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FreeTOS›Shipping Policy Generator

Free Shipping Policy Generator

Generate a professional shipping and delivery policy for your online store in 60 seconds. Covers domestic shipping, international orders, free shipping thresholds, tracking, and lost packages.

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AI-Generated Content
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Shopify & WooCommerce Ready

Why Use FreeTOS for Your Shipping Policy?

Just instant, professional legal documents.

Platform-Specific Templates

Choose Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, or Amazon FBA and get language tailored to that platform's expectations, checkout flow, and customer communication standards.

International Shipping Clauses

Automatically includes customs duties disclaimers, international delivery windows, and carrier-specific language for cross-border orders to protect you from disputes.

Lost Package & Tracking

Includes clear procedures for lost or delayed packages, tracking notification language, and who to contact: reducing customer service inquiries significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Shipping Policies

A shipping policy should cover: processing times, shipping carriers used, estimated delivery windows for domestic and international orders, free shipping thresholds, tracking information, lost or damaged package procedures, and any restrictions on where you ship.
Yes: Shopify recommends a shipping policy and provides a dedicated page for it in your store settings. Many customers check shipping policies before purchasing, and having a clear policy reduces customer support inquiries about delivery times and costs.
Your policy should clearly state your process: how long to wait before reporting (typically 10 to 14 business days after estimated delivery), whether you or the customer files the carrier claim, and your resolution policy: reship, refund, or store credit.
Customs duties and import taxes are the customer's responsibility. Your shipping policy should explicitly state this and note that you cannot predict customs charges, as they vary by country and are set by local customs authorities, not by your store.
A free shipping threshold is a minimum order value qualifying for free shipping (e.g., "Free shipping on orders over $50"). Your policy should clearly state the threshold, any exclusions (heavy/oversized items, international orders), and whether it applies before or after discounts.

Further Reading

Go deeper on this topic with our guide.

Blog Post
Shopify Legal Pages: The Complete Guide (Privacy Policy, ToS, Refund Policy)
Every legal page a Shopify store needs, what each one must include, and why Shopify Payments will hold your funds without them.

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Why a Shipping Policy Actually Matters

The most common e-commerce chargeback reason is "item not received." A shipping policy is your first line of defense.

"Where is my order?" is the single most common customer service question in e-commerce. Studies consistently put it at 30 to 40 percent of all support tickets. A clear shipping policy that customers can find before they buy answers this question before they even need to ask it. That alone is worth the five minutes it takes to set one up.

The FTC has actual rules about this.

The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires you to ship within the time you advertise, or within 30 days if you don't specify. If you can't ship on time, you must notify the customer and give them the option to cancel for a full refund. Violating this rule can result in FTC civil penalties of up to $51,744 per violation. Most small businesses don't know this rule exists, which makes the penalty even more avoidable.

Beyond the FTC, "item not received" disputes are the most common chargeback type in e-commerce, accounting for roughly 30% of all disputes according to Chargebacks911's annual report. Each dispute costs $15 to $100 in fees, takes hours to respond to, and risks your payment processing account if your ratio gets too high. A shipping policy that clearly explains processing times, carrier tracking, and what happens with lost packages gives you a documented paper trail to fight those disputes.

Platform requirements matter too. Google Shopping requires a visible return and shipping policy for all merchants. Shopify Payments expects one in your store settings. If you're selling on Amazon's marketplace, it's required. Many customers, especially those buying from an unfamiliar store for the first time, look for the shipping policy before deciding to purchase. Research from the Baymard Institute found that 46% of shoppers abandon carts specifically because of shipping-related concerns at checkout. A clear, confidence-building shipping policy directly addresses that abandonment.

International shipping adds another layer. Customs delays, import duties, and restricted items vary enormously by country. Without a policy that sets expectations about these realities, you get angry customers blaming you for a two-week customs hold-up that you had zero control over. And then they file a dispute. A good shipping policy manages expectations so customers are prepared for realities that are genuinely outside your control.

Who Needs One

Any store that ships physical products, whether you're fulfilling in-house, using dropshipping, or working with a 3PL. If you charge for shipping or offer free shipping, you need this documented.

Without One

Higher support volume, more chargebacks, FTC compliance risk, cart abandonment from anxious shoppers, and Google Shopping policy violations that can get your products delisted.

With a Good One

Fewer "where is my order" tickets, stronger chargeback dispute evidence, higher conversion from first-time buyers, and full FTC compliance for your order fulfillment timeline.

What's Included in Your Generated Shipping Policy

Every clause your store needs to set clear expectations from click to doorstep.

Processing Time

How long it takes to prepare an order for shipment after it's placed. Standard is 1 to 3 business days. This is separate from delivery time and often confuses customers if not explained clearly.

Carrier Options

Which carriers you use: USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, or a combination. Customers want to know which carrier is delivering so they can track appropriately and know where to look for their package.

Domestic Shipping Times

Estimated delivery windows for standard, expedited, and overnight options within your country. Ranges rather than exact dates set realistic expectations and reduce disappointment.

International Shipping

Which countries you ship to, estimated international delivery times, and the critical disclaimer that customs duties and import taxes are the customer's responsibility.

Shipping Costs and Free Shipping

How shipping is calculated (flat rate, weight-based, carrier-calculated), your free shipping threshold if you have one, and any exclusions for oversized or heavy items.

Tracking Information

When customers receive tracking, what carrier platform to use, and how long after shipping it typically takes for tracking to activate and show movement.

Lost or Stolen Package Policy

How long to wait before reporting a missing package, who files the carrier claim, and what your resolution is: reship, refund, or store credit. Critical for managing chargeback disputes.

