Shopify ships internationally Here are the things you should consider before shipping internationally through Shopify.
Imagine this: A Portland, OR-based online seller on Shopify who sells American football merchandise. You’ve been making a lot of money in the United States selling merchandise to NCAA and NFL fans across the country for the past few years. You have an inkling that you can take your ecommerce business to the next level if Shopify offers international shipping to your Portland business.
The next step is to expand beyond your borders. There are American football games that can be played in Mexico, Canada, Mexico, and other countries that are interested in gridiron. You know that you must be a smart salesperson to profit from this sudden shift.
You’re afraid of international shipping and how it might impact your bottom line.
Shopify can ship internationally What is the difference between shipping to the United States and shopping internationally? Are there ways to make shipping in the United States simple for your customers as well as your business?
You must spend some time customizing your ecommerce international shipping strategy to make it work. This doesn’t mean that you should instantly become a shipping expert.
This post will help you find the right path so that you can feel confident in your Shopify international shipping strategy.
Shopify Ships Worldwide
The short answer to that question is yes. The carrier determines whether or not you are allowed to ship internationally. Depending on who you partner with (e.g. UPS, FedEx or DHL), there are restrictions about where they can and cannot deliver.
UPS Approved Countries Liste
FedEx Serves Countries List
USPS International Service Disruptions
DHL Temporary Service Adjustments
Shopify International Shipping Rates, Explained
Depending on your Shopify subscription, you may be eligible to receive reduced Shopify shipping rates with carriers such as UPS, DHL Express, USPS and Canada Post. Discounts vary depending on the package type, weight, destination, and origin. Here’s an overview of what to expect:
| USPS | Domestic ShippingInternational Shipping | Between 64.5% – 88.5% Between 5.0% – 10.4% |
| UPS | Domestic Shipping International Shipping | Up to 61.38% Maximum 73.43% |
| DHL | International Shipping | Between 71.5% & 76.0% |
| Canada Post | Domestic Shipping Shipping to the U.S. International Shipping | Between 12.9% – 26.0% Between 24.0% – 28.1% Between 45.0% – 52.6% |
Ecommerce International Shipping: Shopify
Customers are your lifeblood.
It is easy to forget about the person on the other end of the transaction. These factors can have a significant impact on customer service and customer experience.
This is a key point to remember when you are constructing your international ecommerce shipping strategy. Let’s now look at seven potential issues when you plan your international shipping venture on Shopify.
Translations
When entering a new market abroad, you’re likely to encounter a language barrier.
Your website may not be translated into German if it isn’t. Customers might click the wrong thing and need to modify their cart many times. This is, obviously, a very bad user experience.
If they are already upset about it, think of what they would do if they were charged an unexpected fee for not understanding the text on your product page or checkout page.
Here’s the advice: Don’t sell to any country if you aren’t ready. Focus on the areas that receive the most traffic from your home base, and market to them well.
Google Translate is limited and not reliable. It is best to hire a professional translator or work with a third party company that specializes on localization.
Shopify allows you to translate your checkout if you are starting small. If you want, you can translate the page into several languages.
You may not realize how important it is to update your English language for Australian or UK audiences. Small changes in regional dialects can make a big difference (a.k.a. More conversions ).
Considerations for Product
Although it may seem obvious, really think about what you want to send overseas . These items should be packed in custom packaging or poly mailers.
Your U.S. store may have all your inventory online. But that doesn’t mean your Brazilian shop has to.
Do you think it makes sense to ship heavy items across the border, such as a large plaque, even if it is expensive? For this particular Brazilian store, you might be better off selling lighter weight items like decals and t-shirts.
To offset these costs, consider adding a handling & packing surcharge. You won’t lose money if you take the extra time to deliver certain products to customers safely.
You can incentivize international customers to buy more from your online shop by creating a shipping plan that is friendly to your bottom line.
Not all stores need to use the same marketing strategy, especially as some may not offer international shipping.
Your marketing strategy should be adjusted to reflect international shipping.
Your free shipping strategy may look different depending on which one you choose.
Perhaps your U.S. shop ships only to Canada and Mexico. International orders will get $75 shipping free of charge if they order $50 or more. Your Spanish store offers free shipping to any EU country, but there is a minimum order for other European countries.
