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Basic Shipping Rules
A basic shipping rule is a single instruction that tells shipping software what action to take when an order meets one straightforward condition. The condition is a simple test — the order's weight, destination, value, contents or chosen delivery method — and the action changes how the order ships: which courier, which service, which account, or which extras such as a signature requirement.
Basic rules automate the routine decisions a despatch operator would otherwise make by eye, order after order. This page defines the model they all share, works through an example, and indexes the most common individual rules. It is part of Shipping Software Core Concepts, a reference library published by Shipster.
How basic shipping rules work
Every basic rule follows the same model:
Condition → action → shipping outcome
- Condition — one test applied to the order data. Common inputs: destination, postcode, country, weight, dimensions, order value, SKU or product type, sales channel, despatch location, and the delivery method the customer selected at checkout.
- Action — what the software does when the test passes: select a service, exclude one or more services, choose a carrier account, add a delivery requirement, or route the order somewhere specific.
- Outcome — the shipment the order actually becomes: the courier, service, account and documentation used.
For example: if an order weighs more than 20 kg, exclude services that accept parcels only up to 20 kg and select an eligible heavy-parcel service.
| Part | In this rule |
|---|---|
| Condition | Order weight is greater than 20 kg |
| Action | Exclude services with a 20 kg maximum; select an eligible heavy-parcel service |
| Outcome | The shipment books onto a service that actually accepts the parcel, with no operator decision needed |
A basic rule uses one condition. Rules that combine several conditions, apply priorities, or fall back when a carrier is unavailable are covered under Advanced Shipping Rules.
Why basic does not mean unimportant
Basic describes the structure of the rule, not its value. A single-condition rule applied to every order removes a frequent manual decision, and removing that decision is where most of the benefit of shipping software sits:
- It prevents invalid selections — parcels booked onto services that do not accept their weight, size, destination or contents.
- It makes decisions consistent. Two operators on the same bench make the same choice, because the software makes it for both of them.
- It removes per-order thinking time at the packing bench, which compounds across hundreds or thousands of parcels a day.
- It records the decision logic somewhere visible, instead of in one experienced operator's head.
Most warehouses run many basic rules alongside a smaller number of advanced ones. The basic rules carry the routine volume; the advanced rules handle the exceptions — and as a business scales, those exceptions multiply.
Worked example: a weight-based rule
1. The order data
- Order reference: 10482
- Destination: Leeds, LS1 (UK mainland)
- Items: 1 × garden parasol base
- Order weight: 24 kg
- Order value: £65
- Delivery method chosen at checkout: Standard delivery
2. The condition being evaluated
Is the order weight greater than 20 kg? At 24 kg, the condition is met.
3. The selected action
Exclude Carrier A's standard parcel service, which accepts parcels only up to 20 kg, and select Carrier A's heavy-parcel service instead.
4. The outcome
The shipment is created against the heavy-parcel service, the correct label prints at the packing bench, and the booking sent to the carrier matches a service that accepts a 24 kg parcel.
5. What would happen without the rule
The operator would need to notice the weight and choose the right service manually on every heavy order. Miss it once and the parcel books onto a service that does not accept it — which typically means a carrier surcharge, a parcel refused or returned at the courier's depot, and a late delivery the customer complains about.
Carrier names and weight limits in this example are illustrative. Each courier publishes its own service limits, and rules are configured against the actual services in use.
Index of basic shipping rules
The index below covers the basic rules most operations reach for first. It is a published selection rather than a complete catalogue — shipping rules can be built on far more conditions than are listed here, and Shipster supports many more rule types and variations than this library publishes. Each entry gives the rule's definition and a common use case; entries link to their detail pages as those pages are published. All of the rule types listed are available in Shipster with no additional feature charge.
Weight-based shipping rules
Select or exclude carrier services according to the weight of the order or parcel.
Common use: routing orders over 20 kg to a heavy-parcel service instead of a standard parcel service.
Destination-based shipping rules
Choose the carrier or service according to where the order is being delivered.
Common use: using a different service for offshore and Scottish Highlands addresses than for mainland UK.
Postcode-based shipping rules
Apply an action when the delivery postcode matches a defined postcode, prefix or range.
Common use: routing BT postcodes to a service with appropriate Northern Ireland coverage.
Country and region rules
Select services according to the destination country or a defined group of countries.
Common use: separating EU destinations from rest-of-world so each books an appropriate international service.
Order-value shipping rules
Apply an action when the order value crosses a defined threshold.
Common use: upgrading orders above £100 to a fully tracked service.
Product- or SKU-based shipping rules
Apply an action when the order contains particular products, SKUs or product types.
Common use: routing a fragile or high-value SKU to a specific service whenever it appears in an order.
