Product-Based Shipping
Custom rates for specific products, collections, weights, and dimensions
Product-Based Shipping
Apply shipping rules based on what customers are buying. Perfect for handling fragile items, heavy products, or promotional shipping.
Collection-Based Shipping
Different rates for different product categories.
Goal: Custom rate per collection (Electronics $9.99, Clothing $5.99, Clearance free).
Implementation:
Rule: Collection-Specific Rates
Conditions: Collection = "Electronics" / "Clothing" / "Clearance"
Action:
Electronics: Fixed Rate - $9.99
Clothing: Fixed Rate - $5.99
Clearance: Free ShippingDigital-only orders (gift cards): Use "Only From" collection condition and place at top of rule list for free shipping.
Specific Product Rules
Target individual products for special treatment.
High-Value Product Insurance
Goal: Expensive items (iPhone, laptop) include insurance in shipping.
Implementation:
Rule: High-Value Insured Shipping
Conditions:
┌─ Specific Product ───────────────┐
│ Contains Any: │
│ - iPhone 15 Pro Max │
│ - MacBook Pro M3 │
│ - Sony A7 IV Camera │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Fixed Rate - $14.99
"Insured Priority Shipping"Promotional Product Free Ship
Goal: Featured product this month ships free.
Implementation:
Rule: Featured Product Promo
Conditions:
┌─ AND Group ──────────────────────┐
│ Specific Product Contains: │
│ "Winter Jacket 2025" │
│ Date Range: │
│ 2025-11-20 to 2025-12-20 │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Free Shipping
"Featured Product - Free Shipping!"Exclude Certain Products
Goal: Free shipping threshold, but heavy items don't qualify.
Implementation:
Rule 1: Free Ship (Excluding Heavy)
Conditions:
- Cart Total ≥ $50
- Specific Product Does Not Contain: [Treadmill, Weight Set, Furniture]
Action: Free ShippingRule 2: Heavy Items Surcharge
Conditions:
- Specific Product Contains: [Treadmill, Weight Set, Furniture]
Action: Fixed Rate - $49.99
"Heavy Item Shipping"Tag-Based Shipping
Use product tags for flexible categorization.
Fragile Handling Fee
Goal: Products tagged "Fragile" get special handling fee.
Implementation:
Rule: Fragile Item Surcharge
Conditions:
┌─ Product Tag ────────────────────┐
│ Has: "Fragile" │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Fixed Rate - $12.99
"Fragile Item Shipping (Special Handling)"Free Ship Eligible Tag
Goal: Products tagged "Free-Ship-Eligible" always ship free.
Implementation:
Rule: Free Ship Eligible Products
Conditions:
┌─ Product Tag ────────────────────┐
│ Has: "Free-Ship-Eligible" │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Free ShippingHow to Use:
- Tag promotional products: "Free-Ship-Eligible"
- Rule automatically applies
- Remove tag when promo ends
Multiple Tag Logic
Goal: Products must have ALL tags to qualify for rate.
Example: Oversized + Fragile
Rule: Oversized Fragile Shipping
Conditions:
┌─ Product Tag ────────────────────┐
│ Has All: │
│ - "Oversized" │
│ - "Fragile" │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Fixed Rate - $29.99
"Oversized Fragile Item - Special Handling"Weight-Based Rules
Shipping costs based on cart weight.
Simple Weight Tiers
Goal: Progressive rates by weight.
Implementation:
| Rule Order | Weight | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rule #1 | 0-5 lb | $6.99 |
| Rule #2 | 5-15 lb | $11.99 |
| Rule #3 | 15-30 lb | $19.99 |
| Rule #4 | 30-50 lb | $29.99 |
| Rule #5 | 50+ lb | $49.99 |
Note: Create separate rules for each weight tier. Order matters - place lighter weight rules at the top.
Example Rule: 0-5 lb
Rule: Lightweight Shipping
Conditions:
┌─ Cart Weight ────────────────────┐
│ ≤ 5 lb │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Fixed Rate - $6.99
"Standard Lightweight Delivery"Free Shipping for Light Items
Goal: Orders under 2 lbs ship free (low cost to you).
Implementation:
Rule: Ultra Lightweight Free Ship
Conditions:
┌─ AND Group ──────────────────────┐
│ Cart Weight ≤ 2 lb │
│ Country = "United States" │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Free Shipping
"Lightweight Free Shipping"Heavy Item Freight
Goal: Orders over 100 lbs use freight shipping.
Implementation:
Rule: Freight Shipping
Conditions:
┌─ Cart Weight ────────────────────┐
│ > 100 lb │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Action:
Carrier Calculated - Freight
"Freight Shipping (5-7 business days)"Dimension-Based Rules
Shipping by product size.
Goal: Oversized items (>48" long) pay surcharge, flat-pack furniture gets better rate.
Implementation:
Rule: Dimension-Based Rates
Conditions:
Length > 48 inches: $39.99 oversized
Furniture + Height ≤ 12": $19.99 flat-pack
Volumetric weight > 20 lb (but actual < 10 lb): $24.99Volumetric Weight Formula: (L × W × H) ÷ 139 (for inches)
Testing Product Rules
Test matrix:
- 1× Electronics ($10) → $9.99
- 1× Clothing ($30) → $5.99
- 1× Gift Card → Free
- 2× Heavy Item (120 lb) → $49.99 freight
- 1× Fragile + Oversized → $29.99
Product Simulator: Go to rule → Test Rule → Add products from list → See matched rule
Best Practices
Organize Products:
- Collections = broad categories (Electronics, Clothing)
- Tags = attributes (Fragile, Oversized, Free-Ship-Eligible)
Rule Ordering (drag to reorder in dashboard):
Top of list:
↓ Exclusions (digital-only, hazmat)
↓ Specific products/high-value items
↓ Special handling (fragile, oversized)
↓ Collection-based rates
↓ Weight/dimension tiers
Bottom: Default fallbackRemember: Drag rules to reorder. Higher rules are evaluated first, so place more specific product rules at the top.
Keep Data Accurate: Update weights, dimensions, tags → Sync products regularly (Settings → Products → Sync Now)
Next Steps
Need help? Email support@ratetell.com