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. 100% free, no signup.
No paywalls. No subscriptions. Just instant, professional legal documents.
Choose Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, or Amazon FBA and get language tailored to that platform's expectations, checkout flow, and customer communication standards.
Automatically includes customs duties disclaimers, international delivery windows, and carrier-specific language for cross-border orders to protect you from disputes.
Includes clear procedures for lost or delayed packages, tracking notification language, and who to contact — reducing customer service inquiries significantly.
Everything you need to know about Shipping Policies
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'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.
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.
Higher support volume, more chargebacks, FTC compliance risk, cart abandonment from anxious shoppers, and Google Shopping policy violations that can get your products delisted.
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.
Every clause your store needs to set clear expectations from click to doorstep.
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.
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.
Estimated delivery windows for standard, expedited, and overnight options within your country. Ranges rather than exact dates set realistic expectations and reduce disappointment.
Which countries you ship to, estimated international delivery times, and the critical disclaimer that customs duties and import taxes are the customer's responsibility.
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.
When customers receive tracking, what carrier platform to use, and how long after shipping it typically takes for tracking to activate and show movement.
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.
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.
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.
The questions that come up once you start actually shipping orders
A shipping policy takes five minutes to generate. It shouldn't require a monthly subscription.
| Feature | FreeTOS | Termly | TermsFeed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $14/mo | $9/mo |
| No Signup Required | Yes | No | No |
| PDF Download | Free | 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 |
Where to put it so customers actually find it before they order, not after.