Shipping Rules
Control how shipping rates are calculated for each zone using manual, dynamic, or own carrier rules.
A shipping rule defines how customers are charged for delivery in a given zone. Rules live inside shipping profiles and can use three different rate sources.
Rate sources
Dynamic
Dynamic rules pull live carrier rates from the platform's Sendcloud integration. You choose a carrier filter, a strategy, and an optional markup. The system does the rest.
When to use: You want real carrier prices without managing your own carrier account.
Settings:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Filter to a specific carrier (e.g. Royal Mail) or show all |
| Method | Filter by method name keyword (e.g. "Tracked", "Signature") |
| Strategy | Which options to show (cheapest, fastest, all, price cap) |
| Markup | Add a percentage or fixed amount on top of the carrier cost |
| Free shipping threshold | Make shipping free when the order exceeds a value |
Manual
Manual rules let you set exact prices. Choose flat rate, weight-based tiers, or order value tiers.
When to use: You want full control over the price, or you offer services the platform does not fetch (like local delivery or click-and-collect).
Pricing modes:
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Flat rate | One price for all orders |
| Weight tiers | Different prices based on parcel weight |
| Order value tiers | Different prices based on the order subtotal |
For weight and value tiers, add rows with ranges. Each row sets a price for orders within that range. The last tier can be open-ended ("and above").
Own carrier (BYOC)
BYOC rules fetch live rates from your connected carrier account. You need to connect at least one carrier in Shipping > Carriers before this option appears.
When to use: You have a negotiated account with a carrier (like DHL Express) and want to use your own rates and billing.
Settings:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Account | Which connected carrier account to use |
| Method | Filter by service name keyword (e.g. "EXPRESS") |
| Strategy | Which options to show |
| Markup | Optional markup on top of the carrier rate |
| Free shipping threshold | Make shipping free above a value |
BYOC labels are billed directly to your carrier account. There is no platform fee.
Strategy options
Every dynamic and BYOC rule has a strategy that controls which rates the customer sees:
| Strategy | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Cheapest + Fastest | Two options: the cheapest and the fastest |
| Cheapest only | Just the single cheapest option |
| Fastest only | Just the single fastest option |
| All options | Every available service, sorted by price |
| Price cap | All services under a price you set |
Free shipping
Any rule can have a free shipping threshold. When the order subtotal exceeds the threshold, the shipping price drops to zero. The rule still shows the carrier and service name, so customers know how their order will ship.
You can also set free shipping thresholds on dynamic and BYOC rules to offer free shipping only on certain carriers or zones.
Zone matching
Each rule can target a specific zone or "All target markets". When a customer checks out:
- The system checks for zone-specific rules first
- If no zone matches, it falls through to rules targeting all markets
- Zone-specific rules always override "All target markets" rules for the same carrier and method
Adding rules
Open a shipping profile and scroll to the rules section. Click Add rule and configure:
- Pick the zone (or leave it on "All target markets")
- Choose the rate source (Dynamic, Manual, or Own carrier)
- Fill in the settings for that source
- Toggle the rule active or inactive
Rules evaluate in the order listed. You can reorder them, but the zone matching logic stays the same regardless of order.