The REST Admin API is a legacy API as of October 1, 2024. Starting April 1, 2025, all new public apps must be built exclusively with the GraphQL Admin API. For details and migration steps, visit our migration guide.
Carrier Service
shipping
access scope.A carrier service (also known as a carrier calculated service or shipping service) provides real-time shipping rates to Shopify. Some common carrier services include Canada Post, FedEx, UPS, and USPS. The term carrier is often used interchangeably with the terms shipping company and rate provider.
Using the CarrierService resource, you can add a carrier service to a shop and then provide a list of applicable shipping rates at checkout. You can even use the cart data to adjust shipping rates and offer shipping discounts based on what is in the customer's cart.
Requirements for accessing the CarrierService resource
To access the CarrierService resource, add the write_shipping
permission to your app's requested scopes. For more information, see API access scopes.
Your app's request to create a carrier service will fail unless the store installing your carrier service meets one of the following requirements:
- It's on the Advanced Shopify plan or higher.
- It's on the Shopify plan with yearly billing, or the carrier service feature has been added to the store for a monthly fee. For more information, contact Shopify Support.
- It's a development store.
If a store changes its Shopify plan, then the store's association with a carrier service is deactivated if the store no long meets one of the requirements above.
Providing shipping rates to Shopify
When adding a carrier service to a store, you need to provide a POST endpoint rooted in the callback_url
property where Shopify can retrieve applicable shipping rates. The callback URL should be a public endpoint that expects these requests from Shopify.
A sample Shopify request for shipping rates:
POSTYour callback URL
Retrieves a list of applicable shipping rates
Example shipping rate request sent to a carrier service
{ "rate": { "origin": { "country": "CA", "postal_code": "K2P1L4", "province": "ON", "city": "Ottawa", "name": null, "address1": "150 Elgin St.", "address2": "", "address3": null, "phone": null, "fax": null, "email": null, "address_type": null, "company_name": "Jamie D's Emporium" }, "destination": { "country": "CA", "postal_code": "K1M1M4", "province": "ON", "city": "Ottawa", "name": "Bob Norman", "address1": "24 Sussex Dr.", "address2": "", "address3": null, "phone": null, "fax": null, "email": null, "address_type": null, "company_name": null }, "items": [{ "name": "Short Sleeve T-Shirt", "sku": "", "quantity": 1, "grams": 1000, "price": 1999, "vendor": "Jamie D's Emporium", "requires_shipping": true, "taxable": true, "fulfillment_service": "manual", "properties": null, "product_id": 48447225880, "variant_id": 258644705304 }], "currency": "USD", "locale": "en" } }
{ "rates": [ { "service_name": "canadapost-overnight", "service_code": "ON", "total_price": "1295", "description": "This is the fastest option by far", "currency": "CAD", "min_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400", "max_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400" }, { "service_name": "fedex-2dayground", "service_code": "2D", "total_price": "2934", "currency": "USD", "min_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400", "max_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400" }, { "service_name": "fedex-priorityovernight", "service_code": "1D", "total_price": "3587", "currency": "USD", "min_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400", "max_delivery_date": "2013-04-12 14:48:45 -0400" } ] }
The address3
, fax
, address_type
, and company_name
fields are returned by specific ActiveShipping providers. For API-created carrier services, you should use only the following shipping address fields:
address1
address2
city
zip
province
country
Other values remain as null
and are not sent to the callback URL.
Response fields
When Shopify requests shipping rates using your callback URL, the response object rates
must be
a JSON array of objects with the following fields. Required fields must be included in the response for the carrier service integration to work properly.
Field | Description |
service_name required | The name of the rate, which customers see at checkout. For example: Expedited Mail . |
description required | A description of the rate, which customers see at checkout. For example: Includes tracking and insurance . |
service_code required | A unique code associated with the rate. For example: expedited_mail |
currency required | The currency of the shipping rate. |
total_price required | The total price expressed in subunits. If the currency doesn't use subunits, then the value must be multiplied by 100. For example: `"total_price": 500` for 5.00 CAD, `"total_price": 100000` for 1000 JPY. |
phone_required | Whether the customer must provide a phone number at checkout. |
min_delivery_date | The earliest delivery date for the displayed rate. |
max_delivery_date | The latest delivery date for the displayed rate to still be valid. |
Special conditions
- To indicate that this carrier service cannot handle this shipping request, return an empty array and any successful (20x) HTTP code.
