The Complete Guide to Ecommerce Shipping Policies: Examples + Free Template
Having a shipping policy is considered an ecommerce business best practice and should be a part of your overall shipping strategy. If you don’t have one, or you’re looking to revamp your current shipping policy, we compiled some information and examples below to help you get started.
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What is a shipping policy?
A shipping policy is a concise document or webpage that outlines important information around shipping when an order is placed online. It often includes details on shipping costs and methods, delivery times, and more.
Some shipping policies are more detailed than others, but overall, the policy should be clear, accurate, and easy to understand. Many times, additional information like a returns and exchange policy is also included, creating a comprehensive resource for customers before they purchase.
Download the free shipping policy template
If you haven’t created a shipping policy for your online store yet, you don’t have to start from scratch. We put together a simple shipping policy template to help you get started. Simply click on the link to make a copy of our Shipping policy Google Docs template, and add your company-specific details.
Why your ecommerce store needs a shipping policy
There are several benefits to having a concise ecommerce shipping policy: It better informs your customers before they checkout, helps answer shipping-related questions, and allows you to take a proactive approach to any shipping issues that may arise.
Inform customers of shipping costs and options
Online shoppers most often search for a shipping policy to determine upfront how much shipping is going to cost them upfront, depending on where they live. A well-developed shipping policy informs customers of shipping costs and details the different shipping options (eg., 2-day shipping, next-day delivery).
By displaying shipping costs and the different methods of shipping available, you protect yourself from any customer who may have a complaint about how much they were charged and also save yourself time rather than having each customer inquire through your support channel(s) when they can find it themselves.
Inform customers of delivery times
Many online shoppers are expecting fast delivery. With 2-day delivery becoming the standard, it’s worth setting expectations with your customers on realistic delivery times. Along with displaying your shipping options, you’ll want to consider including shipping cutoff times (especially holiday shipping deadlines and any UPU delays), shipping times, and how long it would take to ship international orders.
Provide protection on your company’s behalf
Many times, online brands provide more than just shipping details by outlining other information such as return policy and exchanges, product damages, and international shipping expectations.
The more details you include on your shipping policy, the better. It provides you and your customers with peace of mind while answering their questions upfront.
6 things your shipping policy should include
A shipping policy should be concise but thorough, and highlight essential shipping information that your customers should be aware of. It includes details on shipping rates and costs, shipping methods, expected delivery times, payment and tracking information, shipping restrictions, and international shipping.
1. Shipping rates & costs
Displaying shipping costs gives your customers a chance to review and calculate their total costs before they check out.
Showcasing shipping costs is even more important for international customers who may not qualify for certain offers such as free shipping. Many times, international shipping charges vary between retailers significantly due to increases in courier charges, so you’ll want to be as transparent as possible.
2. Shipping methods and delivery times
Whether you offer one or several shipping methods, list out the different methods and the expected business day estimated delivery times for each.
Brands usually compare delivery options using a simple table format with one column displaying the different methods such as standard shipping or express shipping and another one with expected processing time frames.
3. Shipping restrictions
If you have any shipping restrictions, such as shipping to certain countries or PO boxes, you will want to display them on your shipping policy. Sometimes, state legislation may prevent some products from being shipped to certain locations. Be very clear on what restrictions exist and which shoppers are impacted by them.
4. Missing or lost packages
Packages get lost or become delivery exceptions for all sort so reasons, and most of the time, it is out of an ecommerce brand’s control. But directing customers on what to do if a package goes missing creates peace of mind, so make sure to prominently display contact information and guidance on how to report missing or lost packages.
5. International shipping
If you offer international shipping, you will want to include a statement on who is responsible for customs and import duties. Showcase your international shipping policy by communicating which courier handles your international shipments and which party (the consumer or the seller) will pay international taxes, charges, and any additional fees.
6. Return and exchange information
If your customers are about to make an order, they are likely interested in how your store manages returns and exchanges. Many online stores display a return and exchange policy on the same page as the shipping policy. It provides details such as how long it takes to process a return and when customers can expect a full refund according to the refund policy.
Shipping policy examples for ecommerce businesses
As a fulfilment company, ShipBob has helped thousands of ecommerce businesses pack and ship their orders. Many ShipBob customers have developed a well-defined shipping policy to build trust with their customers, lower cart abandonment, and better protect themselves from future shipping issues. Here are some great examples:
Beachweaver
Like many brands, the smash-hit curling iron and haircare brand includes their shipping policy in their FAQs. They include an explanation of the different shipping options (standard, premium, expedited), and specifically call out shipping restrictions, HASMAT materials, and international shipping considerations.
View Beachwaver’s shipping FAQs here.
