Understanding Shipping Profiles
Shopify uses shipping profiles to determine which shipping rates apply to which products. By default, all products use the General shipping profile, but you can create custom profiles for products that require different shipping rules.
For example, you might have a separate profile for oversized items, fragile products, or items that ship from a different location.
When to Create Custom Profiles
- •Different shipping origins - Products shipped from different warehouses or suppliers
- •Size or weight variations - Oversized items that cost more to ship
- •Special handling - Fragile items or products requiring temperature control
- •Digital products - Items that do not require shipping (use "This is a digital product")
- •Dropshipped items - Products fulfilled by third parties with different rates
Creating a New Shipping Profile
- 1.Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery
- 2.Click Create new profile
- 3.Name your profile descriptively (e.g., "Oversized Items")
- 4.Add products or collections to this profile
- 5.Configure shipping zones and rates for this profile
Setting Up Shipping Zones
Shipping zones define the geographical areas where you ship products and what rates apply to each area. Most UK stores need at least three zones: UK, Europe, and Rest of World.
Recommended Zone Structure for UK Stores
Zone 1: United Kingdom
Your domestic zone. Include England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Consider whether to treat the Channel Islands and Isle of Man separately (they are outside the UK VAT area).
Typical rates: £3-5 standard, £6-8 express
Zone 2: Europe
Post-Brexit, EU shipping requires customs documentation. You may want separate zones for EU countries and non-EU European countries (Switzerland, Norway).
Typical rates: £8-15 standard, £15-25 express
Zone 3: Rest of World
A catch-all for other countries. Consider separate zones for USA, Canada, Australia if these are significant markets with different shipping costs.
Typical rates: £15-30 standard, £30-60 express
Creating a Shipping Zone
- 1.In your shipping profile, click Create zone
- 2.Name the zone (e.g., "United Kingdom")
- 3.Search for and select countries to include
- 4.Click Done
- 5.Add shipping rates to this zone
Pro Tip
Consider creating a separate zone for the Scottish Highlands and Islands if you use couriers that charge extra for these postcodes. You can add specific postcode prefixes to create more granular zones.
Creating Shipping Rates
Within each shipping zone, you can create multiple rates. Shopify supports several types of rates, each suited to different business needs.
Types of Shipping Rates
Flat Rate
A fixed price regardless of order contents. Simple for customers to understand but may not reflect actual shipping costs for varied orders.
Best for: Stores with similarly-sized products
Weight-Based Rates
Rates that change based on total order weight. Requires accurate product weights in your inventory.
Best for: Stores with products of varying weights
Price-Based Rates
Rates that change based on order subtotal. Often used for free shipping thresholds.
Best for: Stores wanting to incentivise higher order values
Carrier-Calculated Rates
Real-time rates fetched from carriers like Royal Mail, DPD, or DHL. Requires accurate product dimensions and weights.
Best for: Stores with varied products wanting accurate rates
Setting Up Weight-Based Rates
- 1.Click Add rate in your shipping zone
- 2.Select Set up your own rates
- 3.Enter a rate name (e.g., "Standard Delivery")
- 4.Set the price
- 5.Click Add conditions and select Based on item weight
- 6.Set minimum and maximum weights
- 7.Click Done and repeat for other weight brackets
Example Weight-Based Structure
| Weight Range | Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 - 500g | £3.50 |
| 500g - 1kg | £4.50 |
| 1kg - 2kg | £5.50 |
| 2kg+ | £7.50 |
Carrier-Calculated Rates
Carrier-calculated shipping shows customers real-time rates from your chosen carriers at checkout. This ensures you are charging accurate amounts and gives customers choice over delivery speed.
Requirements
- •Shopify plan: Available on Shopify plan and above, or with a monthly fee on Basic
- •Accurate product data: All products must have weights, and ideally dimensions
- •Shipping origin: Must be set correctly in your shipping settings
Available Carriers (UK)
Royal Mail
Integrated via Shopify Shipping
DPD
Via third-party app
DHL
Available for international
UPS
Integrated via Shopify Shipping
Setting Up Carrier-Calculated Rates
- 1.Ensure all products have accurate weights and dimensions
- 2.Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery
- 3.In your shipping profile, click Add rate
- 4.Select Use carrier or app to calculate rates
- 5.Choose your carrier and select services to offer
- 6.Optionally add a handling fee or markup
Pro Tip
Add a small handling fee (5-10%) to carrier-calculated rates to cover packaging materials and the time spent packing. This prevents shipping from eating into your margins.
