Selling on Shopify? Here are the Canada Post features available to you

Canada Post has partnered with Ottawa-based Shopify, one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms in the market. The partnership gives merchants with Shopify-powered online stores access to discounted shipping rates and easy-to-integrate features.

Here are 3 features Shopify merchants can implement to make their operations more efficient and improve the customer experience.

Real time-shipping rates

Did you know that 25% of shoppers will complete a purchase if shipping costs are disclosed before checkout?

Shopify merchants have a choice between displaying manual or dynamically calculated shipping rates. Manual rates can be set up with flat or free shipping rates based on total weight or total order price. Merchants can then use their carrier of choice to deliver the orders. Shopify also lets merchants offer their customers real-time shipping rates as they checkout by identifying rates for set shipping zones. Dynamically calculated rates are offered through Shopify Shipping and include access to Canada Post’s discounted shipping rates. These are calculated automatically and don’t require any extra steps from the merchant.

How can I set up shipping rates in my Shopify store?

1. Go to Settings on your Shopify admin page and select the Shipping menu option.
   1. Under “Zones and rates” click “edit” for the zone you want to add a rate to.
   2. For manual shipping rates, choose between price or weight-based rates to enter the rate details.
2. If you’re based in Canada, you can choose Canada Post as your delivery carrier and add calculated rates to your shipping zones. Customers will see Canada Post rates at checkout.
3. Click “save” on the top-right corner of the page to confirm.

By following these simple steps, you can remove a common barrier at checkout and better manage customer expectations by eliminating any last-minute surprises.

Figure 1. The screenshot above shows how customers view and select shipping options and rates during the checkout process.

For more on these steps, reference Shopify support. They can help merchants set up flat and manually configured rates or show them how to offer dynamic rates through Shopify Shipping.

Printing shipping labels

Shopify merchants can print shipping labels directly from Shopify, or through an integrated Shipping Solution. Shopify Shipping is directly embedded on the Shopify Admin page as an option to fulfill small order volumes, while Shipping Solutions provide enhanced options to automate order management for larger volumes.

Shopify Shipping

Shopify recently launched its own shipping software that helps merchants streamline their order fulfillment process. The simplicity of this shipping tool, paired with Canada Post’s vast delivery network, creates an empowering and seamless fulfillment experience for small-to-medium-sized merchants.

Shopify merchants can also access discounted shipping rates directly through the platform without having to enter their Canada Post customer number. They can even add additional insurance coverage options.

How do I print Canada Post shipping labels within Shopify Shipping?

1. 1. 1. Add Canada Post as the carrier in Shopify Shipping
      2. Choose orders to fulfill via Shopify
      3. Enter the Order Details, click “continue” under buy postage & ship order
         
      4. Complete the Shipping Label details and select the Canada Post delivery service.
         5. Generate and print Canada Post shipping label using a desktop printer, or a supported label printer.

For more details on Shopify Shipping, visit Shopify’s shipping page.

Integrated Shipping Solutions

Merchants selling on a variety of marketplaces and/or processing higher order volumes should consider using Shipping Solutions that provide enhanced functionality for printing shipping labels, such as automated or batch label printing.

Through the Shopify App store, merchants can subscribe to shipping solutions that are integrated with both Shopify and Canada Post for a monthly fee.

To find out how Canada Post’s integration partners can help streamline your order fulfillment process, read about how to choose the right shipping solution for your e-commerce business.

Automated Tracking

Merchants can track the status of their shipments from the Order page in the Shopify admin. On every order shipped with Canada Post, Shopify shows the delivery status (in transit, out for delivery, delivery attempted, etc.), tracking information and updates.

Customers will automatically receive an email when the parcel changes state, for example, if it goes from in transit to out for delivery. They’d also receive a link to the order status page to receive updates using a Canada Post tracking number. This keeps customers coming back to your site for tracking, creating opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell. Delivery notifications are also sent to customers in real-time without any action needed to be taken by the merchant.

Figure 2. The screenshot above shows an example of an automatic email notification a customer would receive with a delivery status.

To offer the ideal experience online that shoppers have come to expect, it’s important to support their journey from purchase to delivery. By managing shipping cost expectations at checkout, fulfilling orders quickly and efficiently, and allowing  customers to track their order status in real-time, you’re one step closer to offering a seamless shopping experience