How to decide between fixed rate and weight-related international shipping?

[jamandthread]

Hi I am a kidswear retailer from Northern Ireland looking to start shipping internationally however i am not sure if a fixed price rate or weight related rate is the best way to go , if i go fixed rate how can i check that i am charging enough to send to any country.  

[Lana]

Hello @jamandthread!

The shipping rates that you want to charge really depend on what you have to cover to make sure you're not losing money with orders. The best way to look into this is by checking with your local post office to see what they charge for international parcels. There may be differing rates depending on the continent, so do make sure to check for the individual countries that you want to ship to, and set your rates based on that.

As for whether you should charge based on weight or have a fixed rate - this is really up to you! Charging by weight is useful if you have info on what costs you yourself have to cover based on the weight or dimensions of a parcel, so again for this it may be best to check with the post office as I suggested earlier, as that will give you a clearer picture of what to expect and where you can go from here.

You mentioned that you're selling kids wear - are you dropshipping from a supplier, or do you have your own stock? I have a fantastic Shopify Blog article for you here on how another Kids' Clothing website on Shopify increases their sales - I highly recommend checking it our for some top tips for your own business.

[jamandthread]

Hi lana thank you so much for your email and I will get a look at both of the options to see what suits me 

Thanks for all your information 

Regards 

Marty