One order, multiple deliveries, 1x freight costs

Shopify Discussion
1

Hi all,

I am looking for a way to calculate one-time shipping costs per order, even if there are multiple deliveries.
Background: We sell pre-order items in addition to stock items and only want to charge freight once for mixed shopping baskets. Deliveries over 80 euros are always free of charge. Subsequent deliveries are also free. We use a preorder add-on, which can subdivide the orders, but freight costs are always charged several times if there are multiple deliveries.
How can this be implemented?

Thanks in advance!

2

Hi @stetra24 , Josiah here. :waving_hand:t2: I run a preorder app (Early Bird) and often get enquires about mixed cart shipping costs - though I find yours a bit different to the enquiries we usually get!

I want to make sure I understand your question correctly:

My first interpretation: Currently if a customer places a mixed cart order (shopping basket), they’re being charged several times due to having multiple deliveries. And you’d like to charge them for freight only once (or free if their order is over 80 Euros). You’ll pay for the freight of their multiple deliveries?

If this is the case, you might want to check if Shopify has auto-enabled the Split shipping in Checkout feature for your store. (Check under Settings > Shipping & Delivery > Shipping). At the bottom of the Shipping section, it should display Split shipping (On) - Show products from different profiles or locations as separate shipments in checkout.

Turning this feature off should only show one shipping cost in your customer’s checkout and charge them for freight only once - unless their items are being shipped from two different fulfillment locations (which would then show two, I think). In your Orders Admin it could still be two sub-orders (split fulfillment) since you’re using a pre-order app/add-on. You’d have to pay for their freight once when you’re shipping their in-stock item, and pay for their freight again when you’re shipping their pre-order item.

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My second interpretation: Currently if a customer places a mixed cart order (shopping basket), they only pay for their freight once (or free if their order is over 80 Euros), but you’re being charged for freight twice. Once to ship their in-stock item and once again when shipping their pre-order item. This obviously eats into your margins, so you’d like to only be charged once.

If this is the case, you might want to check if you can Shopify has auto-enabled the Split shipping in Checkout feature for your store. (Check under Settings > Shipping & Delivery > Shipping). At the bottom of the Shipping section, it should display Split shipping (On) - Show products from different profiles or locations as separate shipments in checkout.

Turning this feature off should only show one combined order at checkout to your customer and charge them for freight only once - unless their items are being shipped from two different fulfillment locations. In your Orders Admin it should be two sub-orders (split fulfillment). You’d have to pay for their freight once when you’re shipping their in-stock item, and pay for their freight again when you’re shipping their pre-order item.

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There’s also an alternative - have you considered telling your customers if they have a mixed basket, their in-stock item(s) will be put on hold to be shipped together with the pre-order item(s)? This way you can only charge your customers once and you only need to pay for one freight cost.

You can then manually go into each order to put the in-stock fulfillment(s) on hold, or use Shopify Flow to automate holding all fulfillments to ship together. Something like Order Created > Check if there’s at least one pre-order item and one in-stock item > Hold fulfillment with the following note: (insert whatever info here).

It’s all about setting clear expectations - mention this in your newsletter and socials when talking about the pre-order items, include the info on your pre-order product pages, add a pre-order section in your shipping policy, edit your order confirmation email, add another email to your post-purchase flow etc.

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There might also be another more straightforward method without using Shopify’s Split Shipping in Checkout feature at all: Add all your preorder items to a new shipping profile and set the shipping cost as $0. Now you have your existing shipping profile for in-stock items and charging your customers the usual freight costs, and a new shipping profile for pre-order items charging your customers zero freight costs. This doesn’t work for my second interpretation and you mentioned you only offer free shipping if their cart value is over 80 Euros, hence I didn’t suggest this at the start.

