Rate based shipping seems to be broken today for me- the USPS priority rates are not showing- parcel select will come through correctly, as does UPS. Anyone have insight on that?
I had to turn off priority mail because we are taking a bath on incorrect rates.
Topic summary
A merchant reports being undercharged for shipping when a customer ordered 3 bundles (9 lbs total). Instead of charging $27 ($9 per bundle), the system only charged $13, forcing the merchant to cover the difference.
Core Issue:
Shopify’s native shipping calculations combine item weights but not dimensions for multi-item orders. When customers buy multiple items requiring separate boxes (e.g., two 16x16x16" boxes at 8 lbs each), the system calculates shipping for one combined package (16 lbs in a single 16x16x16" box) rather than two separate shipments.
Proposed Solutions:
- Weight-based shipping: Set flat rates that increase per pound/product, though this doesn’t account for dimensional variations
- Shopify Shipping with USPS calculated rates: Uses actual weights and addresses but still doesn’t handle per-item box requirements
- USPS Cubic pricing: Available on Shopify Plan and above for small, heavy items under 0.5 cubic feet
- Third-party apps: Merchants recommend Boxify, which calculates dimensions for multiple products and determines appropriate box configurations
Status:
The issue remains unresolved after 6+ months. Shopify staff acknowledge the limitation and promise to forward feedback to developers, but no native per-item dimensional shipping exists. Merchants must either absorb costs or use paid third-party applications.