- To force backup rates instead, return a 40x or 50x HTTP code with any content. A good choice is the regular 404 Not Found code.
- Redirects (30x codes) will only be followed for the same domain as the original callback URL. Attempting to redirect to a different domain will trigger backup rates.
- There is no retry mechanism. The response must be successful on the first try, within the time budget listed below. Timeouts or errors will trigger backup rates.
Response Timeouts
The read timeout for rate requests are dynamic, based on the number of requests per minute (RPM). These limits are applied to each shop-app pair. The timeout values are as follows.
RPM Range | Timeout |
Under 1500 | 10s |
1500 to 3000 | 5s |
Over 3000 | 3s |
Note: These values are upper limits and should not be interpretted as a goal to develop towards. Shopify is constantly evaluating the performance of the platform and working towards improving resilience as well as app capabilities. As such, these numbers may be adjusted outside of our normal versioning timelines.
Server-side caching of requests
Shopify provides server-side caching to reduce the number of requests it makes. Any shipping rate request that identically matches the following fields will be retrieved from Shopify's cache of the initial response:
- variant IDs
- default shipping box weight and dimensions
- variant quantities
- carrier service ID
- origin address
- destination address
- item weights and signatures
If any of these fields differ, or if the cache has expired since the original request, then new shipping rates are requested. The cache expires 15 minutes after rates are successfully returned. If an error occurs, then the cache expires after 30 seconds.
Endpoints
- post/admin/api/latest/carrier_
services. json Create a new CarrierService - get/admin/api/latest/carrier_
services. json Retrieve a list of CarrierServices - get/admin/api/latest/carrier_
services/{carrier_ service_ id}. json Receive a single CarrierService - put/admin/api/latest/carrier_
services/{carrier_ service_ id}. json Modify an existing CarrierService - del/admin/api/latest/carrier_
services/{carrier_ service_ id}. json Remove an existing CarrierService
The CarrierService resource
Properties
Whether this carrier service is active. If true
, then the service will be available to serve rates in checkout.
The URL endpoint that Shopify needs to retrieve shipping rates. This must be a public URL.
Distinguishes between API or legacy carrier services.
The ID of the carrier service.
The format of the data returned by the URL endpoint. json
is the only valid value.
The name of the shipping service as seen by merchants and their customers.
Whether merchants are able to send dummy data to your service through the Shopify admin to see shipping rate examples.
The GraphQL GID for this carrier service.
The CarrierService resource
Anchor to POST request, Create a new CarrierServicepostCreate a new Carrier Service
Create a carrier service
Create a carrier service
Show carrier_service properties
The name of the shipping service as seen by merchants and their customers.
The URL endpoint that Shopify needs to retrieve shipping rates. This must be a public URL.
Whether merchants are able to send dummy data to your service through the Shopify admin to see shipping rate examples.
/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_ services. json
Response
examples
Create a carrier service
curl -d '{"carrier_service":{"name":"Shipping Rate Provider","callback_url":"http://shipping.example.com","service_discovery":true}}' \ -X POST "https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_services.json" \ -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json"
const { admin, session } = await authenticate.admin(request); const carrier_service = new admin.rest.resources.CarrierService({session: session}); carrier_service.name = "Shipping Rate Provider"; carrier_service.callback_url = "http://shipping.example.com"; carrier_service.service_discovery = true; await carrier_service.save({ update: true, });
# Session is activated via Authentication test_session = ShopifyAPI::Context.active_session carrier_service = ShopifyAPI::CarrierService.new(session: test_session) carrier_service.name = "Shipping Rate Provider" carrier_service.callback_url = "http://shipping.example.com" carrier_service.service_discovery = true carrier_service.save!
// Session is built by the OAuth process const carrier_service = new shopify.rest.CarrierService({session: session}); carrier_service.name = "Shipping Rate Provider"; carrier_service.callback_url = "http://shipping.example.com"; carrier_service.service_discovery = true; await carrier_service.save({ update: true, });
response
HTTP/1.1 201 Created{"carrier_service":{"id":1036894959,"name":"Shipping Rate Provider","active":true,"service_discovery":true,"carrier_service_type":"api","admin_graphql_api_id":"gid://shopify/DeliveryCarrierService/1036894959","format":"json","callback_url":"http://shipping.example.com/"}}
Anchor to GET request, Retrieve a list of CarrierServicesgetRetrieve a list of Carrier Services
Retrieve a list of CarrierServices. Note: Only services with property active: true
are returned.