Holiday Shipping Cutoffs

The framework for communicating holiday order deadlines, with a note that specific dates will be posted seasonally. Manages expectations during the busiest and most dispute-prone time of year.

Address Change Policy

Whether and how customers can update their shipping address after placing an order, what the window is before the order ships, and what happens if a package is sent to a wrong address.

More Shipping Policy Questions

The questions that come up once you start actually shipping orders

Be honest and pad it slightly. If you typically ship same day, say 1 to 2 business days. If you batch ship twice a week, say 3 to 5 business days. The biggest mistake is promising a processing time you can't consistently hit. Customers forgive longer wait times when they're set as expectations. They file disputes when an order takes longer than your stated processing time with no communication. Whatever you put in your policy, make sure you can reliably beat it during your busiest weeks too.
You don't have to, but the data strongly suggests it helps. Baymard Institute research consistently shows that unexpected shipping costs at checkout are the number one reason for cart abandonment. A free shipping threshold (like "free on orders over $50") captures most of the conversion benefit while keeping your margins intact. Many stores find that customers deliberately add items to hit the free shipping threshold, actually increasing average order value. Whether free shipping makes sense depends entirely on your margins and product weights.
For domestic US shipping: USPS is cheapest for small packages under 1 lb, UPS and FedEx are more competitive for heavier packages and offer better tracking. For international: USPS First Class International is the cheapest but slowest. DHL Express is fast but expensive. UPS and FedEx have reasonable international rates with good tracking. Most small e-commerce operations start with USPS and add UPS or FedEx as they scale. Shopify Shipping offers discounts on all major carriers that are often better than retail rates, even compared to a business account.
First, check the tracking status and wait the full window before declaring it lost (10 to 15 business days after the last tracking scan for domestic, longer for international). Then file a claim with the carrier. USPS allows claims for Priority Mail after 15 days. UPS and FedEx have their own claims processes. Most carriers require the shipper, not the customer, to file the claim. Your policy should tell customers to contact you rather than the carrier directly. For resolution, you have three options: reship, refund, or store credit. What you offer depends on your margins and the situation, but reshipping is usually fastest for customer satisfaction.
No, and it's completely fine to start domestic-only. International shipping adds complexity around customs forms, prohibited item lists, longer transit times, and customer service for delayed shipments. If you do decide to ship internationally, start with a few low-risk countries (Canada, UK, Australia) before opening up everywhere. Your shipping policy should clearly list which countries you ship to, and your product pages should ideally show shipping costs and estimated times for the customer's location. Never just say "we ship worldwide" without thinking it through.
USPS delivers to P.O. boxes. FedEx and UPS do not. If you ship exclusively with FedEx or UPS, your checkout and your policy need to say clearly that P.O. box addresses are not accepted. If you use USPS for standard shipping, P.O. boxes are fine. If you offer multiple carrier options, consider noting on your checkout that expedited or express shipping options may not be available to P.O. boxes. Getting this wrong results in a returned package, a reshipping cost, and a frustrated customer, all of which are avoidable with one clear line in your policy.
Post specific order-by dates prominently on your homepage and product pages starting in late November. Carriers publish their holiday cutoff dates each year, usually by early November. Add a banner to your site, update your shipping policy page with the current season's cutoffs, and consider adding the dates to your order confirmation email. The standard approach is something like "Order by December 15 for standard shipping delivery by December 24." Being specific and proactive prevents the wave of "my order won't arrive in time" support tickets and disputes that hit most e-commerce stores in the last two weeks of December.

FreeTOS vs Paid Policy Generators

A shipping policy takes five minutes to generate. It shouldn't require a monthly subscription.

Feature FreeTOS Termly TermsFeed
Price $19 a month $14/mo $9/mo
PDF Download Included Paid Paid
Processing Time Clause Yes Yes Yes
International Shipping Section Yes Yes Yes
Lost Package Policy Yes Yes Yes
AI-Tailored Output Yes Template Template

How to Add Your Shipping Policy to Your Store

Where to put it so customers actually find it before they order, not after.

Shopify

  1. Go to Settings, then Policies in Shopify Admin
  2. Paste your shipping policy into the Shipping Policy field
  3. Save and Shopify creates a /policies/shipping-policy page automatically
  4. Shopify links it in your checkout footer automatically
  5. Add it to your footer navigation under Online Store, then Navigation
  6. Consider adding a shipping summary on product pages via a metafield or app
  7. Link to it from your FAQ page and any cart or checkout messaging

WooCommerce

  1. Create a new WordPress page titled "Shipping Policy"
  2. Paste the HTML content in the HTML editor and publish
  3. Go to WooCommerce, then Settings, then Advanced
  4. Link the Shipping Policy page in the appropriate field
  5. WooCommerce will display the link at checkout
  6. Add it to your main footer menu under Appearance, then Menus
  7. Add a short shipping summary widget to your cart sidebar if your theme supports it

Maximum Visibility Tips

  1. Footer link on every page (non-negotiable)
  2. A shipping info bar at the top of the page ("Free shipping over $50 | Ships in 1-3 days")
  3. Product page shipping estimate section
  4. Cart page shipping notice or calculator
  5. Order confirmation email shipping summary with tracking link
  6. Shipping delay banner during high-volume periods or carrier disruptions
FTC compliance reminder: Under the FTC's 30-day rule, if you don't specify a shipping timeframe, you're implicitly promising to ship within 30 days. If you can't meet your stated timeframe, you must notify the customer and give them a chance to cancel. Put a realistic processing time in your policy and make sure your fulfillment operations can consistently meet it. Vague language like "ships soon" is not sufficient and puts you in a worse position legally than stating a specific range.