How to Use the Shipping Rate Simulator
Welcome to the Shipping Rate Simulator guide! Previously, testing your shipping configurations meant adding items to your cart, walking through the entire Shopify checkout process, and manually entering addresses. Now, you can simulate and test your exact shipping rates directly inside Shipturtle, saving you significant time and effort.
How to Access the Simulator
Depending on your role, you can find the simulator here:
- For Merchants: Navigate to Settings → Multivendor settings → Shipping profiles → Shipping rate simulator.
- For Vendors: Navigate to Settings → Vendor profile → Shipping partners → Shipping profiles → Shipping rate simulator.
1. How to Simulate a Shipping Rate
The simulator works perfectly across all of Shipturtle's shipping configurations, whether you are using the Shipping Profile mode, Third-Party Rate mode (like ShipStation), or Hybrid mode.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Open the Shipping rate simulator.
- Select the Products (and adjust the quantities) you want to test.
- Enter the destination Address.
- Click the Calculate button.
Note: The system will display the exact shipping rate that the customer will see at checkout. Below the rate, you will also see the Shipping logs, which provide a detailed breakdown of exactly which shipping profiles were used to calculate that final price.
2. Troubleshooting Common Shipping Errors
The simulator is an incredibly powerful tool for troubleshooting why a rate might be failing at checkout. It provides detailed error messages to help you fix configuration issues instantly. Here are two common scenarios:
Scenario A: Missing Shipping Zones
If you test an address (for example, in Australia) but have not assigned rates for that region, the simulator will not just fail—it will tell you exactly why. It will display an error message stating that no zones cover that destination and will list the exact shipping profiles that need to be updated with the missing zone.
Scenario B: Missing Vendor Warehouse (Third-Party Rates)
If you are using live rates from a third-party provider (like ShipStation) and select a product from a vendor who has not configured their warehouse location, the simulator will throw an error stating: "No third-party link could be retrieved." This immediately alerts you that the specific vendor needs to configure their default warehouse inside Shipturtle so the carrier can calculate the distance.
3. Important Note on Currency Conversion
Important: The rates shown in the simulator are displayed in your store's base currency (e.g., USD). If an international customer is shopping on your store, the final amount they see at the live Shopify checkout may differ slightly. This is due to Shopify's live currency conversions and market adjustments. This currency conversion is handled entirely by Shopify's checkout system, not Shipturtle.
If you’re stuck, reach us at team@shipturtle.com or open a ticket on the support page.