Date-first or rate-first checkout
Updated 19 August 2026
With shipping zones on, one dropdown decides the order of decisions at checkout. Open Storefront experience, go to the Shipping methods section, and set What customers choose first.
Date first
Set What customers choose first to Delivery date first. The shopper picks the day, then sees the services that can hit it.
- Best when the date is the product: cakes, flowers, events, gifting.
- Pricing follows the choice. Pick Saturday and only Saturday-capable services (at Saturday prices) remain.
- Pair it with Auto-select a delivery date so the earliest date is pre-chosen and most shoppers glide through. Under Which date should be selected?, choose Earliest date on a preferred shipping profile to favour your standard service, so express is a deliberate upgrade rather than the default.
Rate first
Set What customers choose first to Shipping method first. The shopper picks the service, then the calendar shows that service's dates.
- Best when price sensitivity leads: "Standard £3.95 / Express £7.95" first, dates second.
- Mirrors the classic checkout mental model. The shipping list looks like any Shopify store, with accurate dates layered on.
Switching
It is one dropdown, so you can change it any time without rebuilding zones. Test both on a real order. Conversion behaviour differs by audience more than by theory.