WooCommerce international shipping was configured via WooCommerce Shipping settings, often extended with plugins like WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping, WooCommerce Advanced Shipping, or carrier-specific plugins (DHL for WooCommerce, UPS for WooCommerce). Shopify centralizes shipping in Admin → Settings → Shipping and delivery, with a more structured zone/rate system. Here's how to replicate and improve your international shipping configuration after migration.

Shopify shipping structure

Shipping profiles: group products with the same shipping rules. Default profile (all products) + custom profiles (heavy items, digital products, hazardous goods)
Shipping zones: within each profile, zones group destinations. Example: Domestic (UK) / Europe / North America / Rest of World
Rates: within each zone, define rates — flat rate, free over threshold, weight-based, carrier-calculated
Conditions: each rate can be conditional on price range (free shipping over £50) or weight range

Shipping zone strategy

Typical UK-based store zone structure

Zone	Countries	Rate approach
UK	United Kingdom	Free over £50, £3.99 standard, £6.99 express
Ireland	Republic of Ireland	£5.99 standard (no customs needed — same currency zone)
EU	EU-27 countries	£9.99–£14.99 (DDP preferred, see below)
USA & Canada	US, Canada	£14.99–£24.99 depending on service level
Australia & NZ	Australia, New Zealand	£14.99–£19.99
Rest of World	All others	£19.99 or carrier-calculated

DDP vs DDU: critical post-Brexit decision

Post-Brexit, UK stores shipping to EU must choose between DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid):

DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) — the default, but problematic

Customer pays import duties and VAT on delivery to EU countries
Carrier holds the parcel and contacts the customer for payment
Customer experience: unexpected charges at door, parcel potentially refused, high return rates
Acceptable only if: low-value orders (under €150 — exempt from customs duties), and you clearly state "import duties may apply" at checkout

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) — recommended for EU

You pay import duties on customer's behalf, include in product price or shipping charge
Customer pays total price at checkout — no surprise charges at door
EU VAT: orders over €150 require EU VAT registration (or use IOSS — Import One-Stop Shop for B2C)
Shopify Markets: configure EU shipping with DDP rates; Shopify Markets handles VAT display correctly for EU prices
Carriers offering DDP for EU from UK: DHL Express, UPS, FedEx International, SEKO Logistics

IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop)

IOSS number: register for IOSS to collect and remit EU VAT for orders under €150 — simplifies customs clearance
With IOSS: goods clear customs faster; no duty threshold surprise for customers
Shopify: enter your IOSS number in Admin → Settings → Taxes → European Union → IOSS
Carrier must support IOSS transmission in customs documentation

HS codes (Harmonized System commodity codes)

HS codes are required on customs declarations for international shipments. Without them, parcels can be held or returned:

Shopify: enter HS code per product in the product's Shipping section (or metafield)
Admin: Products → Edit product → Shipping → Customs information → HS tariff code
Country of origin: also required per product for customs
Shopify Harmonized System codes tool: Shopify provides an HS code lookup in the product editor
For bulk update: use Matrixify to update HS codes and country of origin on all products from a CSV
Common HS codes: clothing (6101–6217), footwear (6401–6405), books (4901–4903), electronics (8471–8542)

Carrier integrations

Shopify Shipping (UK)

Built-in Shopify Shipping in UK: Royal Mail and Evri (formerly Hermes) discounted rates
Print labels directly from Shopify order fulfillment
Tracking: automatically synced back to Shopify order and sent to customer
Limitations: Shopify Shipping UK doesn't cover all international carriers — DHL Express, UPS, DPD require third-party integration

Third-party carrier apps

Shipstation: Multi-carrier platform, integrates with Shopify. Supports DHL, UPS, FedEx, Royal Mail, DPD, Evri, Parcelforce. Automated shipping rules.
Sendcloud: Popular in EU/UK. Multi-carrier with returns portal. Strong EU coverage (DHL, DPD, Colissimo, PostNL).
Parcel2Go: UK comparison platform for parcel carriers — manual booking but price comparison across carriers.
Carrier-specific apps: DHL Express Commerce, UPS for Shopify — direct carrier integrations with label printing and rate calculation.

Free shipping thresholds

Domestic free shipping: set a free shipping threshold appropriate to your margins (£40–75 common in UK ecommerce)
Free shipping bar: apps like Free Shipping Bar show progress to free shipping in cart — increases AOV
International free shipping: only viable for low-weight, high-margin products. Calculate carrier cost at threshold before enabling.
Shopify: configure free shipping as a rate with condition "Price is over £X" within the zone

WooCommerce shipping plugin migration

WooCommerce plugin	Shopify equivalent
WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping	Shopify shipping profiles + rate conditions (price/weight ranges)
WooCommerce Advanced Shipping	Shopify shipping conditions + Shipstation for complex rules
DHL for WooCommerce	DHL Express Commerce Shopify app
WooCommerce Shipment Tracking	Native Shopify fulfillment tracking
WooCommerce Weight Based Shipping	Shopify weight-based rate conditions
USPS / FedEx / UPS extensions	Carrier-calculated shipping in Shopify (requires Advanced or Plus plan)

International shipping migration checklist

Audit current WooCommerce shipping zones and rates — document before migration
Decide DDP vs DDU for EU (DDP strongly recommended for post-Brexit EU shipping)
Register for IOSS if shipping B2C to EU (orders under €150)
Enter IOSS number in Shopify Admin → Taxes → EU → IOSS
Configure shipping zones: Domestic, Ireland, EU, US/Canada, Australia/NZ, ROW
Set rates per zone: free threshold, standard, express
Add HS codes and country of origin to all products (Matrixify bulk update recommended)
Install carrier integration app (Shipstation or Sendcloud for multi-carrier)
Configure carrier-calculated rates for accurate international pricing (Shopify Advanced plan)
Set up free shipping bar to increase AOV
Test international checkout: place test orders from EU, US, and AUS IP addresses. Verify shipping rates display correctly.
Verify Shopify Markets is configured for key international markets with correct currency and duty display

The DDP/DDU decision for EU shipping is the single most important post-migration shipping configuration for UK-based stores. The data is clear: DDU EU shipping generates 3–5× more customer service contacts per order and materially higher return rates compared to DDP. The incremental cost of DDP (duty and VAT built into the shipping charge) is typically £2–8 per parcel to EU depending on order value and product category — and is simply reflected in the EU shipping rate. Customers are happy to pay a slightly higher shipping charge at checkout versus receiving an unexpected customs bill at their door when the parcel is withheld for payment.

Shopify international shipping setup after WooCommerce (2026)