How can I set up different package sizes for shipping calculations?

[eharrington5]

I'm trying to determine shipping package sizes. Let's say I have a medium box size and large box size. I can only find a that one package size can be used a checkout using the option "This package is used to calculate shipping rates at checkout." My concern is that some larger items will require a larger box, is it not possible to set this up? I've added these larger items to a Custom Shipping Rate but do not see how to tie that to the checkout box size?

[Dirk · Accepted solution]

Hey, @eharrington5 

You are correct! The default package size in Shopify is going to be used in all calculated shipping rates at checkout for your customers. In the case you have a variety of packaging sizing, I recommend using a third-party app to accomplish this. An app called Boxify will allow you to show rates that match how an order is actually shipped, whatever is in the cart, whatever the size of the box or boxes required. They also offer a 15-day free trial to see if it's a good fit for our store!

I hope that helps. With that said, are you planning on setting up flat shipping costs or calculated shipping costs?

[migpics]

Are you kidding me?  We need an app for an account that we pay monthly that allows for monthly products so we can price different packaging sizes?
Unbelievable.

[liluki]

Exactly! Absolutely misleading offering. I used to see custom dimensions for specific products and now they are gone.

[DavyC]

I've begun to have issues with this.

My default box must be big enough for my biggest products, lest I lose much shipping money. But, then, for my tiny products, my clients get way over-charged massive amounts for the same, oversized default box. (I've had to refund some clients & lost money on others.)

So, Shopify can't determine different Shopping Cart Check Out boxes to match the product? 

Boxify is way to expensive to add to my Shopify account. 

[Janit_Calvo]

Throwing my name into the convo - not sure what has happened to the shipping but now it's off completely. I'm losing sales AND I have to give shipping refunds to the customers that are overcharged way too often now.

To NOT consider the SIZE of the items to be shipped is USELESS.

To tell us to go get an app to do something so BASIC is RIDICULOUS. 

I switched to Shopify from Go Daddy's Quick Shopping Cart that I used since 2006. THEIR shipping calculator had taken into account the SIZE of the wrapped items in order for the calculator to pack the RIGHT BOX and quote the RIGHT SHIPPING COSTS

Since 2006!!!!! To not be able to do this in the Shopify shipping calculator is just STUPID. 

[BrysonThill]

Hi @Dirk, I'm new to Shopify and hope to launch soon with a single product. I expect most customers will buy only one unit of the product, but I will almost certainly also have some customers purchasing several.

It seems like Shopify will use my default package for all orders, which will be correct in most cases, but will severely underestimate shipping costs if the customer buys more than one of the items. Am I understanding correctly that there is no way to accurately calculate this shipping without having Shopify Advanced and a third party app like Boxify? 

If there's something I'm missing here, please let me know! This is a major roadblock to me launching my store.

[migpics]

Dirk, while you offer an answer to the issue, you don't really back it up with any justification. You just confirm what most Shopify customers found through brute force after slamming their heads against the wall asking why, why, why.  I mean, really, it's a basic assumption that any vendor that would have multiple packages want to give their customers a better way to select the shipping of said packages, so Shopify is doing a big disservice to their community by providing something under bear bones to get a fulfillment company up and running.
However, and this is the big however you are missing in your responses to everyone, and this is for those out there hassling with this, here is what Shopify offers that other can't, and that is a better rate on shipping using major carriers like UPS, or FEDex.
Shopify's ability to have relationships with large carriers, allows shopify customers to have better shipping rates than just going down to the store and buying the shipping yourself.
And there is where the savings comes in that then pays for the recommended app.
So the app costs about $30 a month and depending on your orders, you'll save yourself a shipping rate of $30 a month with just a few orders.  Then, to top it off, you can add a small handling fee that offsets the cost of the app.
It should still be pointed out that the default features are very very limiting when it comes to shipment and at least one or two package choices should be offered, but I am trying to find a silver lining in all of this.

[Janit_Calvo]

This is NOT an "accepted solution" by any means. To tell us to go get an app to do something so BASIC is RIDICULOUS. 

ICYMI - I switched to Shopify from Go Daddy's Quick Shopping Cart that I used since 2006. THEIR shipping calculator had taken into account the SIZE and weight of the wrapped items in order for the calculator to choose/pack the RIGHT BOX and quote the RIGHT SHIPPING COST.

Since 2006 I might add!!!!!

To not be able to do this within the Shopify shipping calculator tells me they own Boxify and want to nickle-and-dime us for more money.

Why else would they do NOT do this?

To not calculate the SIZE of an item for the postage costs is unbelievably ignorant of the way the post office and the carriers work. 

[kcbrickstore]

Hey @Dirk,

Any timeline on when Shopify will support different package sizes natively? Almost every other ecommerce provider supports different package sizes without charging for an extra add-on app, and based on the number of support topics here related to package sizes, this is a very highly requested feature.

