If you want to offer a differentiated tariff per region (capital, metro area, interior, abroad, etc.), the way to do it is to create several shipping methods with regional names. The platform has no automatic buyer geolocation and no filters by zip code — each "zone" is simply another shipping method, configured with its own surcharge, discount and notes. The buyer picks the zone manually at checkout.
Setting up zones
In Settings → Wholesale → Payments and Shipping → Shipping you add one shipping method per region you want to differentiate. For example:
- Capital — low surcharge, notes with hours and coverage area.
- Metro area — medium surcharge, notes with dispatch days.
- Interior by carrier — higher surcharge, notes indicating the carrier's freight is paid separately on delivery.
- Pickup at warehouse — no surcharge, notes with address and hours.
- International — high percentage surcharge, notes with customs conditions.
Each one is loaded like any other shipping method: you create it from the "Search or add" combo (or pick it from the suggested list), configure surcharge or discount (in $ or %) and fill in the notes the buyer will see when selecting that zone at checkout.
For details on how to configure each shipping method and which fields each one has, see Shipping configuration.
Free shipping
Free shipping isn't defined at the shipping method level — it lives in two other screens:
- Volume discount tiers (
niveldescuento/free-shipping): when a buyer hits a tier configured by order amount, you can enable the "Free shipping" toggle as one of the tier's benefits. Useful to drive larger orders — when the threshold is crossed, the buyer pays no shipping. - "Free shipping" coupons (
:cupon/promo :free-shipping): when the buyer applies a coupon of this type at checkout, the shipping cost is set to zero. Useful for one-off campaigns or as an incentive inside Auto-seller messages (cart recovery, first purchase, etc.). See Coupons.
When either mechanism applies, the cost of the chosen shipping method is automatically waived for that order — no need to touch the configured zone.
What does NOT exist
- ❌ Automatic geolocation: the platform doesn't detect where the buyer is, doesn't filter zones by zip code, doesn't block zones based on location. The buyer picks the zone.
- ❌ Cross-validation with address: if the buyer picks "Capital" but the delivery address is in the interior, the platform won't catch it automatically. Operational coordination is on the manager.
- ❌ Rates by zip code or distance: each zone is a fixed surcharge (% or $). There's no dynamic calculation by kilometers, weight, or exact destination.
Tips
- Name zones clearly and recognizably (CABA, GBA Norte, GBA Sur, Interior, Patagonia, Abroad). The easier to identify, the fewer buyer-selection mistakes.
- Use Notes to clarify each zone: which cities it includes, dispatch lead time, carrier covering it, special terms. That's critical operational info and prevents complaints.
- When logistics reality changes (a carrier drops a zone, a region moves from free shipping to a surcharge, etc.), update both the shipping method and the Notes — buyers re-read on each new order.
- Combine zones with Volume discount tiers + free shipping: you set surcharges per zone and waive them all at the top tier, creating a clear incentive for large orders from any region.
- If you pick the wrong zone on an order, edit the order from the detail (the shipping method changes and the total is recalculated) — you don't need to cancel and rebuild it.