Delivery Pricing

Configure delivery cost profiles and manage per-item shipping pricing for your products

Understanding Per-Item Shipping Pricing

Curosa uses a per-item shipping pricing model, where each product item in a customer's cart has its own delivery cost. This differs from traditional order-based shipping, where a single shipping cost applies to the entire order.

How Per-Item Pricing Works

When customers add items to their cart:

Each item calculates its shipping cost independently based on its assigned delivery cost profile
Shipping options are filtered based on the product's delivery cost profile and the customer's delivery location
Customers can select different shipping options for different items
The total shipping cost is the sum of all individual item shipping costs

This approach provides flexibility and accuracy, ensuring customers only pay for shipping on items that require it, rather than a blanket fee for the entire order.

Key Benefits

Flexible Pricing:

Most items can be set to free shipping
Specific products or remote locations can have additional costs applied per item
Different products can have different shipping options

Fair Pricing:

Customers only pay for shipping on items that require it
No blanket shipping fee for the entire order
Remote delivery zones can have surcharges applied per item, ensuring accurate cost recovery

Customer Clarity:

Each item displays its own shipping options
Costs are transparent and item-specific
Customers can see exactly what they're paying for shipping on each product

Delivery Cost Profiles

Delivery cost profiles are collections of shipping options grouped together. Each profile contains multiple delivery cost options that customers can choose from when purchasing products assigned to that profile.

What Are Delivery Cost Profiles?

A Delivery Cost Profile defines the shipping options available for products assigned to it. Each profile:

Applies to a specific distribution centre
Contains multiple delivery cost options (e.g., "Free Standard Delivery", "Express Next Day", "Economy 5-7 Days")
Can be set as the default profile for new products at that distribution centre
Can be assigned to individual products or used as a fallback default

Profile Components

Each delivery cost profile includes:

Profile Name - A descriptive name (e.g., "Standard UK Delivery", "Express Delivery", "Free Shipping")
Distribution Centre - The distribution centre this profile applies to (cannot be changed after creation)
Default Profile - A flag indicating if this is the default profile for new products at this distribution centre
Active Status - Whether the profile is currently active and available for assignment
Delivery Cost Options - Multiple shipping options with different zones, prices, and lead times

Where to Manage Profiles

Navigate to Settings > Delivery Cost Profiles in your supplier panel to create and manage delivery cost profiles.

Creating a Delivery Cost Profile

Delivery cost profiles allow you to group shipping options together and assign them to products. This streamlines shipping management and ensures consistency across your product catalog.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to Delivery Cost Profiles

Log into your supplier panel
Go to Settings in the main navigation
Click on Delivery Cost Profiles

2. Create New Profile

Click the New or Create button
You'll see a form with configuration options

3. Configure Basic Settings

Distribution Centre - Select which distribution centre this profile applies to
- Important: Once saved, this cannot be changed, so ensure you select the correct distribution centre
Profile Name - Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Standard UK Delivery", "Free Shipping Profile")
Default Profile - Toggle this on if you want this to be the default profile for new products at this distribution centre
- Only one profile per distribution centre should be marked as default
Active - Ensure this is enabled for the profile to be available for assignment

4. Add Delivery Cost Options

In the Delivery Costs per Zone section, you can add multiple shipping options:

Click Add Zone Cost for each shipping option you want to offer
For each option, configure:
- Zone - Select the delivery zone (e.g., England, Wales, Remote Areas)
  - Zones must be created separately in Settings > Delivery Cost Zones before they can be used here
- Display Name - Customer-facing name (e.g., "Free Standard Delivery", "Express Next Day")
  - Use clear, customer-friendly names that describe the service
- Price (inc. tax) - The total price including tax that customers will pay
  - Enter the full amount including all taxes
- Tax Rate - Select the applicable tax rate from the dropdown
- Additional Leadtime (days) - Days to add to standard dispatch time
  - Default is 0 days (same as standard dispatch)
  - Use this for slower shipping options (e.g., economy shipping might add 3-5 days)
- Active - Enable/disable this specific option
  - Useful for temporarily disabling options or seasonal changes
Repeat for each zone and shipping speed you want to offer

5. Save the Profile

Click Save to create the profile. You can now assign it to products through the product distribution centres interface.

Tip: Create common profiles first (e.g., "Free Shipping", "Standard Delivery", "Express Delivery") before creating specialized profiles. This ensures consistency and makes bulk assignment easier.

Delivery Cost Options Explained

Each delivery cost option within a profile represents a shipping method customers can choose. Understanding each field helps you configure shipping options that meet your needs and customer expectations.

Zone

The delivery zone determines which customers see this option based on their postcode. Common zones include:

Standard Zones - England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Remote Zones - Remote areas, Highlands & Islands, etc.

Zones are managed separately in Settings > Delivery Cost Zones. You'll need to create zones and define postcode ranges before you can reference them in delivery cost options.

Display Name

This is what customers see when selecting shipping options. Use clear, customer-friendly names that describe the service level:

✅ Good examples: "Free Standard Delivery", "Express Next Day", "Standard 3-5 Days", "Economy 7-10 Days"
❌ Avoid: "Option 1", "Profile A", "Zone 1", technical codes

The display name should clearly communicate what the customer is getting, helping them make informed decisions.

Price (Including Tax)

The total amount the customer pays for this shipping option. This should include all taxes.

Example: If your shipping cost is £5.00 + 20% VAT = £6.00 total, enter £6.00 here.

The system handles tax calculations and reporting based on the tax rate you select, but the price you enter is the total amount customers will pay.

Tax Rate

Select the applicable tax rate for this shipping option from the dropdown menu. This is used for:

Tax calculations and reporting
Ensuring compliance with tax regulations
Accurate financial reporting

Choose the tax rate that applies to your shipping service based on your location and the type of service provided.

Additional Leadtime Days

If this shipping option takes longer than your standard dispatch time, add the extra days here. This helps customers understand delivery expectations.

Example:

Standard dispatch: 2 days
Express option: Same day dispatch (0 additional days)
Economy option: 3 extra days (enter 3)

The system adds these days to your standard dispatch time to calculate the total delivery time shown to customers.

Active Status

Toggle this to enable or disable individual shipping options without deleting them. This is useful for:

Temporarily disabling options during peak periods
Seasonal changes (e.g., disabling express options during holidays)
Testing different shipping configurations
Managing options that are temporarily unavailable

Disabled options won't appear to customers but remain in your profile for easy reactivation.

Assigning Profiles to Products

Delivery cost profiles are assigned to products through the Product Distribution Centres management interface. Each product-distribution centre combination can have its own profile, allowing you to customize shipping options based on where products are stocked.

Where to Assign Profiles

Profiles are assigned to products through the product distribution centres interface:

Navigate to Products in your supplier panel
Open a product
Go to the Distribution Centres tab
You'll see a table listing all distribution centres where this product is available

Individual Assignment

To assign a profile to a single product:

Find the distribution centre row for the product
Use the Edit Delivery Cost Profile action
Select the desired delivery cost profile from the dropdown
Save your changes

The selected profile will apply to this product at this distribution centre, overriding any default profile.

Bulk Assignment

You can assign the same profile to multiple products at once, which is efficient when setting up new products or updating existing ones:

Navigate to Products > Distribution Centres (or use a product list view)
Select multiple products using checkboxes
Use the bulk action Edit Delivery Cost Profile
Select the profile to apply to all selected products
Confirm the action

This applies the selected profile to all chosen products at their respective distribution centres, saving time when managing large product catalogs.

Important Notes

Each product-distribution centre combination can have its own profile
The same product can use different profiles at different distribution centres
If no profile is assigned, the system uses the default profile for that distribution centre
Products with specific profiles assigned will use those instead of the default

Tip: Use default profiles for most products, and only assign specific profiles when products have unique shipping requirements. This simplifies management and ensures consistency across your catalog.

Default Profiles

Default profiles serve as a fallback when products don't have a specific delivery cost profile assigned. This ensures all products have shipping options available without requiring individual configuration.

Purpose

Default profiles ensure that:

New products automatically have shipping configured
Products without specific profiles have shipping options available
You don't need to manually assign profiles to every product
Consistency is maintained across your product catalog

Setting a Default Profile

To set a profile as the default:

When creating or editing a delivery cost profile
Toggle Default Profile to enabled
Only one profile per distribution centre should be marked as default
If you set a new default, the previous default is automatically unset

This ensures there's always exactly one default profile per distribution centre.

Behavior

New Products:

Automatically use the default profile for their distribution centre
No manual configuration required unless you want to override the default

Existing Products:

Products without an assigned profile will use the default
Products with specific profiles assigned will use those instead

Override:

You can always assign a specific profile to override the default
This is useful for products with unique shipping requirements

Best Practice

Create a default profile with your most common shipping options (e.g., "Standard UK Delivery") so new products automatically have appropriate shipping configured. This saves time and ensures consistency, while still allowing you to customize shipping for products that need it.

Zone-Based Pricing

Delivery zones allow you to apply different shipping costs based on geographic location. This is essential for handling remote areas, international shipping, or regions with varying delivery costs.

How Zones Work

Delivery zones are geographic areas defined by postcode ranges. When a customer enters their delivery postcode:

The system determines which zone they're in
Shows appropriate shipping options based on that zone
Applies zone-specific pricing automatically

This allows you to offer different shipping options and prices for different regions without manual intervention.

Per-Item Zone Calculation

Important: Each item calculates its zone independently. This means:

Item A might be in a "Standard" zone (free shipping)
Item B might be in a "Remote" zone (additional surcharge)
Each item shows its own shipping options based on its assigned profile and the customer's zone
Customers can see different shipping options for different items in their cart

This per-item approach ensures accurate pricing and gives customers flexibility in their shipping choices.

Example Scenario

Customer's Cart:

Product 1: Standard item, assigned to "Free Shipping" profile
Product 2: Heavy item, assigned to "Standard Delivery" profile
Customer postcode: Remote area

Result:

Product 1: Shows "Free Shipping" option (no zone surcharge in profile)
Product 2: Shows "Standard Delivery - Remote" option (£5.00 + remote surcharge)
Total shipping: Sum of both item costs

This example demonstrates how different products can have different shipping options and costs, even when shipped to the same address.

Creating Zones

Zones are managed separately in Settings > Delivery Cost Zones. To use zones in your delivery cost profiles:

Create zones (e.g., "England", "Wales", "Remote", "Highlands & Islands")
Define postcode ranges for each zone
Reference these zones when creating delivery cost options in your profiles

See the "Managing Delivery Cost Zones" documentation in the Settings section for detailed setup instructions.

Customer Experience

Understanding how customers interact with your shipping options helps you configure profiles that provide a good shopping experience while meeting your business needs.

Shopping Cart View

When customers view their cart:

Each item displays its own shipping options below the product details
Options are filtered to show only those from the product's assigned profile that match the customer's zone
Customers can select different shipping options for different items
The shipping cost for each item is displayed clearly
Total shipping cost is the sum of all item shipping costs

This per-item approach gives customers control and transparency, allowing them to choose the shipping option that best meets their needs for each product.

What Customers See

For each item in their cart, customers see:

Product Name and Details - Standard product information
Quantity Controls - Ability to adjust quantities
Shipping Options (if postcode entered):
- Radio buttons for each available option
- Option name (e.g., "Free Standard Delivery")
- Price for that option
- Additional leadtime information
Selected Shipping Cost displayed per item

The total shipping cost is clearly displayed as the sum of all individual item shipping costs.

Postcode Requirement

Customers must enter their delivery postcode before shipping options are displayed. Until they enter a postcode, they'll see:

"Please enter your delivery address before shipping options can be shown"

This ensures that customers see accurate, zone-specific shipping options based on their actual delivery location.

Best Practices

Following these best practices helps you manage delivery pricing effectively while providing a good customer experience.

Profile Management

1. Create Common Profiles First

Start with profiles for your most common scenarios:

"Free Shipping" (for lightweight, standard items)
"Standard Delivery" (for most products)
"Express Delivery" (for urgent orders)

This establishes a foundation you can build upon and makes bulk assignment easier.

2. Use Descriptive Names

Profile names should be clear and meaningful
Option names should be customer-friendly
Avoid technical terms or internal codes

Good naming helps you manage profiles efficiently and ensures customers understand their options.

3. Set Default Profiles

Always set a default profile for each distribution centre
This ensures new products have shipping configured automatically
Reduces manual work when adding new products

4. Organize by Use Case

Create profiles based on product characteristics:

Lightweight products → Free shipping profile
Heavy/bulky products → Standard/Express profiles
Fragile items → Special handling profiles

This organization makes it easier to assign appropriate profiles to products.

Product Assignment

1. Use Defaults When Possible

Most products should use the default profile
Only assign specific profiles when needed
This simplifies management and ensures consistency

2. Bulk Assign Efficiently

Group products with similar shipping needs
Use bulk actions to assign profiles to multiple products
Review your assignments periodically to ensure they're still appropriate

3. Review Regularly

Periodically review which products have custom profiles
Consider consolidating if many products use the same custom profile
Update profiles as your shipping needs change

Pricing Strategy

1. Test Zone Pricing

Test with different postcodes to verify zone detection
Ensure remote zones have appropriate surcharges
Verify that customers see the correct options for their location

2. Consider Customer Experience

Most items should offer free shipping when possible
Use remote surcharges only when necessary
Keep option names clear and prices competitive

Free delivery is a significant sales boost, so include standard delivery costs in your product price when possible and use delivery cost profiles only for high-cost areas.

3. Monitor Costs

Regularly review shipping costs to ensure profitability
Adjust prices as carrier costs change
Use active/inactive toggles to manage seasonal options

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with delivery pricing, these troubleshooting steps can help identify and resolve problems.

Products Showing No Shipping Options

Possible Causes:

No delivery cost profile assigned and no default profile set
Profile exists but has no active delivery cost options
All delivery cost options in the profile are inactive

Solutions:

Check if a default profile exists for the distribution centre
Assign a profile to the product explicitly
Verify the profile has active delivery cost options
Ensure at least one option is active

Wrong Shipping Costs Displayed

Possible Causes:

Wrong profile assigned to product
Zone configuration incorrect
Price entered incorrectly in delivery cost option

Solutions:

Verify the correct profile is assigned in Product > Distribution Centres
Check zone configuration in Settings > Delivery Cost Zones
Review prices in the delivery cost profile
Test with different postcodes to verify zone detection

Default Profile Not Working

Possible Causes:

No profile marked as default for the distribution centre
Multiple profiles marked as default (only one should be)
Default profile is inactive

Solutions:

Check Settings > Delivery Cost Profiles for default flags
Ensure exactly one profile per distribution centre is marked default
Verify the default profile is active
Check that products are at the correct distribution centre

Zone Not Detecting Correctly

Possible Causes:

Postcode not in any zone definition
Zone not created or inactive
Delivery cost option doesn't reference the zone

Solutions:

Verify zone exists in Settings > Delivery Cost Zones
Check postcode ranges are correctly configured
Ensure delivery cost options reference the correct zone
Test with known postcodes to verify zone detection

Shipping Costs Too High/Low

Possible Causes:

Price entered incorrectly (excluding tax when should include)
Wrong tax rate selected
Zone surcharge applied incorrectly

Solutions:

Verify prices include tax as required
Check tax rate selection matches your pricing
Review zone-specific pricing in delivery cost options
Test calculation with sample orders

Summary

The per-item shipping pricing system provides flexibility and accuracy in managing delivery costs:

✅ Each product item has its own shipping cost
✅ Delivery cost profiles group shipping options together
✅ Products can use default or custom profiles
✅ Zone-based pricing handles remote locations per item
✅ Customers see clear, item-specific shipping options

By following this guide, you can effectively manage shipping pricing for your products, ensuring customers see accurate costs while maintaining profitability. This system allows you to offer competitive shipping options while accurately recovering delivery costs across different regions and product types.