How to show only the cheapest Shopify shipping method

Updated July 20, 2026 · SMART Shipping Rates (E-TRADE PARTNER)

When several Shopify delivery methods appear at once, you can show only the cheapest or only the highest with a delivery customization rule. SMART Shipping Rates & Rules includes show-only-cheapest and show-only-highest actions, plus hide, rename, and sort controls. These rules do not require Carrier Service.

A long delivery list can slow checkout even when every price is correct. The classic case is Free shipping sitting beside Standard ($6.99) and Express ($14.99). Some customers hesitate. Others pick a paid method by mistake. Showing only the cheapest valid method is often the cleanest fix.

This is a visibility rule for methods that already exist. It does not calculate a new rate. If you need free shipping thresholds or cart-value pricing first, start with cart total rates or free shipping exclusions.

When show-only-cheapest helps

• Free shipping and paid methods appear together after a threshold is met.
• Multiple carrier or profile rates overlap and create a noisy list.
• You want one clear default method for most retail carts.
• Support tickets show customers choosing a more expensive option by accident.

Show-only-highest is less common, but useful when you intentionally want the premium option alone for a tagged group or product set, such as white-glove delivery for furniture.

Show cheapest vs hide specific methods vs sort

What Shopify can and cannot do natively

Shopify can create rates and sometimes limit options through profiles or local settings, but it does not give a simple checkout action to keep only the cheapest remaining method under cart or customer conditions. Delivery customizations fill that gap.

Setup steps in SMART Shipping Rates & Rules

1. Make sure the methods you care about already appear at checkout with correct prices.
2. Open Delivery customizations and create a new customization.
3. Choose Show only the cheapest rate (or Show only the highest rate if that is the goal).
4. Add conditions only if the rule should be limited, such as cart subtotal over a free-shipping threshold, a customer tag, or a product tag.
5. If the rule should apply to almost every cart, you can run it more broadly, but test that every cart still keeps a valid method.
6. Save and compare checkout before and after with the same cart.
7. If one method should always remain available even when it is not cheapest, use hide-specific rules instead of show-cheapest.

Worked example: free shipping should be the only option

A apparel store offers Free shipping over $80. Qualifying carts still show Economy, Standard, and Free shipping. The merchant wants Free shipping alone once the threshold is met, while carts under $80 still compare Economy and Standard.

1. Confirm Free shipping appears only when the cart qualifies, or create that threshold with native rates or SMART calculated rates.
2. Create a Delivery customizations rule with cart subtotal greater than or equal to $80.
3. Set the action to show only the cheapest rate.
4. Test a $79 cart (multiple paid methods) and an $80 cart (only Free shipping).
5. If Express should remain available as an upgrade even above $80, do not use show-cheapest. Hide Economy and Standard instead, and leave Free shipping plus Express visible.

Tips for cleaner one-method checkouts

• Use show-cheapest when any remaining method is acceptable and price should decide.
• Use hide-specific or show-specific when business rules care about method identity, not only price.
• Rename the winning method if the title is unclear after other methods disappear.
• For VIP members who should only see free shipping, customer tag hide rules may be clearer than a global cheapest rule. See hide by customer tag.
• For a broader cleanup of names and order, use hide, sort, and rename.

When not to use show-only-cheapest

Do not use it when customers need a real choice between speed and price, such as Standard vs Express. In those checkouts, hide only the invalid methods and sort the rest low to high.

Frequently asked questions