You can shipping rates for bulky items by setting up a dedicated shipping option, setting up an shipping category and assigning products to that category.
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Create a shipping category
To create a new shipping category from the Maropost Commerce control panel, navigate to Settings & Tools > Shipping. Click Shipping Categories and then click the Add New button on the top right hand side.
Enter a Name for the category (eg. Bulky/Heavy). This will not display to customers. You can also enter an internal description for your reference. Once complete, click save.
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Linking your products to the shipping categories
Now that this is complete, you just need to assign products to this newly created shipping category so that your shipping calculator can recognise that it’s different. While this can be done individually, you also have the option to bulk update your products to have it assigned to the shipping category.
To do this individually, navigate to Products > View Products. Edit the product you wish to change. Scroll down to the Shipping tab and select the newly created shipping category.
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Link a shipping option for your bulky goods
After assigning all your products with the respective shipping category, you will need to edit a shipping option to associate your new shipping category. If you don’t have a shipping option setup, follow our article to get started.
To get started, navigate to Shipping > Shipping Options and edit the shipping option(s) you wish to ship your bulky goods with. Scroll down to Shipping Category and match the shipping service/rates that you wish to use and you are finished. Generally, the service rates are going to be the same as the other shipping categories however if you want to make changes to your service rates, read on.
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Creating/editing a shipping service for bulky goods
The system will use the rules and rates which are set up in the shipping service to calculate the cost for shipping. You can modify this by navigating to Settings & Tools > Shipping > Click Shipping Services & Rates. You can edit the service rate selected in the last step or create your own by selecting Add New. Be mindful though, editing the service rate will affect other shipping categories that also use this service.
If you need some help, we have a comprehensive guide on adding and editing shipping rates which you can refer to. If you decide to create your own shipping category, ensure you go back to the previous step and link your shipping categories to your shipping services again.
Your bulky goods shipping option can also include other shipping categories and services which are strictly not a “bulky item”. This will ensure that the customer can buy bulky goods along with regular items.