ShipStation's Checkout Rates feature allows you to configure rates for your customers to select during their checkout process from your stores. Once you've connected Checkout Rates to your store, you are ready to configure the rates you'd like your customers to see in the store checkout. If you are new to Checkout Rates, you should first read our Checkout Rates Overview to learn about the feature requirements and how it works.
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 your 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), or they can each be different.
Additionally, you must create rate options for each store that uses Checkout Rates. 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.
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 Rates 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 UPS Ground, FedEx Ground (for US merchants) 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.
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 Rates 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 Rates 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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You can configure Checkout Rates for both domestic and international services.
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Checkout Rates does not automatically apply your customer's service selection to the shipment in ShipStation. However, if you would like to always ship your orders with the same service your customer selected at checkout, you can set ShipStation to do so.
Go to
Store Setup > Checkout Ratesand check the box for On order import, automatically set the Shipping Service selected by the customer at checkout and save your changes.This setting will override any other service mappings that could apply to the order. You can always change the service for the shipment if you decide to use a different service for any reason.
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Troubleshooting tips: 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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You may not have completed the required store setup. 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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