# Set up shipping zones and rates

Level: Beginner. About 40 minutes. Plans: Not stated by Shopify for zones and rates; your own carrier accounts need certain plans or a monthly fee. Checked against Shopify's documentation on 2026-10-08.

**Short answer:** From your Shopify admin, go to **Settings** > **Shipping and delivery** and open a shipping profile. Add a zone for the countries you ship to, then click **Add shipping option** to set a flat, order amount, weight or carrier rate [1]. Stores upgraded to shipping options by market manage shipping from **Markets** instead [2].

## Before you start

Shipping rates are what customers pay for delivery at checkout. In Shopify, a shipping profile holds the rules. Inside it, a shipping zone groups countries or regions that share the same rates [1].

**Check which setup your store has.** Shopify is gradually moving stores from shipping profiles to shipping options by market [1]. Go to **Settings** > **Shipping and delivery**. If you see a **Shipping options** section organized by market, your store has been upgraded, and you manage shipping from **Markets** [2]. Shipping options by market is in early access and available only to certain stores [3]. The steps below are for shipping profiles, which most stores still use [1].

What must be in place first:

- **An active market for each country.** To sell to a country, it must be in an active market [4]. Customers in inactive markets can't place orders [1].
- **Product weights**, if you plan to charge by weight. Missing weights cause wrong rates at checkout [1].

Plan notes: Shopify's built-in carrier rates, such as USPS or Canada Post, are on all plans. Using your own carrier accounts, such as UPS or FedEx, needs certain Shopify plans or an extra monthly fee. Flat rates in local currency need Shopify Payments in a supported country [1].

Worked example: a candle shop selling 40 products in the US and Canada wants one rate for each country, plus free shipping on larger orders.

## Steps

1. **Open your shipping profile.** From your Shopify admin, go to **Settings** > **Shipping and delivery**. In the **Shipping profiles** section, click the profile you want to edit [1].
2. **Add a shipping zone.** In the **Shipping zones** section, click **Add zone**. Enter a **Zone name**, select the countries and regions under **Regions**, click **Done**, then click **Save** [1]. A country can belong to only one zone in a profile [1]. The candle shop would make one zone for the United States and one for Canada.
3. **Add a flat rate.** In the zone, click **Add shipping option**. Enter a **Name** that customers will see at checkout. Select **Flat** from the **Rate type** menu, enter a **Price**, click **Done**, then click **Save** [1]. A flat rate applies once per order by default [1].
4. **Add a delivery estimate, if you want one.** When you add a flat rate, choose a time from the **Transit time** menu so checkout can show an estimate [1].
5. **Set free shipping over an order amount.** On the rate, select **Offer free shipping** and enter a minimum order amount. To change an existing rate, click the menu icon next to it, click **Edit shipping option**, then do the same. Click **Done** and **Save** [1].
6. **Use tiers for order amount or weight, if you need them.** Click **Add shipping option**, then select **Order amount** or **Weight** as the **Rate type**. For each tier, enter a **Minimum**, a **Maximum** and a **Price**. Click the plus icon to add tiers, then **Done** and **Save** [1]. Leave **Maximum** empty on the highest tier so large orders still get a rate [1].
7. **Add carrier-calculated rates, if you use a carrier.** Click **Add shipping option** and select **Carrier or app calculated**. Click **Choose carrier and apps**, pick a carrier, select the services to show, and optionally enter a **Handling fee**. Click **Done**, then **Save** [1].
8. **Give physical products a shipping weight.** In **Products**, enter a **Shipping weight** for each physical product, in the same unit as your weight rates [5]. Weight-based rates also add the default package weight; set it to zero to charge on product weight alone [5].
9. **Edit or delete a zone or rate.** Click the menu icon next to it. Click **Edit zone** or **Edit shipping option** to change it, or **Delete** to remove it. Click **Save** [1].

## Check your work

- Start a new checkout and enter an address in each zone. Abandoned checkouts keep the rates from when they were created, so always use a new one [5].
- Test your lightest and heaviest products, and a cart just above and below your free shipping amount. Gaps in tiers are a common cause of surprise rates [5].
- Go to **Markets** and confirm each country you ship to is in a market [5].

## Common problems

- **Checkout says "Your order cannot be shipped to the selected address."** No rate is assigned to the zone that covers the address. Add a rate to that zone [5]. Also check that the product is marked as a **Physical product** [5].
- **A customer was charged far more than expected.** This is often a gap in your tiers. Make sure the tiers cover every order total or weight [5][1].
- **Free shipping didn't apply after a discount.** Price-based rates use the discounted cart total, so a discount can move a cart into a different tier [5].
- **Weight rates look wrong.** Product weights are missing, or their units don't match your rates. Fix the **Shipping weight** in **Products** [5].
- **No rates for orders from one location.** In **Settings** > **Locations**, check the location is active, has a valid address, and has **Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders** turned on [5].
- **My settings page looks different from this guide.** Your store may have been upgraded to shipping options by market. Your rates were migrated for you, and you now manage them from **Markets** [2]. During an opt-out window you can switch back in **Settings** > **Shipping and delivery** [2].

## Sources

1. [Setting up shipping zones and rates](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/setup/shipping-rates/setting-up-shipping-rates), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
2. [What's changing with shipping](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/setup/shipping-options/whats-changing-with-shipping), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
3. [Shipping options by market](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/setup/shipping-options), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
4. [Shipping rates](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/setup/shipping-rates), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
5. [Troubleshooting and testing shipping rates](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/setup/shipping-rates/troubleshooting), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08

Source page: https://webmerchants.net/guides/set-up-shipping-rates