checkout shipping step | All enabled rate rules appear as shipping options during checkout. The customer's address is sent to each configured carrier API to retrieve live rates. Rates are sorted according to the Display Order setting. Handling fees and free shipping flags are applied before display. |
| Free shipping | When "Shipping is free for all orders" is enabled in Shipping Defaults, all shipping options show a $0.00 rate at checkout. |
| Package splitting | The Max Packaging Weight value is used during checkout rate calculation. Orders exceeding this weight are split into multiple packages, and carrier rates reflect the multi-package shipment. |
| Box compacting | When enabled, the checkout shipping calculator combines items into fewer boxes before requesting carrier rates, potentially reducing shipping costs for multi-item orders. |
| User Groups | User groups can be configured with specific shipping methods, restricting which shipping options group members see at checkout. |
| Orders | The shipping method selected at checkout is recorded on the order and displayed on the Billing & Shipping tab in the order detail view. |
Related Pages
- Shipping Locations — define ship-from addresses used as the origin for rate requests
- Package Types — set package dimensions and weights for accurate rate calculations
- Orders — view the shipping method selected by customers on each order
- Checkout Fields — add custom fields shown alongside shipping options at checkout