Dr Cart Shipping Rates & Rules

How to Set Up Shipping Rules Using Product Specific Rates in Shopify Advanced Shipping Calculator?

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How to Set Up Shipping Rules Using Product Specific Rates in Shopify Advanced Shipping Calculator?

In this article, you will learn:

  • What Product Specific Rates are and how they work
  • The key features of Product Specific Rates in the Advanced Shipping Calculator app
  • Step-by-step instructions for setting up Product Specific Rates
  • Example strategies based on Product Specific Rates
  • Best practices and use cases for Product Specific Rates
  • How to optimize your shipping strategy using Product Specific Rates


Introduction

Product Specific Rates offer a flexible way to calculate shipping costs for your e-commerce business. This method allows you to set individual shipping rates for each product in your store, providing a precise and customizable shipping cost structure. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up shipping rules using Product Specific Rates in the Advanced Shipping Calculator app.


Understanding Product Specific Rates

Product Specific Rates work by:

  • Assigning unique shipping rates to individual products
  • Allowing for different rates based on product characteristics (as you select and evaluate products and decide rates for them)
  • Providing the option to multiply rates by product quantity


Key Features of Product Specific Rates Setup

When setting up Product Specific Rates in the Advanced Shipping Calculator app, you have access to the following features:

  • Individual product rate assignment
  • Fixed value or percentage-based rates
  • Product search and bulk import/export options
  • Option to multiply shipping value by product quantity
  • Default shipping rate for new or unassigned products
  • Minimum and maximum shipping rate limits

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Follow these steps to set up Product Specific Rates in the Advanced Shipping Calculator app:
  1. Open the Advanced Shipping Calculator app and navigate to the shipping rules workspace
    • click Advanced Shipping Calculator on the left side menu, then the Shipping Zone for which you want to add the rule

Figure 1: Advanced Shipping Calculator main page

  1. click “Add Shipping Rule” button

Figure 2: Advanced Shipping Calculator – create new shipping rule

  1. First, fill in the General Shipping Rule information and specify filters for which the rule should be applied (this includes location and conditions for cart, product, or customer). For more details, see “Anatomy of Shipping Rules and Rates: A Comprehensive Guide to the Advanced Shipping Calculator Rule Configurator” and “Understanding Conditions in Advanced Shipping Calculator: Condition Match Operator and Condition Parameters” guides.
  1. In the Shipping Rate Calculation section, select “Product Specific Rate” from the “Select Rate Type” dropdown.

Figure 3: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 1

(Optional) Set a Shipping Base Price that will be added on top of the calculated rate.

Figure 4: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 2

 

  1. Choose between Fixed value or Percentage for your product rates:
    • Fixed value: Set a specific dollar amount for product shipping.
    • Percentage: Set a percentage of the product price as the shipping rate.

Figure 5: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 3

 

  1. Use the search bar to find specific products and set their individual shipping rates:
    • Enter the product name or SKU in the search field
    • Set the Shipping Rate Price for each product in the provided field

Figure 6: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 4

(Optional) Use the Export and Import buttons to manage rates for multiple products at once:

    • Export: Download a CSV file with all your products and their current rates
    • Import: Upload a CSV file with updated rates for multiple products

Figure 7: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 4 optional


(Optional) Check the “Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity” box if you want the shipping rate to scale with the quantity ordered.

Figure 8: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 5

 

  1. Set a Product Default Shipping Rate:
    • This rate will apply to any products that don’t have a specific rate assigned
    • Choose between Fixed amount or Percentage in the Value Format dropdown

Figure 9: Configure Product Specific Rate – step 6

(Optional) Set Minimum and Maximum Shipping Rates to ensure your shipping costs stay within a desired range.

Figure 10: Configure Product Specific Rate – step
  1. Review and save your settings


Example checkout result 1.

Figure 11: Configure Product Specific Rate – example checkout result 1


 

Example checkout result 2

Figure 12: Configure Product Specific Rate – example checkout result 2

Example checkout result 3

Figure 13: Configure Product Specific Rate – example checkout result 3

Example Strategies for Product Specific Rates

Here are 5 example setups that demonstrate strategic uses of Product Specific Rates
  1. Electronics Store
Setup
  • Set Shipping Base Price: $5 USD
  • Select Rate Type: Fixed value
  • Product rates:
    • MacBook: $20 USD
    • Smartphone: $10 USD
    • Accessories: $5 USD
  • Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity: Enabled
  • Set Product Default Shipping Rate: $15 USD (Fixed amount)
  • Set Minimum Shipping Rate: $5 USD
  • Set Maximum Shipping Rate: $50 USD
Why this strategy: This setup accounts for the varying sizes and values of electronics products. The base price ensures coverage of basic handling costs. Higher rates for larger items like MacBooks reflect their increased shipping costs. Enabling multiplication by quantity ensures appropriate charges for bulk accessory orders. The maximum rate prevents shipping costs from becoming prohibitively high on large orders, potentially encouraging bigger purchases.
  1. Clothing Boutique
Setup
  • Set Shipping Base Price: $2 USD
  • Select Rate Type: Percentage
  • Product rates:
    • Designer dress: 8%
    • T-shirt: 5%
    • Jeans: 6%
  • Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity: Disabled
  • Set Product Default Shipping Rate: 7% (Percentage)
  • Set Minimum Shipping Rate: $3 USD
  • Set Maximum Shipping Rate: $25 USD
Why this strategy: Percentage-based rates for a clothing store align shipping costs with product values. This approach is fair for customers and the business, as shipping for a designer dress naturally costs more than for a t-shirt. Disabling multiplication prevents overcharging on multi-item orders. The minimum rate ensures coverage of basic shipping costs on low-priced items, while the maximum rate keeps shipping reasonable on high-value purchases.
  1. Bookstore