Shipping-Origin Considerations
Another thing to think about when you plan your Shopify global shipping strategy, is where you’re shipping from. Also known as your shipping source.
It will cost more to ship goods to customers located far away than if you only have one warehouse.
It’s common to have multiple warehouses in your business as you grow.
You can reduce shipping costs by sending packages to different warehouses (or dropship vendors depending on your preference) and have packages delivered much faster.
You will need to be able to control how shipping rates are collected from different locations in order for this to work.
ShipperHQ’s Shopify shipping software can help you manage multi-warehouse shipping and tailor your shipping strategy for different international checkout scenarios.
You can, for example, set a policy that all items purchased from Brazil should be shipped via your Mexico warehouse. To offset residential delivery fees, you may add a surcharge to customers who live in rural areas.
If necessary, you can also choose to ship according to minimum or maximum order values.
You can improve your margins by tailoring your shipping experience. You can also offer your customers a lower shipping cost than shipping from thousands of miles away.
Border Restrictions
Each country has its own shipping regulations and rules. It is important that merchants are familiar with how to comply with these laws.
To be flagged by customs, you don’t have to sell anything perishable and hazardous.
Certain items cannot be shipped via certain shipping methodss.
To illustrate, batteries exceeding a certain capacity can’t legally be transported by air.
You may not be able to sell American football jerseys but that doesn’t necessarily mean other countries will accept them. Stranger things have occurred. It’s not a bad idea to do some research.
UPS and other carriers have their regulation checking teams to assist with this.
It is not fair to pay additional fees for return and border charges after the fact, especially when current information is easily accessible online.
You can set shipping rules to prevent this from happening.
This ensures that any items restricted from being shipped to these customers will never be sent. Shopify allows you to include information on your product pages about the restrictions.
This is one of the many ways International Military Antiques uses ShipperHQ to manage their Shopify store. You can see that selling antique firearms or other weaponry online is subject to strict shipping restrictions.
ShipperHQ provides support to customers around the globe and helps them adhere to these laws.
Carrier & Shipping Options
Are you more likely to only use one or two shipping companies? Even though international packages may take longer to arrive, it is important to get the item to your customer as soon as possible.
Your current carrier may be great for US deliveries. They might not be the best option if you ship cross-border.
Next Day Shipping is unlikely if you are not based in Detroit, USA, and shipping to Toronto Canada.
It is worth looking at different logistics providers to get the best deal.
Contact your existing reps to see what you can do for international customers. Each carrier is different and you want the best for your customers and yourself.
Customers like to feel in control and “options” are the key word. You can offer buyers different delivery options at different costs, and in transit estimates. This is reasonable.
You can also make checkout easier by removing carrier names and opting for options such as:
- Ground Delivery – 14-21 days
- Express Delivery – 7-10 days delivery
- Express Plus – Delivery within 3 to 5 days
Your customers should have realistic expectations. This will ensure that you don’t overpromise and that your customers are satisfied with the timeframes offered.
Dimensional weight
Shipping costs can quickly add up for items that take up too much space but aren’t heavy, such as a full-body pillow. You don’t want your customers to pay more for shipping.
Dimensional Weight converts the package’s dimensions (length, height, and width) into a weight figure. This number is used by most shipping companies to calculate shipping costs. If you’re not using this number, your website won’t show accurate rates.
Shopify allows you to set product dimensions. Shopify only allows you to have one default size box when calculating international rates for orders placed outside the U.S.
Rate discrepancies are almost guaranteed. You should be especially careful about the difference between what shipping costs and what you charge customers.
You can use ShipperHQ to set up multiple boxes for international buyers. You can also choose the right package for your order by using an automated tool.
This will allow you to align your checkout experience (rates, options) with the way that you pack and deliver your orders. This can include packaging individual items or multiple items in one box.
Insurance and Safety
Customers want assurance that their packages will arrive safely when your merchandise travels across oceans and bounces between trains, planes, and automobiles.
Shipping insurance can be a way to make your customers feel at ease.
DHL, UPS, and USPS all automatically insure shipments up to $100. If the shipment’s value exceeds $100, you can opt to offer more coverage.
Even if a package is delivered, it may not be safe.
Customers should have Order Tracking available whenever possible. They can then plan when they will be at home to receive their package. Be aware of where your order is at all time.
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