Setting up shipping can feel like one of the trickier parts of launching an online store. To keep things simple, Big Cartel offers two different ways to add shipping rates to your products, and this guide will help you understand which option makes the most sense for your shop.

The good news: your shipping setup doesn’t have to be perfect on day one. You can change your shipping settings at any time as your shop grows. Most sellers start with a straightforward approach, see how their first orders go, and adjust from there - that’s completely normal. The goal right now is simply to enable checkout so customers can place orders and you can start selling with confidence so let’s get into it!

Choose your shipping setup

The first decision you’ll make is how shipping is calculated at checkout. Big Cartel offers two options, and choosing one upfront helps keep the rest of your setup simple.

Automatic shipping rates

Best for: Platinum & Diamond sellers with products that vary in size and weight

Why sellers choose this: This premium feature automatically calculates accurate shipping costs in real time during checkout using item weight and package dimensions. It integrates with USPS Ground Advantage so you don’t have to manually estimate fees or use external tools, and if you use Big Cartel Shipping Labels, discounted carrier rates are applied automatically at checkout.

What it does: At checkout, shipping is calculated for each order based on real-time carrier pricing - helping reduce cart abandonment from unclear or inaccurate shipping costs.

Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles)

Best for: Gold sellers or shops with simple, predictable shipping or sellers utilizing third-party services like Printful or Printify for order fulfillment

Why sellers choose this: Shipping Profiles give you full control over how you charge for shipping. Instead of relying on real-time carrier calculations, you set store-wide shipping methods and rates that apply across your products. You can also offer different delivery options - like standard, express, priority, or local pickup - giving your customers more shipping methods to choose from. This makes setup quick and straightforward, especially if your products ship in similar ways.

What it does: You create one or more shipping profiles with named rate options and assign products to those profiles. At checkout, customers will see the shipping options and prices you’ve defined, either combined into a single set of choices or shown separately depending on how your profiles are configured.

Common questions before you continue

These questions come up often when sellers are choosing a shipping setup. You don’t need a perfect answer - just a general sense of what fits your shop right now.

Should I offer free shipping?

Works best with: Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles) or Automatic shipping rates (with discounts)

Free shipping can be a strong incentive for customers. With manual shipping rates, you can offer free shipping by setting your shipping rates to $0. If you’re using automatic shipping rates, you can still offer free shipping by creating a free shipping discount that customers apply at checkout (available on paid plans). This gives you flexibility to run promotions or test free shipping without changing your core shipping setup.

When does flat-rate shipping make sense?
Works best with: Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles)
Flat-rate shipping is ideal if your products are similar in size and weight, or if your shipping costs don’t vary much. It’s simple to set up and easy for customers to understand.

What if some of my items need to ship separately in their own package?

Works best with: Automatic shipping rates and Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles)

For automatic shipping, you'll check that the item will ship alone on the product page and with manual shipping, you'll check Items using this profile are shipped and charged separately for each profile.

Do I need pickup or local delivery options?
Works best with: Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles)
Local pickup and delivery are handled through manual shipping methods. This is a good option for sellers who sell locally, offer made-to-order items, or participate in markets and events. Sellers using automatic shipping can still use discounts to offer free shipping on local pickup or delivery.

I want shipping to be calculated automatically at checkout.
Works best with: Automatic shipping rates
If your products vary in size or weight - or you want shipping costs pulled directly from the carrier—automatic shipping rates calculate accurate, real-time prices at checkout without manual estimates.

I want to avoid setting weights and package dimensions.
Works best with: Manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles)
If you’d rather skip adding weights and dimensions for now, manual rates are a quicker way to get started.

What if my shipping setup isn’t perfect yet?
  Both shipping methods can be changed at any time. Many sellers start simple, learn from their first few orders, and refine their setup later.

Put your shipping choice into action

Set up automatic shipping rates

If you’ve chosen automatic shipping rates, start by following the step-by-step setup instructions to enable USPS-calculated shipping. You’ll need to decide where you’d like to ship and add basic item details like weight and package dimensions so rates can be calculated accurately.

What customers will see at checkout:
Customers will see real-time shipping options and prices pulled directly from the carrier based on what’s in their cart and where the order is shipping.

What to expect after your first order:
After your first few orders, you may want to double-check item weights or package sizes and adjust as needed. Many sellers fine-tune these details once they see real shipping costs in action.

Set up manual shipping rates

If you’re using manual shipping rates (Shipping Profiles), you’ll start by deciding how much to charge for shipping. This usually means estimating costs based on your product’s size, weight, destination, and the carrier you plan to use.

Determine your shipping rates:

• Sellers on a paid plan who print shipping labels directly from the Big Cartel admin can pull accurate (discounted) rates from Shippo.
• All other sellers can check rates directly with the carrier they plan to use, such as USPS, FedEx, or Parcel2Go.
• You can also use Big Cartel’s third-party shipping integrations (available on paid plans) to compare rates, choose carriers, and determine what to charge for shipping.

Once you’ve settled on your rates, follow the step-by-step instructions to create shipping profiles and assign them to your products.

What customers will see at checkout:
Customers will see the shipping options and prices you’ve defined - such as standard shipping, express shipping, or local pickup - and can choose the option that works best for them.

What to expect after your first order:
It’s common to adjust manual rates after you’ve shipped a few orders. You can tweak prices at any time, and updates will only apply to future checkouts.

What to consider next (optional)

Once your shipping is set up and orders are coming in, there are a few additional tools you may want to explore. These aren’t required to get started - think of them as next steps you can add when you’re ready.

• Buying and printing shipping labels directly from your admin to save time and access discounted rates
• Adding tracking information so customers can follow their orders after checkout
• Shipping integrations and fulfillment services to help streamline packing, shipping, or scaling your order volume

You can come back to any of these later - your current setup is enough to start selling.

Have questions or need a hand?

If you’re feeling unsure about your shipping setup—or something doesn’t look quite right—you’re not on your own. Shipping is one of those areas most sellers tweak over time, and it’s completely okay to ask for help along the way.

Our support team is here to help you choose the right setup, double-check your rates, or answer questions as they come up. Reach out anytime and we’ll help you get things sorted so you can focus on making and selling your work.