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How to Set Up Shipping with Shopify and CustomCat

CustomCat handles fulfillment and shipping on your behalf, so you don’t need to purchase or print shipping labels in Shopify. Instead, your job is to configure Shopify to correctly charge customers for shipping.

This guide walks you through the main methods for setting up shipping that works with CustomCat’s Print-on-Demand fulfillment.

Step 1: Access Shopify Shipping Settings

  1. Log in to your Shopify admin.

  2. Go to Settings > Shipping and Delivery.

  3. Choose how you want to structure your shipping rates.

Step 2: Choose a Shipping Strategy

There are four main approaches:

Option 1: Free Shipping

  • Create one flat rate called “Free Shipping.”

  • Example: A T-shirt costs $7–10 plus $4.99 shipping from CustomCat. Your total cost is $14–15.

  • If you sell it at $25.99 with free shipping, you still cover your costs.

✅ Pros: Easiest setup.
⚠️ Cons: You must bake shipping costs into product prices.

Option 2: Price-Based Shipping (Recommended)

Set rates based on cart value. This is the most predictable way to align Shopify charges with CustomCat’s shipping fees.

Example Setup:

  • $0–$25 → $4.99 shipping (covers a single T-shirt or small items like ornaments/coasters)

  • $25.01–$55 → $9.25 shipping (covers a single hoodie or multiple T-shirts)

  • $56–$115 → $10.49 shipping (covers two hoodies or larger carts)

  • $115+ → Add additional tier(s)

⚠️ Important: Do not leave gaps between ranges. Missing ranges will prevent customers from checking out.

Option 3: Weight-Based Shipping

  • Create rates based on order weight.

  • Works in theory, but can get messy with mixed product orders (e.g., shirts + hoodies).

  • Not recommended for most sellers.

Option 4: Live Carrier Rates (Advanced)

  • Available on Shopify Advanced or by adding $20/month to a lower plan.

  • Shopify pulls real-time rates from carriers like UPS/USPS/FedEx using CustomCat’s weight data.

  • Useful for precise cost recovery but unnecessary for most POD stores.

Step 3: Add Domestic and International Rates

Domestic (USA)

  • CustomCat typically charges $4.99 for the first item and incremental fees for additional items.

  • Match your Shopify rates to these tiers.

International

  • Activate international shipping in Shopify.

  • Mirror your domestic ranges but increase pricing.

  • Example: CustomCat charges $9.25 for the first T-shirt + $3.00 for each additional.

Step 4: Choose Shipping Speeds

CustomCat offers three UPS methods:

  • Ground (1–4 business days)

  • 2-Day (2 business days)

  • Overnight (next business day)

Most sellers set up economy (5–8 days) as the default, with optional upgrades for faster shipping.

Step 5: Test and Save

  1. Add test products to your cart and check that the correct rates appear.

  2. Ensure every cart value has a rate assigned.

  3. Save your changes.

Best Practices

  • Expect to sometimes make a small profit, break even, or lose slightly on shipping. The goal is consistency.

  • Always cover every range to prevent blocked orders.

  • Keep your product pricing strategy in mind — shipping fees should align with your margins.

Summary

  • You don’t need to buy or print labels — CustomCat does the shipping.

  • Your job is to set up fair, predictable rates in Shopify.

  • Free, price-based, weight-based, or live rates all work — but price-based is the most reliable for POD sellers.

  • Don’t forget to set both domestic and international rates.

👉 Need more help? Contact CustomCat Support at contact@customcat.com