[kcbrickstore]

@Dirk,

For example, Anders reported that this feature was requested 5 years ago here: https://community.shopify.com/c/payments-shipping-and/package-sizing/m-p/463094/highlight/true#M2172...

Then LuLu copy/pasted the same answer here in 2019: https://community.shopify.com/c/payments-shipping-and/questions-about-default-packaging-size-and-shi...

And then a year ago you posted this reply pushing Boxify as well.  Based on the trend of the forums, it seems like Shopify doesn't really intend to add this feature...

[mgFishing]

I also cannot believe that you cannot set a default package for each product that is then used to calculate shipping rates.  

On top of that we have to be on an "Advanced" shopify plan to enable third party carrier calculated shipping, which is insanity.  

I understand that Shopify has to keep their app developers happy as well the store owners, but leaving us with the option of paying Shopify an extra $130 a month to allow us to sell different sized products and not get plowed by shipping rates, or pay another app developer for every calculation they perform (not order placed even, just shipping calculation) is insanity.  This is not a complicated thing to do and other platforms have this functionality for free by default.  

We have been a single product store and are so excited to be growing and adding to our product lines, but this is ending up being a much bigger and awkward hurdle than it should be.  

I've been frustrated with Shopify before, but never fully disappointed with it until today.  This is a let down and the reliance Shopify has on it's app market over base functionality is starting to get ridiculous and overbearing with the $5 here, $10 here, $20 here all for things that should be part of the base platform.  

I've never seriously considered switching eComm platforms, but this may be the tipping point.

[MountainHomeSup]

I agree!  I am trying to scale my business and have 3 different types of soap, lip balms, 2 types of lotion, and a solid cologne, all mind you have very different weights and dimensions.  It blows my mind I have spent all this time getting my store the way I want, to come to find out it will just default to a specific box.  Why would a customer decide to buy a lip balm that is .15 oz and the shipping shows 6.75?!  That would be understandable if they purchase a few soaps and a lotion, but how am I supposed to get any sales, (which is what Im in business for) if the shipping is this off?  I was looking forward to utilizing shopify because I heard so many good things, but how is it good if a platform THIS big cannot even do something as simple as get the shipping narrowed down?  It has taken the wind out of my sails and makes me wonder if I should switch platforms, and If so, which one?

[AppleSauce999]

When you (as Shopify) have to always say "you need a 3rd party app for that" on even the most basic needs, don't you think its time for customers to start looking for another platform?    If I sold televisions and when the customer got the TV, my answer to everyone of their needs was "You have to buy that from another company" don't you think my customers will start going elsewhere.   The USPS based price on weight, then they changed to volume and weight and Shopify (who brags that they are 10% of ecommerce) creates no solution.   Let me solve it for you.   Its quite simple.   You adjust the volume based on weight.   It won't be perfect but at least it won't cause customers to be under or over charged by as much as 500%.    I have been with Shopify for 10 years.  I have processed over 70,000 orders on one account.   When I started Shopify was full of innovators and problems solvers.   Now its full of people that seem to enjoy saying "We can't do it."   This isn't an option.  This is a necessity.   This platform and its staff were once great.   It only makes changes that people hate.  Like removing the search bar from the product page.   Who asked for that?  Nobody.   The staff is obviously a function of salary and if you work there, I guess you don't have many options in life.   But they are clearly not paying for top people.    These answers in the forums show that.   The forums would be better without the contributions from the staff.   They usually dont read the topic carefully.  

[AppleSauce999]

Look at the joy in your reply that shopify can't address a crucial need.   If my customers had a crucial need, the answer would be hang on.   Then the reply would be "ITS DONE!!!!"

[AppleSauce999]

Dirk, how long have you worked there?  Do you have your own store?  How much time have you spent on the shopify platform?  Making products, solving problems?   Im just asking.  I have no idea.   Maybe you have had a store for 6 years.   I think its important to know what kind of experience you have.  

[AppleSauce999]

There needs to be a warning in the homepage of your account that says "Shipping carriers base prices on weight and volume, since we know you aren't going to change platforms, we simply don't care.   But we do want to warn you that by setting a default volume (its a default volume, its not a default package) the rates that your customers pay will be significantly less than what you have to pay if they buy more than one item, or if the item they buy is larger than the default box.   This will cost you money, but we don't care, because why should we?   We are Canada's second largest stock, so there's that."

[finngoods]

Hello Dirk, this doesn't provide a solution. We are migrating from WooCommerce and the shipping costs are calculated perfectly using the product dimensions and weights and calculating how big of a box is needed. After working on this for weeks with Shopify Support, we now realized Shopify only enables us to have 1 box size for every order. We used to have dozens of box sizes with accurate shipping cost calculations. Please let us know when this will be resolved. Thank you!

[ECCP]

I ran into this issue multiple times. I've lost money on some of my bigger items because I cannot add dimensions to different products. 

