In this article, we will show you an easy way to automate WooCommerce shipping rates from UPS, USPS, DHL, Stamps, and FedEx, along with Flat Rate and Free Shiping using WooCommerce Multi-Carrier Shipping plugin and Shopify FedEx App. The plugin provides real-time shipping rates from five different shipping carriers. Whereas the App provides only from FedEx. Along with that, the plugin allows you to choose among various factors like the product weight, quantity, price, etc. to make sure you get shipping rates based on your preferences only. WooCommerce doesn’t really provide many options when it comes to displaying shipping rates on your website. All you can do is create various shipping zones and add a Free or Flat Rate shipping charge to those zones. Shopify, on the other hand, is more advanced and the overall Shopify shipping experience is much better.
WooCommerce Shipping – What does the Multi-Carrier Shipping Plugin offer?
As the name suggests, the WooCommerce Multi-Carrier Shipping plugin is an advanced shipping plugin which supports multiple shipping carriers. The plugin automates real-time shipping rates from the following shipping carriers on your website.
- UPS
- USPS
- DHL
- FedEx
- Stamps
These shipping carriers are among the widely used shipping carriers throughout the world. You can choose any shipping service provided by these shipping carriers and the plugin will get you the shipping rates on the cart page. Not only that, you can display different shipping services from different carriers at the same time based on your needs. Apart from the real-time shipping rates, the plugin also supports the flexible use of shipping methods based on the following factors.
- Total weight of all the products in the cart
- Number of products in the cart
- The total price of all the products in the cart
Using this plugin you can choose to display any shipping service along with the Free Shipping or Flat Rate Shipping based on these factors. Now, since you are well aware of the features of this plugin, let us consider some of the most common shipping scenarios that you can easily configure using WooCommerce Multi-Carrier Shipping plugin.
Domestic Shipping using UPS & USPS
While shipping your products domestically in the US, you might have noticed this trend in the shipping rates. Shipping smaller packages like small parcels and envelops is relatively cheaper using USPS. Besides, USPS covers almost every shipping location in the US and is one of the most reliable shipping options when it comes to delivering your packages across the US. On the other hand, UPS which is among the world’s biggest shipping companies is also the most trusted shipping option if you require timely deliveries. Moreover, UPS is also the best option when it comes to package security. Considering the above facts, we can use this plugin’s functionality to use UPS and USPS, simultaneously. Since the basis of using these two shipping carriers is purely based on the weight of the products, the image below displays how you can easily use the plugin to set up weight based shipping using UPS and USPS.
And once the customers add products to the cart the plugin will display real-time shipping rates based on the total weight. The images below display different shipping services from UPS and USPS on the cart page.
International Shipping using DHL & FedEx
In the previous section, we discussed a domestic shipping scenario. However, let’s say that you have a WooCommerce that ships the majority of orders overseas. Hence, in that case, you require something more than just cheaper shipping options for your shipments. International shipments require reliable shipping services which can provide timely deliveries. Also, freight shipping is always a bonus when it comes to international shipping. Hence, using this plugin, you can use shipping carriers like DHL or even FedEx, which are widely used for international shipping. Check out FedEx international shipping guide to know more.
Experience with FedEx and DHL
FedEx is among the top shipping companies when it comes to shipping in the Americas. It has a world-class overnight shipping service which is by far the most reliable shipping option if your customers require early delivery. On the other hand, DHL is the only shipping carrier which covers the most geographical area. Be it Europe or far east Asian countries, DHL provides quality shipping service. Based on the above details, you can easily make use of both DHL and FedEx shipping services on our website. All you need to do is set up DHL and FedEx accounts in the Multi-Carrier Shipping plugin and set up shipping rules to display real-time shipping rates from DHL and FedEx. The image below shows an international shipping scenario where you will get shipping rates from both DHL and FedEx.
And the image below displays the shipping rates on the cart page.
Flat Rate & Free Shipping based on Different Factors
There are times when we plan different strategies to increase the sales of our products. Free Shipping is a part of that same strategy. Mostly, Free Shipping is provided so that the customers may buy more quantity to save shipping expenses. To utilize Free Shipping to the fullest, make sure you provide free shipping based on the total weight, product quantity or the money customers spend while shopping at your store. Take a look at the image below. The image displays a Free Shipping and a Flat Rate Shipping configured based on the order weight. If the weight of all the products reaches 100 lbs, the customers won’t have to pay for delivery.
And as soon as the customer adds products worth more than $350 in the cart the option for Free Shipping is displayed on the cart page.
Hence, there are various other shipping scenarios that you can configure with the help of WooCommerce Multi-Carrier
Exploring multiple shipping options in Shopify
Shopify is known for making the overall online business experience simple. And it does to an extent. You have two concepts of providing shipping based on, shipping carrier (FedEx, UPS, etc.,) and parameters (package weight, cart value, etc.,). And then you have Apps that provide complete shipping solution. One of the widely-used shipping App is the Shopify FedEx App which provides pretty much everything, real-time FedEx shipping rates, print shipping labels, FedEx Pickups, Box packing, you name it. Let’s explore the various shipping options available in Shopify.
Real-time WooCommerce Shipping Rates from Multiple Carriers
As mentioned before, Shopify provides shipping based on carriers by default. You have real-time shipping rates displayed from carriers like UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and Canada Post. Shopify requires you to enter your account details and configure the shipping based on your needs and requirements. However, these services only provide basic shipping services and don’t get anything else special. Shopify FedEx App, on the other hand, provides you FedEx One Rate along with FedEx Standard Rates. Moreover, you get even more shipping services like FedEx SmartPost, FedEx Freight services, FedEx Saturday delivery services, and much more.
Printing shipping labels from multiple carriers
Printing shipping labels would help you big time. We all know the importance of shipping labels and how they help both your and your delivery agents to ship from one place to another. Shopify allows you to print shipping labels in two different sizes from various different carriers but it has certain limits. But Shopify FedEx App is not the one with limits. You can print FedEx shipping labels in bulk, for shipments containing alcohol, dry ice, dangerous goods, you name it. You can even print shipping labels for your FedEx Freight shipments, and yes, you can print in different sizes and image types.
You can read more about how Shopify shipping works if you have a Shopify store.
Final Thoughts
Both WooCommerce and Shopify are amazing e-commerce platforms used by a number of people across the world. Different businesses have different shipping needs. It won’t be practical to have a separate solution to different shipping needs. WooCommerce Multi-Carrier Shipping plugin and Shopify FedEx App with Shopify Shipping provides the solutions to different shipping needs in a single package. If you need any assistance, feel free to contact us and discuss your shipping scenario with our shipping experts. We will definitely get back to you and make your shipping experience better. Happy selling!