Your checkout shows every shipping method that matches the address. That’s not always what you want: express shipping to a PO box that couriers won’t deliver to, a cheap method that shouldn’t apply to a 30 kg cart, or a carrier service name that means nothing to shoppers.
Checkout rules fix this by changing which methods show, what they’re called and in what order.
What you can do with checkout rules
Hide methods
- PO boxes and APO/FPO addresses — hide courier services that can’t deliver there.
- Heavy or oversized carts — hide standard post above a weight.
- Certain products — hide air shipping for items that can’t fly, or hide free shipping when a bulky item is in the cart.
- Certain dates — hide “Next-day” on weekends or around holidays.
- Discounted orders — hide a free shipping method when a discount code is used.
Rename methods
“UPS® Ground” or “Standard International” don’t tell shoppers much. Rename them to something clear, like “Standard (3–5 business days)” or “Tracked delivery”.
Reorder methods
Put the method you want most shoppers to choose at the top, or sort rates cheapest first so price-sensitive shoppers see the best option immediately.
Show methods only to some customers
- B2B and wholesale — show “Pallet freight” or “Account shipping” only to B2B customers.
- Customer tags — a VIP method for tagged customers.
- Logged-in customers only — keep a special rate for account holders.
How it works on Shopify
Shopify doesn’t offer these controls in Settings → Shipping and delivery. Apps add them using Shopify Functions (delivery customizations), which run inside Shopify’s checkout.
Two things worth knowing:
- No CCS needed. Unlike custom rates, checkout rules work on every Shopify store without carrier-calculated shipping.
- They change methods, not prices. To change what a method costs, you need custom shipping rates.
Set up checkout rules with ShipEase
- Choose the action in ShipEase: hide, rename or reorder.
- Add conditions: products, SKUs, tags or collections; cart weight, total or quantity; customer tags, B2B or login; address (including PO boxes); dates, weekdays or discounts.
- Test on your real checkout and see why each method shows or is hidden.
- Go live.
What each plan includes:
- Free — 2 live checkout customizations: hide and rename.
- Basic ($4.99/mo) — unlimited customizations, reorder and sort cheapest first, B2B, customer tag and login rules, date, weekday and discount rules, and a 30-day activity log.
Tips
- Never hide every method. Always leave at least one option for each address, or shoppers can’t check out.
- Test edge cases — a mixed cart, a PO box, an international address.
- Keep names honest. If you rename a method, include the real delivery time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hide a shipping method at Shopify checkout?
Yes, with an app that uses Shopify Functions. You set conditions — products, cart weight or total, customer, address — and the method is hidden when they match.
Does hiding shipping methods need CCS?
No. Hiding, renaming and reordering methods works on every Shopify store without carrier-calculated shipping.
How do I hide shipping for PO box addresses?
Create a rule that hides the methods your carrier can't deliver to PO boxes when the address contains “PO Box” or similar. ShipEase supports address conditions like this.
Can I show a shipping method only to wholesale customers?
Yes. ShipEase rules can use B2B, customer tag and login conditions on the Basic plan and up — for example, showing “Pallet freight” only to B2B customers.