Custom shipping rates on Shopify: a complete guide (and when you need CCS)
Shipping is one of the biggest reasons shoppers abandon a checkout — usually because the cost is a surprise, or because it doesn’t match what they expected. The fix is shipping rates that reflect what you actually pay to ship, shown clearly at checkout.
This guide covers every way to set shipping rates on Shopify, what Shopify can do by itself, and when you need an app.
What Shopify does on its own
In Settings → Shipping and delivery, Shopify gives you:
- Shipping profiles — groups of products that share rates (for example, a separate profile for oversized items).
- Shipping zones — countries and regions (such as states or provinces) within each profile.
- Rates per zone — flat rates, or rates that apply only within a range of order weight or order price.
- Carrier rates — available on some plans and regions through Shopify Shipping.
That covers a lot of stores. It runs out when you need rates by zip code, per item, by product dimensions, a fair rate for mixed carts, or rates from your own carrier account with a markup.
The kinds of custom shipping rates
| Rate type | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate | One price per zone, with free shipping above a threshold | Simple catalogs |
| Weight-based | Price by total weight, in tiers or per kg | Heavy or varied products |
| Per item / incremental | A base rate plus an amount per extra item | Similar-sized products |
| Cart total | Rates that change as the cart grows, or a % of the total | Wide price ranges |
| Zip code / postcode | Different rates for specific postal areas | Local delivery, remote areas |
| Product-specific | Rates by product, SKU, tag or collection | Oversized, fragile or special items |
| Dimensional | Rates from size and volumetric weight | Light but bulky items |
| Live carrier rates | Real-time rates from UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL and more | Accurate costs per order |
When you need carrier-calculated shipping (CCS)
Carrier-calculated shipping is the Shopify feature that lets an app calculate rates in real time at checkout. Any app that sets custom rates relies on it.
- Whether CCS is included depends on your Shopify plan. Check your plan details or ask Shopify Support how to turn it on.
- You don’t need CCS to change the shipping methods shoppers see. Hiding, renaming and reordering methods runs on Shopify Functions and works on every store. See how to hide, rename or reorder shipping methods.
Rates and rules: two different jobs
It helps to separate two things:
- Rates — what shipping costs. (“$8.50 for this cart to this zip code.”)
- Checkout rules — which methods show, what they’re called and in what order. (“Hide Express for PO boxes.”)
Many stores need both. ShipEase handles both in one app, with the same conditions available for each.
Set up custom rates with ShipEase
- Pick what to change — a custom rate, or a checkout rule that hides, renames or reorders methods.
- Add conditions — products, weight, cart total, zip code, customer tags, B2B, dates. Combine what your offer needs.
- Test, then go live — try every change on your real checkout first and see why each rate shows or is hidden, before shoppers see it.
What each plan includes:
- Free — 1 live rate rule and 2 checkout customizations; rates by weight, cart total and quantity; flat rates and free shipping thresholds; 2 zones by country, state and zip code; product, SKU, tag and collection rules.
- Basic ($4.99/mo) — unlimited checkout customizations, sort rates cheapest first, B2B and customer tag rules, date and weekday rules, up to 5 zones.
- Pro ($9.99/mo) — unlimited rate rules, per-unit, % and incremental rates, dimensional and volumetric weight, rate blending, zip ranges, wildcards and unlimited zones.
- Carrier ($14.99/mo) — live UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, Canada Post and Australia Post rates from your own accounts, with handling fees, markups and backup rates.
Tips
- Start with the rule that costs you most. Usually it’s heavy or bulky orders being undercharged.
- Keep free shipping visible. A free shipping threshold at checkout is worth less if shoppers don’t know about it earlier — pair it with a progress bar like Kai.
- Test with real addresses from your busiest regions before going live.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set custom shipping rates in Shopify without an app?
Partly. Shopify lets you create flat rates and rates conditional on order weight or price, per shipping zone (countries and regions) and per shipping profile. For zip-code zones, per-item, dimensional or blended rates, you need an app.
What is carrier-calculated shipping (CCS)?
CCS is the Shopify feature that lets an app or carrier calculate shipping rates at checkout in real time. Apps that set custom rates use it. Whether it's included depends on your Shopify plan; Shopify Support can tell you how to turn it on for your store.
Do I need CCS to hide or rename shipping methods?
No. Hiding, renaming and reordering the shipping methods shown at checkout runs on Shopify Functions and works without CCS. In ShipEase this is available on every plan, including Free.
How much does ShipEase cost?
There's a Free plan with one live rate rule and two checkout customizations. Basic is $4.99/month, Pro $9.99/month and Carrier $14.99/month, each with a 7-day free trial.