Shipping Methods

A shipping method is the service for delivering goods that a shopper selects at checkout. Shipping method costs are in addition to the cost of products in the cart and any applicable taxes. Offering a comprehensive list of shipping options boosts conversion by allowing shoppers to choose the best, most cost-effective shipping method for their needs. Examples of shipping methods include:

• a fixed charge, like a $5 flat rate on all orders
• a rate table based on weight or order value
• a dynamically-calculated charge using a real-time shipping quote service from the carrier

Shipping methods are configured in Shipping Zones in the Shipping Setup.

To add a shipping method, go to Settings › Shipping and click Configure or Edit next to a shipping zone.

On the zone configuration screen, you have options for static shipping quotes and real-time shipping quotes.

• Free Shipping
• Flat Rate
• Ship By
• Pickup In Store

A static shipping quote is any cost that is manually set in a shipping zone instead of being dynamically calculated by a shipping provider. This can be a single rate, or a table of rates based on the cost or weight of an order.

Free Shipping

BigCommerce offers multiple ways to offer free shipping. Setting up free shipping in the Shipping page allows you to limit free shipping to a specific shipping zone, set a minimum purchase price to meet, and offer free shipping as an option in addition to other shipping methods. To learn about other methods of offering a free shipping discount, see Free Shipping.

Toggle on Free Shipping to apply it to the zone. The following options will pop up:

• Limit to order over — limits free shipping to orders over a certain amount
• Use discounted order subtotal (Recommended) — will use the discounted order subtotal to determine eligibility for free shipping
• Make products with a Fixed Shipping Cost ineligible for Free Shipping — will exclude products with a fixed shipping price

When finished, click Submit in the pop-up, then Done.

Your Free Shipping method is now up and active. If you need to disable it, toggle the switch to off.

Flat Rate

Flat-rate shipping charges a fixed rate for shipping. It can be based on the number of items in the order or the order as a whole.

You can offer as many flat-rate methods as you want by duplicating them. This is useful for merchants who want to offer their own static cost for different delivery methods.

To learn more, see Flat-Rate Shipping.

Ship By

This shipping method allows your store to use a preformatted table to determine how much to charge an order for shipping. A table may be based on the total weight of an order or the total price of the order. There are a few reasons why you might choose to use this method:

• Your shipments are heavy and fall outside the weight limits imposed by real-time quote providers.
• You want to charge shipping as a percentage of the order total.
• You want complete control over how much to charge for each zone.

For more information on using Ship By methods, see Flat-Rate Shipping.

Pickup In Store

In Store Pickup, sometimes called BOPIS (Buy Online, Pickup In Store) gives shoppers the option to pick up their order at a physical store location instead of having it shipped to an address. No charges are applied to this method, but you can add a handling fee.

It is best to use this method in a custom shipping zone based on local zip codes. This zone should include standard (not pickup) shipping methods for local customers who would still rather have their order shipped to them.

For more information on setting up in-store pickup, see Free Shipping.

We offer the following carrier integrations for real-time shipping quotes:

• FedEx
• UPS®
• USPS by Endicia
• Canada Post
• Royal Mail
• Australia Post
• Zoom2u

If installed, some apps like Easyship will also appear under real-time shipping quotes.

Being able to provide the lowest possible shipping costs on your products can help you convert more shoppers into buyers and give your brand a competitive edge in the marketplace. Using real-time quotes to calculate your shipping charges gives you the ability to pass your shipping costs on to the customer.

Real-time shipping quotes can benefit both the merchant and shopper. As a merchant, you're able to ensure you don't lose any money when you're ready to purchase a shipping label.

Transparency in shipping costs helps to improve consumer confidence and assures shoppers they're not paying too much for shipping. Customers feel empowered by having access to a variety of shipping options — from low-cost ground delivery to premium, expedited fulfillment.

You can connect your own carrier account information to enable real-time quotes with major shipping providers, including:

• USPS
• FedEx
• UPS
• Canada Post
• Royal Mail
• Australia Post
• Zoom2u

The Shipping page only shows supported services for your shipping origin. For example, you won't be able to see and set up Canada Post unless your origin address is in Canada.

Carriers that provide real-time shipping quotes will display descriptive text about each service during checkout.

What do I do if my real-time shipping quotes aren't working/showing on the storefront?

There could be several reasons why real-time shipping options do not show up at checkout. It may have to do with the limits of the carrier. If you are finding errors in the real-time shipping quotes, see Troubleshooting Real Time Shipping Quotes for more details.

Can I display real-time shipping quotes from carriers that are not on this list?

We do not offer a native integration for other carriers, but the ShipperHQ app in the App Marketplace can generate real-time quotes from a wider variety of carriers, including LTL freight carriers.