Skip to main content

Configure domestic and international shipping options in fulfillment policies you create. Call createFulfillmentPolicy to create a fulfillment policy, or multiple policies, that configure a seller's different shipping options.

If you need to configure different sets of shipping options (for example, if you need special shipping options for extra-large items), you can configure multiple fulfillment policies where each policy contains a different set of shipping options. Then when creating an inventory items, point to the fulfillment policy that contains the shipping options that are appropriate for each item. If a seller list items in different marketplaces, they need to create at least one fulfillment policy (with the appropriate shipping options) for each marketplace on which they list items.

The interfaces allow you to configure different sets of domestic and international shipping options, and any fulfillment policy can include and exclude specific regions where you do and don't ship. The ability to create customized shipping options that you assign to one or more items gives you complete control over the shipping options you provide for your buyers in the marketplaces where you sell.

The shippingOptions container

Each fulfillment policy has a shippingOptions container that configures all the domestic and international shipping options supported by that policy. shippingOptions takes a list with one or two ShippingOption elements, and each element defines either a DOMESTIC or INTERNATIONAL shipping option. Because international shipping options are optional, it's possible to have a fulfillment policy that configures just a domestic shipping option.

The heart of a shipping option

The snippet below shows the fundamental fields of a ShippingOption element. While other fields let further tailor a shipping option, these are the fields that form the basis of the shipping services supported by the parent fulfillment policy:

{
  "shippingOptions": [
    {
      "costType": "ShippingCostTypeEnum : [CALCULATED, FLAT_RATE, NOT_SPECIFIED]",
      "optionType": "ShippingOptionTypeEnum : [DOMESTIC, INTERNATIONAL]",
      "shippingServices": [
        {
          "shippingCarrierCode": "string",
          "shippingServiceCode": "string"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Domestic and international shipping options

Use "domestic shipping" when the origin and destination of the shipment is within the same country, and configure "international shipping' if your shipments must cross a customs boarder. eBay supports different shipping carriers and shipping services that you configure with each option, and you can configure different options for the different marketplaces you sell into.

You configure domestic and international options using separate ShippingOption elements, where each element defines the shipping services offered for either DOMESTIC or INTERNATIONAL shipping.

Tip: When you begin setting up shipping policies, start by configuring up a default domestic shipping service. If needed, add a default international option to your default policy. For special shipping needs, create different fulfillment policies to handle your custom orders.

Cost types

The costType enumeration type defines three different "types" of shipping services, FLAT_RATE, CALCULATED, and NOT_SPECIFIED (for freight services and local pickup).

  • Flat-rate shipping services offer shipping at a fixed rate, regardless of the weight of the package and the distance shipped. While some flat-rate services confine the shipments to specifically-sized packages, some offer the same rate regardless of the package size (up to a threshold).
  • Calculated shipping services offer shipping at a rates that vary depending on the package dimensions, weight, and distance shipped.
  • Freight shipping services offer shipping for items that are heavier or larger than can be shipped with standard flat-rate or calculated shipping services.

Shipping services

The shippingServices container configures the specific shipping-carrier services supported by a shipping option:

  • Shipping carriers are the companies that ship orders, such as "FedEx," "UPS," (United Parcel Service), and so on.
  • Shipping services are the individual services that each carrier offers. These are the various methods the carrier uses to ship your orders; for example, "FedEx Priority Overnight" or "UPS Worldwide Express."

Tip: Jump in and configure a basic shipping option with How to set up free shipping (seller pays). For the a detailed discussion on setting up services, see Configuring shipping services.

How-to guides on setting up shipping options

Virtually all sellers configure a domestic shipping option and the most straight-forward shipping policy you can set up is the one where the seller offers "free shipping."

The How To guides below progress through a series of examples that detail how set up your shipping options, from the most straight-forward setup to the more feature-rich configurations.

Setting up domestic shipping options

Setting up international shipping options

After configuring domestic shipping options, you may want to add international regions to the shipping services you offer: