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Most Magento 2 store owners assume that their online store’s success is dependent upon the product alone. However, what they fail to understand is that success in eCommerce is multifaceted. Focusing on one aspect alone is a recipe for disaster. Instead, stores need to adopt a comprehensive strategy, integrating various aspects of the store, including shipping management.
The right shipping configurations can ensure faster delivery and reduced overall costs. When talking about the configurations, it is important to review the Magento 2 shipping restrictions as well. After all, the shipping restrictions help stores comply with regulations, enhance customer satisfaction, and more. In this article, we will discuss the top Magento 2 shipping restrictions which every store owner must implement.
1. Geographical
One of the most basic, yet very important restriction is geographical. Naturally, every country has different import/export requirements. For example, Muslims do not consume alcohol or pork. