Your e-commerce system includes a powerful Shipping Adjustments feature that allows you to modify shipping rates based on specific criteria such as carrier, destination, order value, and product categories. This tool helps you implement custom shipping policies, promotional rates, or account for special handling requirements.
Accessing Shipping Adjustments
To manage shipping adjustments, navigate to: Administration → Store → Configuration → Shipping Adjustments
This section displays all existing shipping adjustments ordered by priority and active status, allowing you to create, edit, or remove adjustments as needed.
Creating a New Shipping Adjustment
Click the Create shipping adjustment button to set up a new rate modification. Each adjustment consists of several configuration sections:
Basic Information
- Name: A descriptive name for internal reference (e.g., "Holiday Free Shipping" or "Oversize Item Surcharge")
- Priority: Higher numbers are processed first when multiple adjustments could apply
- Active: Toggle to enable or disable the adjustment without deleting it
Shipping Criteria
Define which shipping methods this adjustment affects:
- Carrier: Select specific carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) or leave blank for all carriers
- Service: Choose particular services (Ground, Express, Priority) or leave blank for all services
- Ship To Countries: Limit to specific countries or apply globally
- Ship To States: Restrict to certain states or apply nationwide
Note: The service dropdown automatically updates based on your carrier selection, showing only available services for chosen carriers.
Order Criteria
Set conditions that orders must meet for the adjustment to apply:
- Order Total Range: Set minimum and/or maximum dollar amounts
- Order Weight Range: Define weight thresholds in pounds
- Date Range: Schedule adjustments for specific time periods
- Customer Type: Apply to all customers or tax-exempt customers only
Product Categories
Control which products trigger the adjustment:
- Apply to all products: Adjustment applies regardless of cart contents
- Apply if order contains products from selected categories: Only applies when specific product categories are present in the order
Rate Modifications
Configure how shipping rates are adjusted:
- Percentage Modifier: Increase or decrease rates by a percentage
- Enter 10 to increase rates by 10%
- Enter -15 to decrease rates by 15%
- Enter 0 for no percentage change
- Fixed Amount Modifier: Add or subtract a flat dollar amount
- Enter 5 to add $5.00 to shipping costs
- Enter -2.50 to subtract $2.50 from shipping costs
- Enter 0 for no fixed amount change
How Adjustments Are Applied
The system processes adjustments in priority order (highest number first). When multiple adjustments could apply to the same order:
- All matching criteria are evaluated
- The highest priority adjustment is applied first
- Additional adjustments may stack depending on configuration
- Final shipping rate is calculated and presented to the customer
Common Use Cases
Free Shipping Promotions
- Set percentage modifier to -100 to eliminate shipping charges
- Use date range to limit promotional periods
- Apply to specific order minimums
Handling Fees for Special Items
- Use category-specific adjustments for oversized or fragile products
- Add fixed amounts for special packaging requirements
- Target specific carriers that charge extra fees
Regional Rate Adjustments
- Modify rates for remote or international destinations
- Account for additional customs or duty fees
- Adjust for carrier-specific regional surcharges
Volume Discounts
- Create tiered adjustments based on order weight or value
- Reward larger purchases with shipping discounts
- Implement graduated rate structures
Managing Existing Adjustments
From the main Shipping Adjustments page, you can:
- Edit: Modify any aspect of an existing adjustment
- Delete: Remove adjustments that are no longer needed
- View Priority: See the order in which adjustments will be processed
Important: Changes to shipping adjustments take effect immediately and will apply to all new orders. Existing orders retain their original shipping calculations.
Best Practices
- Use descriptive names to easily identify each adjustment's purpose
- Test thoroughly with sample orders before activating
- Monitor regularly to ensure adjustments are working as expected
- Set appropriate priorities when using multiple overlapping adjustments
- Document your strategy for complex adjustment scenarios
Troubleshooting
If shipping adjustments aren't working as expected:
- Verify that all criteria match your intended orders
- Check that the adjustment is marked as Active
- Ensure date ranges are current and properly formatted
- Review priority settings if multiple adjustments conflict
- Test with different order combinations to isolate issues
For additional assistance with shipping adjustment configuration, contact our support team through your admin panel.