Shopify Markets Shipping Settings Explained: Why is my Shipping Rates not working?
"I've obviously set up exclusive shipping rates for international markets, why is the old/generic shipping rate still showing up at customer checkout?"
If you're using Shopify Markets shipping to expand your business globally, this is an issue that you may relate to. Many sellers have carefully configured their shipping strategy for specific countries (e.g. US, Europe), only to find that the system completely ignores your new settings at checkout and stubbornly applies the old rules in the "Universal Shipping". This not only affects the user experience, but can also lead to shipping losses.
Don't worry, it's not a bug, it's a new shipping prioritization logic introduced by Shopify Markets. As a Shopify SEO and eCommerce consultant, I'm going to take you through this logic today so you can say goodbye to your shipping setup worries.
Why is that? Shopify Markets Shipping Priorities Revealed
At the heart of the matter is the fact that Shopify Markets' shipping management logic is different from the traditional "Shipping Profiles" logic.entirely differentThe. Many sellers are in the habit of "Settings" -> "Shipping & Delivery" Create a new Shipping Profile for International Markets in the Markets system and add the country to it. This is incorrect in the Markets system.
Remember this golden rule:
Once a country or region has been added to one of your Markets and enabled, the shipping rates for all countries within that Market will be taken over by the shipping rate settings within that Market. At this point, any generic settings in Shipping & Delivery or any Shipping Profiles you have created for it individually will be ignored.

In a nutshell.Prioritize shipping costs for "Marketplace" > Prioritize shipping costs for "Shipping & Delivery"The system will first check which Market the country belongs to and then call the internal shipping table of that Market directly. The system checks which Market the country belongs to, and then calls the internal shipping table of that Market directly, instead of looking elsewhere.
The Right Stance: A Hands-On Walkthrough of the Shopify Managed Markets Shipping Settings
Once you understand the logic above, the correct path is clear. You need to go inside the "Marketplace" and not "Shipping & Delivery" to set the shipping cost.
Step 1: Getting to your target market setup
From your Shopify backend, navigate to "Settings" -> "Markets"Here you will see all the markets you have created. Here you will see all the Markets you have created, e.g. "International Markets", "North American Markets", etc. Click on the target market for which you want to change the shipping rates (e.g. the Market that contains all European countries).

Step 2: Locate and configure shipping charges (Shipping)
Once you get to the detailed settings page for that marketplace, scroll down and you'll see a clear "Shipping"Card. This is the only correct entry point for managing shipping costs for all countries in this market. Click on "Manage".

(Image source: blogger's personal site)
Step 3: Add or edit shipping rules
Here you can create a brand new shipping table for this marketplace.Shopify allows you to:
- Created from scratch:Set up new tiered shipping rates based on weight, price, or number of items.
- Use existing rules:You can choose to copy the rules in the "General Shipping Preset" as a template, and then make changes, which can save a lot of time.
Configure it here and save it, and the system will apply the shipping rules you just set up exactly when customers in those countries check out.
Expert Tip:For merchants whose shipping rules are extremely complex and require multi-dimensional dynamic calculations based on zip codes, product labels, weights, etc., setting them up manually can be tedious and error-prone. At this point, consider using a professional shipping calculation plugin to automate and simplify this process.
A Guide to Avoiding the Pitfalls: A Few Key Points About Markets Shipping Rates
- Forget old habits:Again, as long as the country is in Market, don't go to "Shipping & Delivery" and make any settings for it, it's useless.
- A new role for General Freight:Is the "General Shipping Preset" in "Shipping & Delivery" still useful? Yes, of course. It now takes care of yourPrimary market (usually the country you are in when you build your site)as well asAny country that you have not added to any of your Markets.of shipping costs.
- Diligent testing:Once the setup is complete, be sure to run a complete test of the ordering process on the frontend of your website using the address of a country within that marketplace to ensure that the shipping rates are displayed correctly.
Common Misconceptions and FAQs
I created a new Shipping Profile for International Markets and added all the International Markets countries to it, why doesn't it work?
This is the core misconception that this article is trying to correct. Because these countries are already managed by Shopify Markets, the system prioritizes Markets' internal shipping settings and completely ignores any new Shipping Profile you create in Shipping & Delivery.
Can I use the shipping rules in Markets that I have previously set up in General Shipping?
Yes. On the shipping settings screen in Markets, Shopify gives you the option to "Use rates from general profile". This copies your general shipping rules as a base template that you can tweak on top of, which is very convenient.
If I remove a country from Markets, what happens to its shipping costs?
Once a country is no longer managed by any Market, its shipping rate calculation logic is automatically "rolled back" and determined by the shipping rate preset in Settings -> Shipping & Delivery.
Hopefully, this tutorial will help you clear the hurdles in setting up your Shopify Markets shipping rates once and for all. Remember the right logical hierarchy and your path to cross-border e-commerce will be much smoother!
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