How to get free shipping to work with multiple dropship / POD sources?

[FestivalDrip]

I just realized my "free shipping over $50" only worked if you had $50 from a specific source/vendor. I'm going to do my best to clarify:

My business model is a little crazy. The products I sell under a single brand/website are sourced from...

1. half a dozen dropship vendors

2. half a dozen POD suppliers

3. Products I physically have on hand in my warehouse

This allows me to provide a full range of products that are still specific to my niche.

So for example, just right now I add to my cart:

1. A $30 women's top from a dropshipper in Burbank, CA

2. A $30 T-shirt from a POD supplied (forget where they are located)

3. A $25 fanny pack located in my Los Angeles, CA warehouse

4. A $25 5 pack of socks from a POD supplied in China.

Actual Total: $116.75

Shipping: $11.23

I know I have my work cur out for me, but at least this explains why people keep bouncing out of my checkout page. 

I was just about to remove free shipping from my site entirely, but I figure I should get a second or third opinion beforehand. 

How do I untablge this? Or should I just remove free shipping altogether like some site?

The site is https://festivaldripofficial.com

[Channelwill]

Hi @FestivalDrip,

By default, Shopify calculates shipping per profile/location, which is why your "free shipping over $50" only works within a single fulfillment source. Unfortunately, it doesn’t combine cart totals across all locations for a unified threshold.

A few suggestions to help untangle this:

1. Create blended shipping rates manually

   • Instead of setting "free shipping" by vendor, try applying flat rate or free shipping conditions on your general shipping zone (for example US) under one profile, then assign all products to that.

2. Use a third-party shipping rules app

   • Apps like Advanced Shipping Rules let you define blended cart logic across vendors, and ParcelPanel Order Tracking can help streamline tracking and post-purchase clarity (especially useful when items come from multiple places).

3. Clarify shipping expectations at checkout

   • A note near the cart like “Items may arrive in separate packages, but shipping is on us when you spend $50+” helps manage customer expectations and reduce bounce.

4. Alternative: Offer discounted shipping instead of full free

   • If margins are tight with multiple vendors, offering a flat $2.99 shipping over $50 (instead of free) can offset costs without turning customers away.

Your range of suppliers is a strength, it just needs a slightly more unified system behind the scenes. You’re close!

And if this helps, feel free to mark it as a solution so others can find it too 😊