Setup

  • Set Shipping Base Price: $1 USD
  • Select Rate Type: Fixed value
  • Product rates:
    • Hardcover: $4 USD
    • Paperback: $3 USD
    • Textbook: $6 USD
  • Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity: Enabled
  • Set Product Default Shipping Rate: $3.50 USD (Fixed amount)
  • Set Minimum Shipping Rate: $3 USD
  • Set Maximum Shipping Rate: $20 USD

Why this strategy: Fixed rates work well for books as their shipping costs are primarily weight-based. The rates reflect the typical weight differences between paperbacks, hardcovers, and textbooks. Enabling multiplication accounts for the increased weight of multiple books. The low base price and minimum rate keep shipping costs competitive for single book orders, while the maximum rate encourages larger purchases without excessive shipping fees.


  1. Handmade Crafts Shop
Setup
  • Set Shipping Base Price: $3 USD
  • Select Rate Type: Percentage
  • Product rates:
    • Large painting: 10%
    • Jewelry: 5%
    • Pottery: 8%
  • Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity: Disabled
  • Set Product Default Shipping Rate: 6% (Percentage)
  • Set Minimum Shipping Rate: $5 USD
  • Set Maximum Shipping Rate: $30 USD
Why this strategy: Percentage rates for handmade items account for the wide variety in size and value typical in craft shops. Higher percentages for larger items like paintings reflect increased shipping costs. Disabling multiplication prevents overcharging on small, multiple-item orders like jewelry. The minimum rate ensures even low-priced items cover basic shipping costs, while the maximum rate keeps shipping reasonable on high-value artworks.
  1. Mixed Product Store

Setup

  • Set Shipping Base Price: $0 USD
  • Select Rate Type: Fixed value
  • Product rates:
    • iPhone 13 Pro: $0 USD
    • AirPods Pro: $5 USD
    • MacBook Air: $15 USD
    • iPad Pro: $10 USD
  • Multiply Product Shipping Value By Product Quantity: Enabled
  • Set Product Default Shipping Rate: $8 USD (Fixed amount)
  • Set Minimum Shipping Rate: $0 USD
  • Set Maximum Shipping Rate: $50 USD


Why this strategy: This setup demonstrates a flexible approach for an electronics store with diverse products and promotional offers. Here’s the rationale:

  1. The $0 rate for the iPhone 13 Pro could be part of a special promotion, possibly to drive traffic and encourage purchases of accessories.
  2. Smaller items like AirPods Pro have a lower shipping rate ($5), reflecting their size and weight.
  3. Larger items like the MacBook Air have higher rates ($15), accounting for their increased shipping costs.
  4. The iPad Pro has a middle-ground rate ($10), balancing its size and value.
  5. Enabling multiplication ensures appropriate charges for multiple items, which is important for accessories like AirPods that might be bought in pairs.
  6. The $0 minimum shipping rate allows for free shipping promotions on certain items or order totals.
  7. The $8 default rate covers shipping costs for new or unspecified products.
  8. The $50 maximum rate keeps shipping costs reasonable on large orders, potentially encouraging customers to add more items to their cart.

This strategy allows for promotional flexibility while ensuring shipping costs are generally covered. It can drive sales of both high-value items (through promotions) and accessories (through reasonable shipping rates on smaller items).


Best Practices and Use Cases


Here are 5 example setups that demonstrate strategic uses of Product Specific Rates

Product Specific Rates are particularly useful for:


  • Stores with a diverse range of products that have significantly different shipping costs
  • Businesses that want precise control over shipping costs for each item
  • Companies looking to offset shipping costs for certain products while offering free shipping on others


 

Best practices include:


  • Regularly update your product-specific rates to reflect any changes in actual shipping costs
  • Use bulk import/export features to efficiently manage rates for large product catalogs
  • Consider using a combination of fixed rates and percentages to balance profitability and customer appeal


Optimizing Your Shipping Strategy

To make the most of Product Specific Rates:

  • Analyze your order data to identify products that may benefit from custom shipping rates
  • Consider offering free shipping on high-margin products by incorporating their shipping costs into the product price
  • Use the multiplication feature for products that become significantly more expensive to ship in larger quantities

Conclusion

Product Specific Rates offer a highly customizable approach to shipping calculations, providing precision for you and potentially more attractive rates for your customers. By following this guide and experimenting with different setups, you can create a shipping strategy that accurately reflects your costs while remaining competitive.

Remember, the key to successful Product Specific Rates is finding the right balance between accuracy and simplicity. Don’t hesitate to adjust your rates as you learn more about your shipping patterns and customer behavior.