Rate Shopper: Automate Selecting the Lowest Rate

For merchants in the US and Canada, ShipStation can select the lowest-cost shipping service for your shipments with our Rate Shopper feature. With Rate Shopper, you pre-define which services you'd like ShipStation to compare, as well as define any delivery time or service requirements. When you select that Rate Shopper rule for a shipment (or group of shipments), ShipStation automatically applies the service with the lowest rate that fits your requirements.

You can use Rate Shopper manually on an order-by-order basis, or you can set up automation rules where every time an order imports, Rate Shopper will find you the best rate.

Some examples of different service rules you could create with Rate Shopper include:

Once you've defined which services belong in each strategy, you either select the Rate Shopper rule when you configure a shipment manually or create an Automation Rule to do it for you. Once Rate Shopper is applied to a shipment, ShipStation compares the rates of each service defined in the rule, then assigns to the selected shipments the service with the lowest cost that meets your requirements.

To start using Rate Shopper, you'll first create a Rate Shopper rule (or multiple rules) in your ShipStation Shipping settings. You can then select the rule from the Service menu when configuring a shipment or create an Automation Rule to do it for you. Review the sections below to learn how to create and use Rate Shopper.

Create a Rate Shopper Rule

Follow these steps to create a lowest-cost-service rule for Rate Shopper:

1.  

   Go to Account Settings.

   

2. Go to Shipping and select Rate Shopper.

   

3. Click the Create New button.

   This action will open the Rate Shopper popup.

   

4. Name the Rule.

   This name will be what appears in the Services menu when you configure a shipment.

5. Click Services to Compare to add a service(s) to your Rule.

   Beside the configuration menu there is a story view to help you visualize your new Rate Shopper rule as you build it.

   

6. Edit the selection of services from the Services to Compare dropdown menu or by checking or unchecking the individual services you wish to add or remove.

   

7. Optional: Set a Delivery Time.

   This step is not required. We only consider services that respond with an estimated delivery date. Some international services do not offer this estimate.

   

8. Optional: Set your Preferences.

   Use the toggle to open the Preference section, then click the Use this Service to set your Service Preference.

   Within Rate Shopper, you can set up a Service Preference that will override the otherwise selected rate IF your preferred service is more expensive by only a certain amount.

   

9. Click Publish to complete setting up your Rate Shopper rule.

   

Create as many different rules as you need. Be sure to give them descriptive names so you and your shipping staff can easily identify which rule is best for a shipment.

Edit a Rate Shopper Rule

Once you have published your rate shopper rule, you can click Edit to change the services and other details of the rule.

Using Rate Shopper

Once you have created a Rate Shopper rule, it will appear at the top of the Services menu drop-down. When you select a rule, ShipStation will compare the services you defined for that rule and apply the lowest rate to the shipment. The "winning" service will appear in the rate section of the shipment widget.

You can manually apply a rule to any shipment either individually or in bulk on the Orders grid. You can also automate this selection with an Automation Rule.

Manually Apply a Rate Shopper Rule

You apply a Rate Shopper rule the same way you apply a service. Select an order and click the Service drop-down menu. The rules appear at the top, and the rest of the available services below. Choose your desired rule.

Apply Rate Shopper Rule in Bulk

To apply the same Rate Shopper rule to multiple shipments, select the desired orders and choose a rule from the Configure Shipment Widget or the Bulk Actions menu.

ShipStation will apply the chosen rule to all selected orders.

Automate Your Rate Shopper Rule Selection

 

For locations outside of the US and for carrier accounts where package dimensions are necessary to generate a rate, we recommend creating a series of Automation Rules, one to automatically apply dimensions to a package and then another to apply a Rate Shopper rule.

Creating an Automation Rule to apply dimensions removes the task of having to manually update dimensions for each order. After you have created a rule to apply dimensions to packages, you can then create a Rate Shopper rule that will apply to your orders.

The sequence of these rules is crucial as Automation Rules run according to their sequence in the rules list. The dimensions rule must come first to ensure that all orders generate the appropriate rate. Then, the Rate Shopper rule can be applied.

The following is an example Automation rule that applies dimensions, followed by the Rate rule:

Set Package Dimensions

Package dimensions are necessary to generate a rate for some countries outside of the US. Use this rule to set the package dimensions for orders as long as the quantity is under a certain threshold. For example, if you only sell shirts and know that any order of 10 shirts or less will be shipped in a 30cm x 30cm x 15cm box, this rule would automatically set the box dimensions on those orders.

This example rule will apply to orders when the total quantity of all items is 10 or less, and it will set the package dimensions to 30cm x 30cm x 15cm.

Select Only apply these actions to orders that match specific criteria. Set the criteria to Total Quantity is Less Than or Equal to 10.

Add the action to Set Package Dimensions, then enter the dimensions of your box.

Now you can create a Rate Shopper rule.

Click Create a Rule, then select Set Shipping Strategy from the Action Type drop-down menu. Select the strategy you want the rule to apply and click Save Rule.

Note

Use Rate Shopper with Automation Rules

Rate Shopper rules can also be applied via Automation Rules. When you create an automation rule, select Set Rate Shopper from the Action Type drop-down menu, then select the Rate Shopper rule you want the Automation Rule to apply.

Defaults for Rate Shopper

ShipStation's Rate Shopper defaults are conveniently full of the most-used Shipping services from the ShipStation Carrier Services.

You cannot edit these ShipStation defaults. Also, these defaults cannot be deleted. However, you are not required to use them.

Instead, you can duplicate a default as a starting point and then include other services.

You can hide a Rate Shopper Default from the service dropdown menus across ShipStation by the Available toggle found on the top corner of each Rate Shopper rule on the Rate Shopper settings page.