Create A Parcel Service Shipping Method

A parcel service shipping method lets you set up paid shipping options using real-time rates from one of our integrated carrier partners, in some cases, without needing an account.

 

 

How It Works

Shipping methods control how rates are calculated and displayed to your customers at checkout. For rates to be presented on the checkout page, a shipping method must be assigned to at least one Scenario and associated with at least one zone.

If you have an account with one of our carrier partners, you can save your account credentials in Intuitive Shipping to use your discounted or negotiated rates. In some cases, you can still access a carrier’s standard retail rates even without an account.

If real-time shipping rates aren't required and you need to set up a flat rate or a table of. rates, skip this guide and create a custom service shipping method.

 

Add a Shipping Method

 

2. Click Edit in line with the Scenario where you want to assign your shipping method.

 

3. Scroll down to 'Shipping rates and services', then click the Create shipping method button.

 

Select A Parcel Service

This section will guide you through setting up a paid shipping service with real-time rates directly from your preferred carrier.

1. Click the downward arrow beside ‘Parcel services’ to display a list of live rate carriers.

 

2. Select a carrier service from the list, such as Canada Post. Use the search bar at the top to search for specific carriers.

 

3. Click the Next button.

 

4. Select a Zone. If you have a lot of zones, type the zone name into the search field to narrow the list.

 

5. Click the Configure shipping button.

 

 

General

1. Enter a shipping method title. 

 

2. Select the title type.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Service title provided by carrier - The service title (or titles) returned by the carrier during rate calculation will be the shipping method title(s) displayed at checkout. This is the default setting.
• Use the shipping method title - The shipping method title entered in the previous step will be displayed at checkout. If multiple carrier service options, all of the service titles provided by the carrier are replaced with the shipping method title.

Service title provided by carrier: If the carrier returns multiple titles, such as ‘Canada Post Expedited Parcel’ and ‘Canada Post Priority’, each unique title is displayed at checkout as it's provided by the carrier, regardless of the shipping method title entered in the previous step.

Use the shipping method title: If you entered 'Canada Post' as the shipping method title in the previous step, both carrier titles - 'Canada Post Expedited Parcel' and 'Canada Post Priority' will be displayed as 'Canada Post'

 

3. Choose the shipping method status.

You have three (3) settings to choose from:

• Off - when Scenario conditions are met, the shipping method will be ignored and will not display rates, even in Sandbox mode.
• Test - when Scenario conditions are met, the shipping method will be displayed at checkout only when using ‘Intuitive’ on the checkout page (see below).
• On - when Scenario conditions are met, the shipping method will be displayed at checkout. This is the default setting.

When using the 'Test' setting:

• For Shopify - enter ‘Intuitive’ as either the customer’s first or last name.
• For BigCommerce - enter ‘Intuitive’ in the optional address field for ‘Apartment/ Suite/ Building’.

 

4. If desired, enter a description. We recommend limiting your description to 90 characters or less to ensure it displays properly on the checkout page.

Descriptions are displayed below the shipping method title at checkout.

 

Additional Display Settings

Additional display settings are available for custom delivery times, order processing time and service codes.

• Delivery times are displayed at checkout and help manage expectations for customers.
• Order processing time lets you add buffer time to start the fulfillment process, if the products can't be packaged, picked or completed the same day the order is received.
• Service codes are not displayed to customers, but get pushed to your fulfilment service, if applicable) once a checkout is successfully completed.

 

To configure delivery times, order processing times and service codes:

1. Click Show additional display settings.

 

2. Choose whether or not to have a delivery time displayed at checkout along with the rate.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Do not show delivery time - the shipping method(s) displayed at checkout will not include a delivery time.
• Show delivery time - the shipping method(s) displayed at checkout will include a delivery time based on the settings selected in the next step. This is the default setting.

If you selected ‘Do not show delivery time’, skip ahead to Order processing time.

 

To configure delivery times:

3. Select the delivery time type.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Carrier delivery time - delivery times displayed at checkout are estimates provided directly from the carrier as part of the rate calculation. This is the default setting.
• Custom delivery time - delivery times displayed at checkout are based on values entered in the next step.

If you selected 'Carrier delivery time', skip ahead to Order processing time.

To configure custom delivery times:

4. Enter a custom delivery time in days. 

• Min delivery time - the lower limit of the delivery time range.
• Max delivery time - the upper limit of the delivery time range.

Number of days: Enter a number in either 'Min' or 'Max and leave the other field blank. For example, to display delivery time as '3 business days', enter '3' in 'Min' and leave the 'Max' field blank (or vice versa).

Range of days: Enter different numbers in each field. For example, to display delivery time as '3 to 5 business days', enter '3' in 'Min' and enter '5' in 'Max'.

Delivery times are displayed below the shipping method title at checkout.

 

5. Enter order processing time in days. This is useful when you sell products that cannot be shipped out the same day the order is placed.

