Shipping zones and rates: how it fits together
Updated 19 August 2026
Shipping zones make dates and rates location-aware: a London postcode can see next-day options while the Highlands sees a 3-day service at a different price, all from one set of rules.
Zones and zone-based rates are available on the Precise plan and above.
The three building blocks
- Zones: where you deliver. A zone is a set of countries, states/provinces, or postcode/ZIP patterns ("all of GB", "EH + G postcodes", "ZIP 90000–96199").
- Shipping profiles: the services available in a zone. Each profile has its own transit time, delivery/shipping days, price, and conditions. A zone can hold several profiles (Standard, Express, Saturday…).
- Rates: what each profile charges at checkout. A base price, optional tiers by cart subtotal, weight or quantity, free-over thresholds, and per-date surcharges.
The shopper's address picks the zone(s); the cart and date pick the valid profiles; each valid profile becomes a shipping option at checkout, with dates to match.
Choose what Flare handles
When you turn zones on, Flare asks "How should Flare work with your shipping rates?". Your answer sets the mode:
| Mode | What it means |
|---|---|
| Let Flare create the rates | Flare creates and prices the shipping options at checkout. Your Shopify-managed rates in those zones aren't touched. Flare shows its own alongside them, or instead of them. |
| Keep my Shopify rates | You keep your current Shopify rates. Flare matches them by name and supplies the correct dates for each. Nothing about your pricing changes. |
| Delivery dates only | Flare adds no rates at all. It only powers date availability per zone. |
You can also bring an existing Shopify rate into Flare so it becomes fully Flare-managed without rebuilding it.
How rates reach your checkout
In Flare-managed mode, Flare registers a carrier service called "Flare shipping" with Shopify. At checkout Shopify asks Flare for rates live, using the shopper's actual address and cart. This needs carrier-calculated shipping on your Shopify plan. See requirements. If your plan isn't eligible, Flare falls back to managing static Shopify rates for the same zones (dates still fully work; prices just can't flex by date or live carrier pricing).
Drafts and going live
Zone configuration saves as a draft first. Build and preview everything, then select Go live when you are ready. Going live attaches Flare's shipping to your Shopify delivery settings; Flare shows you exactly what already exists in Shopify (read-only cards) so there are no surprises, and asks for confirmation before anything that would replace an existing Shopify rate.