Shipping Rules
Navigate to yStore → Marketing → Shipping Rules.
Shipping rules add a conditional logic layer on top of your standard shipping methods. They let you restrict, enable, or modify which shipping options appear at checkout depending on what is in the cart, who the customer is, or what the order value is. Where standard shipping settings handle base configuration, shipping rules handle the exceptions and overrides.
How it differs from standard shipping settings
| Standard Shipping Settings | Shipping Rules | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | yStore → Settings → Shipping | yStore → Marketing → Shipping Rules |
| Purpose | Base rates, carriers, zones | Conditional overrides on top of base config |
| Cart inspection | No | Yes — can filter by product, quantity, weight |
| Customer targeting | No | Yes — customer group, logged-in status |
| Promotional use | No | Yes — temporary free shipping, campaign-only methods |
| Applied at | Checkout (always) | Checkout (only when conditions match) |
Shipping rules evaluate when the customer reaches the shipping step of checkout. They do not affect shipping estimates shown on product pages, in the mini-cart, or in search results.
When to use shipping rules
Use shipping rules when the standard settings are not granular enough:
| Scenario | Why standard settings aren't enough |
|---|---|
| Hide express shipping when oversized items are in the cart | Standard settings don't inspect cart contents |
| Free shipping only for a specific customer group | Standard settings apply equally to all customers |
| Block all shipping when an in-store-pickup product is in the cart | No cart-item conditions in base config |
| Restrict a carrier to orders above a minimum weight | Weight thresholds not available in base config |
| Offer free shipping during a campaign without changing the base carrier rate | Modifying the base rate would affect all orders permanently |
Conditions available
Shipping rule conditions can evaluate:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Cart value | Subtotal is greater than / less than a threshold |
| Cart weight | Total weight is above / below a threshold |
| Cart contents | A specific product is / is not in the cart; a specific category is / is not present |
| Customer group | Customer is / is not in a group |
| Customer status | Guest vs. registered; new vs. returning |
| Shipping destination | Country, region, or postal code |
| Date & time | Rule is only active during a date window |
Multiple conditions can be combined with AND logic.
Actions available
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Show method | Make a normally hidden shipping method available when conditions match |
| Hide method | Remove a shipping method from the available options |
| Override rate | Replace the carrier's calculated rate with a fixed amount (e.g., €0 for free shipping) |
| Restrict to methods | Only show specific shipping methods — hide everything else |
Common use cases
Free shipping threshold
Show a "Free Shipping" method when the cart subtotal exceeds a target value:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Condition | Cart subtotal ≥ €50 |
| Action | Show method: Free Shipping |
Group-based exclusive shipping
Show a "Wholesale Express" method only to wholesale customers:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Condition | Customer is in group: Wholesale |
| Action | Show method: Wholesale Express |
Block standard shipping for in-store-pickup products
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Condition | Cart contains product: [In-Store Pickup SKU] |
| Action | Hide methods: all except "In-Store Pickup" |
Promotional free shipping campaign
Run free shipping for a limited date window without touching the base carrier config:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Condition | Date is between 2026-11-28 and 2026-12-01 |
| Action | Override rate: €0 on method: Standard Shipping |
Creating a shipping rule
- Go to
yStore → Marketing → Shipping Rules. - Click New Shipping Rule.
- Enter a name (internal label).
- Add conditions — all must be true for the rule to apply.
- Select the action and configure it.
- Set priority if multiple rules could apply to the same checkout.
- Set a date window if this is a time-limited promotion.
- Enable and Save.
After saving, walk through a test checkout with the relevant product and customer type to confirm the rule behaves as expected. Shipping rule logic can have edge cases when multiple rules interact.
Shipping rules and promotions
Shipping rules can be combined with coupons for layered promotions:
- Coupon with Free Shipping discount type — removes shipping cost when a specific code is applied.
- Shipping rule with Override rate: €0 — always removes shipping cost when conditions match (no code needed).
Both are independent systems that can be active at the same time. Choose based on whether the free shipping is code-gated (coupon) or automatic (shipping rule).
Priority
When multiple shipping rules match the same checkout:
- Higher priority rules are evaluated first.
- If a rule hides a method, later rules cannot un-hide it (hide wins over show).
- If two rules show different methods, both are shown.
Set priorities deliberately when building overlapping rules. Rules with no priority set default to 0 (lowest).