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.
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.
To create a Checkout Rates option:
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Open your store settings and go to the Checkout tab.
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Click the Add Checkout Rate button.
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Select a Rate Type.
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Local Delivery Rate: Only available if you have connected to a Local Delivery provider.
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Live Rate: Requires additional setup that includes selecting a service, a rate adjustment, and what to do if live rates are not available. See the Configure Live Rates section below for details.
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Flat Rate: Requires you to set the flat rate for this delivery option.
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Free: No additional setup is needed.
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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 a description, "Usually arrives in 3-5 days."
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Click Save when done.
Repeat the above steps for each rate option you'd like your customers to see during checkout from this store.
Before the rates appear in 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:
When you choose the Live Rates pricing method, ShipStation will query the carrier APIs for the services you've 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.
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.
To configure the Live Rate Pricing Method:
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Choose Live Rate from the Rate Type menu.
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Select at least one service from the Select Shipping Services 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 USPS Parcel Select Ground 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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Apply any rate adjustment you'd like ShipStation to make before displaying the rate to your customer (the default is set to None).
You can choose to add or deduct either a percentage or flat amount to the rate returned by the carrier API.
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Tell ShipStation what to do if live rates are unavailable.
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Do not display: ShipStation will not display this rate option on the checkout screen at all.
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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.
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Click Save.
If you have a local delivery provider connected to your account, you will also see the Local Delivery Rate option in the Pricing Method drop-down.
To add Local Delivery to your Checkout Rates, first make sure you have set up Pickup Settings for your Ship From Locations.
Customer Phone Number Required
A Local Delivery service may need to contact the recipient for directions or gate codes, so you must set up your store to require a customer's phone number.
To configure a Local Delivery Rate:
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Select Local Delivery Rate from the menu.
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Select the Local Delivery services to use.
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Apply any rate adjustments if necessary.
The options for rate adjustment are a Set Amount or a Percentage of the Carrier Rate.
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Check the box to make it Active and Visible in Your Marketplace.
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Click Save.
The Free and Flat Rate options will both 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 on 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 of your orders.
To set a Flat Rate:
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Select Flat Rate from the Rate Type menu.
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Enter in an amount for your Flat Rate.
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Click Save.
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, as well as 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.
International Shipping Available
Checkout Rates will also appear for international shipments.