Order processing time is combined with either the carrier’s delivery time or your custom delivery time, depending on your selection, and shown as a single estimated time. It is not displayed separately.

For example, if you set a 3-day processing time and the carrier estimates 2-day delivery, Intuitive Shipping will display ‘5 business days’ at checkout.

6. Enter a custom service code, such as ‘GRD’. 

 

 

Packages

You can control how the customer’s order is packaged by choosing a packing algorithm and assigning the packages you want this shipping method to use.

1. Select a packing algorithm.

Your have six (6) options to choose from:

• SmartBoxing - Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based on both the weight and the dimensional volume of the order.
• PortionPack - Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based on the portion weight of the order.
• Weight-based – Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based only on the whole weight of the order.
• Quantity-based - Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based only on the number of items in the order.
• Volume-based - Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based only on the dimensional volume of order.
• Points-based - Intuitive Shipping will select the best package combination based on a point system. Points are arbitrary values assigned by you.

 

PortionPack vs. Weight-based

Both PortionPack and weight-based packing algorithms consider the combined weight of the products being ordered. PortionPack allows you to sell items in bulk or 'portions', such as raw meat, whereas weight-based considers the weight as a whole.

Let's say you only use one package for every order and that package has a maximum weight of 25 lbs. If a customer orders 40 lbs worth of product:

• PortionPack - the order will be packed in 2 packages - one with 25 lbs, one with 15 lbs.
• Weight-based - the order will fail at checkout because the the only available package cannot hold the entire weight of the order. An additional package (or packages) capable of of holding up to 40 lbs would be required.

 

Additional Packing Settings

Additional packing settings are available for packing method, multiple package blending and product dimensions.

• Packing method lets you choose if different products in the order are packed together or separately.
• Multiple package blending gives you the option blend shipping costs for different packages when carrier services don't match.
• Product dimensions can be used to limit packing when the packing algorithm doesn't otherwise consider dimensions, such as weight-based.

If you don't need to adjust the packing method, multiple package blending or product dimensions settings, skip ahead to Add Packages.

 

To adjust these settings:

1. Click Show additional packing settings.

 

2. Select a packing method.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Pack products together - all of the products in the order will be packed together. Packages will be split based on the selected packing algorithm and the packages assigned to the shipping method. This is the default setting.
• Pack products separately - each unique product in the order will be packed separately based on the selected packing algorithm and the packages assigned to the shipping method.

For example, if you select ‘Pack products separately’ and a customer orders 3 black hats, 2 yellow t-shirts, and 1 red hoodie, each product type will be packed in its own set of packages: the hats together, the shirts together, and the hoodie by itself.

 

3. Choose how multiple packages will be blended when carrier services don’t match.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flexible blending - an attempt will be made to blend costs based on services. The lowest cost for each package will be blended together if packages do not have matching services. This is the default setting.
• Strict blending - costs will be blended only if all packages have matching services. No costs will be returned if packages do not have matching services.

Sometimes, packages in an order may not qualify for the same carrier service. When that happens, the shipping costs will be blended based on the setting you choose.

For example, if Package 1 only qualifies for Service A and Package 2 only qualifies for Service B, the 'Flexible blending' setting will blend the costs. The Strict setting won’t return a rate at all.

This means if a customer orders 3 products - one that qualifies for USPS Priority Flat Rate Medium and two that don’t - the Flexible setting will blend the Flat Rate cost with other available services. The 'Strict blending' setting won’t return any rates at all.

4. Choose how product dimensions interact with the packing algorithm. This is useful if you have products with one or more dimensions that exceed the dimensional limits of certain packages, regardless of the packing algorithm.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Use product dimensions - product dimensions are checked to ensure every product in the order fits in the selected packages, regardless of the selected packing algorithm.
• Ignore product dimensions - individual product dimensions are not considered, and packages are selected strictly based on the selected packing algorithm.

Use product dimensions: Let’s say you’re using a weight-based algorithm.

• A package with dimensions 12 x 10 x 8 inches that holds up to 20 lbs.
• A package with dimensions 15 x 10 x 10 inches that holds up to 25 lbs.

When a customer orders a 18-lb product that is 6 x 15 x 3 inches, the second package will be selected because the product width (15 inches) is greater than any of the first package's dimensions, even though the weight of the product is less than the package can hold. This setting works well when you have rigid product dimensions that cannot be manipulated.

 

Ignore product dimensions: Using the same example, when a customer orders a product that is 6 x 15 x 3 inches, the first package will be selected because the product's dimensions are ignored and its weight is less than the package can hold. This setting works well when you have products that are flexible, meaning they can be bent, curved, folded or otherwise manipulated to fit into the box.

 

Add Packages

All packages saved in the Package management system are listed in this section of the shipping method. If needed, you can add more packages directly from here. Any new packages you add will also be saved to your central package settings, so they’re available for other shipping methods that use packages.

