Two new shipping features are introduced for online stores: Collection Shipping Codes and Global Shipping Rates. Collection codes apply shipping rules to all products in a collection, with product-level codes overriding collection settings and standard rates used as a fallback.
Global Shipping Rates apply to every item in the cart and can be used for simple options like local pickup. The post explains how the features work together at checkout and notes that existing shipping methods continue to function as before.
Shipping your products to customers is one of the most important parts of running an online store — but it can also be one of the most complicated. That’s why we’re excited to announce two powerful new features designed to give you more control and make checkout smoother for your customers: Collection Shipping Codes and Global Shipping Rates.
Whether you sell everything from small books to fragile glassware, or you offer local pickup alongside standard delivery, these new tools make it easier than ever to manage shipping the way your business works.
Collection Shipping Codes: Set It Once, Apply Everywhere
Before now, if you wanted to apply special shipping rules to a group of products — say, a “Fragile” surcharge or a flat rate for heavy items — you had to assign a shipping code to each product individually. For stores with dozens or hundreds of products, that meant hours of repetitive setup.
With Collection Shipping Codes, you can now assign a shipping code directly to a collection. Any product inside that collection automatically inherits the shipping code. No more clicking through every single product variation.
How it works
You can assign shipping codes at three levels, and the system follows a clear hierarchy:
- Product or Variation level (highest priority) — if a specific product has its own code, that takes precedence.
- Collection level (new!) — if a product belongs to a collection with a shipping code, that code is applied automatically.
- Standard weight/price-based rates (default) — if no shipping code is assigned, the system falls back to your standard rates.
This means you get the best of both worlds: bulk efficiency for most products, with the flexibility to override individual items when needed.
What makes it even better?
A single collection can have multiple shipping codes assigned to it. For example, your “Gift Wrapping” collection might use one code, while your “Fragile Items” collection uses another. When a customer checks out with items from both collections, the shipping rates are grouped by code — so the customer sees separate shipping options for each group. This often results in separate parcels being sent based on handling requirements, which is exactly what you want for fragile or specially handled products.
Global Shipping Rates: One Rate to Rule Them All
Sometimes you don’t need complex rules at all. Sometimes you just need a simple, universal option — like free local pickup, or a flat rate for everything.
That’s where Global Shipping Rates come in.
A global shipping rate applies to all items in the cart, regardless of any shipping codes assigned to products or collections. It sits above everything else and gives you a clean, catch-all solution for straightforward shipping scenarios.
Perfect for Local Pickup
The most common use case? Local pickup. Simply set up a global rate of $0.00 and label it “Local Pickup” or “Free In-Store Collection.” Customers who choose it get charged nothing for shipping — and the experience is seamless.
Smart checkout behaviour
When a customer selects a global rate, all other shipping code groups are automatically hidden. If they change their mind and switch back to a non-global rate, the shipping code groups reappear instantly. The system keeps things tidy so your customers always see the right options at the right time.
Putting It All Together
Here’s how these features work together in a real-world scenario:
Imagine you run a store that sells:
- Everyday products (books, clothing, accessories) — shipped using your standard weight-based rates.
- Fragile items (glassware, ceramics) — flagged with a “Fragile” shipping code so customers see a separate handling fee.
- Gift vouchers — shipped digitally with no shipping cost.
- Local pickup — offered as a global rate at $0.00.
With the new Collection Shipping Codes, you assign the “Fragile” code to your Ceramics collection in seconds. With Global Shipping Rates, you add a free local pickup option that works across the entire store. And because the system handles the logic for you, your customers simply see the right shipping options at checkout — no confusion, no guesswork.
Why You’ll Love These Features
- Save time: Assign shipping rules to entire collections instead of individual products.
- Stay flexible: Override collection defaults on a per-product basis when you need to.
- Simplify checkout: Global rates keep things clean for straightforward scenarios like local pickup.
- Separate handling: Different shipping codes create separate groups at checkout, so customers see exactly what they’re paying for.
- No disruption: These features build on top of the shipping methods you already use — weight-based, price-based, and shipping agent integrations still work exactly as before.
Ready to Get Started?
Head over to your store settings and explore the new shipping options under your product and collection pages. Whether you’re streamlining your existing setup or building something new from scratch, Collection Shipping Codes and Global Shipping Rates are here to make your life easier.
Happy selling! 🚀
