5 min read
Shipping in a marketplace can feel complex because multiple sellers, carriers, and pricing models are involved.
Shipturtle is designed to handle this complexity while giving merchants full control over who ships, how shipping is charged, and who pays for it.
This guide will help you:
Big Picture: How Shipping Works in Shipturtle
Every marketplace shipping setup is built using three decisions:
Once you answer these, the configuration becomes straightforward.
This is the most important concept to understand.
Shipturtle supports three distinct ways to calculate shipping charges at checkout.
(Simple, same for all sellers)
What it is
Shopify’s native shipping setup where you define flat or zone-based shipping rates.
How it works
Example
When to use
Small marketplaces
Shopify Setup
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shipping/setting-up-and-managing-your-shipping
(Vendor-wise, rule-based shipping)
What it is
Shipturtle’s advanced shipping profiles that allow vendor-specific shipping rules.
Key Difference from Shopify Profiles
Shipturtle shipping profiles:
Example
When to use
Setup Guide: https://www.shipturtle.com/kb/shipping/shipping-profile
Important: You must have Shopify Live Rate Calculator enabled (available on higher Shopify plans or on request).
(Exact carrier pricing- For the carriers who provides Rate API)
What it is
Shows real-time carrier rates at checkout.
Key Difference from Shipping Profiles
Example
Customer sees:
When to use
Setup Guide: https://www.shipturtle.com/kb/shipping/configure-live-shipping-rates-at-checkout
Requires:
Shipturtle supports 200+ carriers and aggregators.
Supported list
https://www.shipturtle.com/kb/shipping/supported-aggregators-carriers
You can choose who connects the carrier account.
How it works
Vendors
Best for
In C2C marketplaces:
Merchants generate labels → sellers only download labels from the seller portal or email.
How it works
Best for
How it works
Best for
You can still run shipping manually.
Manual Shipping Flow
Order status updates
Without automation, statuses must be updated manually:
Smart Tracking Add-On (Recommended)
Smart Tracking automatically:
Guide: https://www.shipturtle.com/kb/shipping/smart-tracking
Local Courier / Hyperlocal Delivery
This is controlled using Commission on Shipping.
How it works
This works only if shipping is charged to the customer, using:
If shipping is free, commission on shipping does not apply.
How it works
Email templates can be edited under
Settings → Integrations → Email Templates
Important
Even for local pickup, Shopify Live Rate Calculator must be enabled.
B2C / D2C / B2B
C2C / P2P
Local Pickup Marketplaces
Hyperlocal
Can I use Shopify profiles and Shipturtle profiles together?
No Shopify profiles are global. Shipturtle profiles add vendor-level intelligence.
Can I mix shipping profiles and live rates?
Yes. Some sellers can use shipping profiles, others live rates. You can also enable hybrid setting.
Do vendors need the Shopify Live Rate Calculator?
No. The merchant’s Shopify plan must support it.
What happens if a vendor fulfills from their own Shopify store?
Shipturtle auto-fetches fulfillment and tracking details and pushes them to the merchant store.
Smart Tracking is recommended for automatic status updates.
Is local pickup completely free?
No, It is an add-on and Shopify Live Rate Calculator must still be enabled.
Final Recommendation (If You’re Unsure)
If you’re stuck, reach us at team@shipturtle.com or open a ticket on the support page.