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.

Shipping zones visual showing UPS and FedEx offered in Alaska and Hawaii and USPS offered in the continental United States

 
 

Adding a Shipping Method

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

Edit buttons next to shipping zones highlighted in the Shipping page

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

 
 

Static Shipping Quotes

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.

 

Localized Store Experiences: Sample store data is available for all of our supported languages. For more information on the default language store setting, see Store Profile Settings.

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

Free shipping options within a shipping zone

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.

Toggle the free shipping method within a shipping zone

 

Can I change the display name for Free Shipping? No, the display name for Free Shipping cannot be edited. Consider using a Ship by Order Total or Ship by Weight method set at $0, as these allow you change the display name (like "Local Pick-Up"), specify costs for orders that don't meet the order total for free shipping, and base shipping prices on the order weight instead.

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.

Flate rate shipping settings within the shipping zone

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.

Ship by weight or order total settings in the Shipping page

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

Pickup In Store

In Store Pickup 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.

 
 

Real-Time Shipping Quotes

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

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 for basic shipping

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.

Example of the real time quotes displayed at checkout

 

Need flexible international shipping? If you need to ship internationally, check out shipping apps like DHL Express. They can provide flexible, express, worldwide door-to-door delivery.

 
 

FAQ

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.

I’m using Multi-Storefront. Can I offer different shipping methods per storefront?

If you have more than one storefront, static shipping quotes, excluding free shipping, and real-time shipping quotes can be toggled on or off per storefront.

See our Multi-Storefront guide for more information.