Taste Salud
This drink mix brand has a whole page dedicated to its shipping policy, where it goes into detail on their shipping rates and costs. Their shipping policy also explains difference between shipping times and additional processing times, touches on shipping to military bases, and specifically calls out holiday shipping cutoffs so customers can make sure to order in time in to get their products before major holidays.
View Taste Salud’s shipping policy here.
Pit Viper
This sunglasses brand’s shipping information page is just as humorous and Avant-guard as the rest of its website. The page is both playful and full of helpful information for customers, include a shipping zone map and shipping information for Canada and Australia (with links to even more shipping FAQs).
View Pit Viper’s shipping page here.
Talk to ShipBob’s fulfilment experts about shipping
ShipBob is a global fulfilment platform on a mission to help ecommerce brands optimise their entire shipping strategy. Beyond storing your inventory across out fulfilment network and fulfilling orders across all your channels, ShipBob offers lots of solutions that brands can leverage to reduce shipping costs, times, and hassle.
2-Day Express Shipping
ShipBob’s 2-Day Express Shipping program allows ecommerce businesses to offer fast and reliable shipping, meeting customer expectations for quick deliveries. Brands can ship to anywhere in the continental US from any fulfilment centre in just 2 days (even from a single fulfilment centre!) and display 2-day badging on platforms like Walmart, Meta, Instagram, and Google to boost conversions.
Global fulfilment network
By leveraging ShipBob’s fulfilment centres in the UK, Europe, Australia, and Canada, merchants can store inventory closer to international customers and even fulfil orders locally to cut shipping costs and times. ShipBob also offers a DDP solution to help minimise cross-border complexities, and can ship to 250+ locations worldwide using standard and expedited shipping. With global shipping at your fingertips through ShipBob, your brand can grow into new countries with ease.
Inventory placement program (IPP)
The Inventory Placement Program is designed to take inventory allocation and distribution off your plate and into the hands of experts to save you time and money.
Through the program, ShipBob leverages your brand’s order data to calculate the inventory split across ShipBob’s fulfilment centre network that will minimise your average shipping costs and times.
Once you send your inventory to a single hub location, ShipBob takes care of physically distributing it to regional warehouses for you.
This approach not only saves you the hassle of planning and executing inventory placement yourself, but also lowers your average shipping costs and transit times – all while providing real-time insight into inventory levels and status through the ShipBob dashboard.
Leading warehouse management system
If you’d rather keep fulfilment in-house, ShipBob’s proprietary WMS can optimise fulfilment and shipping operations in your own warehouse. Our system – the same one that powers ShipBob’s 50+ global fulfilment centres – provides real-time visibility and control over warehouse operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in order fulfilment.
The system features:
- Easy-to-learn tools (so ramping up staff and temp workers is easy)
- Prescriptive step-by-step packing flows and built-in visuals (like GIFs to show an exact pack-out process)
- Location-specific inventory visibility and top-level order fulfilment metrics across all warehouses and order counts at the picked/packed/labelled statuses
- Courier and shipping service selection to find the most optimal transportation routes
- Flexible options for batch, auto-cluster, custom cluster, and single-order picking
- Turnkey integrations with major ecommerce platforms and marketplaces (and a Developer API for custom needs)
- Virtual or on-site implementation with zero down time, led by operations experts
Click the button below to learn more about how ShipBob’s solutions can help your brand ship faster and cheaper.
Shipping Policy Template FAQs
We’ve addressed some of your burning FAQs and queries about shipping policies below.
How important is a shipping policy?
Having a shipping policy better informs your customers about shipping-related questions before they checkout, it also gives you a proactive approach to any shipping related issues that may arise.
How do you write a shipping policy?
A shipping policy should be concise but thorough by highlighting essential shipping information that your customers should be aware of. It includes details on expected delivery times, shipping costs, shipping methods, payment and tracking information, shipping restrictions, and international shipping.
Do you need a shipping policy?
Yes, a shipping policy informs customers on what to expect in terms of shipping costs and delivery times. It also includes important information on any shipping restrictions, as well as details on shipping internationally. To build trust with your customers, you must offer a shipping policy and publish it on your online store where it’s easy to find.
How often should I update my shipping policy?
It is advised that you update your shipping policy every so often. As your business grows, your shipping policy will change. For instance, if you go from self-fulfilling orders to outsourcing fulfilment, your shipping timelines will shift.
We recommend you update your shipping policy every six months, and each time you have made a change to your shipping method(s) — whether it’s a new 3PL or expanding into more fulfilment centre locations.
Where is the best place to display a shipping policy?
The shipping policy should inform customers of shipping costs and options prior to purchase. Some websites will display shipping policies in a link in their website footer or in their checkout process, or display shipping updates, deals, and announcements in a banner.
