Managing Shipping Zone, Methods & Rates in SureCart

SureCart offers versatile options for setting up shipping methods and rates to cater to different business requirements. However, before we delve into the process of setting it up, let’s first explain the terminologies and their meanings within the context of SureCart.

If you’re already familiar with these terms, feel free to skip this part and proceed directly to the section titled “How to Set up Shipping in SureCart.”

Alright, let’s get started on our journey!

What is Shipping in SureCart?

Shipping is a vital feature in SureCart that allows you to collect shipping charges from customers based on their desired delivery location. 

With SureCart, you can provide multiple shipping methods to your customers, such as Expedited, Express, same-day delivery, and more. 

You have the flexibility to set custom rates to meet various shipping requirements, including options based on item weight, flat rates, and order pricing. We are continuously working on expanding these capabilities to offer even more shipping options in the future.

How does Shipping work?

SureCart offers three default shipping methods, each associated with different shipping speeds or classes that you can provide to your customers.

Within each zone, you have the flexibility to set a combination of shipping methods and their corresponding prices, giving you the ability to customize the shipping options for different geographic areas.

You can easily link your products with specific shipping profiles, and by default, all your products are assigned to the General profile.

Once customers make a purchase, they will be presented with the option to select their preferred shipping method during the checkout process, ensuring a smooth and tailored shopping experience for them.

What are Shipping Zones?

Shipping zones are specific geographical locations where you can ship your products. Currently, the zones are determined based on countries.

What are Shipping Methods?

Shipping methods are the speeds or classes of shipping your store offers. A shipping method refers to the process or way by which goods or products are transported from one location to another.

Various shipping methods are available, and the choice of method depends on factors such as the type of goods being shipped, the distance to be covered, the urgency of delivery, and the budget available.

SureCart comes with three default shipping methods, but you can easily customize and change them according to your preferences.

What are Shipping Rates?

Shipping rates are the prices you charge for shipping your products, and they are based on different pricing models such as Flat Rate, Based on item weight, and Based on order price.

How to Set up Shipping in SureCart?

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of configuring shipping methods and rates using SureCart’s intuitive interface.

Let’s get started!

• To begin, from your SureCart dashboard, click on the “Settings” menu.

• Next, select the “Shipping” menu from the options.

• By default, the shipping profile will be set to “General.” If you wish to create a custom profile, you can do so by upgrading your account to one of our premium plans. For now, click on the “General” menu to set your shipping methods and rates.

• You have the option to change the name of your shipping profile, but for now, let’s keep it as it is.

By default, all your products will be listed under this profile, and any new products you add to your shop will automatically be added here.

Important to note: If you want to use a different profile for specific products, you can create a custom profile and add those products to it. For instance, if you have heavy items like a table, you can create a separate profile and assign that heavy product to it. Then, you can set a different shipping zone, method, and rate for that specific profile.

This way, you can have different shipping options for different types of products in your shop. We will explore this scenario in another article.

• To create our first zone, click on the “Create Zone” button.

Shipping zones are different areas where you deliver your products to customers, and you can set up different shipping rates for each zone.

• Type the zone name you want. For this, since we want the shipping to the United States, we will type “United States” in the Zone name field.

• In the “Select Countries” dropdown, start typing the country in which you want to provide shipping, and select it from the menu. Once you are done, click on the “Next” button.

When you start using SureCart, you’ll find three default shipping methods available: Express, Standard, and Economy. If you prefer different names for these methods, no problem! You can easily change them to suit your preferences.

In addition to the default options, if you upgrade to any of our premium plans, you’ll have the flexibility to add custom shipping methods. This way, you can create shipping options that align perfectly with your business needs.

• In the “Shipping Method” dropdown, select one of the available options. Alternatively, you can create a new Shipping Method by clicking on the “Add New” button. However, for now, we will leave it as it is.

• Select how you want to charge the customers. We currently have three options: Flat Rate, Based on item weight, or Based on order price. For this, we will select Flat Rate.

• Enter the price for the shipping rate, and once you are done, click on the “Add” button to save your changes.

• Now, let’s go back and make our changes available in the frontend. To do this, click on the back arrow.

• Click on the Enable Shipping Rates toggle to activate it, and then click on the “Save” button to save your changes.

That’s it! When your customers are checking out, they will see an option to select the shipping method if their address matches your shipping profile.

Conclusion

SureCart’s shipping module empowers you to create and customize shipping methods and rates tailored to your business needs. By following this step-by-step guide, you can efficiently configure your shipping options, ensuring accurate rates and a smooth checkout experience for your customers. Regularly review and update your shipping settings to adapt to changes in your business and customer demands.