I’m coming from Woocommerce and I’m not finding a similar functionality in Shopify that I need. Here goes some mental gymnastics.
I want my customers to be charged a specific shipping rate for some items, such as books. Some will be paperback that will weigh under 1 lb. Others will be hardcover that weight just under 2 lbs. These qualify for USPS Media Mail rates.
- Paperback book shipping cost: $4.63 (under 1 lb)
- Hardcover book shipping cost: $5.38 (1-2 lb)
Using flat rates for the above products, here’s what happens:
- If a customer buys 1x hardcover and 1x paperback, the cost is $10.01. Good so far.
- But if a customer buys 2x hardcover and 1x paperback, the cost is also $10.01. This is not good.
But couldn’t I just set up different weights like 1 lb, 2 lb, etc., and charge based on these? No. Because I also ship non-book items that DO NOT qualify for Media Mail and CAN NOT be combined into a single package per USPS regulations. They have to be shipped separately AND they cost a different rate per weight. For example: a 4 oz product we’ll call “widget C” costs $4.36 via USPS Ground Advantage. So, what should happen (and what does happen in Woocommerce) is this:
- 1x hardcover book ($5.38) + 1x paperback book ($4.63) + 1x Widget C ($4.36) = $14.37 shipping charge on checkout.
This is the amount the post office charges me and my customer pays. Maybe they want another book, so it’s now
- 2x hardcover book ($10.76) + 1x paperback book ($4.63) + 1x Widget C ($4.36) = $19.75 shipping charge on checkout.
Problem One: No matter how I configure the shipping rates as “flat rate” on Shopify, I keep encountering the same problem with the quantity not updating the cost if multiple products are selected. This doesn’t work.
Problem Two: And if I calculate shipping “per weight” someone buying 2x paperback books (2 lbs) at media mail rates and someone buying 8x “widget C” (4oz x 8 = 2lbs) at USPS Ground Saver rates will be charged the same at checkout, despite those costing different ($5.38 for the 2x paperbacks vs. $8.00 for 8x "widget C).
How can I set up my shipping profile to accomplish these tasks?
Note: I do NOT want to subscribe to some app for a monthly fee or subscription I’m looking to solve this in Shopify.
Shopify doesn’t have any built in feature to automatically update shipping cost if multiple products are selected, you need an app for this
So the world’s 2nd largest platform outside Amazon doesn’t have a basic function that Woocommerce has had for years and the internet has had for decades? I’m not doubting your answer, I’m just amazed that such a feature is lacking in Shopify. This is like being a bike store and selling bikes without tires and then pointing cyclists towards a tire store to solve it.
How do millions of vendors get around this limitation?
Is there truly no workaround
I see your point. That’s why there are apps available. In fact, there are many features that Shopify doesn’t offer out of the box, so merchants often rely on apps to meet their needs.
Hey @heydrew ,
It sounds like using separate shipping profiles might be the way to go. Shopify combines rates when items come from different profiles. You can check out their guide for more info: Shopify Shipping Profiles.
I get that you’re not keen on adding an app, but if your shipping rules are a bit more complex, an app could really help simplify things. There are plenty to choose from, and you might want to take a look at this one: Zapiet Product Rates.
Hope this helps!
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Hi @heydrew ,
Your shipping calculation scenario looks simple and I agree with @KlaudiaZapiet that it can be achieved with Shopify shipping profiles. You should group your products using those profiles and then apply individual flat rates. If there is a cart with items coming from different shipping profiles, then Shopify sums up individual rates.
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Thanks. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills reading answers flogging apps when this is such a basic feature. It’s like buying a car and the dealership doesn’t sell you the wheels.
In the solution you suggested, what would happen if the customer bought 2x the same product? Would the shipping be 2x or would it just charge them the flat rate once?
@heydrew it depends on how you set your shipping rates for the specific shipping profile. There are not too many options though: flat rate (a fixed charge will be applied to all products from the same profile) or tiers based on weight and subtotal. However, there is no way to set tiers based on product quantity — and that’s the one you are looking for I suppose. So even though you may solve grouping with shipping profiles you will not be able to solve calculation part due to limited calculation algorithms. Shopify default shipping settings are very limited indeed 