Set up real-time shipping with Square Online

Note: Set up Real Time Shipping by upgrading your Square Online subscription.

Real Time Shipping (RTS) offers the most accurate shipping rates and helps avoid under or over charging for shipping in North America. While checking out from your Square Online site, carriers will provide dynamic rate estimates based on distance, weight, and the number of boxes needed to ship your items.

Note: Since RTS rates are estimates, they may differ from the actual postage you pay based on the final weight and box size. Additionally, you can use a combination of RTS and manual shipping rates when setting up shipping for your site.

Before you begin

For more information on managing shipping rates in Account & Settings, check out how to Set up shipping rate profiles.

To use RTS, you'll need the following:

Proceed below for more details.

Configure your carriers accounts

US based sellers have access to master accounts with USPS and DHL that offer discounted shipping rates for Square Online. These carrier accounts are already set up for you to take advantage of and require nothing additional on your part. You can also connect your own personal UPS, FedEx, or DHL account if you don't want to take advantage of our discounted rates through these master accounts.

If you want to use UPS, FedEx, or DHL to ship from Canada or Mexico, you must connect your own accounts. To use your own account:

1. From your Square Online Overview page, go to Fulfillment > Shipping.

2. Under "Shipping carriers," select Manage.

3. Choose a carrier and enter your information.

4. Select Done when finished.

Configure your shipping boxes

The default box setting for RTS is 10” x 10” x 10” with a max weight of 70 lbs. To change this:

1. From your Square Online Overview page, go to Fulfillment > Shipping.

2. Under "Shipping boxes," select Edit.

3. Select +Create new to add a new box size. You can also select an existing box to edit it, or ••• to set a new default box or delete one.

4. Edit the dimensions and maximum weight. You can also set an optional maximum number of items that will fit into the box.

5. Select Save, then Done to finish.

6. From your Square Online Overview page, go to Items > Site Items.

7. Select an item from your list.

8. Under Fulfillment, make sure Shipping is checked so you can choose a Shipping box size from the dropdown menu.

9. Select Save when finished.

The default box will be used for items that don’t have a specific box assigned to them. If a customer places an order where more than one box size is needed, RTS will use multiples of the largest box size needed to accommodate the number and weight of items purchased.

For example, say you’re selling handmade pottery in varying sizes and weights, including coffee mugs and large vases. The default box size comfortably fits two of your coffee mugs, so you can set the maximum items to two and the max weight to the same as two coffee mugs. However, you need a much larger box for the vase, so you create a second box that is 18” x 18” x 18” with an item capacity of one vase and a max weight that matches the vase weight. You'd then edit each item and associate them with the corresponding box to ensure that the larger box is used if someone purchases a vase.

Add your item weights

RTS provides rate estimates based on the total weight of the items in an order. You can set up weights for your items in Square Item Library. Learn how to Create and manage items from Square Dashboard for details.

Note: If the weight of all items in an order is 0, the weight will automatically default to 0.1 lb/kg. When setting up the RTS rate, you can also add an adjustment fee to account for any packaging & handling costs.

Create a Real Time Shipping rate

Once you've set up the above, you can create your RTS rate. To start:

1. From your Square Online Overview page, go to Fulfillment > Shipping.

2. Under "Shipping profiles," select Add shipping profile.

3. Enter a name for the profile and choose a profile type.

4. Select +Add countries and check United States. Select Done.

5. Select Add rate and choose Real-time shipping rates from the dropdown menu.

6. Choose your carrier and complete all other details. Select Done.

7. Review your profile and select Save when finished.

Note: Rates for RTS have a fallback rate option, which is what applies when the shipping carrier can't supply a shipping rate automatically.

Creating a RTS rate is just like setting up a manual shipping rate. Learn more about how to create shipping rates in Square Online.

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