Shipping
Shipping
ZingaShop calculates shipping at checkout from the rules you define: shipping zones that describe where you ship, and shipping methods that describe how, and at what price. You author these in the portal, and the storefront uses them to quote delivery options to shoppers based on their address.
Shipping zones
A shipping zone is a geographic grouping. Each zone has a code and name and matches addresses by:
- Countries — one or more country codes.
- Regions — states or provinces within a country.
- Postcodes — postal-code patterns.
Zones have a priority so you can layer broad and specific zones, and a mode:
- Include (default) — addresses matching the zone can be quoted using the zone's methods.
- Exclude — matching addresses are refused (no shipping offered). This lets you create no-ship lists, for example excluding remote territories you don't deliver to.
Shipping zones are defined at the account level and can be reused across storefronts.
Shipping methods
A shipping method is a delivery option offered for a zone on a specific storefront. Because methods are per storefront, the same zone can offer different options on different sites. Each method has a code and name, an estimated delivery window (minimum and maximum days), an optional tax class, and a rate type that determines how the price is calculated:
| Rate type | How the price is set |
|---|---|
| Flat | A fixed charge per shipment |
| Weight | Brackets based on the cart's total weight |
| Price | Brackets based on the cart subtotal (for example free over a threshold) |
| Quantity | Brackets based on the number of items |
| Free | No charge |
| Real-time | A live quote from a connected carrier |
You order methods so shoppers see them in the sequence you prefer, and you can activate or deactivate each one.
How quoting works at checkout
When a shopper reaches checkout with a delivery address, ZingaShop:
- Matches the address to a zone (respecting priority and exclude rules).
- Gathers the active methods for that zone on the current storefront.
- Calculates each method's price from its rate type and the cart.
- Presents the resulting options for the shopper to choose.
If the address matches an exclude zone, no methods are offered, and the shopper is told the destination isn't served.
Carriers and real-time rates
For live rates and label generation you can connect carrier integrations. A carrier connection stores your account credentials securely, and a real-time shipping method uses it to fetch quotes at checkout. Carrier and tracking details are then recorded on shipments when you fulfill an order (see Orders & Fulfillment).
Where shipping rules live
Shipping zones, methods and carrier connections are authored in the Zingasuite portal at https://console.zingasuite.com, under Tax & shipping (and Payments & channels for carriers). The storefront checkout consumes them directly, so a change to a zone or method takes effect for new quotes without any further steps. Shipping objects can also be managed through the public API, described in the Developer API Reference chapter.