Free Shipping Strategies
Free shipping is a powerful conversion driver. Research shows that unexpected shipping costs are the top reason for cart abandonment. However, "free" shipping still has a cost that needs to be absorbed somewhere.
Option 1: Free Shipping Over a Threshold
The most common approach. Offer free shipping on orders above a certain amount. This encourages customers to add more to their cart.
Setting Your Threshold
Set your threshold 20-30% above your average order value. This encourages customers to spend more without setting an unreachable target.
Example: If your average order is £40, set free shipping at £50-55.
Option 2: Build Shipping Into Prices
Increase product prices slightly and offer "free shipping" on everything. Works best when your products have healthy margins.
- ✓Eliminates cart abandonment from shipping shock
- ✓Simplifies the customer experience
- ×May make prices seem higher than competitors
- ×Difficult with international shipping (varying costs)
Option 3: Free Shipping for Members
Offer free shipping as a perk for loyalty program members or subscribers. This builds customer retention while limiting the cost.
Setting Up a Free Shipping Threshold
- 1.In your shipping zone, click Add rate
- 2.Name it "Free Shipping" and set price to £0
- 3.Click Add conditions and select Based on order price
- 4.Set minimum order value (e.g., £50)
- 5.Click Done
- 6.Keep your standard shipping rate for orders below the threshold
Local Delivery and Pickup
If you have a physical location, offering local delivery and click-and-collect can differentiate you from online-only competitors and reduce shipping costs.
Setting Up Local Pickup
- 1.Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery
- 2.Scroll to Local pickup and click Manage
- 3.Toggle on the locations where customers can collect
- 4.Add collection instructions and expected ready time
Setting Up Local Delivery
- 1.Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery
- 2.Scroll to Local delivery and click Manage
- 3.Enable local delivery for your location
- 4.Set your delivery area by postcode or radius
- 5.Set the delivery price (or free) and any minimum order requirements
- 6.Add delivery instructions for customers
Pro Tip
Offer free local delivery over a lower threshold than national free shipping. For example, free local delivery over £30, free national shipping over £50. This incentivises nearby customers to choose your store.
International Shipping
Shipping internationally from the UK involves additional considerations around customs, duties, and varying carrier costs. Getting this right prevents customer complaints and lost parcels.
Customs and Duties
Since Brexit, all shipments to the EU require customs documentation. You need to include HS codes (commodity codes) for your products and accurate values.
- •HS codes: Add to products in Shopify under Customs information
- •Country of origin: Required for all international shipments
- •Value declaration: Must accurately reflect sale price
DDP vs DDU Shipping
DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid)
Customer pays any import duties on delivery. This is the default for most carriers.
- ✓ Lower upfront costs for you
- × Surprise fees for customers
- × Risk of refused deliveries
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)
You pay duties upfront. Customer receives package with no additional charges.
- ✓ Better customer experience
- ✓ Fewer support issues
- × Higher shipping costs
EU IOSS (One-Stop Shop)
For goods under €150 to EU customers, registering for IOSS allows you to collect VAT at checkout and remit it through a single EU country. This means customers do not pay VAT on delivery.
Consider IOSS registration if you have significant EU sales volume. Apps like Zonos or Ship&co can help manage IOSS compliance.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Missing Product Weights
Products without weights default to 0, which causes incorrect shipping calculations for weight-based rates.
Fix: Audit all products and add accurate weights. Export your products via CSV to identify any with missing weight data.
Overlapping Rate Conditions
If multiple rates could apply to an order, all matching rates are shown. This confuses customers.
Fix: Ensure weight or price ranges do not overlap. Use clear boundaries like 0-500g, 500g-1kg rather than 0-500g, 500g-1kg with separate "500g" rates.
Not Testing Checkout
After setting up shipping, always test checkout with different addresses and cart contents to verify rates appear correctly.
Fix: Use Shopify's Bogus Gateway for test orders, or place real orders and refund them.
Forgetting Handling Time
Delivery estimates should include your processing time, not just carrier transit time.
Fix: Set realistic processing times in Settings → Shipping. Under-promising and over-delivering builds customer trust.
