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Commerce glossary

Shipping rates, labels and fulfilment

What a shopper pays for delivery and when it arrives, and the work of getting the parcel out: shipments, labels, packing, customs and handing orders to a warehouse.

All areas

40 parts and 16 phrases. Apps in this area include ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, Sendcloud, ShipBob, Shopify Shipping.

Shipping ratesshipping.rateShowThe delivery options a shopper picks at checkout, when each applies and what it costs.
Delivery methodsshipping.rate.methodShowThe kinds of delivery option a store offers at checkout.

How to extend

  • ProviderMany side by sideshipping ratesA rate provider adds live carrier or courier options beside the store's own rates.
  • Assistant toolMany side by sidefindShippingRatesThe assistant reads the store's rates through its shipping rate tool.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Flat rateshipping.rate.method.flatA named delivery option with a fixed price, such as Standard Shipping for 5.00.
Coremodules/settings/admin/delivery/shipping-rate-form.tsx
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
Free shipping rateshipping.rate.method.freeA delivery option priced at zero, offered on its own or once an order passes a set amount.
Coremodules/shipping/free-shipping.ts
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
Local pickupshipping.rate.method.pickupA checkout option where the customer collects the order from one of the store's own locations.
Coremodules/shipping/pickup/pickup-points.ts
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
No delivery neededshipping.rate.method.digitalAn order of digital goods only skips shipping and is marked fulfilled as soon as it is paid.
Coremodules/orders/fulfillment-dispatch.ts
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
Local deliveryshipping.rate.method.local_deliveryA method where the store's own driver delivers within a set radius or list of postcodes.
Plugin
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
Live carrier rateshipping.rate.method.carrier_liveA rate fetched live from a carrier at checkout from the parcel's weight, size and destination.
Plugin
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
Carrier pickup pointsshipping.rate.method.pickup_networkA list of parcel lockers and partner shops from a carrier that the shopper picks from at checkout.
Plugin
Provider · manyAssistant tool · many
When a rate appliesshipping.rate.conditionShowThe rules that show or hide a rate for a given cart and address.

How to extend

  • Core onlyRate matching feeds the order total, so the rules stay in core; extra rule types come with a rate provider.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Country listshipping.rate.condition.countriesThe list of countries a rate serves; an empty list serves every country.
Coremodules/shipping/resolve-rates.ts
Core only
Order total rangeshipping.rate.condition.order_totalA minimum and maximum cart total between which the rate is offered.
Coremodules/shipping/resolve-rates.ts
Core only
Free-shipping thresholdshipping.rate.condition.free_thresholdThe cart total above which delivery becomes free, also used for the amount-to-go message in the cart.
Coremodules/shipping/free-shipping.ts
Core only
Weight rangeshipping.rate.condition.weightA minimum and maximum parcel weight between which the rate is offered.
Plugin
Core only
Postcode or radius areashipping.rate.condition.postcodeA list of postcodes or a distance from the store that limits where a rate is offered.
Plugin
Core only
Product group ratesshipping.rate.condition.product_groupA group of products, such as oversized items, that has its own set of rates.
Plugin
Core only
Rate cost and marginshipping.rate.costShowWhat the store pays to ship compared with what the shopper pays.

How to extend

  • Core onlyShipping charges are part of the order total, a conserved amount kept in core.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Internal shipping costshipping.rate.cost.internalThe amount the store itself pays to ship with a rate, stored beside the price for margin reports.
Coreprisma/schema.prisma
Core only
Handling feeshipping.rate.cost.handling_feeA fixed amount or percentage added on top of a carrier rate.
Plugin
Core only
Fallback rateshipping.rate.cost.fallbackA fixed rate shown when a live carrier rate fails to load at checkout.
Plugin
Core only
Delivery datesshipping.delivery_dateShowHow the store estimates when an order arrives.

How to extend

PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Handling timeshipping.delivery_date.handling_daysThe number of working days the store needs to pack an order before it ships.
Coreplatform/config/store-policies.ts
Slot · many
Transit daysshipping.delivery_date.transit_daysThe minimum and maximum days in transit stored on each rate.
Coreprisma/schema.prisma
Slot · many
Shipping calendarshipping.delivery_date.working_daysThe weekdays the store ships and the holiday dates it is closed, used to count handling and transit days.
Coremodules/shipping/fulfillment-calendar.ts
Slot · many
Delivery estimateshipping.delivery_date.estimateAn earliest and latest arrival date calculated from handling time, transit days and the shipping calendar, shown on the product page and at checkout.
Coremodules/shipping/delivery-estimate.ts
Slot · many
Order cut-off timeshipping.delivery_date.cutoffA time of day after which a new order counts as placed on the next working day.
Plugin
Slot · many
Chosen delivery slotshipping.delivery_date.chosen_slotA delivery day or time window the shopper picks at checkout.
Plugin
Slot · many
Pickupshipping.pickupShowCollecting an order from a store location.

