How It Works

This guide is for those using the New version of Intuitive Shipping. If you’re using the Legacy version of the app, go here.

Not sure which version you’re using? Find out here.

Intuitive Shipping lets your control how your shipping costs are calculated at checkout and expands on Shopify’s built-in shipping options, giving you all the tools you need to charge your customers the right price for shipping.

Using our extensive, rules-based conditions system, you determine when and why shipping costs are displayed to customers. You may have product-based rates, or you may have different shipping costs for retail and wholesale customers. Maybe you need to calculate shipping using different criteria like product weight or the number of items in the cart. Or, perhaps you offer free shipping to customers who live in certain postal codes. Intuitive Shipping can help you manage virtually any shipping scenario imaginable from the simplest to the most complex.

If you have questions, check out our self-serve FAQ page. If need assistance at any time, please contact us. We’re here to help you!

Getting Started

After installing Intuitive Shipping from the Shopify App Store, you’ll be taken through the initial onboarding and setup process which takes just a few moments.

Once the app is installed, we’ll walk you through the initial onboarding process.

During the onboarding process, you’ll be able to import your Shopify zone and location settings, if desired. And you’ll be able to configure some of the basic settings – things like communication settings, and units for dimensions, weight and distance.

Before you start setting things up, you’ll have an opportunity to learn more about Intuitive Shipping.

When you click Continue to Intuitive Shipping, you’ll be taken to the Get Started page in the app.

Setup

On the Get Started page, we’ll guide you to a few things that can help you get set up and running as quickly as possible

Schedule a free onboarding session

You’ve just installed Intuitive Shipping. Now what? Getting started can be the most challenging part of using new software, so we want to help! Click the Schedule button to book a one-on-one onboarding session with one of our team members. We’ll explain some of the basics and walk you through your initial setup so you feel more comfortable doing the rest.

Get configured quickly and confidently

If you feel good about doing things yourself, or if you simply don’t have time for an onboarding session, clicking Learn the basics will bring you back here, to the Help Center. Or, if you prefer, contact us to ask any questions you might have.

Create rate blending rules

Do you have multiple shipping rates that need to be blended together into a single cost at checkout? Configure your rate blending or learn more about this commonly used feature.

Start your free trial

When you first install Intuitive Shipping, you automatically begin in Sandbox. As long as you’re in Sandbox, Intuitive Shipping is free to use for an unlimited time. Once you’ve finished setting up and testing your shipping rates, and you’re ready to start using them in a live setting with paying customers, you’ll need to select a billing plan to activate your free trial period.

Assign dimensions to your products

Product dimensions are required if you’re planning to use our SmartBoxing™ or volume-based packing algorithms for live rates. If you’re using one of our other packing algorithms, such as weight-based or quantity-based, product dimensions are optional to help ensure the correct package is being used. If you’re offering custom shipping rates, free shipping or local delivery, product dimensions are not required, except if you need them for product conditions in your Scenarios.

Manage ship from locations

Carrier rates and local delivery rates can be calculated using shipping origin locations that are different from your default Shopify location. Add a location – or multiple locations – to take advantage of this feature.

Feedback

We want to hear from you! Many of the changes we introduced to the New version of Intuitive Shipping started with feedback from merchants like you. If there’s something that would make your Intuitive Shipping experience better, click the Provide feedback button at the top of the Get Started page and let us know!

The Basics

Here are some of the basic things you should know before using Intuitive Shipping.

Shopify

You can use Intuitive Shipping with any Shopify subscription that can enable their third-party carrier-calculated shipping feature.

Shopify requires you to have their third-party carrier-calculated shipping rates feature enabled in your shop settings to use any third-party rate calculator, including Intuitive Shipping.

Learn about Shopify’s carrier-calculated shipping rates feature.

Shipping Profiles

Shopify’s Shipping Profiles give merchants more flexibility with their products and shipping rates. Because of how Shopify passes information to our system at checkout, Intuitive Shipping is unable to see multiple profiles. This can lead to shipping calculation errors.

We strongly recommend that you only use one (1) general shipping profile when using Intuitive Shipping

If you need more than one profile, that’s okay! You can use Scenarios to achieve the same results. Intuitive Shipping Scenarios do everything that Shopify Profiles were intended to do – and much more! 

Learn more about how Shopify Profiles work with Intuitive Shipping.

Locations

Shopify’s Locations feature lets merchants set up multiple shipping origin locations to make it easier to manage inventory and local deliveries. While there are a few exceptions, we generally advise against using Locations with Intuitive Shipping as it may result in calculation errors such as duplicated or missing rates.

Because of how Shopify passes information about to our system at checkout, we do not have any visibility of inventory.

If you don’t require multiple Shopify Locations for inventory management, and you just need secondary locations to calculate carrier rates or local delivery costs more accurately, consider using our built-in locations feature.

Learn more about how Shopify Profiles work with Intuitive Shipping.

