How to configure shipping zones, transit times and rates
Define zones by postcode or ZIP, set transit times and shipping days per zone, and connect rates to the same rules — so the date the customer sees and the rate they pay are always accurate.
Shopify's native shipping zones control rates — but not delivery dates. A customer in central London and a customer in the Scottish Highlands see the same available dates, the same cut-off times, and the same delivery promise — even when your courier contracts, transit times, and shipping day schedules are completely different for each location. The result is overpromised dates in remote zones and flat rates that lose margin on expensive routes.
Flare fixes this by letting you define shipping zones at the postcode or ZIP code level, then set transit times, available shipping days, methods, and rates per zone — all in one rule. The date the customer sees and the rate they pay come from the same logic. When you update a zone rule, every consequence — dates, methods, rates, cut-offs — updates with it. For the full technical detail, see the postcode rules feature page and the shipping rate automation feature page.
This guide covers three things in order: defining zones, setting transit times, and connecting rates. Each builds on the previous. If you haven't set up delivery days, blocked dates, and cut-off times yet, do that first — zones layer on top of those base rules.
Configure your shipping zones
Three parts: define zones, set transit times, then connect rates. Most stores only need Parts A and B.
Part A — Define your shipping zones
A shipping zone is a group of postcodes or ZIP codes that share the same delivery rules. Most merchants need 2-5 zones.
- In the Flare app, go to Zones
- Click "Add zone"
- Name the zone (e.g. "London", "Mainland", "Highland DPD", "Northern Ireland")
- Add postcode or ZIP prefixes — type them manually (e.g. SW, EC, WC for London) or upload a list in bulk
- Assign a shipping method to this zone (e.g. DPD Next Day, Royal Mail Tracked)
- Click Save — repeat for each zone
Part B — Set transit times and shipping days per zone
Transit time is how many days the parcel is in transit once dispatched. Shipping days are which days of the week your courier collects for that zone. Together, they determine the earliest valid delivery date per customer.
- Open the zone you want to configure
- Set the transit time in days (e.g. 1 day for London, 2 days for Highland, 3 days for Northern Ireland)
- Set the available shipping days — which days of the week your courier collects for this zone (e.g. Mon–Fri for London, Mon–Wed for Highland)
- Flare now calculates the earliest valid delivery date for customers in this zone — combining transit time, shipping days, your global cut-off, blocked dates, and any product lead times
- Use the preview to verify: enter a test postcode and check the dates shown
- Click Save
A customer in Edinburgh orders at 11am on Thursday. Your Highland DPD zone has a 1pm cut-off, 2-day transit, and ships Monday to Wednesday only.
Part C — Configure rates per zone Optional
Most stores only need Parts A and B. If you want delivery rates that vary by zone — remote surcharges, Saturday pricing, method-specific rates — this section adds that layer. Rate automation is available on Precise and Pro plans.
- Open the zone you want to add a rate to
- Set the base rate for this zone (e.g. £4.99 for London, £8.99 for Highland)
- To add a Saturday surcharge: set a surcharge amount that applies when a customer selects a Saturday date
- To set method-specific rates: assign different rates per shipping method within the zone (e.g. standard £4.99, express £9.99)
- Click Save — rates now apply automatically at checkout when a customer's postcode matches this zone
Two zones, two sets of rules — one dashboard
Same app, different rules per zone. Transit, shipping days, cut-off, and rate — all configured together.
Shipping zones — answered
Shopify shipping zones control rates — they don't control delivery dates, transit times, or shipping day schedules by location. A customer in a remote zone pays a different rate but still sees the same delivery date as a customer in a city. Flare adds full date accuracy by zone — different transit days, different shipping days, different cut-offs, different available methods — all calculated at checkout based on the customer's exact postcode or ZIP code.
Yes. Upload postcode lists in bulk — no manual entry per postcode. Define zones by postcode district (SW1, IV, etc.) or by specific postcode ranges. Rules apply to the zone, not to individual postcodes. If your courier changes their service level for a region, you update the zone rule once and it applies to every postcode in it automatically.
Yes — all rules layer automatically. A product with a 2-day lead time, ordered by a customer in a 3-day transit zone, after the 1pm cut-off, shows the correct combined date at checkout. Flare calculates the most restrictive valid date across all applicable rules without any manual calculation required.
Zone definitions and transit times are available on all plans. Shipping rate automation — zone-based rates, surcharges, and method-specific pricing — is available on Precise and Pro plans. See the pricing page for full plan details.
One rule set. Accurate dates, methods, and rates — by zone.
Define your zones once. Flare calculates the right date, the right method, and the right rate for every customer — based on their postcode.
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