The next few steps will show you how to add a package directly from the shipping method. 

If all the packages you need are listed and you don't need to add more, skip ahead to Select Packages.

 

To add a package that is not currently listed:

1. Click Add package.

 

2. Enter a package title, like ‘Box 1’ or ‘Large Envelope’.

 

3. Select a package type.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Box - fixed length, width and height dimensions.
• Soft package - fixed length and width dimensions; adjustable height dimension.

 

4. Add the outer length, width, and height dimensions. Carrier services use these dimensions when calculating the shipping cost.

 

Additional Settings 

Additional settings are available for inner dimensions, maximum weight, empty weight and package cost.

• Inner dimensions are used with the SmartBoxing packing algorithm. These values provide greater packing accuracy if there are any tangible differences between the inner and outer dimensions or when extra packing material is needed. 
• Maximum weight allows you to limit the weight capacity of each package. This is useful if the package has a physical weight limit that may be exceeded or if you are concerned about exceeding the carrier’s package weight limit.
• Empty weight lets you account for the weight of the package if it is significant enough to affect the total weight used for the carrier service rate calculation.

If you don't need to add inner dimensions or a maximum or empty weight to your new package, skip ahead to Select Packages.

 

To add more information about your package:

1. Click Show additional settings.

 

2. Add the inner length, width, and height dimensions. When using the SmartBoxing packing algorithm, these values provide greater packing accuracy if there are any tangible differences between the inner and outer dimensions or when extra packing material is needed. 

Inner dimensions can also be used with simple packing algorithms like weight-based or quantity-based packing if products in the order have been assigned dimensions.

 

3. Enter the maximum weight of the package. Intuitive Shipping will ensure the total product weight does not exceed this limit for a single package. We recommend using this setting if the package has a physical weight limit that may be exceeded or if you are concerned about exceeding the carrier’s package weight limit.

 

4. Enter the empty weight of the package. Intuitive Shipping will add this weight to the combined weight of the products. We recommend using this setting if the weight of the package is significant enough to affect the total weight used for the carrier service rate calculation.

When a maximum weight is assigned, Intuitive Shipping automatically subtracts the empty weight from the maximum weight of a package when performing the packaging process.

 

5. Enter the cost of the package. Intuitive Shipping will add it to the total shipping cost. It is not displayed as a separate cost. We recommend using this setting to recover the cost of packaging through the shipping cost.

 

6. Click the Save button.

The newly added package will appear as a selectable option in this shipping method and will also be saved in the Package management system for use in other shipping methods.

 

Select Packages

All packages you’ve added to Intuitive Shipping are listed in the shipping method. Only the ones with a checkmark next to them will be used by the packing algorithm during carrier rate calculations.

1. To make all of your packages available, check the box beside 'Custom Packages', which behaves like a ‘select all’ feature.

 

2. If you don’t want to use all packages, check the boxes next to the ones you do want. If you have a long list, you can use the search bar or scroll to find specific packages.

Packages that aren't selected will be ignored by the packing algorithm during carrier rate calculations.

Packages that have been turned off in the package management system appear muted and show a ‘Package not available’ message. They will be ignored by the packing algorithm during carrier rate calculations, regardless of whether their checkbox is selected.

 

 

Shipping Origin

Carrier rates can be calculated using the primary location set up in your eCommerce platform or one or more custom locations saved in Intuitive Shipping. This is useful if you ship products from different retail or warehouse locations.

1. Select the ship from location for the shipping method.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Dynamic origin location - carrier rates for the shipping method will be calculated based on the distance between the customer’s address and your primary eCommerce platform address. This is the default setting.
• Specify origin location - carrier rates for the shipping method will be calculated based on the address specified in the next step.

If you selected 'Dynamic origin location', skip ahead to Account.

 

Add And Select A Custom Origin Location

All custom locations saved in the Location management system are listed in this section of the shipping method. If needed, you can add more origin locations directly from here. Any new origin locations you add will also be saved to your central locations settings, so they’re available for other shipping methods that use custom locations.

The next few steps will show you how to add a custom origin location directly from the shipping method. If the location you need are listed and you don't need to add more, skip ahead to select a location.

 

To add a location that is not currently listed:

1. Click Add location.

 

2. Enter a location title, such as ‘Warehouse 2’.

 

3. Enter the address for the location. A complete address is not required, meaning you don’t have to fill in every field, such as the postal/zip code field.

 

4. Click the Save button.

The newly added location will appear as a selectable option in this shipping method and will also be saved in the Location management system for use in other shipping methods.

 

5. Select a location. This location will be used as the starting point for carrier rate calculations in this shipping method.

 

 

Account

If you have an account with the carrier you selected at the start of this guide, you can use it to access your discounted or negotiated rates. If you’ve already connected your carrier account to Intuitive Shipping, it will appear under 'Carrier accounts' as a selectable option.

