Set a flat shipping rate in Shopify
A flat rate charges a set shipping price in a zone, and an order amount rate varies that price by the order total. This tutorial sets three price ranges on the Canada zone: $10.00 shipping for orders from $0.00 to $49.99, $5.00 for orders from $50.00 to $99.99, and free shipping for orders of $100.00 and over. Each range carries its own minimum and maximum order value, so only the range that matches the order total applies at checkout.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 4 minutes read
The worked example
| Zone | Canada |
| Rate name | Standard shipping |
| $0.00 to $49.99 | $10.00 shipping |
| $50.00 to $99.99 | $5.00 shipping |
| $100.00 and over | Free shipping |
Download the rate table: flat-rate-table.csv (81 bytes).
A flat rate table for the Canada zone: a $40 order pays $10, a $60 order pays $5, and a $120 order pays nothing. It is a planning record, not a file Shopify imports.
1Open the profile
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery. In the Shipping profiles section, click the profile that gets the rate: the General profile here.
2Add a shipping option
For the Canada zone, click Add shipping option. The rate form opens with a name field and a rate type drop-down.
3Name the rate
In the Name field, enter Standard shipping. This name is what your customers see at checkout.
4Set the rate type to Order amount
From the Rate type drop-down menu, select Order amount. Order amount rates are price-based rates: each price you set carries a minimum and maximum order value, and Shopify applies the price for the range the order total falls in.
5Enter the $10.00 range
For the first price range, enter 0 in the Minimum field, 49.99 in the Maximum field, and 10 in the Price field. This range covers orders from $0.00 to $49.99 at $10.00 shipping.
6Add the $5.00 tier, with its order amount condition
Click the plus icon to add another price range in the same shipping option. For this range, enter 50 in the Minimum field, 99.99 in the Maximum field, and 5 in the Price field. The minimum order value is the condition that limits this rate: the $5.00 price applies only to orders from $50.00 to $99.99, and the $10.00 range above covers the smaller orders.
7Add the free shipping range
Click the plus icon to add a third price range. Enter 100 in the Minimum field, leave the Maximum field empty for no upper limit, and leave the Price field empty or enter 0. Orders of $100.00 and over then ship free.
8Click Done, then Save
Click Done, then click Save. All three price ranges are live on the Canada zone: $10.00 up to $49.99, $5.00 from $50.00 to $99.99, and free from $100.00.
The arithmetic
Three orders show the three tiers.
| Order | Shipping | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $40.00 | $10.00 | $50.00 |
| $60.00 | $5.00 | $65.00 |
| $120.00 | $0.00 | $120.00 |
$40.00 + $10.00 = $50.00, $60.00 + $5.00 = $65.00, and $120.00 + $0.00 = $120.00. The $60.00 order saves $5.00 of shipping against the $10.00 tier, and the $120.00 order saves the full $10.00.
Held at the counter
A flat rate with no conditions charges the same on a $5 order and a $500 order. One price for every order is simple, but it overcharges big orders and undercharges small ones. Give each price its own order amount range, with a minimum and a maximum, so a cheaper rate appears only inside its range.
An empty price field means free. Leaving the price field empty, or entering 0, makes the rate free. If you meant to charge, check the field before you save.
Flat rates are per zone and per profile. A flat rate set on the Canada zone of the general profile does not apply to the United States zone or to products in a custom profile. Each zone and each profile needs its own rates.
Sources
- Setting up shipping zones and rates — Shopify's help pages: the flat rate steps, the order amount (price-based) rates with minimum and maximum order values, the $10 / $5 over $50 / free over $100 example, and the empty-price-means-free rule.