Shipping Policy Generator
Generate a clear shipping policy with regions, methods, and delivery times.
What to Include in a Shipping Policy
- Where you ship — list countries or regions explicitly.
- How you ship — standard, express, or both; named carriers if you have them.
- Processing time — how long between order and dispatch (1–3 business days typical).
- Delivery estimate — ranges per region; mark clearly as estimates.
- Shipping cost — flat, weight-based, free over threshold, or calculated at checkout.
- Customs & duties — who pays for international orders.
- Lost or damaged packages — how to report and what you will do.
What a good shipping policy actually does
A shipping policy is the first place a hesitant buyer checks before clicking "buy". It answers three questions in plain language: how much will shipping cost, how long will it take, and what happens if something goes wrong. Stores that hide any of these create cart abandonment — Baymard Institute's 2024 checkout research puts "unexpected shipping cost" as the single largest reason for cart abandonment at 48%. A clear, scannable shipping policy reduces support email volume by 30–50% in most stores that publish one for the first time.
What the page must cover
- Processing time — how long between order and dispatch. Be honest: "1–2 business days" is more credible than "same day" if you cannot consistently deliver same day.
- Shipping methods and carriers — at minimum name them (USPS, Royal Mail, DHL). Bonus: link to each carrier's tracking page.
- Cost structure — flat rate, weight-based, calculated at checkout, or free above a threshold. If you offer free shipping conditionally, state the condition exactly.
- Delivery times by destination — domestic vs international, ideally with a small table. Use ranges, not single dates.
- International duties and customs — explicitly state who pays. "Buyer is responsible for any import duties, taxes, and customs fees" is the standard line for DAP/DDU shipments.
- Restricted destinations — anywhere you do not ship.
- Lost or damaged shipments — what the buyer should do, what you will do, and the window for claims.
- Order changes and cancellations — the window during which a customer can cancel before dispatch.
Worked example: a US Shopify store
"Orders placed before 2 pm ET ship the same business day. After 2 pm, the next business day. Domestic orders ship via USPS Ground Advantage (3–5 business days) or UPS 2nd Day Air ($14.95 flat). International orders ship via DHL Express (4–8 business days; duties calculated at checkout via DDP — no surprise fees on delivery). Free domestic shipping on orders over $75. We do not currently ship to APO/FPO addresses or to Russia and Belarus." — That paragraph answers more buyer questions than 500 words of legalese.
Common mistakes
- Stating "ships in 1–3 days" without clarifying business days or calendar days.
- Promising delivery windows you do not control. Carriers, not you, deliver the package — frame estimates as the carrier's, not yours.
- Burying the international duties policy. Surprise duties on the doorstep generate chargebacks and one-star reviews more reliably than almost anything else.
- Forgetting to update the policy when carrier rates change. Stale shipping policies create checkout disputes when the cart price differs from what the page promises.