Shipping costs play a big role in the checkout experience, and unclear fees can easily lead to cart abandonment. For WooCommerce stores, showing accurate, real-time shipping rates helps build trust and improve conversions. With UPS shipping, you can display actual shipping costs based on order weight, destination, and selected UPS service at checkout. This adds transparency and creates a smoother shopping experience.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to display real-time UPS rates in WooCommerce using the UPS Shipping Plugin.
Article Covers:
- Benefits of Live UPS Rates in WooCommerce Checkout
- UPS Shipping Services Overview
- What You Need to Show UPS Live Rates
- How to Set Up UPS Live Rates in WooCommerce
- Business use case: How Displaying UPS Live Rates Improved Checkout Conversions
- Conclusion
Benefits of live rates in WooCommerce checkout?
In today’s eCommerce environment, nearly 49% of customers abandon carts due to unexpected shipping costs. The only way to tackle this issue is by displaying real-time rates at checkout.
Here’s why it matters:
- Builds Trust: When customers see real shipping options from a known carrier like UPS, they’re more confident in your store.
- Reduces Cart Abandonment: Unexpected shipping charges are a major reason for abandoned carts. Real-time costs reduce surprises and encourage completed purchases.
- Offers Shipping Choices: Let customers choose the service that fits their needs, whether that’s the cheapest, fastest, or most reliable option.
- Saves Time: Automating shipping rate calculations means no more manual adjustments or pricing guesswork.
- Keeps You Competitive: Offering professional shipping options, like big-name retailers do, levels the playing field and improves your brand’s credibility.
UPS shipping services overview
UPS offers a comprehensive range of domestic and international shipping services designed to meet various delivery needs, from urgent same-day shipments to cost-effective ground deliveries.
Domestic UPS shipping services
- UPS Ground: Reliable and economical delivery within 1-5 business days across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
- UPS 3 Day Select®: Guaranteed delivery within three business days to the contiguous 48 states.
- UPS 2nd Day Air®: Delivery by the end of the second business day. Suitable for shipments that do not require overnight service.
- UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®: Morning delivery on the second business day.
- UPS Next Day Air®: Guaranteed next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m., noon, or end of day, depending on the destination.
- UPS Next Day Air Saver®: Next business day delivery by end of day.
- UPS Next Day Air® Early: Early morning delivery on the next business day, as early as 8:00 a.m. to major cities.
- UPS Express Critical®: UPS’s fastest service, offering same-day delivery for urgent shipments.
International UPS shipping services
- UPS Worldwide Express Plus®: Delivery within 1-3 business days by 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. to major business centers in over 55 countries.
- UPS Worldwide Express®: Delivery within 1-3 business days by 10:30 a.m. or noon to more than 140 countries.
- UPS Worldwide Saver®: Delivery by end of day within 1-3 business days to over 215 countries and territories.
- UPS Worldwide Expedited®: Delivery within 2-5 business days to more than 220 countries and territories.
- UPS Standard®: Day-definite delivery to Canada and Mexico.
- UPS Express Critical®: Same-day delivery for international shipments, available 24/7/365.
Freight and UPS special services
- UPS Freight Services: Offers Less-than-Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL) freight services for larger shipments.
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions®: Provides comprehensive logistics services, including freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and warehousing.
- UPS Simple Rate®: Flat-rate shipping option for packages up to 50 lbs, allowing you to use your own packaging and ship anywhere in the U.S. for a predictable rate.
Additional UPS services
UPS offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to streamline shipping and enhance the overall customer experience, such as
- UPS Saturday Delivery: UPS provides Saturday delivery services for residential and commercial parcels, ensuring timely weekly deliveries.
- UPS Pickup Services: UPS offers various pickup options, including on-demand pickups, daily pickups, and Saturday pickups, catering to different shipping needs.
- Real-Time Shipment Tracking: UPS provides real-time tracking services, allowing customers to monitor their shipments’ progress and receive timely updates.
- Declared Value Coverage: Protect your shipments by declaring a value, offering financial coverage in case of loss or damage.
- Signature Required: Ensure secure delivery by requiring a recipient’s signature upon delivery, confirming that your package reaches the intended recipient.