How to extend

PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Pickup locationshipping.pickup.locationA stock location marked for pickup, with its address, opening hours and collection instructions.
Coremodules/shipping/pickup/pickup-points.ts
Event · manyProvider · many
Ready-for-pickup emailshipping.pickup.ready_noticeAn email that tells the customer the order is ready to collect and where.
Coremodules/email/templates/order-pickup-ready.tsx
Event · manyProvider · many
Uncollected remindershipping.pickup.uncollected_reminderA reminder email sent when a ready order has not been collected after a set number of days.
Corejobs/cron.shipment-watch.ts
Event · manyProvider · many
Fulfilmentshipping.fulfilShowRecording what left the building, from where, and in how many parcels.

How to extend

PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Shipment recordshipping.fulfil.shipmentA record of one parcel for an order, holding its items, carrier, tracking number, status and dates.
Coremodules/shipping/admin/shipments.ts
Event · many
Partial fulfilmentshipping.fulfil.partialShipping some items of an order now and the rest in later shipments, with the order marked partly fulfilled until all are sent.
Coremodules/shipping/admin/shipments.ts
Event · many
Fulfilment locationshipping.fulfil.locationThe stock location an order ships from, picked from where the items are in stock.
Coremodules/inventory/location-stock.ts
Event · many
Split across locationsshipping.fulfil.split_locationsSending the items of one order from more than one warehouse.
Planned
Event · many
Labels and carriersshipping.labelShowBuying postage and printing the label that goes on the parcel.

How to extend

  • ProviderMany side by sideshipping labelsA label provider buys postage and writes the carrier and tracking number back onto the shipment.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Label purchaseshipping.label.purchaseBuying postage for a parcel from a carrier and printing the label with its tracking number.
Plugin
Provider · many
Rate comparisonshipping.label.rate_compareA side-by-side list of carrier prices and transit times for one parcel before the label is bought.
Plugin
Provider · many
Batch labelsshipping.label.batchBuying and printing labels for many selected orders in one run.
Plugin
Provider · many
Carrier accountshipping.label.carrier_accountThe store's own account with a carrier, connected so labels are billed at its negotiated prices.
Plugin
Provider · many
Customs formshipping.label.customsThe declaration of contents, value and tariff codes printed with an international label.
Plugin
Provider · many
Shipping insuranceshipping.label.insuranceCover bought with the label that pays out if the parcel is lost or damaged.
Plugin
Provider · many
Picking and packingshipping.packShowGetting the right items into the right box.

How to extend

  • ProviderMany side by sidewarehouse toolsPicking and packing tools come from a warehouse plugin.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Pick listshipping.pack.pick_listA list of items and bin locations to collect for a batch of orders.
Plugin
Provider · many
Box sizesshipping.pack.box_sizesThe saved box dimensions and weights used to price and pack parcels.
Plugin
Provider · many
Scan to verifyshipping.pack.scan_verifyScanning each item's barcode while packing to check it matches the order.
Plugin
Provider · many
Warehouse handoffshipping.handoffShowSending orders to someone else to pack and ship.

How to extend

  • EventMany side by sideevent.order.paidA warehouse plugin picks up each paid order from the order event or an outgoing webhook.
PartLitestore todayHow to extend
Order webhookshipping.handoff.webhookA signed HTTP message sent to an outside system when an order is created, paid or shipped.
Coremodules/integrations/webhooks/delivery.ts
Event · many
Outside warehouseshipping.handoff.outside_warehouseAn outside warehouse that receives orders, packs and ships them, and sends tracking numbers back.
Plugin
Event · many

What the phrases mean

The words apps use for a feature, and the plain parts the feature is made of, in the order they happen.

PhraseMade of
flat rate shipping
  1. shipping.rate.method.flat
free shipping threshold
  1. shipping.rate.condition.free_threshold
  2. shipping.rate.method.free
carrier-calculated rates
  1. shipping.rate.method.carrier_live
real-time shipping rates
  1. shipping.rate.method.carrier_live
weight-based shipping
  1. shipping.rate.condition.weight
  2. shipping.rate.method.flat
price-based shipping
  1. shipping.rate.condition.order_total
  2. shipping.rate.method.flat
local delivery
  1. shipping.rate.method.local_delivery
  2. shipping.rate.condition.postcode
local pickup
  1. shipping.rate.method.pickup
  2. shipping.pickup.location
  3. shipping.pickup.ready_notice
click and collect
  1. shipping.rate.method.pickup
  2. shipping.pickup.location
  3. shipping.pickup.ready_notice
estimated delivery date
  1. shipping.delivery_date.handling_days
  2. shipping.delivery_date.transit_days
  3. shipping.delivery_date.estimate
order cutoff time
  1. shipping.delivery_date.cutoff
rate shopping
  1. shipping.label.rate_compare
  2. shipping.label.purchase
batch label printing
  1. shipping.label.batch
customs declaration
  1. shipping.label.customs
3PL
  1. shipping.handoff.webhook
  2. shipping.handoff.outside_warehouse
partial fulfillment
  1. shipping.fulfil.partial

Phrases left out

These phrases mean different things at different apps, so the glossary doesn't map them.

  • shipping zonesShopify zones are country groups, while other tools use the word for postcode areas or carrier distance bands.
  • shipping protectionMeans insurance bought with a label at label tools and a shopper-paid add-on at checkout at tracking apps.
  • multi-carrier shippingMeans rate comparison at one vendor and simply connecting several carrier accounts at another.

Sources

The app documentation these parts were checked against.