Guide To Shopify Shipping: Everything You Need To Know (2024) - Shopify (2024)

No matter where they shop online, every customer expects reliable, affordable shipping. As a seller, however, providing stress-free order fulfillment can feel anything but easy.

It’s up to you to store products, package orders, choose delivery partners, and select the right shipping methods—all while balancing customer satisfaction and your business’s resources.

Below, find out how Shopify Shipping teams up with major carriers to make shipping packages simple and affordable, so your customers get their purchases quickly and without hassle.

What is Shopify Shipping?

Shopify Shipping makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to fulfill orders, by offering discounted shipping rates from major carriers and shipping tools built directly into Shopify. Save up to 88% on rates from USPS, UPS, and DHL in the United States, Canada Post in Canada, Sendle in Australia, and DPD in the UK.

Included with every Shopify plan, Shopify Shipping gives sellers access to features like overnight delivery, international shipping and shipping insurance. Plus, accessible tracking information, address validation, personalized packing slips, and notification emails.

Shopify Shipping also lets sellers offer customers free, flat-rate, or carrier-calculated shipping at checkout. Additionally, it helps sellers stay on top of finances with shipping service suggestions and automated routing for every order.

7 Shopify Shipping features

1. Choose from multiple carriers

Choose from top carriers like USPS, UPS, DHL Express, and Canada Post for domestic and international shipping.

2. Enjoy discounted rates

Take advantage of leading pre-negotiated discounts to significantly reduce shipping costs.

3. Print shipping labels easily

Print up to 100 shipping labels and packing slips directly from your Shopify dashboard, for individual and bulk orders.

4. Optimize order routing

If you keep goods in multiple locations, enable routing rules to automatically ship orders from the nearest or best warehouse.

5. Track packages and get insurance

Offer peace of mind to your customers with robust tracking and up to $200 insurance included with every label.

6. Go global with international shipping

Easily manage international shipping complexities to serve customers worldwide.

7. Offer local pickup

Serve local customers with convenient pickup and delivery services, perfect for small businesses looking to save on shipping costs.

How to ship with Shopify Shipping

Once you’ve decided on a shipping strategy, it’s simple to set up Shopify Shipping. Follow these steps to prepare your store for order fulfillment and quickly process orders when they arrive.

1. Fill out product and package details

Shopify Shipping calculates shipping rates based on cart weight, package size, and carrier. Make sure your product listings contain size, weight, and location details, so Shopify Shipping has the information it needs.

2. Set shipping rates and services

Choose which shipping services you’ll offer to customers in the Shipping and delivery tab, found via the Settings menu in the Shopify dashboard.

Select from supported carriers in your location to add real-time rates to your store’s checkout, or set your own flat rate. You can also offer free shipping for qualifying purchases or customers with a discount code.

3. Print and affix shipping labels

When you receive an order, Shopify will create a shipping label using the order and customer information, as well as the shipping option chosen by the customer at checkout. Print labels individually or in batches via the Orders tab in the Shopify dashboard, using a home printer or a dedicated label printer.

Package the order according to the size and weight requirements of the mailing class and affix the label.

4. Drop package with the carrier

Drop labeled packages at the mailbox, post office, or with the carrier. For supported carriers, including UPS and DHL Express, you can also schedule package pickup via the Shopify admin.

Benefits of using Shopify Shipping

Reduce overheads

Find significant savings on rates from trusted carriers, with the kind of low shipping prices usually reserved for large companies. This isn’t just about cheaper rates; it’s about making your shipping budget work smarter, allowing you to reduce shipping costs and reinvest savings in your business.

For example, access discounts of up to 88% with USPS, giving your small business a competitive edge.

Everything in one place

Shopify Shipping brings the entire shipping process into a single dashboard. Manage orders, print shipping labels, and track deliveries from one place. Spend less time on administrative tasks, reduce errors, and focus instead on strategic activities like marketing and product development.

For instance, the ability to batch print shipping labels cuts down the time needed to process orders, especially useful during peak sales periods like Black Friday.

Expand your reach

Dreaming of taking your business global? By providing the tools to navigate international fulfillment, Shopify Shipping opens up global markets. Easily reach new customers without worrying about complex logistics.

Third-party fulfillment: Shopify Fulfillment Network

As your business grows and order numbers increase, it can become difficult to store products and package orders. When you reach this stage, consider outsourcing order management to a third-party fulfillment service.

Third-party fulfillment companies, or 3PLs, manage inventory, pick and package orders, and coordinate with carriers to get products shipped out to customers. Most 3PLs offer order processing commitments and warehousing in strategic locations to reduce delivery times.

Shopify Fulfillment Network makes it easy to connect with trusted 3PLs and manage fulfillment. Monitor inventory levels, deliveries, and returns from your dashboard as your fulfillment partner processes orders.

Choosing a shipping carrier and service

A shipping carrier is the company that accepts your package and delivers it to the customer. Each carrier offers multiple shipping services, giving you different options based on your budget and needs.

To choose a shipping carrier, consider the following questions:

• Where are you shipping to?
• Where are you shipping from?
• What products are you shipping?
• How heavy are your products?
• What type of packaging will you use?
• Will you offer free or flat-rate shipping?
• What do your customers expect from your shipping policy?
• Do you need to coordinate with a 3PL provider?

While you can ship with any carrier, Shopify partners with well-known companies to keep things efficient and simple. If you ship through Shopify Shipping with USPS, UPS, or DHL Express in the United States, Canada Post in Canada, or Sendle in Australia, you’ll be able to pay for and print shipping labels directly in Shopify.

United States Postal Service (USPS)

With discounts of up to 88%, USPS is the most economical way to ship lightweight packages from the US using Shopify Shipping. Choose from domestic and international mail classes with optional tracking information and insurance for packages up to seventy pounds.

Create return shipping labels for domestic orders sent with USPS in Shopify.

United Parcel Service (UPS)

UPS is a reliable way to ship orders in Shopify Shipping within the US and Canada. Choose from domestic and international services with guaranteed delivery. Premium services include tracking and time-window deliveries.

DHL Express

DHL Express is a premium way to ship time-sensitive international deliveries from the US to more than 220 countries through Shopify Shipping, and allows you to access savings of up to 80%.

• Delivery within 2–3 business days for most international destinations
• Built-in customs forms and reduced rates
• Lightweight and heavy items (under 150 pounds)

Canada Post

Canada Post is the most economical way to ship packages from Canada using Shopify Shipping, with discounts of up to 58%.

Canada Post offers various domestic shipping services, four parcel shipping services to the United States, and six international shipping services to more than 190 countries. Ship orders up to 66 pounds, with insurance, tracking information, and delivery guarantees.

Sendle

Sendle is Shopify Shipping’s preferred carrier within Australia, offering up to 44% off shipping rates.

• Domestic and international shipping to more than 200 countries
• Door-to-door delivery across Australia
• Free pickups
• $100 loss coverage per shipment
• 100% carbon-neutral delivery

The whole package: Delivered

Shopify Shipping simplifies the entire order fulfillment process. Cut down on shipping costs and confidently send products using easy-to-manage tools that grow with your business. Focus on expanding your store while ensuring your customers receive the shipping service they expect.