Configuring Shipping Carriers
Official guide · English · Version 9c253d0cf11816df
The Carriers page lets you connect shipping carriers to your account, compare rates, test connections, and manage carrier settings. DirectSale supports both direct carriers (e.g., Royal Mail, DHL, FedEx) and multi-carrier aggregators (e.g., Shippo, Parcel2Go) that provide access to multiple carriers through a single API.
Accessing the Carriers Page
Navigate to Dashboard > Shipping > Carriers (or go directly to /dashboard/shipping/carriers).
Page Overview
The Carriers page is organized into four main sections:
- Rate Comparison Tool -- Compare estimated shipping rates across carriers before adding them
- Your Carriers -- Manage carriers you have already connected
- Add Carrier -- Step-by-step wizard to connect a new carrier
- Live Rate Testing -- Test real-time rates from your connected carriers
1. Rate Comparison Tool
Before adding carriers, you can compare rates across all available carriers for a given route. This helps you decide which carriers to connect.
How to Compare Rates
- Enter the From Country and From Postcode (your dispatch location).
- Enter the To Country and To Postcode (the destination).
- Enter the package Weight (kg).
- Optionally enter package dimensions (Length, Width, Height in cm).
- Click "Compare Rates".
Understanding Rate Results
The comparison table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Carrier | The name of the carrier. The cheapest option is highlighted with a "Cheapest" badge. |
| Service | The specific shipping service (e.g., "Next Day", "Standard Parcel"). |
| Delivery | Estimated delivery time in days. |
| Price | The shipping cost in the appropriate currency. |
| Source | Where the rate data comes from (e.g., "Shippo", "Parcel2Go", or "Estimated"). |
| Tracked | Whether the service includes tracking. |
| Action | A quick "Add Carrier" button that scrolls to the add-carrier section. |
Info: Rates shown in the comparison tool may be estimated (based on historical data) or live (fetched from carrier APIs in real-time). The source column indicates which type of rate you are seeing. Estimated rates are approximate and actual rates may differ slightly.
2. Your Carriers
This section lists all carriers you have connected to your account. Each carrier is displayed as an expandable card.
Carrier Card Overview
Each carrier card shows:
- Carrier Name and carrier code
- Active/Inactive status indicator (green/gray dot)
- Multi-Carrier badge (if the carrier is an aggregator like Shippo)
- Sandbox badge (if the carrier is in test mode)
- Connection Status indicator (connected, failed, or untested)
- Active toggle to enable/disable the carrier
- Remove button to delete the carrier
Expanding a Carrier
Click on a carrier card to expand it and see detailed information:
Connection & Testing
- Sandbox Mode / Production Mode toggle -- Switch between test and live environments
- Test Connection button -- Verify that your API credentials are working
- Connection Status badge -- Shows "Connected", "Failed", or "Not Tested"
- Last Tested timestamp -- When the connection was last verified
Carrier Details (Read-Only View)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| API Key | Shown as masked dots if set, or "Not Set" if empty. |
| Account Number | Your carrier account number. |
| Sender Address | Your business name and dispatch address. |
| Markup | Any pricing markup applied to this carrier's rates (None, Fixed, or Percentage). |
Editing Carrier Settings
Click "Edit Settings" to modify a carrier's configuration:
API Credentials:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| API Key | Your carrier API key. Leave empty to keep the existing value. |
| API Secret | Your carrier API secret. Leave empty to keep the existing value. |
| Account Number | Your account or contract number with the carrier. |
Sender Address:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Sender Name | Your business name (used on shipping labels). |
| Street Address | The dispatch street address. |
| City | The dispatch city. |
| Postcode | The dispatch postal/ZIP code. |
| Country | The dispatch country (ISO 2-letter code, e.g., "US", "GB", "DE"). |
| Phone | A contact phone number for the sender. |
Pricing Options:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Markup Type | Choose from: None, Fixed Amount, or Percentage. |
| Markup Value | The markup amount. For percentage, enter a number like "10" for 10%. For fixed, enter the currency amount. |
| Default Carrier | Toggle to make this carrier the default when auto-selecting. |
Click "Save Changes" to apply your edits.
