How to Set Up Shopify Shipping for Chile

Why Doesn't Shopify Come Ready for Chile?

Shopify is a global platform. Its default shipping options are designed for the United States and Canada. When you create your store, the shipping zones are blank and the built-in integrations are with UPS, USPS, and FedEx.

For Chile, you have to configure everything manually. It is not hard, but if you do not get it right, you will run into problems: customers who cannot check out because their region does not appear, rates that do not match, or orders you cannot fulfill.

Step by Step: Shipping Zones

Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery in your Shopify admin. Create zones:

Zone 1 -- Metropolitan Region (Santiago)

• Flat or calculated rate. If you go with a flat rate, something between CLP 3,000 and 4,500 works for most products.
• Delivery: 1-2 business days.

Zone 2 -- Central Regions (V, VI, VII, VIII)

• Slightly higher rate: CLP 4,000 to 6,000.
• Delivery: 2-3 business days.

Zone 3 -- North and South

• Costs go up here. CLP 5,000 to 9,000 depending on weight.
• Delivery: 3-5 business days.

Zone 4 -- Remote Regions (Arica, Punta Arenas, Aysen)

• Consider whether it is worth offering service here, or offer shipping via Correos de Chile (cheaper but slower).

Tip: Shopify lets you create weight-based rates. Use them. A 500 g product should not cost the same to ship as a 5 kg one.

Which Courier Apps Should I Use?

The best options for Chile:

• Chilexpress for Shopify. Official app on the Shopify App Store. Calculates real-time rates and generates labels. The integration works well but requires a contract with Chilexpress.

• Enviame. A multi-courier platform that integrates with Shopify. It lets you choose among Chilexpress, Starken, BluExpress, and others from a single dashboard. Useful if you want to compare prices per shipment.

• Shipit. Similar to Enviame. Aggregates couriers, generates labels, and sends tracking info automatically to the customer.

• Manual setup. If you ship just a few orders, you can simply set flat rates per zone and create shipments directly on the courier's website. Not scalable, but it works to get started.

Three Settings Most People Forget

1. In-store pickup / pickup points. If you have a physical location or a pickup spot, enable it. In Chile, many customers prefer to pick up their order to save on shipping. Activate it under Settings > Shipping > Local pickup.

2. Conditional free shipping. Under Shipping and delivery you can create a CLP 0 rate that only applies above a certain order amount. Set it up as an incentive to boost the average ticket.

3. Delivery estimate in the checkout. Shopify lets you add a name to each shipping rate. Instead of "Standard shipping," use "Standard shipping (3-5 business days)." The customer needs to know when their order arrives before they pay.

Shipping is where it becomes most obvious that you are selling from Chile on a global platform. Spend an afternoon configuring it properly and you will save yourself a lot of headaches.

Need help setting up shipping on your Shopify store? It is one of the most common services we provide at Mi Primera Tienda.