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Happy to chat further and see if I can work this out (always learning about what merchants are looking for their preorder operations). :slightly_smiling_face:

3

Hi @Jo_EarlyBird ,
thanks for the detailed answer. The first interpretation is correct. For mixed baskets of goods, the customer only pays freight once (if less than 80 euros), we pay the subsequent deliveries. That’s ok, it’s part of our calculation.
If I could deactivate split shipping, it would probably be the solution - but I can’t find this option.
I can see the button under Settings > Shipping & Delivery > Shipping. I’ve set the interface to English to make sure the translation doesn’t mess it up.
I only see the shipping profiles but I don’t see this option in them either. Do I have to do something elsewhere beforehand?

4

@stetra24 I find it weird that you don’t have this Split shipping feature enabled for your store (and you can’t see the feature in your settings), but your customers are being charged for freight twice. Do you have more than one shipping location or more than one shipping profile?

You mentioned you’re using a pre-order add-on that can subdivide orders. Is it a theme built-in function, or an app? I wonder if this is causing the double freight charges to occur. Don’t think it’d be your fulfillment platform if we’re only talking about charging your customers for freight at checkout, twice.

A bit more context about the Split shipping feature: If you don’t see the Split shipping in Checkout option in your Shipping settings, it’s likely because you only have one shipping location and one shipping profile.

Most merchants we’ve worked with, want to achieve the exact opposite from your scenario - i.e. not paying for the subsequent deliveries for their customers since it eats into their margins. They usually only have one shipping location and one shipping profile. The Split shipping in Checkout option doesn’t show up in their settings because (from my understanding) this feature is only available and triggers if a customer purchases products with different shipping rates or from different locations.

So if your store only has one shipping location and one shipping profile, and you don’t see the Split Shipping in checkout feature, by default Shopify should charge your customers for freight only once. You’d also have to pay for the subsequent deliveries. (Which is what you’re after!)

I reckon the next step is to look at your preorder add-on - see how they manage your mixed cart orders. Keen to have a look at your product page and do a test checkout if you’re happy to share too. (Always keen to learn how different businesses run their preorders.)

5

Hi,
thanks for the long explanation.
I only have one shipping rate and only one location. That’s why the split shipping option is not displayed.
Nevertheless, the delivery is split and freight is charged for each delivery. I have learnt that this is probably due to the delivery date. Shopify creates one delivery per delivery date with extra shipping costs.
I have a pre-order addon and have now tried yours. The result is the same, the order is split.
This is probably Shopify standard.
One possibility is not to set a delivery date, then Shopify does not understand this. Alternatively, you can also book stock on the item and use it as a preorder. However, this makes administration in the backend more complicated.
One option would be to set the delivery to complete delivery - but I haven’t looked into this yet. The checkout does not currently offer this.

You are welcome to have a look in the shop. Previev address is
https://wbi4az57u5lo0no1-90871824715.shopifypreview.com
If you want to have a look at the backend, please send an enquiry to ymshopadmin@trabert-trading.com
You can use the test articles, “Testartikel” is in stock, “Testartikel 2” preorder.
Your addon is currently active.

6

@stetra24 I’ll take a look at your store’s backend later today. It’d help me get clarity on your replies.

It shouldn’t be as complicated as our discussion has made it to be.

I tried adding the Testartikel and Testartikel 2 to my cart but couldn’t preview checkout. (This is a Shopify security feature that prevents accidental orders during testing and development.)

Have sent a partial store access request.

I noticed you’re selling collectibles. Is there a reason you prefer to ship your in-stock items to customers first rather than use Shopify Flow to automatically put all mixed basket order items “On Hold” and dispatch together when the pre-order items arrive at your warehouse?

Some of our merchants are collectible stores and most of them use this approach. Happy to help you set up if so.

7

Hello,

I have granted you access.
Yes, it would be a possibility to send the orders completely when the last item has arrived. However, it would be good if the customer could choose this. Then shipping costs per delivery would also be ok.
Several deliveries with several shipping costs - or one delivery with a single cost.
But you can’t choose this in the checkout, at least not in the standard version.