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Weight-Based Shipping Business

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The Challenge

Meet Sarah’s Fitness Equipment Store - She sells everything from small accessories to heavy gym equipment:
  • Light items (resistance bands, gloves): Should be cheap to ship
  • Medium items (dumbbells, yoga mats): Moderate shipping cost
  • Heavy items (barbells, machines): Expensive shipping but fair pricing
Sarah needs shipping rates that automatically adjust based on the total weight of the customer’s order.

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Smart Shipping Solution

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Step 1: Create Your Zones

  1. Zone 1: “United States” - Select US
  2. Zone 2: “Canada” - Select Canada
  3. Zone 3: “International” - Select UK, Australia, Germany (or use Rest of World)

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Step 2: Set Up Weight-Based Rates

For United States Zone:
  1. Create Rate → “Standard US Shipping”
  2. Rate type: Weight Based (Per Unit)
  3. Base price: $8.00 (handling fee)
  4. Price per unit: $1.50 per kg
  5. Example calculation: 5kg order = $8 + (5 × $1.50) = $15.50
For Canada Zone:
  1. Create Rate → “Canada Shipping”
  2. Rate type: Weight Based (Per Unit)
  3. Base price: $12.00
  4. Price per unit: $2.00 per kg
  5. Example: 5kg order = $12 + (5 × $2.00) = $22.00
For International Zone:
  1. Create Rate → “International Shipping”
  2. Rate type: Weight Based (Per Unit)
  3. Base price: $25.00
  4. Price per unit: $4.00 per kg
  5. Example: 5kg order = $25 + (5 × $4.00) = $45.00

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Real Examples

  • **Customer buys resistance bands **(0.5kg): US = $8.75, Canada = $13, International = $27
  • Customer buys dumbbells (10kg): US = $23, Canada = $32, International = $65
  • Customer buys full gym set (50kg): US = $83, Canada = $112, International = $225

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Bonus: Free Shipping Threshold

Add free shipping for large orders:
  • Set “Free shipping minimum” to $200 for customers who buy bulk equipment
Result: Sarah’s shipping costs are always fair and automatically calculated. Light orders are cheap, heavy orders cost more, but customers know exactly what to expect!