Set a weight-based shipping rate in Shopify
Weight-based rates charge by what the parcel weighs, not what it costs. This tutorial sets the three bands from Shopify's own example on the Canada zone, then checks three parcels against them, including one built from 2 tees and a box.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 4 minutes read
The worked example
| Band 1 | 0 to 0.99 lb, $4.99 shipping |
| Band 2 | 1 to 4.99 lb, $9.99 shipping |
| Band 3 | 5 to 9.99 lb, $19.99 shipping |
| Zone | Canada |
Download the rate table: weight-rate-table.csv (66 bytes).
A weight-based rate table for the Canada zone: three bands, $4.99, $9.99, and $19.99. It is a planning record, not a file Shopify imports.
1Check every product has a weight
Before you set weight-based rates, make sure all your products have accurate weight values. Without accurate weight information, shipping rates do not calculate correctly at checkout, and a product with no weight is treated as weighing nothing.
2Open the profile
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery. In the Shipping profiles section, click the profile that gets the rate.
3Add a shipping option
For the Canada zone, click Add shipping option. Name the option Standard shipping.
4Set the rate type to Weight
From the Rate type drop-down menu, select Weight. The rate then depends on the combined weight of the items shipping from the same location with the same shipping option.
5Enter the three bands
Enter each band's minimum, maximum, and price: 0 to 0.99 lb at $4.99, 1 to 4.99 lb at $9.99, and 5 to 9.99 lb at $19.99. Click the plus icon to add a range.
6Click Done, then Save
Click Done, then click Save. Check a real cart at checkout: a 0.60 lb parcel should show $4.99, a 3.20 lb parcel $9.99, and a 7.50 lb parcel $19.99.
The arithmetic
Three parcels show the three bands.
| Parcel | Total weight | Band | Shipping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single cap | 0.60 lb | 0 to 0.99 lb | $4.99 |
| 2 tees + box | 0.80 lb + 0.30 lb = 1.10 lb | 1 to 4.99 lb | $9.99 |
| Heavy order | 7.50 lb | 5 to 9.99 lb | $19.99 |
The 2-tee parcel is 2 × 0.40 lb = 0.80 lb of items plus a 0.30 lb box, which is 1.10 lb, inside band 2. The 0.99 lb ceiling of band 1 is exact: a 1.00 lb parcel falls in band 2.
Held at the counter
A product with no weight is treated as weighing nothing. Missing weight data is the usual cause of a wrong band at checkout. The rate can look right in settings and wrong in a real cart because one product in the cart has no weight.
Rates use combined weight from one location. Weight-based rates use the combined weight of items shipping from the same location with the same shipping option. Items split across locations are rated separately.
Combined rates add the default package weight. When weight-based rates combine across profiles, Shopify adds your store default package weight to each product. Check the default package weight before you trust the bands.
Sources
- Setting up shipping zones and rates — Shopify's help pages: the weight-based rate steps, the $4.99 / $9.99 / $19.99 example table, the weight warning, and the combined-rates note.