Activating calculated shipping with USPS

You can display shipping rates in your checkout that are calculated by USPS.

After you connect an USPS account, USPS commercial rates are shown at checkout by default. USPS commercial rates are less expensive than the retail rates and the labels need to be purchased online. If you want to display the more expensive rates, then you can activate the retail rates when you add USPS calculated rates.

Tip

Depending on your store's location, with Shopify Shipping you can display carrier-calculated rates without a shipping carrier account and buy discounted shipping labels directly in your Shopify admin.

Plan requirements for third-party carrier-calculated shipping

To use third-party carrier-calculated shipping, you must be on the Shopify Advanced or Shopify Plus plan. If you're currently on the Shopify plan, then you can opt for the monthly fee to add this feature or switch to yearly billing. Third-party carrier-calculated shipping isn't available on the Basic Shopify or Shopify Starter plans.

Requirements for activating calculated shipping with USPS

To activate calculated shipping with USPS, you need to meet the following requirements:

• Your store needs to be on the Advanced Shopify or Plus plan. If you're on the Shopify plan, then you can add this feature for a monthly fee or switch from monthly to yearly billing. For more information, contact Shopify Support.
• Your store needs to have a fulfillment location based in the United States.

Step 1: Connect a USPS account

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1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
2. In the Carrier accounts section, add USPS as a shipping carrier:
   • If you don't have any shipping carrier accounts added, then click Connect carrier account, and then click Connect account next to USPS.
   • If you already have a shipping carrier account added, then click Manage carriers, and then click Connect account next to USPS.
3. In the Connect USPS dialog, select USPS commercial rates or USPS retail rates.
4. Click Save.

Step 2: Test your carrier-calculated shipping rates

After you connect your third-party shipping carrier to your Shopify admin, you can test your account integration and preview calculated shipping rates for specific package types, sizes, and destinations within the Shopify admin.

The shipping rates that are displayed during testing are sample rates and might be different from the shipping rates displayed to your customers at checkout.

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Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Carrier accounts section, click Test account next to the carrier that you want to test.

3. Select the package type, and then enter the size and weight.

4. Adjust your origin and destination addresses. The Ship From and Ship To fields use your default location information.

5. Click Test rates to view sample rates.

6. Optional: Click the Details tab to enter different package details.

7. Click Close.

Step 3: Set up carrier-calculated shipping rates

Set up your shipping rates calculated by USPS to display them to your customers at checkout.

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Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Shipping section, click the shipping profile that you want to add carrier-calculated rates to.

3. Next to the zone where you want to add a rate, click Add rate.

4. Select Use carrier or app to calculate rates.

5. In the drop-down menu, choose the shipping service that you want to add calculated rates for.

6. In the SERVICES section, select the shipping methods from that shipping service that you want to provide as options for your customers at checkout.

7. Optional: In the FUTURE SERVICES section, choose whether to automatically offer any new services that the shipping service makes available.

8. Optional: In the HANDLING FEE section, add any handling fee that you'd like to be added to the calculated rate.

9. Click Done, and then click Save.

Deactivate USPS calculated shipping

If you no longer want to use calculated shipping by USPS, then you can disconnect your carrier account from your Shopify admin.

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Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Carrier accounts section, click Manage carriers.

3. Next to USPS, click Disconnect account.

4. In the dialog, click Disconnect account to confirm the deactivation.