Yes, you have the flexibility to offer flat rates or free shipping minimums. You can offer free shipping over a certain amount to customers in specific regions or countries—driving conversion and higher order values in geographies that are the most important to your business.
How do I create my first flat rate or free shipping minimum?
To create your first flat rate or free shipping minimum:
- Go to your Shipping Tools page.
- Select Set up free shipping or Configure Flat rates on the banner.
- Create your shipping zones by clicking Select Countries and regions.
- Shipping zones are single territories or groups of territories that a specific flat rate or free shipping will apply. You can create different flat rates and free shipping minimums for different locations by creating different shipping zones.
- Once you have selected the relevant countries and regions click Next.
- Enter the qualifying value for your flat rate or free shipping minimum
- For flat rates, you can select a percentage of the order total or a fixed amount of money as the shipping price. The amount or percent of the order total is paid by retailers at checkout—what they see is what they pay.
- For free shipping minimum, enter the minimum amount retailers must check out to get free shipping.
- You also have the option to create a custom rate or use Faire’s estimates.
- Custom rules allow you to build rules based on order weight, order value or different combinations of settings.
- If you select estimated price Faire will estimate shipping prices at checkout. Retailers will see the actual cost when you fulfill the order.
- Add additional options for shipping
- If you've selected free shipping, you can also set a flat rate for orders below the free shipping minimum. Conversely, if you've chosen a flat rate for shipping, you can offer free shipping as well. This step is optional
- Select Review and save
- Check that everything looks correct. Once you have reviewed it, click on Save and enable.
- Give your rate a name for ease of use
If you’re unsure what flat rate to use, we recommend reviewing the shipping costs on your past orders to determine your average shipping costs to each region.
How do I add another flat rate?
After creating your first flat rate you will no longer see the previous banner. To add another flat rate you need to create another shipping zone.
- Go to your Shipping tools page
- Select Your shipping zones
- Select Create a shipping zone
- Select the countries and regions this rate will apply
- Choose a Shipping rate
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Universal flat rate: charge a percentage of order value or a fixed dollar amount for shipping on all orders in this zone.
- Example: For all orders in France, charge a flat rate of $30.
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Custom rules: This option allows you to build your own rules based on order weight or order value or different combinations of settings.
- Example: For all orders in France, if the order price is less than $100, charge a flat rate of $15. If the price is $100-200, charge a flat rate of 7% of the order value.
- Estimated price: Faire will estimate shipping prices at checkout. Retailers will see the actual cost when you fulfill the order. This is the default experience on orders without a flat rate or custom rules.
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Universal flat rate: charge a percentage of order value or a fixed dollar amount for shipping on all orders in this zone.
- Enter the qualifying values.
- Toggle on free shipping shipping minimum and enter the qualifying values.
- Click on save and enable
- Give your rate a name for ease of use
How do I add another free shipping minimum?
To add another free shipping minimum you need to create another shipping zone.
- Go to your Shipping tools page
- Select Your shipping zones
- Select Create a shipping zone
- Select the countries and regions this rate will apply
- You have the option to add a shipping rate for orders under your free shipping minimum
- Toggle on Free shipping
- Enter the qualifying values.
- For free shipping minimum enter the minimum amount retailers must check out to get free shipping.
- Click on save and enable
- Give your rate a name for ease of use
After I set up a flat rate or free shipping what will my retailer see?
As you select your rate, you’ll see a Checkout preview to give you a generic illustration of how the shipping cost will show for retailers.
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If you've set a flat rate, retailers will see flat rate shipping under Shipping method when checking out
- If you've offered free shipping on orders above a certain amount, retailers will see Free Standard Shipping shipping and a note Shipping is covered by the brand on this order, when they meet your qualifying minimum.
How do flat rates and free shipping minimums work for preorders and scheduled orders?
To qualify for a flat rate or free shipping on preorders and scheduled orders, retailers must meet the required order total for each shipping date. In the retailer's shopping cart, items will be organized by their respective shipping dates, and the retailer must reach the minimum threshold for each date to get your flat rate or free shipping.
Can I add handling fees to my Shipping rates?
If you are setting up a flat rate please add the handling fee directly into the cost of your flat rate.
Handling fees can still be added from your Shop Setting page, but they will only be applied to Ship with Faire orders with estimates. Handling and packaging fees cannot exceed $15 USD per order.
What if my flat rate is incorrect?
We understand there will be times when you need to adjust the flat rate for an order due to order changes. You can submit a flat rate adjustment request to the retailer, which allows them to either accept the new flat rate or cancel the order.
Shipping cost adjustments can only be requested for flat rates when changes are made to an order.
For example:
- When a retailer adds more products and shipping cost increases
- Out-of-stock products are removed from the order reducing the shipping cost
You won’t be able to fulfill your order until the adjustment is accepted by the retailer.
How do I submit a shipping cost adjustment?
To submit a shipping rate adjustment request:
- Go to your Orders page and select the order you want to adjust
- Select Request adjustment under Shipping rate
- Enter the new shipping cost
- Select a reason for adjustment. Reason types include:
- Retailer requested adjustment
- Current rate is incorrect
- Other
- Add a comment explaining the reason for the rate adjustment.