Some carriers also offer standard retail rates, which are available to anyone without needing an account. If the selected carrier provides retail rates, a ‘Standard retail rates’ option will appear under 'Carrier accounts' and be selected by default. If the carrier doesn’t offer retail rates, no option will be shown.

 

Add A Carrier Account

Carrier accounts saved in the Carrier accounts management system are listed in this section of the shipping method. If needed, you can add a carrier account directly from here. Any new carrier account you add will also be saved to your central carrier accounts settings, so they’re available for other shipping methods that use the same account.

The next few steps will show you how to add a carrier account directly from the shipping method.

If the account you need is listed or 'Standard retail rates' is available and preferred, skip ahead to select a carrier account. 

 

1. Click Add a carrier account.

 

2. Enter a carrier account title.

 

3. Enter your account credentials. Fields for credentials vary by carrier.

 

4. Click the Save button.

The newly added carrier account will appear as a selectable option in this shipping method and will also be saved in the Carrier account management system for use in other shipping methods.

 

5. Select a carrier account or use standard retail rates, if available.

 

 

Services

Carriers usually offer a range of delivery services, both domestic and international. Intuitive Shipping supports most services provided by our integrated carrier partners. If you don’t see a specific carrier service listed in your shipping method, please contact us so we can look into it.

If the shipping method is assigned to a domestic zone, make sure to select domestic services. If it’s assigned to an international zone, select international services instead.

1. Select all services within a region by checking the box beside the region heading.

 

2. If you don’t want to offer all services, check the boxes next to the ones you do want.

Let’s say you’ve selected Canada Post Expedited Parcel, Regular Parcel and Priority. If a customer lives at an address where Priority is not offered by Canada Post, they will only see Expedited and Regular services as shipping options at checkout.

 

Additional Service Settings

Additional settings are available to filter services. By default, each service you selected in the steps above is displayed at checkout if it's available in the customer's postal code or zip code. You can choose to limit which services are offered based on their cost or estimated delivery time.

If you don't want to filter the services offered to customers at checkout, skip ahead to Optional Settings.

To filter services:

1. Click Show additional service settings.

 

2. Choose a filter.

You have six (6) options to choose from:

• Return all selected - all available services selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.
• Best value - only the available service with the best overall value from those selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.
• Cheapest cost - only the available service with the lowest cost from those selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.
• Most expensive - only the available service with the highest cost from those selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.
• Fastest delivery time - only the available service with the fasted estimated delivery time from those selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.
• Slowest delivery time - only the available service with the slowest estimated delivery time from those selected above will be displayed to the customer at checkout.

 

 

Optional Settings

Optional settings for carrier settings, fallback rating, cost adjustments, free shipping, custom shipping blending and rate blending give you further control of your custom shipping rates at checkout. These settings are not required.

• Carrier settings provide additional controls, such as address type (residential or commercial) and package insurance, allowing you to match the settings used at the fulfillment stage. 
• Carrier service fallback rating can be enabled to ensure your customers receives a shipping rate at checkout even when rate request times out.
• Cost adjustments let you fully customize the final cost presented at checkout, regardless of the original rate calculation.
• Free shipping allows you to set a threshold for when free shipping is applicable on carts that would otherwise be charged for shipping.
• Custom shipping blending gives you the option to blend rates from the shipping method with product-specific shipping costs.
• Rate blending lets you combine rates from one shipping method with other shipping methods using simple or advanced blending.

To configure optional settings:

1. Click Show optional settings.

 

Carrier Settings

Some carriers have additional settings that can be customized. For example, FedEx lets you choose destination address type, package insurance, pickup method, packaging type and whether or not you want to use FedEx One Rate. Whereas, USPS lets you choose between retail or discounted rates. Each carrier has different optional settings, and some carriers, like Canada Post, don’t have any.

1. Adjust the carrier settings as needed and if available.

 

Carrier Service Fallback Rate

Intuitive Shipping lets you decide if a fallback rate will be shown at checkout in situations when the carrier service reaches the timeout limit. This is useful when the carrier’s servers are down or when they’re overwhelmed during peak periods like Black Friday.

Fallback rates are only activated when the system times out waiting for a response from the carrier.

 

1. Choose whether or not to enable a fallback rate.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Do not use a fallback rate - when carrier service calls time out, rates from the shipping method will not be displayed at checkout. This is the default setting.
• Define a fallback rate - when carrier service calls time out, the fallback rate entered in the next step will be displayed at checkout, along with any fallback rate display settings entered in the steps immediately following.

 

If you selected 'Define a fallback rate' in the previous step:

2. Enter a fallback shipping cost.

Let’s say your fallback rate is $15.00, and a customer order results in three (3) packages being required based on the selected packing algorithm. If the carrier rates time out and the fallback rate is activated, the customer will be charged $45.00 for shipping at checkout ($15.00 x 3 packages).