Retrieve a list of carrier services
Retrieve a list of carrier services
/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_ services. json
Response
examples
Retrieve a list of carrier services
curl -X GET "https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_services.json" \ -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}"
await admin.rest.resources.CarrierService.all({ session: session, });
# Session is activated via Authentication test_session = ShopifyAPI::Context.active_session ShopifyAPI::CarrierService.all( session: test_session, )
// Session is built by the OAuth process await shopify.rest.CarrierService.all({ session: session, });
response
HTTP/1.1 200 OK{"carrier_services":[{"id":1036894957,"name":"Purolator","active":true,"service_discovery":true,"carrier_service_type":"api","admin_graphql_api_id":"gid://shopify/DeliveryCarrierService/1036894957","format":"json","callback_url":"http://example.com/"},{"id":260046840,"name":"ups_shipping","active":true,"service_discovery":true,"carrier_service_type":"legacy","admin_graphql_api_id":"gid://shopify/DeliveryCarrierService/260046840"}]}
Anchor to GET request, Receive a single CarrierServicegetReceive a single Carrier Service
Get a single carrier service by its ID
Get a single carrier service by its ID
/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_ services/1036894954. json
Response
examples
Get a single carrier service by its ID
curl -X GET "https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_services/1036894954.json" \ -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}"
await admin.rest.resources.CarrierService.find({ session: session, id: 1036894954, });
# Session is activated via Authentication test_session = ShopifyAPI::Context.active_session ShopifyAPI::CarrierService.find( session: test_session, id: 1036894954, )
// Session is built by the OAuth process await shopify.rest.CarrierService.find({ session: session, id: 1036894954, });
response
HTTP/1.1 200 OK{"carrier_service":{"id":1036894954,"name":"Purolator","active":true,"service_discovery":true,"carrier_service_type":"api","admin_graphql_api_id":"gid://shopify/DeliveryCarrierService/1036894954","format":"json","callback_url":"http://example.com/"}}
Anchor to PUT request, Modify an existing CarrierServiceputModify an existing Carrier Service
Updates a carrier service. Only the app that creates a carrier service can update it.
Update a carrier service
Update a carrier service
Show carrier_service properties
The ID of the carrier service.
The name of the shipping service as seen by merchants and their customers.
Whether this carrier service is active. If true
, then the service will be available to serve rates in checkout.
/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_ services/1036894956. json
Response
examples
Update a carrier service
curl -d '{"carrier_service":{"id":1036894956,"name":"Some new name","active":false}}' \ -X PUT "https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_services/1036894956.json" \ -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json"
const { admin, session } = await authenticate.admin(request); const carrier_service = new admin.rest.resources.CarrierService({session: session}); carrier_service.id = 1036894956; carrier_service.name = "Some new name"; carrier_service.active = false; await carrier_service.save({ update: true, });
# Session is activated via Authentication test_session = ShopifyAPI::Context.active_session carrier_service = ShopifyAPI::CarrierService.new(session: test_session) carrier_service.id = 1036894956 carrier_service.name = "Some new name" carrier_service.active = false carrier_service.save!
// Session is built by the OAuth process const carrier_service = new shopify.rest.CarrierService({session: session}); carrier_service.id = 1036894956; carrier_service.name = "Some new name"; carrier_service.active = false; await carrier_service.save({ update: true, });
response
HTTP/1.1 200 OK{"carrier_service":{"active":false,"id":1036894956,"name":"Some new name","service_discovery":true,"carrier_service_type":"api","admin_graphql_api_id":"gid://shopify/DeliveryCarrierService/1036894956","format":"json","callback_url":"http://example.com/"}}
Anchor to DELETE request, Remove an existing CarrierServicedelRemove an existing Carrier Service
Delete a carrier service
Delete a carrier service
/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_ services/1036894955. json
Response
examples
Delete a carrier service
curl -X DELETE "https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-07/carrier_services/1036894955.json" \ -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}"
await admin.rest.resources.CarrierService.delete({ session: session, id: 1036894955, });
# Session is activated via Authentication test_session = ShopifyAPI::Context.active_session ShopifyAPI::CarrierService.delete( session: test_session, id: 1036894955, )
// Session is built by the OAuth process await shopify.rest.CarrierService.delete({ session: session, id: 1036894955, });
response
HTTP/1.1 200 OK{}