- UPS My Choice®: This service offers enhanced control over deliveries, including the ability to reschedule deliveries, receive alerts, and more, making it easier for customers to manage their shipments.
What you need to show UPS live rates
To display real-time UPS shipping costs in your WooCommerce store, you’ll need just a few essentials:
1. A UPS account
To access UPS shipping rates, you’ll need a registered UPS account. If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for free on the UPS website. Once your account is active, you’ll be able to get the credentials required for integration.
2. WooCommerce UPS shipping plugin
The WooCommerce UPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label plugin is the key to display live UPS rates in your WooCommerce store. It automatically connects with UPS, retrieves real-time rates based on order details, and displays them at checkout.
With these two things in place, you’re all set to configure and display live UPS shipping rates seamlessly during checkout.
How to set up UPS live rates in WooCommerce
Setting up UPS real-time rates in WooCommerce is a straightforward process that allows you to show real-time shipping costs directly at checkout. Here are some simple steps to help you get started:
1. Connect your UPS account through API
To enable live rates, you’ll need to connect your UPS account to the plugin using API credentials.
Once connected, you can enable UPS shipping services, and your customers will start seeing accurate, real-time rates at checkout.
2. Enable real-time UPS rates
Once your account is connected, you can enable live UPS rates for your customers. In the UPS plugin settings, look for the Live Rates section and ensure the option is enabled.
This will allow customers to see real-time UPS rates at checkout based on their location and package details.
3. Enable required services and customize
Next, enable the UPS services that suit your business needs. You can choose to display specific UPS shipping methods at checkout based on your preferences.
The plugin also allows you to customize how these services appear on the checkout page. You can:
- Rename service labels (e.g., “UPS Ground” → “Standard Shipping”)
- Adjust pricing by adding or reducing an amount to the live rates (e.g., add handling charges or offer discounts)
You can apply adjustments in fixed amounts or percentages, depending on your strategy:
- UPS Ground: Add a flat handling fee – e.g., + $10
- UPS 2nd Day Air: Add a percentage surcharge – e.g., +10%
- UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.: Offer a flat discount – e.g., – $10
- UPS Next Day Air: Offer a percentage-based discount – e.g., –10%
This flexibility ensures your checkout aligns with your brand and pricing strategy
4. Live rates at the cart and checkout page
Once everything is set up and working smoothly, you’re ready to offer UPS live rates to your customers.
Cart page:
Checkout page:
Similarly, you can also display UPS international shipping rates by enabling international shipping services in the plugin settings.
Business use case: How displaying UPS live rates improved checkout conversions
Let’s say you sell handcrafted home decor items like candles, framed artwork, or ceramic vases through your WooCommerce store. As your business grows and you start shipping across the U.S. and internationally, you notice a common problem: customers are abandoning their carts, especially at checkout.
The challenge:
You’re using flat-rate shipping to keep things simple. But that simplicity comes at a cost:
- Customers nearby are paying too much for shipping.
- Long-distance orders are costing you more than expected.
- Customers are confused or surprised by the shipping charges, and leave before completing their orders.
The solution:
By switching to real-time UPS rates with the WooCommerce UPS shipping plugin, you’re able to offer customers accurate shipping costs based on their order details. The plugin automatically fetches UPS rates and displays them at checkout, eliminating guesswork and surprises.
The impacts:
- Cart abandonment drops as customers see trusted, transparent shipping options.
- Support tickets related to the shipping fee decrease.
- International orders increase thanks to clear rate visibility.
- Customers feel more confident choosing delivery options that suit their needs.
Whether you’re selling physical products locally or shipping worldwide, showing real-time UPS shipping rates creates a smoother checkout experience and helps turn more visitors into paying customers.
Conclusion
Displaying real-time UPS shipping rates in your WooCommerce store is a great way to improve transparency, reduce cart abandonment, and provide a professional checkout experience. With the right tools in place, like a WooCommerce UPS Shipping Plugin, you can offer your customers accurate, live rates based on their order details.
Need help? Reach out to PluginHive Support for quick assistance with setup or any shipping-related queries.
