During the app installation the Octolize Distance Based Rates rates will be automatically added for the currently existing Shipping zones in the Shopify settings at Settings → Shipping and delivery → Shipping zones:
If for some reason this does not happen and the Octolize Distance Based Rates app’s rates have not been added there by default (i.e. if a given shipping zone was created after the app had already been installed), use the + Add shipping option button to do it manually.
In the window that appears, select the following options in order:
- Rate type: Carrier or app calculated
- Carrier or app: Octolize Distance Based Rates (Rates provided by app),
then confirm everything by clicking Done:
Once the app installation process is complete, you should be automatically redirected to the app’s General Settings screen:
Octolize Distance Based Rates settings
General
Enable distance-based shipping cost calculation in your store – tick this checkbox to activate the Octolize Distance Based Rates app functionalities or untick it to deactivate them globally.
Google Maps API key * (required) – paste your own Google Maps API key to be used for the distance calculation.
If you do not have your own Google Maps API Key yet, find out how to obtain it →
After entering the Google Maps API key * and saving the changes, the Google Maps API connection status should change to Connected:
Click the Rates & Locations option in the app’s main nav menu to proceed to the next configuration screen:
Rates & Locations
This screen contains a table with all the Locations you ship from that are configured in your Shopify Settings → Locations, along with the distance-based rates you add for shipping from these locations.
On this screen you can:
- See the list of existing Locations,
- Check the Status of each Location, including which are currently Active or Inactive,
- Add a new Distance-based rate for a given Location using the + button in the Actions column,
- Open the configuration screen for a specific Distance-based rate added for a Location,
- Delete an existing Distance-based rate when it’s no longer needed.
The locations visible here are not added manually — they are automatically synced from the settings mentioned above, so if you have previously configured them there, their details will be automatically imported and displayed in the Rates & Locations table above.
To modify the way the currently existing locations are configured and to manage their status, go to Shopify Settings → Locations. All the changes made there will be reflected in the Rates & Locations table as well.
Adding distance-based rates for a specific Location
To add a new Distance-based rate for shipping from a specific Location, click the plus icon button + in the Action column next to that Location:
You will be redirected to the next screen, where you can start…
Configuring the distance-based rates
Status
Enable distance-based rates for shipping from {location_name} – tick this checkbox to activate this shipping method in your store, calculate its rates based on distance, and make them available for customers to select at checkout.
If unchecked, this shipping method will not be used for rate calculation or shown to customers at checkout, so it can be used to quickly and temporarily disable a shipping method with distance-based rates.
A shipping method with distance-based rates disabled this way will be marked as Inactive:
Shipping method
Shipping method name * – enter a name for the shipping method with distance-based delivery cost calculation that will be displayed to your customers at checkout.
Please mind that if you ship your products from multiple locations, it is highly advised to use the same Shipping method name for all of them. This ensures they are displayed as one and that the distance-based delivery costs are correctly summed up at checkout.
Shipping method description – enter an additional description for this shipping method, which will be displayed below its name at checkout. You can use the {{distance}} shortcode in this field to show your customers the numerical value of the distance to their delivery address.
Filling in the Shipping method description field with the following content:
will result in the distance being displayed at the checkout the following way:
Distance
Distance units * – choose whether the kilometers or miles should be used for the distance calculation.
Distance calculation method * – decide how the distance between this location and the customer’s delivery address should be calculated by selecting one of the available options:
- Driving route – uses Google Maps to calculate the actual distance that needs to be traveled to go from one point to another using the roads or routes available on the map. It considers the roads, turns, traffic and any obstacles along the way,
- Straight line – calculates the direct distance between two points (shop or warehouse location and delivery address) in a straight line (“as the crow flies”), without the actual path’s specifics or any existing obstacles being considered on the way.
Please mind that the Driving route must be geographically possible to be used for the calculation. If the Distance calculation method is set to Driving route and there are no direct car routes between the location you ship your products from and the ‘Ship to’ address the customer entered at the checkout, the app will not be able to calculate the distance.
If the Driving route has been selected, an additional Travel mode * option will appear below:
Travel mode * – specify the transportation mode to be used for the distance calculation by choosing one of the available options:
- Driving – standard distance calculation using the road network,
- Cycling – distance calculation using the cycling paths and preferred streets (where available),
- Walking – distance calculation using the pedestrian paths and sidewalks (where available).
Cost calculation
Delivery cost calculation method * – select the way how the distance-based delivery cost should be calculated when shipping from this location by choosing one of the available options:
Flat rate for distance range (e.g. $5 for 0-20 mi/km, $10 for 20-50 mi/km)
– select to calculate shipping cost using fixed prices for defined distance ranges.
Once selected, you can define multiple distance ranges with corresponding delivery costs using the fields displayed below:
- For distance from
- to
- set shipping cost to *
Use the + plus icon button to add as many distance ranges as you need, or the Trash icon button to delete the ones you don’t need anymore:
If the distance between the location and the delivery destination falls within a given range, the defined cost for that range will be applied, e.g.:
- If the distance to the delivery address is 7.03 mi, the shipping cost will be $5, since it falls within the first distance range.
- If the distance to the delivery address is 32.64 mi, the delivery cost will be $10, since it falls within the second distance range.
- If the distance to the delivery address is 52.17 mi, the delivery cost will be $20, since it falls within the third distance range.
- etc.
Rate per distance (e.g. $/mi)
– select to calculate shipping cost based on the distance between the location and the delivery destination using a fixed rate per mi/km. The final delivery cost will be calculated by multiplying the distance by the configured rate.
Once selected, you can also define multiple distance ranges with corresponding rate per distance using the For distance from, to, and set shipping cost to * fields, as well as add and remove the distance ranges with the + plus and Trash icon buttons.
Unlike the Flat rate for distance range this calculation method multiplies the actual delivery distance by the configured rate for the matching range. So, if you set up distance ranges for the Rate per distance option, i.e., this way:
the delivery cost will be calculated as follows:
- If the distance to the delivery address is 3.66 mi, the delivery cost will be 3.66 mi × $2/mi (rate from the 1st distance range) = $7.32.
- If the distance to the delivery address is 7.96 mi, the delivery cost will be 7.96 mi × $3/mi (rate from the 2nd distance range) = $23.88.
- If the distance to the delivery address is 18.01 mi, the delivery cost will be 18.01 mi × $5/mi (rate from the 4th distance range) = $90.05.
- etc.
Please note that when the Delivery cost calculation method: * Rate per distance option is selected, an additional Set the base delivery cost to field appears at the bottom. It allows you to define a fixed ‘starting fee’ that is always added to the final delivery cost.
For example:
If the base delivery cost is set to $10 and the distance to the delivery address is 11.68 mi, the delivery cost will be $10 (base delivery cost) + 11.68 mi × $4/mi (rate from the 3rd distance range) = $56.72.