Carrier Calculated Shipping
Updated · SMART Shipping Rates (E-TRADE PARTNER)
Shopify Carrier Service, also called Carrier Calculated Shipping or CCS, is required when SMART Shipping Rates & Rules sends a calculated rate to checkout. It is not required for Delivery customizations, which hide, show, move, rename, reorder, or sort existing checkout methods.
4.9 · SMART Shipping Rates does this with zones, calculated rates, and delivery customizations.
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Carrier Service is Shopify's feature for app-calculated shipping rates. When a customer reaches checkout, Shopify can ask an eligible app for a rate. SMART evaluates your configured rules and returns the calculated method and price.
| SMART area | What it does | Carrier Service required? |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery customizations | Controls existing checkout methods | No |
| Shipping rates | Creates calculated rates by zone, cart, product, weight, quantity, and more | Yes |
| Combined rates | Blends tagged calculated rates | Yes |
| Settings | Controls general app behavior | Only when calculated rates are involved |
Why zone creation may be disabled
In SMART, zone creation for calculated shipping rates is disabled without Carrier Service. The app banner also notes that Basic plan stores cannot enable Carrier Service. If you are on a plan without Carrier Service, use delivery customizations for existing methods or adjust Shopify plan and Carrier Service availability before creating calculated rates.
What Carrier Service is not
- It is not a shipping company inside SMART.
- It is not required to hide, show, move, rename, reorder, or sort existing methods.
- It does not replace the need to test matching conditions in real checkout.
- It does not make inactive or mismatched rules appear at checkout.
How to decide if you need it
- Write down whether the checkout price already exists.
- If the price exists and you only need to change visibility, order, or wording, use Delivery customizations.
- If SMART must calculate the price, confirm Carrier Service availability.
- If multiple SMART calculated rates should become one, configure Combined rates.
- If a calculated rate is missing, use the rates not showing checklist.
Beginner shortcut
If you are not sure which path you need, ask: Am I changing the checkout list, or am I creating a new price? Checkout list changes usually go in Delivery customizations. New prices go in Shipping rates.
Use the right SMART module for your Shopify plan
SMART gives you delivery customizations without Carrier Service and calculated rates when your store has Carrier Service available.
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Frequently asked questions
›What is Carrier Calculated Shipping?
It is Shopify's feature that lets eligible apps return calculated shipping rates to checkout. It is also called Carrier Service or CCS.
›Does SMART require Carrier Service?
Only for calculated rates in Shipping rates and Combined rates. Delivery customizations do not require it.
›Why can I not create a zone?
Zone creation is disabled when Carrier Service is not available for calculated shipping rates.
›Can Basic plan stores enable Carrier Service in SMART?
The app banner states that Basic plan stores cannot enable Carrier Service.