Shopify Just Made Shipping Setup Simpler

Illustration of a checkout shipping method panel with a highlighted Standard 3–5 days option marked Free and a mint check mark, an Express option at $18.00 and a Free over $75 bar, next to a calendar card reading Arrives 3–5 days and a delivery van

Updated September 2026

If you set your own shipping prices in Shopify, the setup got noticeably simpler in March 2026. What used to be called shipping rates are now shipping options. Each one can carry its own delivery details and transit time, cover a range of order values or weights, and switch to free shipping above a minimum order amount, all without a stack of near-duplicate rates.

Here's how a shipping option works now, and how to set up a clean one.

Simplified mockup of adding a shipping option in Shopify, with Name, Delivery details, a rate type of Flat, Order amount, Weight or Carrier or app calculated, Price, Transit time and an Offer free shipping checkbox with a minimum order amount, and below it how the option appears at checkout with its details, transit time and a Free price IN YOUR ADMIN Add shipping option Name Standard Delivery details Tracked, ships from Portland Flat Order amount Weight …or Carrier or app calculated Price $6.00 Transit time 3–5 days Offer free shipping Minimum order amount $75.00 AT CHECKOUT, CART OVER $75 Shipping method Standard · 3–5 days Tracked, ships from Portland Free Express · 1–2 days $18.00
One shipping option now holds the name, delivery details, transit time, price and a free-shipping threshold. Customers see all of it at checkout.

What changed

  • Delivery details shown at checkout. Each option can have a short description, such as “Tracked shipping” or “Ships from our Portland warehouse”, displayed under its name at checkout.
  • A separate transit time. Pick a suggested range or a custom one (for example “3–5 days”) instead of writing it into the option's name.
  • Conditions in one option. Order amount and weight ranges are set inside the option rather than as separate rates for each band.
  • Free shipping over a threshold. Check Offer free shipping and enter a minimum order amount, and the option becomes free once the cart qualifies.

How to add a shipping option

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Shipping and delivery.
  2. Open the shipping profile you want to edit (most stores only have the general profile).
  3. In the shipping zone, click Add shipping option.
  4. Enter a Name. Customers see it at checkout, so keep it plain: “Standard”, “Express”.
  5. Optionally add Delivery details, such as tracked, signature required, or where it ships from.
  6. Choose how the price is set: Flat, based on Order amount, based on Weight, or Carrier or app calculated.
  7. Enter the Price. Leave it empty or enter 0 to make the option free.
  8. Optionally set a Transit time.
  9. To make it free above a threshold, check Offer free shipping and enter the minimum order amount.
  10. Save.
Worth knowingIf you price by order amount or weight, make sure your ranges cover every possible cart with no gaps. A cart that falls between two ranges has no shipping option at checkout. Weight-based options also depend on every product having an accurate weight.

Tips for options customers understand

  • Two or three options is plenty. Standard and Express covers most stores. Every extra option is one more decision at checkout.
  • Put timing in the transit time, not the name. Customers compare options by speed and price, and a separate field keeps both easy to scan.
  • Be honest about transit times. Use what your carrier actually achieves, including your own handling time. Over-promising turns into “where is my order?” emails.
  • Set the free threshold a little above your typical order. It should take one more item to reach, not three. To show shoppers how close they are, a cart message or a progress bar helps. Our Free Shipping Bar app does exactly that.
  • Use delivery details for what customers ask about. Tracking, signature on delivery, or local pickup instructions, so they don't have to email you.

When a flat option isn't enough

If your prices depend on the carrier's real cost (heavy or bulky items, lots of destinations), choose Carrier or app calculated instead. You can add a handling fee on top as a percentage or a fixed amount. And if you ship internationally, shipping price is only half the story. Duties and import taxes matter just as much, which we cover in what e-commerce sellers really need to know about tariffs and shipping.

For more on keeping customers from dropping off at checkout, see why Shopify customers leave at the payment step. If you ship parts of an order to different places, read shipping to multiple addresses in one checkout.

Full details are in the Shopify Help Center and the changelog.