# Live shipping rates Show live shipping rates, delivery estimates and checkout rules that reflect each order. Starshipit helps retailers protect margins and give customers clearer delivery choices. Canonical URL: https://starshipit.com/ecommerce-shipping-rates ### Live shipping rates at checkout for eCommerce retailers **Give customers clearer delivery costs before they buy.** Starshipit helps retailers show live carrier rates, delivery estimates and service options at checkout, with rules to manage margins, regions and shipping offers. - [Start 30-day trial](https://app.starshipit.com/Dashboard/SignUp.aspx?) - [Book a demo](/book-an-appointment) **Trusted by 30,000+ retailers to manage shipping rates, carrier services and delivery workflows.** ### Animates ### Lorna Jane ### Princess Polly ### Quiksilver ### Hello Molly ### Harrolds ### Real results: Meshki gives shoppers more delivery choice With Starshipit, Meshki offers same-day, express and standard shipping across 8 services and 5 carriers. Customers can choose the option that fits their order, location and delivery expectations. “This means customers can choose a shipping option that works best for them, which makes our brand really competitive.” _Damien Park-Nielson, Head of Operations at Meshki_ - [Read the full case study](/case-study/meshki) ### How Starshipit Live Rates works **Live Rates connects your carrier services to the delivery choices shoppers see at checkout.** You choose the rates, services and rules, then Starshipit shows relevant options based on the order, destination and customer delivery needs. Once the customer buys, your team can keep working in the same shipping flow: print labels, dispatch with the right carrier and send tracking updates. ### Shape the delivery options customers see **Use Starshipit's checkout rules to decide which delivery choices appear for each order. Show real-time carrier rates, prioritise preferred services, hide services that do not fit, add margins or surcharges, and create free-shipping offers by order value or destination.** This helps when shipping costs change by package size, remote delivery zone, express service or international destination. ### Connect checkout rates to fulfilment workflows Once the customer chooses a service, your team can move straight into fulfilment. [Print labels](/shipping-labels), send tracking updates and dispatch through the right carrier from the same platform. ### Use your negotiated carrier rates Bring your own carrier accounts into Starshipit and display the rates configured for those services. Your team gets more control without maintaining separate manual rate tables or switching between carrier portals. ### Add margins, surcharges and free shipping rules Use checkout rules to add margins or surcharges, prioritise preferred services, customise service names and create free-shipping offers where they fit the order value or destination. ### Calculate rates from the order and destination Live shipping rates are calculated from the order details, destination, carrier service and pricing configured in Starshipit. This helps retailers show shipping costs that better reflect the real cost of fulfilling each order. ### Show relevant services by region For international orders, show delivery services that fit the customer's destination. If your setup supports [duties and taxes at checkout](/duties-and-taxes), you can also show landed costs upfront so shoppers are less likely to be surprised by cross-border charges at delivery. ### Which checkout shipping rate setup is right for you? **Different rate setups suit different stages of growth.**** The right choice depends on how much your shipping costs vary by order size, destination, carrier service and customer expectation.** - [Start 30-day trial](https://app.starshipit.com/Dashboard/SignUp.aspx?) - [Compare your options with a shipping expert](/book-an-appointment) ## Live shipping rates FAQs ##### **What is the difference between live shipping rates and flat-rate shipping?** Flat-rate shipping charges the same amount regardless of the order, destination or service selected. It is simple to manage, but it can overcharge some customers and under-recover costs on others. Live shipping rates calculate checkout shipping costs from carrier pricing and order details, helping retailers show more accurate delivery options. ##### **Can I add margins, surcharges or free shipping rules?** Yes. Starshipit Live Rates supports configurable checkout rules, including margins, adjustments, surcharges, service prioritisation and free-shipping offers. This helps retailers balance customer choice with margin control, especially when shipping costs change by weight, destination, carrier or service level. ##### **Do live shipping rates use my negotiated carrier rates?** Yes. Starshipit Live Rates uses the carrier pricing configured in Starshipit, including negotiated carrier rates where those accounts and services are connected. This helps retailers bring their own carrier relationships into checkout instead of maintaining separate manual rate tables. ##### **Can Starshipit show Shopify live shipping rates?** Starshipit can support live shipping rates for Shopify when the right Starshipit setup and Shopify checkout requirements are in place. Checkout-rate access can depend on the merchant's Shopify plan and configuration, so confirm your setup before relying on live rates in Shopify checkout. ##### **How can I configure my eCommerce shipping rates?** You can offer live rates at checkout, use table rates or flat rates, then apply shipping rules to assign services, cover costs and guide customers towards the right delivery option. Starshipit helps retailers control how eCommerce shipping rates appear before customers complete their purchase. ## Ready to show live shipping rates at checkout?