 

Additional Fallback Rate Display Settings 

Additional settings are available for fallback rate titles, descriptions, delivery times and service codes can override the shipping method's general display settings when the fallback rate is activated and displayed at checkout.

To configure display settings for a fallback rate:

1. Click Show optional display settings.

 

2. Enter a fallback rate title. When a fallback rate is enabled, the title entered here will override the title entered in General if the fallback rate is activated.

 

4. Enter a fallback rate delivery time. When a fallback rate is enabled, the delivery time entered here will override the delivery time entered in General if the fallback rate is activated.

 

5. Enter a fallback rate service code, such as 'FALLBACK'. The service code is pushed to your fulfillment service (if applicable) when a customer successfully completes their checkout. When a fallback rate is enabled, the service code entered here will override the service code entered in General if the fallback rate is activated.

 

Cost Adjustments

Customize how shipping costs appear at checkout by making final adjustments to the carrier rate calculation. These adjustments are applied in the order they're listed in the app:

1. Cost limits
2. Shipping credits
3. Mark ups
4. Handling fees
5. Insurance
6. Discounts
7. Rounding

 

To add cost limits:

1. Enter a minimum and/or maximum amount. This setting is useful if you want customers to pay a minimum shipping cost if the actual rate is too low or a maximum shipping cost if the actual rate is too high.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Min shipping cost - if the calculated shipping cost is lower than the amount you enter here, it will be increased to meet the minimum cost. 
• Max shipping cost - if the calculated shipping cost is higher than the amount you enter here, it will be decreased to meet the maximum cost. 

For example:

• If the minimum shipping cost entered here is $10.00 and the calculated rate is $8.58, the final cost will be adjusted up to $10.00.
• If the maximum shipping cost entered here is $100.00 and the calculated rate is $122.44, the final cost will be adjusted down to $100.00.

 

To add a shipping credit:

2. Enter a flat or percentage amount. This setting is useful if you want to offer customers a credit based on a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the calculated rate.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount you enter here will be subtracted from the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments. 
• Percentage - the percentage you enter here will be applied to the calculated rate, then subtracted from it after any cost limit adjustments.

For example, if the flat amount here is $8.00 and the calculated rate is $22.49, the final cost will be reduced to $14.49.

• $22.49 - $8.00 = $14.49  

If the percentage here is 10% and the calculated rate is $22.49, the final cost will be reduced to $20.24.

• 10% of $22.49 = $2.25
• $22.49 - $2.25 = $20.24 

Let's say the flat amount here is $8.00 and the percentage amount is 10%, here's how the adjustment works. When the calculated shipping cost is $22.49, the final shipping cost will be reduced to $13.04.

• $22.49 - $8.00 =$14.49 
• 10% of $14.49 = $1.45
• $14.49 - $1.45 = $13.04 

 

To add a mark up:

3. Enter a flat or percentage amount. This setting is useful if you want mark up the calculated rate based on a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the calculated rate.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount you enter here will be added to the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments and shipping credits. 
• Percentage - the percentage you enter here will be applied to the calculated rate, then added to it after any cost limit adjustments and shipping credits.

For example, if the flat amount here is $3.00 and the calculated rate is $19.32, the final cost will be increased to $22.32.

• $19.32 + $3.00 = $22.32 

If the percentage here is 5% and the calculated rate is $19.32, the final cost will be increased to $20.29.

• 5% of $19.32 = $0.97
• $19.32 + $0.97 = $20.29 

Let's say the flat amount here is $3.00 and the percentage amount is 5%, here's how the adjustment works. When the calculated shipping cost is $19.32, the final shipping cost will be increased to $23.44.

• $19.32 + $3.00 = $22.32
• 5% of $22.32 = $1.12
• $22.32 + $1.12 = $23.44 

 

To add a handling fee:

4. Enter a flat or percentage amount. This setting is useful if you want to add handling fees based on a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the calculated rate.

To add insurance:

5. Enter a flat or percentage amount. This setting is useful if you want to add insurance fees based on a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the pre-tax cart total.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount you enter here will be added to the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments, shipping credits, mark ups and handling fees. 
• Percentage - the percentage you enter here will be applied to the pre-tax cart total, then added to the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments, shipping credits, mark ups and handling fees.

For example, if the flat amount here is $8.00 and the calculated rate is $20.50, the final cost will be increased to $28.50.

• $20.50 + $8.00 = $28.50 

If the percentage here is 10%, the calculated rate is $20.50 and the pre-tax cart total is $50.00, the final cost will be increased to $25.50.

• 10% of $50.00 (the cart total) = $5.00
• $20.50 + $5.00 = $25.50 

Let's say the flat amount here is $8.00 and the percentage amount is 10%, here's how the adjustment works. When the calculated shipping cost is $20.50 and the pre-tax cart total is $50.00, the final shipping cost will be increased to $33.50.

