Create a New Shipping Method for Your PhotoBiz ECommerce

How to Add Shipping Methods in PhotoBiz ECommerce

Overview

Shipping methods control how customers receive physical items they purchase through your PhotoBiz ECommerce store. You can create shipping options for mailed orders, flat rate shipping, percentage-based shipping, expedited shipping, local delivery, or free in-studio pickup.

This guide explains how to add a new shipping method in your ECommerce settings and choose how shipping costs are calculated during checkout. By the end of this guide, you will know how to create a shipping method and understand which ECommerce items can use shipping.

Prerequisites

Before you create a shipping method, make sure you have at least one item in your ECommerce store that can use shipping.

Shipping is not charged on gift cards, digital images, digital packages, or services. These items do not require physical delivery, so shipping methods will not appear at checkout for those purchases.

Prints use the shipping methods you create in your ECommerce settings. Prints can also include additional shipping charges on top of the regular shipping rate if they cost more to package, handle, or deliver.

Products can be set up to charge shipping or not charge shipping. Products can also include additional shipping charges when an item costs more to ship.

Fixed Packages and Flexible Packages include an option to apply shipping or not apply shipping, depending on how the package is set up.

STEP ONE

This opens your ECommerce Dashboard, where you can manage your products, payment settings, shipping methods, orders, and other store settings.

STEP TWO

At the top of your ECommerce Dashboard, click PAYMENT.

In the dropdown menu, click SHIPPING. This opens the shipping settings area where you can view, add, edit, or remove shipping methods for your store.

STEP THREE

Click the NEW SHIPPING METHOD button.

This opens the shipping method setup panel. This is where you will enter the name, description, price type, and additional shipping charge settings for the new option you want customers to select during checkout.

STEP FOUR

Enter a name for your shipping method.

The name is shown to customers during checkout, so use a clear label that explains the option. Common examples include Standard Shipping, Flat Rate Shipping, USPS Shipping, Expedited Shipping, Local Delivery, or Free Studio Pickup.

You can also add a description if you want to give customers more information. This is helpful for delivery estimates, pickup instructions, local delivery details, studio pickup details, or any special notes customers should know before choosing that shipping method.

STEP FIVE

Choose the price type for your shipping method.

Use Flat Rate if you want to charge the same shipping amount for every order that uses this method. For example, you can create a flat rate shipping option that charges $10.00 at checkout.

Use Percentage if you want the shipping cost to be based on a percentage of the order total. This option can also be used with a minimum shipping charge if you want to make sure shipping does not fall below a certain amount.

STEP SIX

Choose whether to include or exclude additional shipping charges.

Some prints and products can have additional shipping charges added in their item settings. These charges are separate from the main shipping method price.

If you want those item-level shipping fees to be added when this shipping method is selected, keep additional shipping charges included. If you do not want those extra charges added, choose the option to exclude additional shipping charges.

This setting is especially helpful when creating a free pickup option because it prevents item-level shipping fees from being added to a pickup order.

FINAL STEP

Review your shipping method settings and click Save.

Once saved, the shipping method will be available during checkout for eligible items that have shipping enabled or require shipping. If you create multiple shipping methods, customers can choose from the available options when completing their order.

How Shipping Applies to Different ECommerce Items

Shipping methods only appear during checkout when the customer is purchasing an item that has shipping enabled or requires physical delivery.

Shipping is not charged for:

Gift Cards
Digital Images
Digital Packages
Services

Prints use the shipping methods added in your ECommerce shipping settings. If needed, you can also add additional shipping charges to prints so they charge more than the standard shipping method rate.

Products can be set to charge shipping or not charge shipping. This is helpful if some products are delivered physically and others do not need shipping. You can also add additional shipping charges to products that cost more to package, handle, or deliver.

Fixed Packages and Flexible Packages can also be set to apply shipping or not apply shipping. Review the package settings if shipping is not appearing at checkout for a package.

Example: Free In-Studio Pickup

Many photographers offer a local pickup option for prints, albums, cards, or other physical products. This gives local customers a way to pick up their order without paying for shipping.

A free pickup shipping method may include these settings:

Name: Free Studio Pickup
Description: Pick up your order at our studio at no charge. We will contact you when your order is ready.
Price Type: Flat Rate
Price: $0.00
Additional Shipping Charges: Exclude additional shipping charges

After this option is saved, customers purchasing eligible items that require shipping can choose free pickup during checkout.

Example: Free Shipping

You can offer free shipping in two ways.

If you want customers to choose free shipping as a checkout option, create a free shipping method in your Shipping settings.

A free shipping method may include these settings:

Name: Free Shipping
Description: Free standard shipping on eligible orders.
Price Type: Flat Rate
Price: $0.00
Additional Shipping Charges: Include or exclude additional shipping charges based on whether you want item-level shipping fees to apply

If you want the order to be completely free to ship, exclude additional shipping charges.

If you want to offer free shipping as a promotion, you can create a free shipping coupon code instead. This is helpful when you only want free shipping to apply when a customer enters a coupon code during checkout.

Before you create a free shipping coupon code, you need to have at least one shipping method set up in your ECommerce Dashboard. For help creating a coupon code, see How To Set Up Free Shipping Coupon

Additional Options or Helpful Notes

You can create multiple shipping methods to give customers more flexibility during checkout. Common shipping method options include:

Standard Shipping
Expedited Shipping
Local Delivery
Free Studio Pickup
Flat Rate Shipping
Percentage-Based Shipping

Shipping methods are managed from the Shipping settings area in your ECommerce Dashboard. You can edit or remove shipping methods at any time.

If you add additional shipping charges to specific prints or products, review your shipping methods to confirm whether those extra charges should be included or excluded.

You can also offer free shipping with a coupon code if you want customers to enter a promotion code at checkout instead of selecting a free shipping method.

Troubleshooting

Shipping Method Does Not Appear at Checkout

If your shipping method does not appear during checkout, first check what type of item is being purchased.

Shipping will not appear for gift cards, digital images, digital packages, or services because those items do not require physical delivery.

For prints, confirm that your shipping method has been created and saved.

For products, check the product setup to confirm whether shipping is enabled for that product.

For Fixed Packages and Flexible Packages, review the package setup to confirm whether shipping is applied to the package.

You should also confirm that the shipping method was saved after it was created or edited. If the method was not saved, it will not be available to customers during checkout.

Additional Shipping Charges Are Higher Than Expected

Some prints and products may include additional item-level shipping charges. These charges can increase the final shipping total at checkout.

Review the additional shipping charge setting on your shipping method to confirm whether item-level shipping fees should be included or excluded.

You can also check the individual print or product settings to see if additional shipping charges have been added.

Free Pickup Still Shows a Shipping Cost

If your free pickup option still shows a shipping cost, confirm that the price type is set to Flat Rate and that the price is set to $0.00.

You should also confirm that additional shipping charges are excluded. This prevents item-level shipping fees from being added to the free pickup option.

After making changes, click Save to apply the updated settings.

Free Shipping Coupon Does Not Work

If a free shipping coupon does not apply during checkout, confirm that at least one shipping method has been created in your ECommerce Dashboard.

You should also review the coupon settings to confirm the coupon is active, the date range is correct, and the coupon is assigned to the correct shipping option.

If the coupon only applies to specific shipping options, make sure the customer selected an eligible shipping method during checkout.

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