Setting up transit time for your flat shipping rates
You can add transit time to your flat shipping rates to display transit time to your customers at checkout. Transit time is the time frame from when your shipping carrier collects the shipment from you, to when the shipment arrives at your customer's address.
Transit time can help your customers to understand the value of selecting faster and more expensive shipping options and help you make sales with customers who want their products quickly.
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Considerations for setting up transit time
Before you add transit time to your shipping rates, review the following considerations:
- Transit time is available to fulfillment locations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
- Transit time works only with stores that use the latest version of shipping settings.
- Transit time doesn't account for order processing time. For more information about processing time, refer to Understanding and reducing processing time.
- Transit time for combined shipping rates is displayed at checkout only when shipping rates from different profiles have transit time. The slowest transit time is displayed.
- You can configure transit time only for flat shipping rates. Transit time is automatically included in carrier-calculated shipping rates.
- Your shipping zones can't have a mix of domestic and international countries. For example, if your store is located in the United States and you also ship to France, then you need to set up one shipping zone for the United States and another for France. You can't have both countries in one zone.
- Each shipping zone must contain only one country and its regions. For example, a zone for France should include only France and French provinces, not multiple countries.
- Set up your apps and locations before you set up transit time. Apps that manage fulfillment, such as Printful, are automatically added as a location to your shipping profile and can deactivate transit time for your existing shipping rates.
Understanding transit time and delivery descriptions
Transit time is a predefined option that displays calculated delivery dates to customers at checkout. You can only select from the available transit time options, such as Standard, Express, or Economy, when setting up flat shipping rates.
Delivery descriptions are custom text that you can add to any flat shipping rate to provide additional information to customers.
If you need to provide specific delivery information to customers, then you can add a custom delivery description to your flat shipping rate, but this won't display calculated delivery dates in the way that transit time does.
Add transit time to your shipping rate
When you add transit time to a shipping rate, the transit time is displayed underneath the shipping rate name that customers can choose at checkout. For example, an Express (1 to 2 business days) shipping option can be displayed to your customers at checkout.
Add transit time to a new shipping rate
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
In the Shipping section, click the shipping profile that you want to add a transit time to.
Optional: To add a new shipping zone, complete the following steps:
- In the Shipping zones section, click Add zone.
- In the Zone name field, enter a name for your shipping zone.
- In the Regions section, select the countries and regions that are part of the zone, and then click Done.
Next to the shipping zone where you want to add a rate, click Add shipping option.
In the Name field, add a name for your shipping option.
Optional: To add a description for your shipping option, click Add description, and then enter a description.
From the Rate type drop-down menu, select Flat, Order Amount, or Weight.
Optional: If you selected Order Amount or Weight, then enter the minimum and maximum values for the condition.
In the Price field, enter an amount that you charge your customers for this shipping option.
From the Transit time drop-down menu, select a suggested transit time or enter a custom transit time.
Optional: If you select the Custom transit time, then enter a custom transit time, and then click Done.
Click Done
Click Save.
Add transit time to an existing shipping rate
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
In the Shipping section, click the shipping profile that you want to add a transit time to.
Next to the shipping option that you want to add a transit time to, click …, and then click Edit shipping option.
From the Transit time drop-down menu, select a suggested transit time or enter a custom transit time.
Optional: If you select the Custom transit time, then enter a custom transit time, and then click Done.
Click Done.
Click Save.
Services that match transit time
Transit time is based on available shipping carrier options in each country.
United States
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Within the United States | Economy (5 to 8 business days) |
|
| Standard (3 to 4 business days) |
| |
| Express (1 to 2 business days) |
| |
| Canada | Economy International (6 to 10 business days) |
|
| Standard International (2 to 3 business days) |
| |
| Express International (1 to 2 business days) |
| |
| International | Economy International (6 to 18 business days) |
|
| Standard International (6 to 12 business days) |
| |
| Express International (1 to 5 business days) |
|
Canada
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Within Canada | Standard (3 to 9 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 2 business days) |
| |
| United States | Standard International (4 to 8 business days) |
|
| Express International (2 to 3 business days) |
| |
| International | Economy International (20 to 60 business days) |
|
| Standard International (6 to 10 business days) |
| |
| Express International (4 to 7 business days) |
|
France
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (France) | Standard (2 to 4 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 2 business days) |
| |
| International (Europe) | ||
| Standard (2 to 8 business days) |
| |
| Express (1 to 3 business days) |
|
Germany
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Germany) | Standard (2 to 4 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 2 business days) |
| |
| International (Europe) | ||
| Standard (2 to 8 business days) |
| |
| Express (1 to 4 business days) |
|
Italy
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Italy) | Standard (2 to 6 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 4 business days) |
| |
| International (Europe) | ||
| Standard International (4 to 9 business days) |
| |
| Express International (2 to 6 business days) |
|
Spain
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Spain) | Standard (2 to 5 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 4 business days) |
| |
| International (Europe) | ||
| Standard International (4 to 10 business days) |
| |
| Express International (2 to 7 business days) |
|
Australia
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Australia) | Standard (2 to 8 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 4 business days) |
| |
| International (Worldwide) | ||
| Standard International (6 to 27 business days) |
|
United Kingdom
| Destination | Available transit time | Matching services |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (United Kingdom) | Standard (2 to 4 business days) |
|
| Express (1 to 3 business days) |
| |
| International (Europe) | ||
| Standard International (2 to 11 business days) |
| |
| Economy International (10 to 15 business days) |
| |
| International (Worldwide) | ||
| Standard International (3 to 17 business days) |
| |
| Express International (2 to 11 business days) |
| |
| Economy International (10 to 60 business days) |
|