• $20.50 + $8.00 = $28.50 
• 10% of $50.00 (the cart total) = $5.00
• $28.50 + $5.00 = $33.50 

 

6. Enter a flat or percentage amount. This setting is useful if you want to discount the final shipping cost based on a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the pre-tax cart total.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount here will be subtracted from the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments, shipping credits, mark ups, handling fees and insurance. 
• Percentage - the percentage entered here will be applied to the pre-tax cart total, then subtracted from the calculated rate after any cost limit adjustments, shipping credits, mark ups, handling fees and insurance.

Flat: If the amount entered here is $5.00 and the calculated rate is $21.12, the final cost will be reduced to $16.12.

• $21.12 - $5.00 = $16.12 

Percentage: If the percentage entered here is 5%, the calculated rate is $21.12 and the pre-tax cart total is $51.50, the final cost will be reduced to $15.97.

• 10% of $51.50 (the cart total) = $5.15
• $21.12 - $5.15 = $15.97 

If the flat amount entered here is $5.00 and the percentage amount is 5%, here's how the adjustment works: When the calculated shipping cost is $21.12 and the pre-tax cart total is $51.50, the final shipping cost will be increased to $10.97.

• $21.12 - $5.00 = $16.12  
• 10% of $51.50 (the cart total) = $5.15
• $16.12 - $5.15 = $10.97  

 

7. Select a rounding setting.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Do not apply rounding - the final shipping cost, after all other cost adjustments, will be displayed exactly as calculated. This is the default setting.
• Round final shipping cost – the final shipping cost, after all other cost adjustments, will be rounded up or down, depending on the settings selected in the following two steps.

If you are not applying rounding, skip ahead to Free Shipping threshold.

 

If you selected ‘Round final shipping cost’ in the previous step:

8. Choose the rounding direction.

You have three (3) settings to choose from:

• Up/down - the final shipping cost will be rounded either up or down to the nearest increment selected in the next step, whichever is closer.
• Up - the final shipping cost will always be rounded up to nearest the increment selected in the next step.
• Down - the final shipping cost will always be rounded down to the nearest increment selected in the next step.

 

9. Choose the increment amount to round the shipping cost.

You have four (4) settings to choose from:

• 0.50 - the final shipping cost will be rounded up or down to the nearest 0.50 of your base currency. If the final shipping cost is $18.80, the cost will be rounded down to $18.50 or up to $19.00, depending on the setting selected in the previous step.
• 1.00 - the final shipping cost will be rounded up or down to the nearest 1.00 of your base currency. If the final shipping cost is $23.20, the cost will be rounded down to $23.00 or up to $24.00, depending on the setting selected in the previous step.
• 5.00 - the final shipping cost will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5.00 of your base currency. If the final shipping cost is $33.00, the cost will be rounded down to $30.00 or up to $35.00, depending on the setting selected in the previous step.
• 10.00 - the final shipping cost will be rounded up or down to the nearest 10.00 of your base currency. If the final shipping cost is $22.38, the cost will be rounded down to $20.00 or up to $30.00, depending on the setting selected in the previous step.

 

Free Shipping

You can offer free shipping to customers whose orders exceed certain minimum or maximum thresholds. 

If you don't want a free shipping threshold, skip ahead to Custom Shipping Blending.

 

To set up a free shipping condition:

1. Select Set a free shipping threshold.

 

 

2. Select a free shipping threshold type.

You have three (3) settings to choose from:

• Total - free shipping will activate based on the combined value of items in the cart.
• Quantity - free shipping will activate based on the combined number of items in the cart.
• Weight - free shipping will activate based on the combined weight of items in the cart.

 

3. Select the free shipping threshold logic.

You have six (6) settings to choose from:

• Greater than - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is more than the value entered in the next step.

• Greater than or equals - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is more than or the same as the value entered in the next step.

• Less than - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is lower than the value entered in the next step.

• Less than or equals - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is lower than or the same as the value entered in the next step.

• Equals - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is exactly the same as the value entered in the next step.

• Does not equal - free shipping will activate when the combined cart value is anything except the value entered in the next step.

 

4. Enter the free shipping threshold value. Free shipping will activate when the cart value exceeds the value entered here, based on the settings in the previous two steps.

• If the selected threshold type is 'total', the unit of measure for the value will be based on the default currency in your eCommerce platform.
• If the selected threshold type is 'quantity', the unit of measure for the value is based on the number of items in the cart.
• If the selected threshold type is 'weight', the unit of measure for the value is based on the weight unit selected in your Intuitive Shipping general settings.

 

Additional Free Shipping Display Settings

Additional display settings are available for a title, description, delivery time and service code when the free shipping threshold is met. This allows you override the shipping method's general display settings only when free shipping is activated.

If unique display settings aren't required when free shipping is activated, skip ahead to Custom Shipping Blending.

