Details the different methods you can use to configure checkout rates.
ShipStation's Checkout Rates feature allows you to configure rates for your customers to select during their checkout process from your stores. Read our Checkout Rates Overview to learn about the feature requirements and how it works.
Once you've Connected Checkout Rates to your store, you can then configure the rates you'd like your customers to see in the store checkout.
Keep in mind you must create rate options for each store you wish to display these options at the checkout. To edit a store's settings in ShipStation, go to Settings > Selling Channels > Store Setup and click Edit Store Details next to the store you wish to edit.
You can create three types of Checkout Rates:
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Live Rates: this type will pull rates from the carrier accounts you have connected to ShipStation for the services you define. For example, you could create a standard option using a live rate for a carrier and service that ships within 3-5 days.
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Flat Rates: this type allows you to offer the same shipping price to all orders regardless of the actual shipping cost.
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Free: this type allows you to offer free shipping for all orders from this store.
You will want to define a Checkout Rate for each rate option you'd like your customers to see during checkout from this store. For example, if you want your customers to select either Standard Shipping or Expedited Shipping for their order, you'll create a Checkout Rate option for each. They can be the same type of rate (live, flat, or free) they can each be different.
When you choose the Live Rates pricing method, ShipStation will query the carrier APIs for the services you selected. Then, ShipStation will choose the cheapest rate to display on the checkout page.
If you opt to include a rate adjustment, ShipStation will adjust the rate we receive from the carrier API and display the adjusted rate on the checkout page.
To configure the Live Rate Pricing Method:
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Open your store settings and go to the Checkout tab.
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Click the Add Checkout Rate button.
This will open the Define New Checkout Rate page.
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Choose Live Rate from the Rate Type menu.
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Enter a Checkout Rate Name and Description.
Your customer will see both the name and description you enter here on their checkout screen. For example, name the option Standard Shipping with the description, "Usually arrives in 3-5 days."
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Select at least one service from the Service drop-down.
If you select multiple services, ShipStation will query the rates for each service from the carrier APIs, compare them, and then return only the cheapest option to display to your customer in the store checkout.
For example, your Standard Shipping options include FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, and your national carrier's ground service as possible services. If ShipStation sees UPS Ground offers the cheapest rate for the shipment, your customer will see the UPS Ground rate for the Standard Shipping option at checkout.
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Set your Rate Adjustment options.
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You can choose to add or deduct either a percentage or a flat amount to the rate returned by the carrier API. Or, to not adjust the rate at all.
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And tell ShipStation what to do if live rates are unavailable.
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Do not display this rate: ShipStation will not display this rate option on the checkout screen.
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Charge a flat rate: ShipStation will show the amount you enter as the rate for this shipping option during checkout.
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Charge a % of Cart: ShipStation will multiply the pre-tax cart total by the percentage entered and display that number as the rate for this shipping option during checkout.
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Check the box to make the option Active and Visible In Your Marketplace and save your changes when done.
Regular UPS Accounts vs. UPS from ShipStation Rates
If you have both your own UPS account as well as UPS from ShipStation set up in ShipStation and you wish to offer your customers the lowest UPS rates, please be sure to select the UPS from ShipStation services in the Checkout Rates live rate setup.
The Free and Flat Rate options will show your customers the rate you enter in ShipStation. It will not pull rates from any carriers.
Use the Free option if you do not wish to charge a shipping fee for orders placed in this store. When using the Free option, there are no additional configuration steps. Select Free and click Save.
Flat Rates are a good option if you want to charge the same shipping fee for all orders from this store.
To set a Flat Rate:
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Open your store settings and go to the Checkout tab.
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Click the Add Checkout Rate button.
This will open the Define New Checkout Rate page.
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Select Flat Rate from the Rate Type menu.
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Enter a Checkout Rate Name and Description.
Your customer will see both the name and description you enter here on their checkout screen. For example, name the option Standard Shipping with the description, "Usually arrives in 3-5 days."
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Enter an amount for your Flat Rate.
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Check the box to make the option Active and Visible In Your Marketplace and save your changes.
Once you have configured the options you'd like your customers to see at checkout, click the Preview button to see what rates and details ShipStation will send for an example shipment.
To preview your Checkout Rates options:
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Click the Preview button in the Checkout tab of your store setup.
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Select a Country, then enter a Zip Code and a package Weight.
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Click the Preview Rates button.
For this example, the preview shows the customer will see three shipping options in the Shopify checkout screen: Standard Delivery, Expedited, and Fastest. Options that do not apply or do not give a lower rate will be greyed out.
Hiding Rate Options
You can hover over the greyed-out option to see a tooltip for why the option may not be visible on the checkout screen.
ShipStation sends the name and description you configured in ShipStation, and the transit time and rate received from the carrier API.
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Check the Show Advanced Preview box, then click Preview Rates for a more accurate preview. This level of detail requires residential or commercial addresses and street addresses.
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Before the rates appear on your store's checkout screen, make sure any store-specific settings have been enabled. If you are unsure if you have set your store settings correctly, click the link for your store to review the necessary steps:
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Checkout Rates will work for both domestic and international shipping.
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To calculate rates for your checkout options, ShipStation uses product weights from the ecommerce platform. Please make sure those product weights represent the shipping weights.
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The Checkout Rates feature assumes all shipments are shipping from your default Ship From Location and using a package type of Package. There is currently no way to choose other package types or enter package dimensions.
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Troubleshooting tip: If a rate is not appearing as an option in checkout:
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It was not the least expensive rate.
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The active checkbox for the rate may be unchecked. This box must be checked for ShipStation to send the option to your store checkout.
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Automate the Shipping Service Selection!
You can automatically apply a customer’s selected service to an order in ShipStation by checking this box in Store Setup > Checkout: “On order import, automatically set the Shipping Service selected by the customer at checkout.”
This option will override any other service mappings you have set up.
Click the Save Changes button to save this update.