Shopify Packages, Shipping Labels And Carrier Accounts Explained
Packages, shipping labels and carrier accounts stay in Settings, Shipping and delivery. Add the boxes you really use as packages, buy discounted labels in Orders, choose your preferred carriers and sender name, and connect your own carrier account to show your negotiated rates at checkout. Carrier accounts may depend on your plan.
Part One: Shipping Labels
The Shipping Labels section reads Buy discounted shipping labels and manage preferred carriers. It holds a Calculate rates button, a Select preferred carriers row, and an Edit sender name row.
Select Preferred Carriers
Click Select preferred carriers to open Manage preferred carriers. Tick the carriers you want. On the store I tested, the list was USPS, DHL Express, UPS, and FedEx, and DHL Express was marked Supports prepaid duties.
Read the line under the title carefully. Services are recommended when buying labels and do not affect rates at checkout. This setting only decides what Shopify suggests when you buy a label. It does not change what customers pay.
Edit Sender Name
Click Edit sender name to open Customize sender name on shipping labels. You can use your store name or enter a Custom name of up to 25 characters. This is the name the carrier prints as the sender, so choose one your customers will recognize on the parcel.
Discounted Labels
In the USA and Canada, Shopify sells discounted shipping labels. You buy and print them in Orders. Which carriers are discounted depends on where you ship from.
- United States. USPS, UPS, and DHL Express, with savings of up to 88 percent.
- Canada. Canada Post.
- Australia. Sendle.
FedEx works differently. You connect your own FedEx account, and showing live FedEx rates at checkout needs the Advanced or Plus plan, or the Grow plan with the add-on. If you are on the Grow, Advanced or Plus plan and have Shopify Payments active, up to $200 of shipping insurance is included with each eligible label bought through Shopify, and you can add more when you create the label. Discounts and plan rules change from time to time, so check the Shopify Help Center for the latest.
How To Buy A Label
- Open Orders and click the order.
- Click Create shipping label.
- Confirm the package. The default package sets the cost.
- Compare rates, choose a service, and click Buy.
- Print the label and attach it to the parcel.
You can pick a different package for one order, which changes the cost. Use a proper sticky label sheet or a label printer. Plain paper is not advisable, and if you must use it, cover it with the carrier's plastic sleeve and tape it down well. Test print before the first real order.
Part Two: Packages
The Packages section reads: Set package sizes to get accurate shipping rates. Until you add your own, Shopify uses a Sample box of 8.6 by 5.4 by 1.6 inches and 0 lb, marked Store default. That sample may not match your real parcel, so add your own boxes.
Add A Package
- Click Add package.
- Choose Custom package or Carrier package.
- Choose a Package type: Box, Envelope, or Soft package.
- Enter Length, Width, and Height, and choose the unit.
- Enter the Weight (empty) of the package, and choose the unit.
- Type a Package name.
- Tick Use as default package for all products if this is your main box.
- Click Add package.
The default tick box reads Used to calculate rates at checkout and is pre-selected when buying labels. Shopify uses the default for any order where no product page package applies, so make your most used box the default.
Custom or carrier packaging. Custom is your own packaging from any supplier. Carrier packaging comes from a Shopify-approved service, UPS or USPS, and is often free from the carrier, though you will usually need an account with them.
Weight. Enter the weight of the empty box, plus anything extra that always goes inside, such as a card or tissue paper. Do not add the package weight to your product weight. Shopify combines them for you.
Measure your real boxes and weigh them with everything inside. A wrong box weight is a wrong rate on every order.
Add A Package To A Product
Your store default package covers most orders. You can also set shipping details on each product page. Open the product, scroll to the Shipping card, and look at three fields.
- Package when shipped alone. Choose one of your saved packages. Shopify uses it only when that product is the only item in the order. If the order has two or more items, the store default package is used instead, even when every product has its own package.
- Packed product size. This is the size of the product once it is wrapped and ready to pack, not the size of the box. Enter length, width, and height together, or leave all three blank. Shopify uses these sizes to find a box for you.
- Weight. The weight of the product. Shopify adds the weight of the package on top.
The Physical product toggle must be on for these fields to show.
What Happens When A Customer Buys Three Products
Shopify does not add up each product's own box, and it does not pick the biggest one. It does one of two things.
- Not every product has a packed size. Shopify treats the whole shipment as one parcel in your store's default package.
- Every product has a packed size. Shopify picks the smallest of your saved boxes that fits all the items. This only chooses boxes. Envelopes and soft packages are never picked this way. If nothing fits, or your default package is not a box, Shopify falls back to the store default package.