 

To configure display settings for free shipping:

1. Click Show optional display settings.

 

2. Enter a free shipping title. When a free shipping threshold is enabled, the title entered here will override the title entered in General if free shipping is activated.

 

3. Enter a free shipping description. When a free shipping threshold is enabled, the description entered here will override the description entered in General if free shipping is activated.

 

4. Enter a free shipping delivery time. When a free shipping threshold is enabled, the delivery time entered here will override the delivery time entered in General if free shipping is activated.

 

5. Enter a free shipping service code, like 'FREE'. The service code is pushed to your fulfillment service (if applicable) when a customer successfully completes their checkout. When a free shipping threshold is enabled, the service code entered here will override the service code entered in General if free shipping is activated.

 

Custom Shipping Blending

If you have products with custom shipping costs, Intuitive Shipping will blend those product-specific shipping rates with the rates from the shipping method.

For example, if a customer’s cart includes a product with a $100.00 custom shipping cost - meaning it always costs $100.00 to ship that product, no matter what else is in the order - and the shipping method calculates $25.00 to ship the other products in the cart - the total shipping charge at checkout will be $125.00.

Alternatively, you can opt out of blending and choose to display either the custom shipping costs or the rates from this shipping method - whichever works best for your setup.

If you don’t have products with custom shipping costs, these settings are ignored regardless of how they’re set. Skip ahead to Rate Blending.

 

1. Select a custom shipping blending option.

You have two (2) options to choose from:

• Do not blend - custom shipping costs are ignored by the shipping method. 
• Blend custom shipping costs - custom shipping costs are blended with the shipping rates calculated by the shipping method. This is the default setting. 

Do not blend: This is useful if you want to charge custom shipping costs only when a customer orders those products, but you want to use rates from the shipping method when the order includes other items as well.

Let's say a customer orders multiple products:

• One product has a custom shipping cost of $100.00
• The other items do not have custom shipping costs and qualify for carrier rates from the shipping method

If the shipping method calculates a rate of $52.75 for the 'other' items, the customer will only be charged $52.75 for shipping at checkout. However, if they remove the 'other' items from their cart, leaving only the product with a custom shipping cost, they'll be charged $100.00 for shipping at checkout.

If you choose the 'Do not blend' setting, skip ahead to Rate Blending.

Blend custom shipping costs: This is useful if you want to add the custom shipping costs and the rates from the shipping method together.

Using the same example above, the customer would be charged:

• $100.00, if they only order the product with custom shipping costs
• $152.75, if they order that product, plus other items that have a 'standard' $52.75 carrier rate.

 

2. Select a blending mode.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Add to final shipping cost - custom shipping costs are added to the rate calculated by the shipping method. This is the default setting.
• Replace shipping cost - custom shipping costs replace the rate calculated by the shipping method. 

Add to final shipping cost: If a customer orders multiple products, including one with a $100.00 custom shipping cost, and the shipping method calculates a flat rate of $52.75, the customer will be charged $152.75 for shipping at checkout. 

Replace shipping cost: The customer will only be charged $100.00 for shipping at checkout, because the 'custom shipping price' replaces the $52.75 rate from the shipping method.

 

Additional Custom Shipping Blending Settings 

Additional custom shipping blending settings are available for a filtering, mark ups and discounts.

• Filtering lets you decide if you want products with custom shipping costs included in or excluded from the rate calculation.
• Mark ups give you the option to increase the amount of the custom shipping costs before they're blended with the shipping method.
• Discounts give you the option to reduce the amount of custom shipping costs before they're blended with the the shipping method.

If you don’t need to filter or apply cost adjustments to products with custom shipping costs, skip ahead to Rate Blending.

 

To make additional adjustments to custom shipping blending:

1. Click Show additional custom shipping blend settings.

 

2. Select a filter products option.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Include in shipping calculation - products with custom shipping costs will be included in the rate calculation. For SmartBoxing™, PortionPack™, weight-based or volume-based packing algorithms, the product weight or dimensions will be included in the rate calculation.
• Exclude from shipping calculation - products with custom shipping costs will be excluded from the rate calculation. For SmartBoxing™, PortionPack™, weight-based or volume-based packing algorithms, the product weight or dimensions will be ignored by the rate calculation. This is the default setting.

For example, if you’re using a weight-based packing algorithm, you can choose whether or not the weight of products with custom shipping costs counts toward the dimensional weight calculated by the carrier.

 

3. Add a mark up to the custom shipping costs.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount entered enter here will be added to the combined custom shipping costs when those products are included in the order. The adjusted total will be blended with the shipping method, based on the Blending mode you selected above. 
• Percentage - the percentage entered enter here will be applied to, then added to the combined custom shipping costs when those products are included in the order. The adjusted total will be blended with the shipping method, based on the Blending mode you selected above. 

Let's say a customer orders various products, including two products that have custom shipping costs of $50.00 and $30.00 respectively.

