Charge based on the total shipment weight using tiered brackets — e.g. 0–0.5 kg → £2.95, 0.5–2 kg → £3.95, 2 kg+ → £5.95. Define as many brackets as your carrier tariff requires.

The problem it solves: Most couriers charge by weight band. Without matching your rate table to your carrier's actual tariff, you're either subsidising heavy shipments or overcharging customers on light ones.

When to use: The most common type. Use when your carrier charges by weight band — Royal Mail, UPS, FedEx, and most regional couriers operate this way.

Charge based on the cart total value, using tiered brackets defined in the smallest currency unit (pence/cents) — e.g. £0–£49.99 → £3.95, £50+ → free.

The problem it solves: Order value is often a better proxy for shipping cost than weight — higher-value orders tend to warrant a premium service, and free shipping above a threshold is one of the most effective tools to increase average order value.

When to use: Order-value tiers, free shipping above a spend threshold, or premium service upgrades for high-value carts.

A single fixed charge applied unconditionally to every order in the zone — one rule, one price, no brackets.

The problem it solves: Not every business needs tiered complexity. For zones where all shipments cost the same — a fixed courier contract, a local delivery area, or a click-and-collect surcharge — a flat rate is the cleanest solution.

When to use: Fixed-price courier contracts, local delivery zones, rural surcharge areas, or anywhere a single price covers all orders.

The shipping charge scales with the number of items in the order. Set a per-unit amount and ShipRateAPI multiplies it by the total item quantity automatically.

The problem it solves: Some products — particularly letter-box or flat-pack items — are priced per unit by the carrier. A fixed weight bracket would undercharge for large orders and overcharge for small ones.

When to use: Letter-box products, flat-pack items, subscription boxes, or any product line where the carrier charges per piece.

Two rules: a higher charge for the first item, and a lower incremental charge for each additional item — reflecting the carrier's diminishing cost per unit.

The problem it solves: Bulky or heavy items have a high base shipping cost but become proportionally cheaper to ship in multiples. Without first-item pricing, you either absorb the cost on single-item orders or penalise customers who buy more.

When to use: Furniture, large appliances, gym equipment, or any product category where the marginal shipping cost decreases with quantity.

Calculates a volumetric weight from the item's length, width, and height, then uses whichever is greater — actual weight or volumetric weight — to look up the appropriate bracket. Dimensions are supplied in your store's configured unit (cm or inches) and normalised automatically.

The problem it solves: Air freight and express couriers charge by volumetric weight for large, light items. A large but lightweight box costs the carrier the same to ship as a heavier, compact one — and they charge accordingly. Without dimensional rates, you'll consistently undercharge for bulky items.

When to use: Air freight, express couriers, or any carrier that applies volumetric pricing — particularly relevant for packaging-heavy products like bedding, lampshades, or inflatable goods.

Always returns £0. No rules required. Gate when it applies using the rate table's minimum and maximum order value fields — the free rate only appears when the cart total falls within the range you set.

The problem it solves: Free shipping is one of the single biggest levers for increasing conversion and average order value. Done wrong — always free, or free from too low a threshold — it destroys margin. Done right, it rewards your best customers and nudges others to spend a little more.

When to use: Conditional free shipping above a spend threshold, promotional free shipping campaigns, loyalty tiers, or trade/wholesale accounts.

A multi-step first-match pipeline where each step has an optional condition and a shipping method. Steps are evaluated top-to-bottom — the first step whose condition matches wins. Conditions can test weight, order value, volume, or item count against any threshold.

The problem it solves: Real-world carrier pricing rarely fits a single bracket table. A courier might charge by weight up to 20 kg, then switch to dimensional pricing for heavier items. A fulfilment partner might offer free shipping for small orders but a flat fee for large ones. No single rate type can express this — until now.

When to use: Hybrid pricing models that combine multiple charging methods, or anywhere a single bracket table cannot express the carrier's actual tariff.

Every rate table — regardless of type — supports additional guards that control whether the table is even evaluated for a given order. This is where rate types become genuinely powerful: a weight-based table that only applies to orders tagged fragile, or a free shipping table that only activates in December, or a flat rate that only shows for orders under £20.

• Order value gates — evaluate this table only when the cart total falls within a defined range. Essential for clean free-shipping thresholds and tiered pricing.
• Tag routing — show or hide rate tables based on product tags in the cart.
• Scheduled windows — activate a rate table only during a specific datetime window.

With multiple rate types, zones, carriers, tags, and schedule windows in play, gaps can appear without notice. The Coverage Scanner analyses every zone across your store and surfaces any issues before they reach your customers.