Shopify Shipping Has Moved To Markets: How To Set Up Shipping And Delivery The New Way

Shopify is moving shipping rates out of Settings and into Markets. Under the new system you create shipping options inside each market, instead of building zones and rates inside shipping profiles. Merchant opt-in opened on October 1, 2026, but it is not in every store yet. Every store is scheduled to be on the new system by July 1, 2027. Delivery estimates, labels, packages, carriers and documents stay in Settings.

What Changed In Shopify Shipping

For years, the answer to "where do I set up my shipping rates" was always the same: Settings, then Shipping and delivery, then a shipping profile with zones and rates inside it. That answer is changing.

Under the new system, which Shopify calls shipping options by market, you set up and manage shipping from Markets in your Shopify admin. A shipping option is a delivery choice a customer picks at checkout, such as Standard or Express, and each option holds one or more rates that can vary by product and location. The region part of the old zone is now handled by the market itself. If you want to ship to a new region, you add and activate a market that includes it.

If you have used Shopify for a while, this is a real change in how you think about shipping. The good news is that your shipping rates do not change on their own. Shopify says the upgrade moves where you manage them, not what your customers pay.

How To Tell Which Shipping System Your Store Is On

Before you follow any shipping tutorial, check which system your store is using. Two stores in the same agency can look completely different, and I see this with clients every week.

1. In your Shopify admin, click Settings, then Shipping and delivery.
2. Look at the Shipping section.
3. If you see a notice that reads "Shipping has moved to Markets," with a table listing your markets and their options, your store has been upgraded.
4. If you see a list of shipping profiles with zones and rates attached, your store is still on the older system.

One caution from my own store. A General profile that shows something like "2 of 5 locations," plus a long list of profiles, is the older layout. It does not prove your store has been migrated. Only the Markets notice and a Shipping options section do.

The Timeline You Need To Know

Shopify has said the move happens in phases, with lower-risk stores first. There is no public percentage showing how far along the rollout is. The opt-in is not in every store yet. Shopify's blog says all merchants are eligible, while the Help Center describes early access for certain stores, and in practice some stores have the option and others do not. Your admin is the final word. If you can open a market and see Add shipping option, it is available to you. If you cannot, your store has not been included yet, and the older shipping profile steps still apply to you.

What Moved And What Stayed In Settings

The shipping page was one big page. Now it is split in two. This table is the quickest way to keep it straight.

One more change to know about: order routing is gone and will not return. If an older guide tells you to set up order routing rules, skip that step.

On a market page, anything you have changed for that market sits under Customized, and anything it takes from your store default sits under Inherited. Shipping shows up under Customized once you set it up for that market.

What Happens When You Upgrade

Shopify converts your existing setup automatically. These are the changes that catch merchants off guard.

• Profile product groups become collections. Your old product groupings turn into unpublished collections with a "[Shipping]" prefix, for example "[Shipping] Fragile."
• Location groups become "Ships from" conditions on each rate.
• Zones that mixed regions from several countries become separate markets, and Shopify may create state or province markets.
• Rates that shared an option name are consolidated.
• Split shipping is switched on for every upgraded store, including stores that had turned it off.
• When more than one rate inside a single shipping option applies to a cart, only the single highest matching rate applies. Rates are no longer added together inside one option.

Two more things to plan for. Your staff need the Markets permission, which is not granted automatically and is not part of existing staff roles. And if you installed a shipping app that is not yet compatible, Shopify shows a banner and may upgrade your store later.

The Order To Set Things Up In

Shipping has a chicken and egg problem. You build your market and your shipping options first, but you can only point an option at specific products once those products and collections exist. Follow this order and it stops being a problem.

1. Payments first. Set up your payment provider and turn on Shop Pay. Shop Promise cannot be set up until payments are in place.
2. Your market and regions. Choose where you ship.
3. A first shipping option. Leave Applies to on All products so every customer has a way to check out.
4. Your products and collections. Add them now.
5. Product specific options. Come back and add options or rates that apply only to certain collections, then test a mixed cart.
6. The Settings items. Packages, labels, delivery estimates, local delivery, pickup and Shop Promise.

Should You Switch Now Or Wait

Here is how I advise clients. You do not need to rush, because every store is moving anyway. But waiting until the last month is a mistake, because shipping errors cost you sales quietly.

Switch early if you are about to add a new region, a new market or a new shipping option anyway. Learn the new screens while the stakes are low.

Wait a little if you are heading into a peak sales period, or if you rely on a shipping app you have not confirmed is compatible.

If you switch and want to go back, Shopify offers an opt-out window. Read this carefully before you click anything: switching back permanently removes any shipping changes you made after the upgrade. Shopify does not publish how long that window lasts.

Your Pre-Upgrade Checklist

1. Take screenshots of every shipping profile, zone and rate you have today. This is your rollback record.
2. List the shipping apps you use and check each one is compatible.
3. Give the right staff the Markets permission.
4. Note which products are in which custom profiles, because they will become "[Shipping]" collections.
5. Place a test order after the upgrade in each region you ship to, and confirm the rate at checkout.

The Complete Series

This guide is the overview. Each step has its own walkthrough with screenshots.

1. How To Set Up A Market And Choose Where You Ship
2. How To Add A Shipping Option To A Market
3. How To Offer Free Shipping In Shopify Markets
4. How To Show Carrier Calculated Shipping Rates
5. Printful And Printify Shipping Rates In The New System
6. How To Set Up Estimated Delivery Dates
7. Shop Promise: Do You Qualify
8. Invoices, Packing Slips And Pick Lists
9. Local Delivery And Pickup In Store
10. Packages, Shipping Labels And Carrier Accounts
11. Delivery Customizations And Custom Order Fulfillment

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I set up shipping rates in Shopify now?

If your store has been upgraded, you set up shipping rates in Markets. Open Markets, click your market, click Shipping, then Add shipping option. If your store has not been upgraded yet, you still use Settings, then Shipping and delivery, and shipping profiles.

Is the Shopify shipping change mandatory?

Yes, eventually. Opt-in opened on October 1, 2026, and Shopify has said all stores will be on the new system by July 1, 2027, with no opt-out after that date.

Will my shipping rates change when my store is upgraded?

No. Shopify says your rates stay the same and only the place where you manage them changes. Test a checkout in each region after the upgrade to confirm, especially if you used several rates with the same name.

Are shipping zones gone?

Yes. The new system has no shipping zones. Regions come from markets, so to ship to a new region you add and activate a market that includes it.

Can I switch back to shipping profiles?

Upgraded stores can switch back during an opt-out window, but switching back permanently removes any shipping changes you made after the upgrade. Shopify does not publish the length of the window, so decide quickly and keep screenshots of your old setup.

Why can I not see Add shipping option in my store?

The new system is not in every store yet. Opt-in opened on October 1, 2026, but Shopify is rolling it out in phases. If you do not see it, keep using shipping profiles in Settings and check again later.

Do I need an app for the new shipping system?

No. Shipping options, free shipping and delivery details are built in. Apps are only needed for live carrier rates beyond the built-in carriers, delivery customizations, or print on demand shipping.