- Click the button to Submit adjustment to the retailer.
Once submitted, you will see a banner that confirms your cost adjustment request was sent successfully,
How do I cancel a shipping cost adjustment?
To cancel your shipping cost adjustment, click on Cancel adjustment in the banner on your order page after submission.
What happens after I submit a shipping cost adjustment?
After you submit a shipping cost adjustment, you won’t be able to ship the order until the retailer has approved the shipping cost adjustment request.
As soon as the retailer approves the cost adjustment request you will receive an email confirmation, and you will see an approval banner on the order details page.
If the retailer denies the cost adjustment request you will receive an email notification, and you will see a rejection banner on the order details page. If the retailer rejects the cost adjustment request the order will automatically be cancelled.
After 7 days if the retailer hasn't taken any action on the cost adjustment we will send a reminder email. After 30 days if the retailer still hasn't accepted or denied the cost adjustment the order will be cancelled.
How is my payout calculated when I set a shipping rate?
You are responsible for paying the difference if there are any discrepancies between your flat rate and the actual cost of shipping.
If you have flat rates and use Ship with Faire you will be reimbursed for the flat amount. In your payout summary, you will see a flat rate added to your payout as Shipping and the Ship with Faire cost subtracted. If the flat rate is higher than the Ship with Faire cost, then you will keep the difference. If the flat rate is lower than the Ship with Faire cost, you will be deducted the difference.
If you use Ship on Your Own, you will record the actual cost of shipping and then be reimbursed for the flat amount. Recording the actual cost of shipping helps us understand your historical shipping costs which we may use to help determine Insider coverage.
What happens if I edit an order that has a flat rate?
If changes are made to the order that affect the shipping costs – such as when you add or remove items, your flat rate will be removed, and you will determine shipping costs during fulfillment – either through Ship on Your Own or Ship with Faire.
How does splitting an order affect the flat rate shipping?
If an order with a flat rate is split, the flat rate will be split between the orders based on the percentage of the original order total. The total cost of the flat rate will be applied to the retailer based on the percentage of the order total for each order.
Example:
- You have set a flat rate of $10 for a $100 order.
- The retailer places an order for $100 and you split the order into two orders.
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- Order one value= $25
- Order two value = $75
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- Order one is 25% of the total order value, so we will change the retailer 25% of the flat rate which is $2.50.
- Order two is 75% of the total order value, so we will charge the retailer 75% of the flat rate, which is $7.50.
If the shipping cost added to each order is greater than the flat rate charged to the retailer, we will deduct the difference from your payout.
How do free shipping minimums work for Faire-funded free shipping, including Insider and Faire Direct?
For eligible insider orders or orders where the retailer is receiving free shipping from Faire, Faire will continue to cover the free shipping cost, even if these orders meet your free shipping minimums.
For example, if a retailer qualifies for Insider free shipping on orders over $300 and you set a free shipping minimum of $400, a $450 order will still qualify for Insider free shipping.
How does shipping cost reimbursement work on orders with Faire-funded free shipping when I set a flat rate?
Your flat rate is not applied to orders where Faire is funding the free shipping. Instead, you will be paid based on the actual reported shipping cost. This includes Insider orders and orders from retailers who have one year of free shipping through Faire Direct.
For Insider orders the responsibility for shipping costs will follow the same guidelines as those outlined in The Insider Partnership for brands (available to brands in North America) or The Insider Free Shipping Partnership Program for European brands (if you are located in Europe).
How do flat rates work with free shipping promotions?
If you’re running a free shipping Promotion, the retailer won’t see your flat rate at checkout, and you’ll be charged for the cost of shipping. For more information about free shipping promotions, visit How do free shipping promotions work?
How do flat rates work with discounts and promotions?
Flat rate and free shipping thresholds are based on the original order value before any discounts are applied.
For example:
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A brand offers $10 flat rate shipping for orders between $100–$200.
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A retailer places an order with a subtotal of $120.
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A $100 Faire Direct discount is applied, reducing the final total to $20.
In this case, the shipping cost is still calculated on the $120 original order value, not the discounted $20 total. So the order qualifies for the brand’s flat rate shipping.
This applies to both flat rate and free shipping thresholds.
How do free shipping minimums work with free shipping promotions?
If you’re running a free shipping promotion and have a free shipping minimum in place, as long as the qualifications for one is met, the retailer will see free shipping on their order. If the retailer qualifies for either your shipping promotion or your free shipping minimum you will be charged the shipping cost.
Unlike promotions, free shipping minimums have no start and end date, although you can turn off a free shipping minimum at any time by editing a shipping zone.
How do free shipping minimums work with Faire Markets?
Free shipping minimums are an optional add-on for your market promotions to drive even more sales during the event. While Market promotions give you the option to offer free shipping to retailers globally, free shipping minimums let you target retailers in specific regions or countries during the event, regardless if they qualify for the market discount.