Configure shipping zones, rates, and labels so your UniLink storefront delivers physical products anywhere your customers are.
Selling physical goods through your UniLink storefront requires more than just listing products and collecting payments — you also need a reliable system that calculates shipping costs at checkout, routes each order to the right carrier, and keeps customers informed with tracking updates. UniLink's shipping module covers all of that in one place, letting you go from setup to first shipment in under thirty minutes without any third-party plugins.
What Physical Shipping Does
Physical shipping in UniLink ties your product catalog to real-world delivery logistics. When a customer adds a product to their cart and proceeds to checkout, UniLink checks which shipping zone their address falls into, calculates the applicable rate, and presents the available delivery options before the customer pays. This prevents the common problem of either under-charging for shipping (which eats into your margin) or surprising customers with unexpected costs at the final step (which causes cart abandonment).
The shipping module supports two calculation methods. Flat-rate shipping charges a fixed fee regardless of what is in the cart — useful for stores that ship similarly sized items. Weight-based shipping calculates costs dynamically according to the total weight of the order, which is fairer for customers buying large quantities and more accurate for stores that sell products with very different weights. You can mix both methods across different zones: flat rate for domestic orders, weight-based for international ones, for example.
Once an order is placed, UniLink holds it in a fulfillment queue. You generate a shipping label directly from the order detail page, mark the order as shipped, and enter the tracking number. UniLink then sends an automated email to the customer with the carrier name and tracking link so they can follow their package in real time without contacting you.
How to Get Started With Physical Shipping
- Open the shipping settings — From your UniLink dashboard, navigate to Storefront → Settings → Shipping. This is the central place for all delivery configuration.
- Enable physical shipping — Toggle the "Physical Products" switch to on. This activates the shipping fields on all products that have "Requires shipping" checked in their product editor.
- Add your first shipping zone — Click "Add Zone", give it a name (for example "United States" or "Domestic"), and select the countries or regions it covers. A zone can cover a single country, multiple countries, or an entire continent.
- Choose a rate type for the zone — Select either "Flat Rate" and enter a fixed dollar amount, or "Weight-Based" and define a price-per-kilogram along with any handling fee. You can add multiple rates within a zone (for example "Standard — $5" and "Express — $12") so customers can choose.
- Set a free-shipping threshold — Still inside the zone settings, enable "Free shipping over" and enter a minimum order value. Orders that meet or exceed this amount will automatically show a free shipping option at checkout, which encourages larger purchases.
- Add product weights — Go back to each physical product and fill in the weight field under "Shipping" in the product editor. Weight-based calculations only work when every product in the cart has a weight value.
- Save and test checkout — Place a test order using an address inside your zone to confirm the correct rate appears. Adjust zone boundaries or rates as needed before going live.
How to Use Physical Shipping
- Review new orders — Go to Storefront → Orders. Orders requiring physical fulfillment show a "Pending Shipment" badge. Click any order to open the detail view.
- Verify the shipping address — Confirm the customer's address is complete and correct. If something looks wrong, use the "Contact Customer" button to reach out before printing a label.
- Select a carrier — In the order detail, choose the carrier you will use from the connected carrier list (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, or custom). If your preferred carrier is not listed, select "Other" and enter the tracking URL pattern manually.
- Generate a shipping label — Click "Generate Label" to create a print-ready label using the carrier's API. Confirm the package dimensions and weight if prompted, then download the PDF and print it.
- Attach the label and ship the package — Affix the label to your package according to the carrier's requirements, drop it off at the carrier location or schedule a pickup, and retrieve the tracking number from the label or carrier receipt.
- Mark the order as shipped — Back in the order detail, click "Mark as Shipped", paste the tracking number into the field, and select the estimated delivery date. UniLink sends the customer a shipping confirmation email with a one-click tracking link.
- Monitor delivery and handle exceptions — Watch the Orders list for any items that do not reach "Delivered" status within the expected window. Open the order and use the carrier tracking link to investigate delays or lost packages.
