Before your first sale
- Measure your 2–3 most common product sizes and identify a right-sized box or mailer for each — see how to measure a package correctly.
- Check whether your products fall under USPS's 1,728 cubic-inch dimensional weight threshold, since that affects which carrier is likely cheapest.
- Create a free account with a shipping software platform to access commercial rates from your first label — see our shipping software guide.
Choosing carriers & setting expectations
- Run your typical package through the rate calculator to see which carrier is likely cheapest for your size and weight.
- Decide whether to rely on one primary carrier or split volume across two from the start — see multi-carrier strategy.
- Set a realistic shipping transit time estimate in your storefront based on your chosen carrier and service level.
Pricing & policies
- Calculate your average shipping cost per order before setting a free-shipping threshold — see free shipping threshold math.
- Decide whether to itemize shipping at checkout or build it into your product price — see building shipping into price.
- Write a plain-language shipping policy page covering processing time, carrier used, and what happens if a package is lost or damaged.
If you plan to ship internationally
- Decide whether to ship DDP or DDU/DAP and communicate that clearly at checkout — see Incoterms explained.
- Check the de minimis threshold for your top destination countries — see de minimis thresholds by country.
- Work through our international shipping decision guide before your first cross-border order.