Some of the most common questions customers ask ecommerce stores are related to order shipping. It’s common for shop owners to hear questions like: “How much will shipping cost?” and “When will my order arrive?”
Sound familiar? In an era where customers expect Amazon Prime speeds, your online store may be in need of a shipping policy that sets realistic expectations about shipping costs and timelines. When you create a comprehensive and accessible shipping policy, it helps both you and your customers—your customers can use it as a self-service FAQ, and you can save time by answering fewer shipping questions.
It’s best to start with a shipping policy template. This will be a living document for your business—one that you can update and adjust as your operations and circumstances change.
Whether you’re creating a new shipping strategy from scratch or updating your existing policy to curb customer support inquiries, this shipping policy template will get you up and running in minutes.
What is a shipping policy?
A shipping policy is a section within a retailer’s terms and conditions that outlines how orders are delivered. It details domestic and international shipping speeds, costs, processing times, and carrier options to set clear delivery expectations for customers. On an ecommerce site, it typically lives within an FAQ page or on its own dedicated page.
What to include in your shipping policy
What you cover in your shipping policy template and how you communicate it will depend on your current business operations and supply chain, or if you use dropshipping to fulfill orders. The ultimate goal is to be transparent with customers at all times.
As a general rule, your shipping policy should include the following details.
Order processing times
After an order is placed, how many business days will it take to get it ready to ship? Communicate if you’re excluding weekends and/or holidays, and if you have certain cutoff times for processing orders (e.g., Orders received after 5 p.m. will be processed the next business day).
Domestic and international shipping options
What are the qualifying regions for your domestic shipping options? Do you deliver to PO boxes? Which countries have shipping restrictions that you can’t meet? Navigating tariffs and customs requirements is essential for international shipping. International shipping can be broken down in its own section where you list the countries you ship to and estimated shipping times. If you offer several shipping options, like expedited shipping or next-day, list them in a table so the information is easy to scan.
Shipping costs
Break down your shipping costs for the customer. For example, if you offer free shipping above a certain order total threshold, communicate that in various places as an upsell incentive. Also surface any potential surprise fees, such as import duties and taxes the customer may incur.
Local delivery options
If you offer multiple shipping options for nearby customers, such as local delivery or buy online, pickup in-store, explain the steps customers will need to follow after ordering, and clearly communicate your local delivery coverage.
Returns, changes, and cancellations
On top of accommodating returns through a dedicated return policy, summarize how your business evaluates refunds, order edits, and exchanges, and what your process is in the event of a lost or damaged order.
Potential service interruptions
Orders may take longer to arrive due to variables outside of your control. Your own shipping policy page is where you can communicate timeline estimates and explain to customers why their packages could be delayed.
Order tracking details
Inform customers what happens after they’ve made online purchases. This might mean a shipment confirmation email that includes a tracking number, or contact information regarding who to reach out to in case of any lost packages.
Above all, don’t make customers comb through your shipping policy page for the information they need. Whenever possible, make it easy to navigate, with clear subheadings, tables, bolded text, and links to learn more.
💡 PRO TIP: Communicating shipping speeds at checkout to your customers can help improve cart conversion, provide clarity and transparency, and increase consumer confidence. Learn more about how to add shipping speeds directly from your Shopify admin.
Shipping policy template: free download
A well-thought-out shipping policy doesn’t have to be created from scratch. Use Shopify’s shipping policy template to fill in the blanks and get your website ready to sell faster.
This free, three-page download covers every shipping touchpoint your customer needs to know, including:
- Order processing timelines. Clear placeholders to communicate how long it takes to get an order out the door.
- Local delivery and pickup. Specific wording for buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) and local delivery options.
- Domestic and international rates. Tables for flat-rate shipping, calculated rates, and free shipping thresholds.
- The fine print on duties. Professional language regarding international import duties and taxes (VAT).
- Returns and damages. A ready-to-use framework for handling unused returns and damaged goods on a case-by-case basis.
Here’s a sneak peek inside the shipping policy template:
Every shipping policy is different—there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We highly recommend you cut, adapt, expand, or rearrange the sections in this sample shipping policy template to suit your business’s unique needs.
Shipping policy examples
These real-life shipping policy page examples can serve as inspiration for some of the ways you can customize your own policy on your online store. We’ve included various shipping contexts so you can see how different circumstances translate into different policies.
Create a local shipping process for nearby customers
Many brick-and-mortar stores have embraced shoppers in their community by offering local delivery and buy online, pickup in-store shipping options. These options each come with their own unique set of steps that must be clearly communicated to ensure a smooth customer experience.
If you’re relying heavily on business from your local customers, you can also list the ZIP/postal codes you service, or embed a map on your shipping page to communicate your local delivery ranges visually.
For example, Magnolia Bakery asks customers to enter their ZIP code, then sends them to a map where they can order from their closest bakery location.
Promote personalized tracking pages for customers
In some cases, delivery timelines need to be made explicitly clear for the customer. For example, if your products are frequently purchased as gifts for holidays or events, timely arrival is paramount to customer satisfaction.
Cookware retailer Our Place does a great job in this area. They let customers track both orders and preorders through a personalized tracker. This is smart, as 90% of customers say they want to be able to track their delivery orders.
Personalize your international shipping policy
If you’re selling internationally, help overseas customers understand your shipping policy by personalizing a landing page for it.
