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Offer variable shipping rates
Offer variable shipping rates
Niels van Vlerken avatar
Written by Niels van Vlerken
Updated over a week ago

You can offer variable shipping rates. This is useful for eCom stores that cannot use an integrated shipping solution. For example, eCom stores that have products that are very large, dangerous, controlled, or with unique dimensions.

In order to vary the shipping rates, the products in each of their variants must have a weight value. Whether you use the exact weight of the products or just a general estimate depends on your shipping needs:

  • You can enter the exact weight of the product in shipping packaging to calculate the estimated shipping costs. This is explained in Scenario 1 - Accurately determining the actual shipping costs.

  • You can also enter general values ​​in the weight field to differentiate products so that you can charge a few flat rates that can change depending on other factors, such as insurance costs or different package sizes. This is explained in Scenario 2 - Two Flat Rates.

You can also connect to an integration or app in your area so that rates automatically vary by weight. Or set manual shipping rates without adding weights to your products by:

  • Offering Free Shipping

  • Offering fixed shipping costs

Requirements

Before setting up a way to offer a shipping rate by weight class, make sure that your products have a weight, that you are familiar with the shipping costs, that you know the size and quantity of the weight classes you need and the know the regions you are sending your order to.

  1. Make sure the packed weight is added in each of the products visible to your eCom store.
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    • For more information about adding manual weights, click here.

    • To add weights via product import, click here.

  2. Determine the size of your weight classes. For example, for products such as jewelry that may be expensive to ship and very light, you may decide to have many small weight classes, no more than a few tens of grams. For heavy products that are cheap to ship, you can choose to have some large weight classes.

  3. Determine the size of an order you are likely to receive. This will be helpful in knowing how many weight classes to create. For example, if you sell jewelry, an order weighing 2.5 kilos is unlikely.

  4. Determine the locations you plan to ship to. Later when creating shipping methods, you will need this for each area with different shipping costs. For example, shipping costs may vary between domestic and foreign shipping.

  5. Inquire about shipping costs for each weight class and geographic location you plan to ship to. This can be done by:
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    1. Check the website of the shipping companies and change the weights and locations. Note the price differences.

    2. Please contact the shipping companies. They can explain the shipping tables and prices to you based on weight and region.

    3. Insight into the costs of the packaging materials that you will use to package your shipments.

  6. Decide if you want to offer free shipping and decide on the amount customers will need to spend to receive free shipping on their order.

Instructions

  1. Open your Lightspeed eCom Back Office and click Settings.

  2. In the second column labeled Shop Settings, click Shipping Methods.

  3. Click Add manual shipping method.

  4. Enter a title for the new shipping method that will be visible to your customers.

  5. Save the shipping method as Standard Shipping and click Continue.

  6. Enter the name of the shipping method in the field labeled Title in the SHIPPING METHOD NAME section. Optionally, you can enter a description. For example: We only ship with Fedex.

  7. Click Add Shipping Rates in the SHIPPING RATES section.

  8. Repeat these steps in the SHIPPING RATES section until all required weight classes have been added:
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    1. Add a weight class by clicking Add shipping rate.

    2. Add the minimum and maximum weight of the weight class.

    3. Select the unit.

    4. Enter the price of this specific weight class in the field Rate including VAT.

    5. Click on Save.

  9. If you offer free shipping above a certain order amount, enter the amount in the field labeled Minimum order amount for free shipping.

  10. In the COUNTRIES section, choose the countries for which free shipping should be requested.

  11. In the TAX RATE section:

    1. North American eCom stores: Keep the switch labeled Calculate tax rate automatically on.

    2. Euroean, UK or Australian eCom stores: Choose an appropriate tax rate.

  12. Click on Save.

  13. Click Shipping Methods and click Add Shipping Method to create another shipping method. This is required if you want to calculate different costs for a different geographic area.

  14. Repeat these steps until you've created all your shipping methods for all your regions.

Scenario 1 - Close match to actual shipping costs

Many weight classes have been created to cover the full range of product weights, keeping rates close to actual costs.

For example, if your company is located in New York and you sell film recording equipment in only two states: New York and California. You have products with a package weight ranging from 0.5 kg to 2.5 kg.

You inquire about the UPS rates for ground shipments in New York and find out the following rates:

  • USD 10.20 for sending 0.5 kg

  • USD 10.30 for sending 1 kg

  • USD 10.40 for sending 1.5 kg

  • USD 10.63 for sending 2 kg

  • USD 10.90 for shipping 2.5 kg

For ground shipments to California, the rates are approximately as follows:

  • 11.50 USD for sending 0.5 kg

  • USD 12.90 for sending 1 kg

  • USD 14.50 for sending 1.5 kg

  • USD 16.60 for sending 2 kg

  • USD 18.27 for sending 2.5 kg

To be able to bill the correct amount to your customers, create two shipping methods, one for New York with the following settings:

  • Name: Standard Shipping

  • Description: UPS usually delivers within 2-5 business days.

  • Weight class and rate:
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    • From 0 - 0.5kg, USD 10.90

  • Countries: United States > New York

And one for California with the following settings:

  • Name: Standard Shipping

  • Description: UPS usually delivers within 5 - 10 business days.

  • Shipping rates:
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    • From 0 - 0.5 kg, 11.50 USD to ship 0.5 kg

    • From 0.5kg - 1kg, 12.90 USD to ship 1kg

    • From 1kg to 1.5kg, 14.50 USD to ship 1.5kg

    • From 1.5 kg - 2 kg, 16.60 USD to send 2 kg

    • From 2 kg - 2.5 kg, 18.27 USD to ship 2.5 kg

  • Countries: United States > California

Bottom line: With this scenario, customers from both states when they go to your checkout will receive the rates for their own state and won't even see the rates from the other state.

Differences in weight class

The price ranges for New York are only a difference of USD 0.70 compared to California, which has a range of USD 6.77. Since a price range of USD 0.70 is actually unimportant, only one weight range is required for New York.

Scenario 2 - Two Flat Rates

You have a company in the Netherlands that sells jewelry and wallets. You opt for two fixed rates because of the high shipping insurance that is required for sending jewelry. In this case, the exact weight value you specify doesn't matter, as long as all your jewelry has a specific weight value that is different from the value assigned to your wallets. You give your wallets a weight of 1 kg and your jewelry a weight of 100 kg. This way your customers can buy a lot of wallets without paying for expensive shipping. However, once they add jewelry to the cart, the cost will go up to cover the cost of shipping insurance.

To invoice customers the correct amount, create one shipping method with the following settings:

  • Name: Standard Shipping

  • Description: UPS usually delivers within 2-5 business days. Insurance for the shipment of jewelry included in the price.

  • Weight class and rate:
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    • From 0 - 50 kg, USD 6.50

    • From 50kg to 1000kg, USD 30.00

  • Country the Netherlands

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