[migpics]

Yeah this is crap.  We're switching over to something else.  By the time you end up adding all these 3rd party add ons your overhead with this thing is awful.

[Obathbody]

I think I will be switching also

[migpics]

Hey Obathdbody.  You might consider sticking around.  I was really rethinking it and there might be somethings that balance out the costs.  See my response above.

[Janit_Calvo]

Let us know what you come up with! 

Adding a handling fee to cover the costs of an app - for something so basic - is unfair to the customers. They are already paying for the increased shipping costs over the past couple of years. Besides the fact that a lot of time, the shipping costs will be more than the product itself. 

[MNonlineseller]

I would like to reinvigorate this conversation. You should at least be able to set default packaging options by market. Our USA orders tend to be smaller since shipping is less expensive, customers will order single items more frequently. However, our International customers plan carefully and fill boxes to make shipping as economical as possible. With only one default packaging, we have to err on the side of International orders coming out correct because a small change in weight can swing the shipping cost by double. But this means practically all USA orders are overcharged, maybe only slightly, but it feels unnecessary. 

It should not take a rather expensive paid app to sort this out. Please let us AT LEAST specify default packaging by market. 

[MNonlineseller]

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@MNonlineseller wrote:

It should not take a rather expensive paid app to sort this out. Please let us AT LEAST specify default packaging by market. 

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Shopify admin, any thoughts on this recommendation? Seems very easy to implement. 

[MNonlineseller]

@Dirk Your thoughts? It makes no sense that this is still an issue. 

[CedarYSand]

Hmmmmmm...not a peep from Shopify/Dirk on any of this.  😞

[edrando]

Wow, the more I get into setting up a store because our customers who visit our brick and mortar store keep telling us to do so, and the deeper I get into this "so called" easy way to get your store online through "Shopify" the more I am thinking I should just deactivate now and start again with a different platform.....any ideas? Obviously Shopify or at least Dirk isn't monitoring this thread!

[kcbrickstore]

We have a brick and mortar store as well as an online store with Shopify.  I will say, you'll end up paying a lot more for shopify than the base price because they charge individually for things other POS systems provide for free.  You'll have to pay for:

• Calculating sales tax properly (seriously... they charge a percentage per order to calculate sales tax)
• An app to calculate which box to use in shipping
• An app for QuickBooks sync
• An app for Loyalty Rewards

I will say - most ecommerce providers kinda suck for supporting both POS and online stores.  It's hard to find one the checks all the boxes for your individual needs.  But as your comparing, do keep an eye out for the feature set they have and if those features are natively supported for free or if they require a paid app to enable.  

[verticalgarden]

We have both brick and mortar and online as well.  We are not open to regular retail, but locals can pick up orders.  This has turned into a logistical nightmare.  I won't be renewing with Shopify after our year is up.  Maybe we just have too many things going on for Shopify to cover, but if I increase our prices to accommodate for "free shipping" on larger boxes, there is no easy way to discount that for locals.  I put in a discount code for local pick-up, but really anybody could use it if they tried.  I haven't even set up the POS or connected to Quickbooks yet as it seems like just one more disaster waiting to happen.  As for shipping, all I could come up with is a mid-size box for the default and include shipping on larger items.  We'll lose some shipping across the country but win some in states closer to us.  

I think the original post is so old that Dirk checked out or is no longer around.  Seems no one @Shopify is paying attention either.  Maybe we need to start a newer thread? 

[MJS613]

I called support about this yesterday and their solution was to add me to a list that is supposed to be with the developers to implement.  Right hasn't been implemented in 5 years of people asking so why would they do it now.  Then they recommended Boxify which is ridiculous to recommend a $30+ dollar a month app to do basic functionality. All I know if I can't find a simple way to resolve this without having to spend a ton of extra money I will be switching which sucks because of all the time and money I have already spent with shopify.  For my bigger stuff there is a $12 gap  between shipping close to me and far away, either I charge more for the product and add more to shipping costs to cover that gap which isn't fair to the customer or I eat the loss which isn't really good business as margins are already pretty tight.  Shopify do better!

[daddydayclub]

I came here to back up everyones concerns here too. Absolutely ridiculous. 

[retronorthgames]

I assumed this would be in settings as a basic feature. I have larger items that we lose money on because a package size cannot be set. This needs to be fixed.

[verticalgarden]

We chose shopify so we could integrate with Quickbooks, but I had no idea shipping would be such a problem.  We also have large and small items.  When the large box size was the default, shipping was outrageous.  Jumping up to the $299 plan so we can connect to our shippingeasy account we also pay for is absurd.  If shopify doesn't resolve this we wont be staying long.  My mistake for not researching more details, unfortunately.  The only solution I've found is to make it free shipping on the larger items and increase the price.  

[rcucc]

It's insane that this hasn't been addressed yet. Even if we use Boxify, we're not able to take advantage of Shopify's discounted rates.