So one product with a missing size sends the whole order back to the default box. Fill in the size for every variant, or for none.
What Shopify does with the box depends on the rate type.
| Rate Type | Does It Use Package Size? |
|---|---|
| Flat | No |
| Order amount | No |
| Package weight | Weight only, with the package weight added |
| Carrier or app calculated | Yes, weight, dimensions, and destination |
I see Packed product size on the product page in every store and brand I manage. Shopify's Help Center says assigning a package to a product can improve rate accuracy at checkout, but it does not spell out the box choice rules for every rate type. Place a test order with a mixed cart before you rely on it.
How Much Do Box Sizes Matter
For flat and order amount rates, they do not matter at all. For live carrier rates and shipping labels, they matter a great deal, because carriers bill on whichever is greater, the real weight or the dimensional weight. Dimensional weight is the box volume divided by a number the carrier sets.
- UPS and FedEx use 139 on their standard rates, and both round every fraction of an inch up to the next whole inch.
- USPS moved to 139 on July 12, 2026, for parcels over 1 cubic foot, and also rounds up.
For example, a 12 by 10 by 8 inch box holding 3 pounds is billed as about 7 pounds. Measure the outside of the box, round up, and never leave a size at 0.0.
Carriers change these rules often, so check each carrier's current rules before you decide on box sizes.
What The Label Prints
Each label covers one package, and an order shipped in one box gets one label. The label does not print a box for each product. It prints whatever box or package is on the order. For a one-item order, Shopify fills in the package assigned to that product. For an order with several items, it uses the box Shopify suggests, which is your store default package unless a smaller saved box fits. You can change the box size on the label screen before you buy. If the box you declare is wrong, the carrier can send you a price adjustment later.
Part Three: Carrier Accounts
The Carrier accounts section reads: Connect your existing carrier account to use your own rates. It shows None until you connect one, and a Connect account button when you open it.
A carrier account lets you show your negotiated rates at checkout. You can connect carriers such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, Canada Post, or Australia Post. Availability depends on your plan. Advanced and Plus include it. On Grow, you can add it for a monthly fee or by switching to annual billing. It is not available on Basic or Starter.
How To Connect An Account
- Register with the carrier and get your account number.
- In Shopify, open Settings, Shipping and delivery, Carrier accounts.
- Click Connect account and sign in to the carrier.
- Test your rates by choosing a package, a type, and a destination.
Test rates are only samples and may differ from what customers see. Negotiated rates can take up to three business days to show at checkout. If your plan does not include carrier accounts, you can upgrade or use a third-party shipping app.
Common Mistakes
- Leaving the sample box in place and never adding real packages
- Adding the package weight to the product weight
- Forgetting packaging extras in the weight
- Thinking preferred carriers change checkout rates
- Assuming carrier accounts work on every plan
- Not testing a label before the first order
- Expecting a product page package to apply when a customer buys several items
- Entering the box size in Packed product size instead of the size of the wrapped product
- Filling in Packed product size for some products and not others
- Leaving Packed product size at 0.0
Key Takeaways
- Add your real boxes under Packages and set a default
- Preferred carriers and sender name affect labels, not checkout rates
- Buy discounted labels in Orders, and test print first
- Carrier accounts show negotiated rates and may need a qualifying plan
- Test rates in settings are only samples
- A product page package applies only to single item orders
- Packed product size is the product, and Shopify finds the box that fits
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add a package in Shopify?
Open Settings, Shipping and delivery, Packages, click Add package, choose custom or carrier packaging, enter the size, weight, and name, tick the default box if it is your main package, and save.
Do preferred carriers change the rates my customers see?
No. They only recommend services when you buy labels. Checkout rates come from your shipping options in Markets.
How do I change the sender name on shipping labels?
Open Settings, Shipping and delivery, click Edit sender name, and choose your store name or a custom name of up to 25 characters.
Can I connect my own UPS or FedEx account?
Yes, if your plan supports carrier accounts. Open Carrier accounts and click Connect account.
Do I need to add my box weight to the product weight?
No. Enter the empty box weight in the package settings, and Shopify adds it to the product weight.
Does a package on the product page replace my default package?
Only for orders that contain that product alone. If the order has several items, Shopify uses your store default package, or the smallest saved box that fits when every product has a packed size.
Is Packed product size the size of my box?
No. It is the size of the product once wrapped. Shopify uses it to choose which of your saved boxes fits the order.
How important are box dimensions?
Very important for live carrier rates and labels, because carriers bill on dimensional weight. They do not matter for flat or order amount rates.
Does the shipping label show a box for each product?
No. It shows the box on the order, which you can change before you buy the label. Each label covers one package.