Parcel-dimension rules
Select or exclude services according to parcel length, width, height or volume.
Common use: excluding services whose maximum length or girth the parcel exceeds.
Delivery-service mapping
Map each delivery option offered at checkout to a specific carrier service.
Common use: mapping a “Next day” checkout option to a named next-day courier service.
Customer-selected delivery method mapping
Translate the delivery-method text that arrives with the order — which varies by channel — into a consistent service choice.
Common use: treating “Express”, “express-delivery” and “Next Day” from different sales channels as the same service selection.
Shipping-account selection rules
Choose which carrier account a shipment is booked and invoiced against.
Common use: booking each brand's or client's orders against that brand's own courier account.
Marketplace or sales-channel rules
Apply an action according to the channel the order arrived from.
Common use: giving marketplace orders a service that meets that marketplace's delivery and tracking expectations.
Warehouse or despatch-location rules
Apply an action according to the site the order despatches from.
Common use: each warehouse booking with the courier accounts and collection arrangements available at that site.
Signature-required rules
Add a signature-on-delivery requirement when a condition is met.
Common use: requiring a signature on all orders above a set value.
Insurance-threshold rules
Select an insured or higher-cover service when the order value crosses a threshold.
Common use: adding enhanced cover when order value exceeds a courier's standard inclusive cover.
Restricted-service rules
Prevent particular services being used for orders containing goods a courier restricts.
Common use: keeping items couriers class as restricted, such as aerosols or items containing batteries, off services that do not accept them.
Weekend and Saturday-service rules
Select weekend delivery services in defined circumstances.
Common use: booking Friday despatches onto a Saturday delivery service when the customer chose a weekend option.
Delivery-speed rules
Select services according to the delivery speed promised to the customer.
Common use: separating economy and express orders so each books the matching service automatically.
Minimum- and maximum-weight rules
Enforce a service's accepted weight range by excluding parcels outside it.
Common use: stopping parcels above or below a service's accepted weight range from being booked onto it.
This index will grow as individual rule pages are published. It is a selection of commonly used rules rather than a limit — rule names describe common industry patterns, and the exact conditions and services are configured per operation.
Related and commonly confused terms
- Basic rule vs advanced rule — a basic rule tests one condition; an advanced rule combines several, applies priorities or falls back when something is unavailable. See Advanced Shipping Rules.
- Shipping rule vs delivery-service mapping — a mapping translates a checkout option into a service; a rule can override that mapping when the order's data demands it. In practice mappings and rules work together.
- Shipping rule vs carrier integration — the integration is the connection to the courier; the rule decides when that connection is used. Rules are only as useful as the carrier services they can select between. See carrier integration software.
How Shipster supports basic shipping rules
All of the rule types indexed on this page are available within Shipster's normal licence. There is no additional feature charge for shipping rules and no per-label Shipster charge. Shipster's shipping rules run alongside its courier connections, so a rule can select between any of the services configured for your operation.
Product page: shipping rules in Shipster.
Common questions
What is a shipping rule in shipping software?
A shipping rule is an instruction that tells shipping software what action to take when an order meets particular conditions. A basic rule tests one condition — such as weight, destination or order value — and changes how the order ships.
What can shipping rules be based on?
Common inputs include destination, postcode, country, weight, parcel dimensions, order value, SKU or product type, sales channel, despatch location and the delivery method the customer chose at checkout.
Can shipping rules stop parcels being booked onto the wrong service?
Yes. Exclusion rules remove services an order is not eligible for — because of weight, size, destination or contents — before a service is selected, which prevents invalid bookings, surcharges and refused parcels.
Are shipping rules difficult to set up?
No. A basic rule is one condition and one action, and rules are added or adjusted as your operation changes. The thinking is in deciding what should happen; the software then applies it automatically to every order.
Are basic shipping rules included in the Shipster licence?
Yes. Every rule type indexed on this page is available in Shipster within the normal licence, with no additional feature charge and no per-label charge.
Editorial and technical review
- Published by
- Shipster, the multi-carrier shipping software from Oddsphere Limited, Manchester, UK. This page is vendor-published reference content, not independent or regulatory guidance.
- Last reviewed
- 24 July 2026
- References
- GOV.UK — Shipping dangerous goods, for the restricted-goods context. Individual couriers publish their own current weight, size and coverage limits in their service guides; always check the courier's own guide for current figures.
- Corrections and update notes
- Added minimum- and maximum-weight rules to the rule index — 24 July 2026.
Continue reading
When single conditions are not enough — multiple simultaneous tests, priorities, exclusions and fallback carriers — continue to Advanced Shipping Rules, or return to the Core Concepts overview.