Key Settings Explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping zone regions | Which countries or states see this rate at checkout | Create separate zones for domestic and international so you can price them differently |
| Flat rate amount | Fixed fee charged per order regardless of weight or quantity | Set it to your average actual shipping cost; use a free-shipping threshold to offset the fixed fee on larger orders |
| Weight-based price per kg | Shipping cost multiplied by the order's total weight | Include a small handling fee on top to cover packaging materials |
| Free shipping threshold | Minimum cart value at which shipping becomes free | Set it 20–30% above your average order value to nudge customers toward adding one more item |
| Default packaging dimensions | Box size used for label generation when no product-level dimensions are entered | Match your most commonly used box; override per order when you use a different size |
How to Get the Most Out of Physical Shipping
The biggest lever for reducing shipping costs is carrier rate shopping. Once you connect multiple carriers in Storefront → Shipping → Carriers, UniLink can display live-quoted rates from each one at checkout instead of your manually configured flat rates. Customers choose the option they prefer, and you print the label for exactly that carrier. This builds trust because customers see real prices rather than rounded approximations, and it removes your risk of losing money on heavy orders.
Packaging standardization pays dividends over time. If your products can fit into two or three box sizes, define those dimensions in UniLink and tag each product with which box it typically uses. When an order contains multiple products, UniLink estimates the optimal box size automatically and quotes a more accurate shipping price. Fewer surprises at checkout translate directly into fewer abandoned carts.
For stores with high order volumes, use the bulk fulfillment view under Storefront → Orders → Fulfillment Queue. You can select multiple orders and generate all their labels in a single batch PDF, ready to print on a thermal label printer. This reduces the per-order handling time from several minutes to a few seconds once you build the routine.
International shipping requires additional attention to customs documentation. UniLink generates a CN22 or CN23 customs form alongside the label for international shipments. Fill in accurate product descriptions and declared values — under-declaring to reduce duties is against carrier terms and can cause your packages to be seized. Keep a standard customs description for each product in the product editor so it pre-fills correctly every time.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No shipping options appear at checkout | Customer's address is not covered by any zone, or no zones are active | Check Shipping → Zones and ensure the customer's country is included in at least one zone with at least one active rate |
| Shipping cost is $0.00 unexpectedly | Free-shipping threshold is set very low, or the product is not marked as "Requires shipping" | Review the threshold value and confirm each physical product has the shipping toggle enabled in the product editor |
| Label generation fails | Carrier API credentials are invalid or the package weight is missing | Reconnect the carrier under Settings → Carriers and ensure every product in the order has a weight value |
| Customer did not receive tracking email | Order was marked shipped but no tracking number was entered, or the customer's email is incorrect | Open the order, verify the email address, add the tracking number, and use "Resend Shipping Confirmation" from the order actions menu |
Pros
- Supports both flat-rate and weight-based pricing in the same store
- Free-shipping threshold drives higher average order values
- Automated tracking emails reduce customer service inquiries
- Batch label generation saves significant time for high-volume sellers
Cons
- Weight-based rates require accurate product weights to be entered for every SKU
- Live carrier rate shopping requires connecting API credentials for each carrier
- International customs forms must be reviewed manually to ensure compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I offer local pickup instead of shipping?
Yes. In Storefront → Shipping you can add a "Local Pickup" option with a $0 rate. Customers who select it will not be charged shipping, and their order will appear in a separate pickup queue in your orders view.
How do I handle orders with both physical and digital products?
UniLink calculates shipping only for the physical items in the cart. Digital products are excluded from the weight calculation automatically. The customer receives both a shipping confirmation for the physical items and an instant download link for the digital ones.
Can I restrict shipping to certain countries?
Yes — only countries included in at least one active shipping zone will see shipping options at checkout. If a customer's country is not in any zone, they will see a message that shipping is not available to their location and will be unable to complete the order.
What happens if I run out of stock after an order is placed?
UniLink does not automatically cancel orders on stock-out. You should contact the customer directly using the built-in messaging tool on the order detail page, then issue a full refund or arrange a backorder date. Consider enabling inventory tracking so products become unorderable when stock reaches zero.
Is it possible to charge different rates based on the number of items?
The standard weight-based rate scales with quantity if each product has a weight set. For more granular quantity-based rules (for example "free shipping above 3 units"), use the conditional rules feature in Shipping → Advanced, where you can define rate overrides based on item count ranges.
Key Takeaways
- Create separate shipping zones for domestic and international orders to control costs independently.
- Weight-based rates are more accurate but require weight data on every product — flat rates are simpler for uniform-sized inventories.
- A free-shipping threshold set 20–30% above your average order value reliably increases cart size.
- Generating labels and marking orders shipped from within UniLink triggers automatic customer tracking emails, reducing support volume.
- Use the bulk fulfillment queue to process multiple orders at once when order volume is high.
Ready to start shipping physical products?
Set up your first shipping zone in minutes and start selling physical goods to customers anywhere in the world — right from your UniLink storefront.
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