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Fixed Handling Fees & Percentages: Carriers & Shipping Rules

Calculate and adjust handling fees and percentages for accurate shipping rates

Overview

Within ShipperHQ, you can add fees to carriers and shipping rules. These fees can either surcharge the rate or set a flat fixed rate, overriding the live rate returned by the carrier's API. Here, we'll explain how handling fees, percentages, or a combination of both are calculated. 😊

Table of Contents

Fees on the Carrier

Flat Surcharges

These are fixed dollar amounts applied per order, item, or package. A package is utilized when multiple boxes are needed, or when the product(s) surpass the "Maximum per package weight" set on the "Package" tab.

Percentage Surcharge/Discount

Percentage surcharges and discounts are always calculated from the shipping rate, not the total order. For example, if you have a 2% surcharge on a shipping total of $189.88, the fee will be 2% of that value, amounting to $3.80. 💡

Flat Fees/Percentage Surcharges on Rules

Calculations for rules differ slightly from those for carriers. Here's how flat and percentage rates are calculated:

  • When a flat rate is configured in a rule, it applies to the shipping total, whether it overrides or surcharges the rate.
  • If followed by a percentage surcharge, this percentage may be calculated from the order value or the shipping price. Unlike percentage fees on the carrier, which are based solely on the shipping total.

For instance, with a flat rate of $125 and a 2% percentage fee based on an order total of $500, the math will be $125 + (2% of $500 = $10), resulting in a total of $135.

Example showing how to configure a shipping rule to override live rates and apply desired rates.

Don't Exceed Carrier Rule Maximum Price

By default, a handling fee is applied under all scenarios, whether before or after Shipping Rules are triggered. However, you can change this setting to avoid applying the fee when a Shipping Rule sets a specific rate.

Example: If a FedEx carrier fee is set to $10.00, but an Override Shipping Rule sets the FedEx Ground rate at $5.00, the rate will remain $5.00. Meanwhile, FedEx 2nd Day will include the live rate and an extra $10.00 carrier fee. ✅