Removing a Carrier
- Click the red trash icon on the carrier card.
- Confirm the removal in the dialog.
Warning: Removing a carrier deletes all its configuration data including API credentials and sender address. Existing shipments that used this carrier are not affected, but no new shipments can be created with it.
3. Adding a New Carrier
The "Add Carrier" section at the bottom of the page guides you through a multi-step process.
Step 1: Select Country
Choose the country where your carriers operate. This determines which carrier templates are available (since carriers are region-specific).
Step 2: Select Carrier
Choose from the available carrier templates. The dropdown is organized into two groups:
- Direct Carriers -- Individual shipping companies (e.g., Royal Mail, USPS, DHL Express)
- Multi-Carrier Aggregators -- Platforms that provide access to multiple carriers through one API (e.g., Shippo, Parcel2Go)
Info: Multi-carrier aggregators are a convenient way to access many carriers with a single API key. They often offer negotiated rates that may be lower than direct carrier rates.
When you select a carrier, the Available Services are displayed (e.g., "Next Day Delivery", "Standard Parcel", "International Tracked").
Step 3: API Credentials
Enter the API credentials provided by the carrier or aggregator:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| API Key | The primary API key or token. |
| API Secret | A secondary secret or password (not all carriers require this). |
| Account Number | Your account or contract number (not all carriers require this). |
Step 4: Sender Address
Enter your dispatch (return) address:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Sender Name | Your business name. |
| Street Address | Your dispatch address. |
| City | The city. |
| Postcode | The postal/ZIP code. |
| Phone | A contact phone number. |
Step 5: Pricing & Markup
Configure pricing options:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Markup Type | Choose: None, Fixed Amount, or Percentage. |
| Markup Value | If a markup type is selected, enter the amount. |
| Set as Default | Toggle on to make this the default carrier for new shipments. |
Click "Add Carrier" to complete the setup.
4. Live Rate Testing
After connecting carriers, you can test live rates to verify they are working correctly.
How to Test Live Rates
- Scroll to the "Test Live Rates" section at the bottom of the page.
- Enter the following:
- Weight (kg) -- The package weight
- To Postcode -- The destination postal code
- To Country -- The destination country code (e.g., "US", "GB")
- Length, Width, Height (cm) -- Optional package dimensions
- Click "Get Live Rates".
Understanding Live Rate Results
The results table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Carrier | The carrier name. Cheapest option is highlighted. |
| Service | The shipping service name. |
| Delivery | Estimated delivery time. |
| Original Price | The carrier's base price before any markup. |
| Final Price | The price after your markup is applied. Shows the markup breakdown below. |
| Tracked | Whether tracking is included. |
| Mode | Whether the rate came from sandbox (test) or live (production) mode. |
Info: Live rates are fetched from your connected carriers' APIs in real-time. Make sure you have tested the connection (green "Connected" status) before testing live rates.
Sandbox vs. Production Mode
Each carrier can operate in Sandbox (Test) or Production (Live) mode:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Sandbox | Uses the carrier's test environment. Rates may differ from production. No real shipments are created. Useful for testing your setup. |
| Production | Uses the carrier's live environment. Real shipments are created and real charges apply. |
To toggle between modes:
- Expand the carrier card.
- Click the Sandbox/Production toggle.
- The connection status resets to "Untested" when switching modes (since credentials may differ between environments).
- Click "Test Connection" to verify the new mode works.
Warning: Always test your carrier configuration in Sandbox mode before switching to Production. Production mode creates real shipments and incurs real charges.
Best Practices
- Start with a multi-carrier aggregator if you are unsure which carriers to use. Aggregators like Shippo provide access to many carriers with one API key.
- Test connections after adding credentials to catch configuration errors early.
- Use sandbox mode first to verify everything works before going live.
- Apply markups strategically to cover handling costs or earn a margin on shipping.
- Set a default carrier to streamline the fulfillment process.
- Compare rates regularly to ensure you are offering competitive shipping prices to your customers.