Shopify Shipping Rates: The Basics Explained

- Set a general flat rate of $0 for all orders
- Combine with discount codes or promotional campaigns
- Product Type: Are your products light, heavy, or bulky? Weight-based or calculated rates are better for heavier items, while flat or free rates work well for smaller or standard-sized products.
- Margins and Budget: Know how much shipping eats into your profit margin. If your margins are tight, consider passing some shipping costs to customers using flat or calculated rates.
- Fulfillment Method: In-house shipping gives you more control over rates. Meanwhile, Third-party logistics (3PL) may require calculated or app-based rates.
- Customer Expectations: Customers today often expect fast and affordable shipping—sometimes even free. Offering free shipping over a certain amount can boost average order value.
- Quantity-based shipping: Calculates shipping based on the number of units in an order.
- Weight-based shipping: Calculates shipping using the total order weight.

Leah Tran
Content Executive at TrueProfit & eCommerce Content Specialist
Leah Tran is a Content Specialist at TrueProfit, where she crafts SEO-driven and data-backed content to help eCommerce merchants understand their true profitability. With a strong background in content writing, research, and editorial content, she focuses on making complex financial and business concepts clear, engaging, and actionable for Shopify merchants.