For example, Gymshark has a generic delivery policy page, but they’ve also included a dropdown menu for customers to select their package’s destination country.
That option provides more personalized answers, such as:
- How long it takes for international orders to arrive
- Available international shipping methods
- Whether the parcel needs a signature to complete delivery
- How much shipping will cost
Upsell free shipping offers on your policy page
Data shows that free shipping is a top purchase driver for 76% of US shoppers. At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive to offer free shipping to make a profit, but that hunger for free shipping is actually a rich opportunity for upselling. For example, Beardbrand takes advantage of this opportunity on its shipping policy page.
Beardbrand launched Alliance, a branded membership and community that costs $90 and offers free shipping on all orders. Only those who buy directly from the brand three times or spend $150 on a single order get an invitation to join the exclusive club—a potentially huge money-maker that encourages customer retention.
The brand’s FAQ page is the perfect place to mention the Beardbrand Alliance. In a question titled “Why did shipping costs increase?” the retailer upsells its membership to price-sensitive customers looking for cheaper shipping rates.
Where to communicate your shipping policy to customers
It’s best practice to display your shipping policy at multiple customer touch points. It shouldn’t live only on your shipping policy page. Instead, make it easier for customers to find the information they need by communicating your shipping policy wherever these questions may make customers hesitate about completing a purchase.
The following are a few ideas for where you can repurpose your shipping policy template to make it easier for customers to finish checkout.
Update a website announcement bar
When you’re anticipating shipping delays or a higher volume of orders, one of the most effective ways to be transparent with customers is by communicating delays through your website announcement bar. These are banners that can typically appear at the top of an ecommerce store’s pages. Banner options are built into many Shopify themes, but you can also add them to your store via a Shopify app of your choice.
In addition to shipping delay updates, you can also use this real estate on your website to highlight any incentives that might compel customers to make a purchase. For example, use a banner to highlight free shipping for orders over $75, or announce $5 flat-rate shipping to the US and Canada.
Add a link to your website footer
Your footer is likely the first place a customer will look to find your shipping policy, along with other links to access self-serve customer support.
If shipping is a particularly important concern for your customers, it might be best to incorporate your shipping page into your website navigation’s dropdown menu to ensure it is more discoverable. However, in most cases, a link in your footer should suffice.
Incorporate shipping details into product pages
Questions about shipping often come up as customers are browsing your product pages. Consider including high-level information about your shipping policy on each product page. For example, write up one line about your free shipping incentive, or add a dedicated product page tab for more detailed shipping info.
Feature shipping info on your FAQ page
An FAQ page isn’t just for troubleshooting customer issues. It’s also the perfect place to highlight aspects of your shipping policy that could win over uncertain customers, such as your return policy or your free shipping threshold.
Label your options with delivery estimates
At checkout, when customers choose their shipping options, it’s useful for them to see how long each shipping option takes. For example, your standard shipping option could take five to seven business days, while a more expedited tier could take only two days.
Having that information makes it easier for customers to select the best option for them. Including this information at checkout could be especially useful if you offer delivery time frames that are longer than a week and want to reduce the number of customers who reach out asking about their orders.
Deliver the right expectations with your shipping policy
Trust is the cornerstone of running a successful small business, and a good shipping policy ensures both you and your customers are on the same page.
Being transparent and upfront when setting expectations helps customers decide to buy from you, and when the unexpected happens and your ecommerce business operations change, your shipping policy template helps you maintain that hard-earned trust.
To make sure you’re keeping your shipping and fulfillment promises, use Shopify Shipping to centralize and speed up day-to-day operations. Simply set up shipping zones and rates, then buy and manage shipping labels directly in the Shopify admin.
Here’s how to start:
- Set up the shipping basics in your Shopify admin.
- Create shipping zones and rates, then add the rate types customers will see at checkout.
- Use shipping profiles for products that have different rate structures, then assign zones and rates accordingly.
- Purchase labels, print labels/packing slips/customs forms, and schedule pickups—all without leaving Shopify.
If shipping becomes too much to run in-house, Shopify Fulfillment Network can connect your store with Flexport to store inventory and fulfill orders using Flexport’s fulfillment centers.
Read more
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- Upset Customers? Here's How to Stop Customer Complaints Before They Happen
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Shipping policy FAQ
How do you write a shipping policy?
- Explain order processing times.
- Share domestic shipping rates.
- Offer international shipping information.
- List shipping fees.
- Share free shipping thresholds.
- Include local delivery options.
- Explain how customers can track their order.
- Reference your refunds, returns, or exchanges policy.
- Include a contact option.
Do you need to have a shipping policy?
A shipping policy is not required by law. However, having a clear and detailed shipping policy can provide customers with important information about how and when their orders will be shipped. It also builds trust and protects you from potential disputes. Get professional legal advice to make sure you’re compliant.
What are the benefits of having a shipping policy?
A shipping policy helps you set the right expectations for customers regarding their shipping times and costs. It’s also a good reference for when customers have questions about their orders. With a shipping policy, you also keep customers informed about your handling procedures for handling returns or damaged items.
What are the risks of not having a shipping policy?
If you don’t have a clear shipping policy, customers are left unaware of how shipping works. They may get confused about import duties, taxes, return shipping costs, or order processing times. You’ll end up with disappointed customers even if you didn’t intend to frustrate them—so it’s best to clearly define your policy to set expectations.
