Flat and weight-based rates are estimates. Live carrier rates are the real price your carrier will charge for this exact parcel to this exact address — so you stop guessing and stop losing money on the orders you underestimated.
How live rates work
When a shopper reaches the shipping step:
- Shopify sends the cart and address to the shipping app (this is what carrier-calculated shipping, or CCS, does).
- The app works out the parcel — weight, box size, packaging — and asks your carrier for rates.
- The carrier’s rates come back and appear as shipping options, with any markup or handling fee you’ve set.
All of this happens in the second or two it takes the shipping step to load.
Why use your own carrier account
- Your negotiated rates. Many merchants have discounts with UPS, FedEx or DHL that generic rates don’t reflect.
- Accurate costs per order. Remote areas, residential surcharges and heavy parcels are priced correctly.
- More services. Show the carrier services you actually use, such as ground, 2-day or express.
Get the parcel right
Live rates are only as accurate as what you send the carrier:
- Product weights must be filled in and include packaging. See weight-based shipping.
- Box sizes matter because carriers charge for dimensional weight on bulky parcels.
- Heavy orders may need splitting into several packages to stay within carrier limits.
Always have a fallback
Carrier APIs occasionally time out. If the rate request fails and there’s no fallback, the shopper may see no shipping options at all and can’t check out. Set backup rates that show whenever a carrier doesn’t respond.
Set up live rates with ShipEase
ShipEase’s Carrier plan ($14.99/month) includes:
- Live rates from UPS, FedEx, USPS and DHL
- Live rates from Canada Post and Australia Post
- Handling fees and rate markups
- Backup rates if a carrier is down
- Box sizes and packaging weight
- Heavy orders split into packages
- Priority support with Zoom calls to help you set it up
It also includes everything in Pro — so you can combine live rates with custom rules, like a flat rate for local zip codes and live rates everywhere else.
Live rates need carrier-calculated shipping enabled in your Shopify store. Whether it’s included depends on your Shopify plan — Shopify Support can confirm.
Tips
- Rename carrier services so shoppers understand them — “UPS Ground” becomes “Standard (3–5 days)”. See how to rename shipping methods.
- Sort cheapest first so price-sensitive shoppers don’t scroll.
- Add a small handling fee to cover packing materials rather than raising product prices.
For every other way to price shipping, see the complete guide to custom shipping rates.
Frequently asked questions
Can Shopify show live UPS or FedEx rates?
Yes, with carrier-calculated shipping. Depending on your plan and region, Shopify Shipping may show some carrier rates; to use your own negotiated account rates, connect your carrier account through an app.
Why use my own carrier account?
If you've negotiated rates with a carrier, your own account shows the prices you actually pay, so you can pass them on accurately or add a markup.
What happens if the carrier is down at checkout?
Without a fallback, shoppers may see no shipping options and can't check out. ShipEase's Carrier plan shows backup rates you set if a carrier doesn't respond.
Can I add a markup to carrier rates?
Yes. ShipEase's Carrier plan adds handling fees and rate markups to live carrier rates.