Flat: If the amount here is $10.00, the combined custom shipping cost becomes $90.00.

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping costs) 
• $80.00 + $10.00 = $90.00 (combined custom costs plus the flat mark-up)
• $90.00 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $42.50, the customer is charged $132.50 for shipping at checkout

Percentage: If the percentage entered here is 10%, the combined custom shipping cost becomes $88.00.

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping costs) 
• $8.00 (10% of the combined custom costs)
• $80.00 + $8.00 = $88.00 (combined custom costs plus the % mark-up)
• $88.00 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $42.50, the customer is charged $130.50 for shipping at checkout

If the flat amount here is $10.00 and the percentage amount is 5%, here's how the adjustment works: 

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping prices)
• $80.00 + $10.00 = $90.00 (combined custom costs plus the flat mark-up)
• $4.50 (5% of the combined custom costs)
• $90.00 + $4.50 = $94.50 (combined custom costs plus the % mark-up)
• $94.50 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $42.50, the customer is charged $137.00 for shipping at checkout

 

4. Add a discount to the custom shipping costs.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Flat - the amount entered enter here will be subtracted from the combined custom shipping costs when those products are included in the order. The adjusted total will be blended with the shipping method, based on the Blending mode you selected above. 
• Percentage - the percentage entered enter here will be applied to, then subtracted from the combined custom shipping costs when those products are included in the order. The adjusted total will be blended with the shipping method, based on the Blending mode you selected above. 

Let's say a customer orders various products, including two products that have custom shipping costs of $50.00 and $30.00 respectively.

Flat: If the amount here is $5.00, the combined custom shipping cost becomes $75.00.

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping costs) 
• $80.00 - $5.00 = $75.00 (combined custom costs less the flat mark-up)
• $75.00 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $15.65, the customer is charged $85.65 for shipping at checkout

Percentage: If the percentage here is 5%, the combined custom shipping price becomes $76.00.

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping costs) 
• $4.00 (5% of the combined custom costs)
• $80.00 - $4.00 = $76.00 (combined custom costs less the % mark-up)
• $76.00 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $15.65, the customer is charged $91.65

If the flat amount here is $5.00 and the percentage is 5%, here's how the adjustment works: 

• $50.00 + $30.00 = $80.00 (combined custom shipping costs)
• $80.00 - $5.00 = $75.00 (combined custom costs less the flat mark-up) 
• $4.25 (5% of the combined custom costs)
• $75.00 - $4.25 = $70.75 
• $70.75 is blended with the rate calculated by the shipping method
• If the calculated rate is $15.65, the customer is charged $86.40 for shipping at checkout

 

Rate Blending

Rates from different shipping methods can be blended together - whether they’re part of the same Scenario or come from separate ones. This can be achieved by:

• Selecting simple blending or advanced blending in General Settings.
• Enabling the rate blending setting (described in this section) in at least two shipping methods.
• Setting up blending rules.

Let's say you have multiple product-based shipping rates. One product type uses a custom $10 flat rate and another gets live rates from a carrier. When the live rate calculates $27.50, rate blending can combine it with the flat rate so the customer is charged $37.50 when both product types are in the same order.

You can also use rate blending to:

• add optional shipping upsells or fees, like 'white glove delivery'.
• offer expedited service options, like '2-Day' and 'Overnight', even when rates are coming from multiple shipping methods.

If you don't need blending rules, leave rate blending set to the default ‘Do not blend’, and skip ahead to Save Your Settings.

 

To blend rates from the shipping method with other rates:

1. Select Blend with other rates.

 

Simple Blending vs. Advanced Blending

By default, Intuitive Shipping is set to simple rate blending. If you apply the 'Blend with other rates' setting in the previous step to more than one shipping method, those rates - when activated at checkout - will be blended together according to your simple blending settings.

Advanced rate blending gives you greater control, allows for customization, and lets you create multiple blending rules using blending group tags.

If you're not sure which blending method your account is currently using, check the statement below the optional rate blending setting:

• 'Your account is currently setup to use simple rate blending.'

• 'Your account is currently setup to use advanced rate blending.'

To switch between simple and advanced rate blending, click on Account settings. Changes will be applied after you save your shipping method.

If you’re using simple blending, skip ahead to Save Your Settings.

 

If you're using advanced blending:

2. Add a Blending group tag. All shipping methods with the same blending group tag, regardless of the type of shipping method, will be blended together based on the rate blending rules.

 

Save Your Settings

To save your parcel service shipping method:

1. Click the Save button.

 

 

What's Next:

• Test your setup

Optional:

• Create a custom service shipping method (custom rates, free shipping)
• Create a blended rate
• Create a condition group 
• Add a location 
• Update product settings
• Update general settings

 

Can we lend a hand? Let us help you get up and running faster and with greater confidence. Book a complimentary Onboarding session!