NZ merchants report margin loss when rural customers don’t select the rural delivery surcharge (~$6.50). Manual setup of a rural rate in Shopify works but relies on customer honesty and isn’t robust.
Key limitation: Shopify cannot natively hide/show shipping rates by postcode, so rural buyers may choose the cheaper urban option unless an app enforces the rule.
Automation options suggested:
Setup notes: Add custom rural rates via Settings > Shipping and delivery, and use the NZ rural postcode list to trigger rural-only rates; links were provided and later corrected by a moderator.
Disagreement: One comment said ShipMagic needs CCS; the developer stated it supports some rates without CCS and is used by the OP.
Status: No definitive resolution; consensus favors automating postcode enforcement rather than chasing customers after purchase.
Can anyone let me know how and if you can go back to a customer if they have a rural address but have not selected the rural delivery charge in NZ? It keeps happening and its approx $6.50 per order, I currently just send the order and don’t question it but its quite a chunk out of the margin. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a similar problem or knows how to solve it! Many thanks!
Karen
Why not include the $6.50 rural delivery fee in the shipping fee for rural areas (based on zones or postal code)? This makes sure they will always pay the additional fee.
If would like to use apps for this, we can help you setup a postal code based shipping rates using our app, JsRates. You will need carrier-calculated-shipping rates activated on your store to use our app on the checkout page. Install our app and contact our support team from inside the app for custom setup assistance.
Hi,
If you are interested in using a third party solution, you can hide the non-rural for rural areas (using postcodes) using our app ShipMagic. The app works for all Shopify plans including the basic one without the need for carrier-calculated-shipping (CCS).
You can install the app and reach out to live chat support for assistance on setting up the app.
Option 1: Setting up shipping zones
Option 2: Multi Carrier Shipping label app to integrate with your NzPost account and offer carrier calculated rates at checkout.
Hi there, I’m one step behind you, and trying to see how to add the option of rural delivery surcharge at checkout (for a user to select if they know they need it) if you can offer any guidance!
Hey @jjones05 ,
Thanks for reaching out.
While relying on customer honesty, this solution works well for smaller stores. If you wanted to automate this process to ensure Rural customers are paying the correct amount, you will need to use a third-party shipping service provider that pushes live rates to your store (as mentioned above).
To manually set up your Rural shipping rates, head to your Settings > Shipping and delivery. You can then create a custom rate for your region as shown here: https://shopify.link/PdM3
Hi Sniper2824,
The app looks great, but it requires CCS and does not work with the Basic Shopify plan unfortunately. Thanks
Hi @RK2024 ,
As mentioned in my previous answer, we do have the capability to support some types of rates (including the one mentioned by the author in the original question) WITHOUT the need of CCS. Infact, the author of the post is currently using our app.
Let me know if you would like a demo of it.
@sniper2804 , thanks for your reply. Yes, I would be keen to see a demo. Does the app come at a charge if to be used without the need for CCS? Thanks
Hi,
Yes the app will cost you $14/month.
For demo, you can reach out to live chat support in the app with your requirements.
Hi Moira
Can you please update the link in your post - it is inactive/invalid?
You could try using NZ Post eShip? Or Starshipit if you’re looking for something a bit more advanced (and which includes multiple carriers).
Hey @alexar_88
My apologies, I have updated the link!
Another alternative I have come across is using this app then adding a rule to hide your standard shipping and only show the Rural rate if any of these postcodes are entered at checkout.
Hi Kent,
Unless you are using an app, you cannot currently set up shipping rates to hide or show based on postcode in Shopify, so when a rural customer is checking out on your Shopify store, they will see both the urban and rural rate, and unfortunately a lot of the time they will pick the urban rate which can create a lot of hassle or lost margin.
We released a rural shipping Shopify app to address this problem that can make sure New Zealand customers pick the correct rural shipping rate at checkout for $5 USD per month with a 14-day free trial, and our app works on any Shopify plan (it doesn’t require you to have Shopify Advanced or Carrier-Calculated Shipping). If you’re interested in using it, follow our 5 minute guide to set up rural shipping in NZ for your Shopify store.
Cheers,
Mitchell.