Scenarios

To use Intuitive Shipping, you’ll need to have at least one Scenario. A Scenario is a set of conditions that determine when shipping methods are displayed at checkout.

While you must set up at least one Scenario, conditions are not required. If you don’t have any shipping rules, that’s okay! You’ll still need a Scenario to set up a shipping method.

Shipping Methods

You’ll also need to have at least one shipping method assigned to a Scenario. Shipping methods determine how shipping costs are calculated at checkout.

With Intuitive Shipping, you can set up a custom service shipping method for free shipping, flat rates or a table of pre-determined rates, a parcel service or freight service shipping method for live rates from your preferred carrier, a distance-based local delivery service, or you can connect to one of our integration partners.

Zones

Whether you ship locally, nationally or globally, you can use zones to limit the geographical regions your products can ship to. For even more control, you can use our sub-zone feature to include or exclude certain shipping options using postal codes or zip codes.

Packages

You don’t need to rely on a ‘default’ package size. With Intuitive Shipping, you can add all of your commonly used packages to ensure that live rates are calculated as accurately as possible every checkout. You can choose from different packing algorithms, such as weight-based, quantity-based and SmartBoxing™, which uses the dimensions and weights of the products in the customer’s cart to select the most efficient package set for the order.

Activities

The Activity page displays the most recent shipping costs calculated by Intuitive Shipping, with the most recent activity being displayed at the top. You can view details from any of your recent shipping calculation activities from the past 14 days

When you click View beside an activity, you’ll see detailed information about the rate calculation, including the items in the cart, the package dimensions, the shipping methods that were offered to the customer, and more.

Learn about the Activity page.

Testing

Intuitive Shipping begins in Sandbox mode. While in Sandbox mode, Intuitive Shipping is completely free to use for setup and testing purposes. Take as much time as you need to get Intuitive Shipping set up exactly the way you want before activating your free trial.

Learn about testing your setup.

Once you’ve finished testing and you’re happy with your setup, activate your free trial by clicking the Select a billing plan button at the top of the Activity page.

Billing

Select a billing plan that’s right for you. Our billing plans are based solely on the number of successfully completed orders you process each month. We don’t limit access to features or functionality, and we don’t penalize you for test calculations or abandoned carts after shipping has been calculated.

Each plan includes a per-order overage charge for each successful order that exceeds your plan’s monthly limit. That means you can continue to use Intuitive Shipping even if you go over your plan limit.

Plan costs and any accrued overage charges are included on your monthly Shopify invoice.

Learn about billing.

Get A Demo

Are you thinking about installing Intuitive Shipping, but aren’t sure if it’s right for you? Take an introductory tour of the app with one of our amazing team members! Our live demos let us focus on the features you actually need. Book your demo today!

You can also book a demo right from the app. Just click the Book a demo button on the app Support page.

Free Onboarding Session

If you’ve just installed Intuitive Shipping and you’re not really sure what do next, that’s ok! We can help you. Schedule a free onboarding session with one of our team members. We’ll give you a brief overview of the app, and teach you how to get your setup started.

Book your onboarding session right from the app. Just click the Schedule button near the top of the Get Started page.

Or, book an onboarding session from the Support page.

Getting Help

We know shipping can be complicated. That’s why we’ve provided several different ways to help you get the support and the answers you need.

Learn More

Throughout Intuitive Shipping you’ll find ‘Learn more’ links. Click these links to be taken directly to a Help Center article that explains the settings you’re working on.

Help Center

What if I told you you’re already in the Help Center?

If at any time you need to return here to access our detailed setup-guides, how-to articles and FAQs, click the Visit our help center button on the Support page in the app.

We know that shipping can be challenging. We’re here to help! If you get stuck and can’t find the answers you need within the Help Center, please don’t hesitate to contact us. All of our Help Center articles have a Contact Support button. Click on the button at any time to reach the contact page where you can submit a support ticket.

Live Support

Get real-time troubleshooting assistance from our knowledgeable Customer Success team! If you’re an active user, click the Book a technical support call button on the Support page to book an appointment.

Email Support

Whether you’re an active user or still in Sandbox mode, you can contact us by email by going to the app’s Support page, filling out the Email support form, then clicking the Send button. We typically respond in less than 1 business day.

Urgent Support

If you are an active user and you’re having an issue with Intuitive Shipping that is business-critical and causing you to actively lose sales, please select the ‘Urgent’ support type when sending us an email. Once we receive your email, one of our support team members will contact you as soon as possible.

App Status

Our Status page provides real-time updates during app downtime caused by maintenance and unforseen technical issues. We also provide updates when our carrier partners have rates-related issues.

App maintenance and updates typically run in the background and will not disrupt Intuitive Shipping’s performance. Updates do not need to be installed.

Be sure to add the Status page to your browser bookmarks. Or click the Subscribe To Updates button at the top of the Status page to receive status alerts by email.

Ready to set up Intuitive Shipping? Start here.

Updated on April 3, 2023

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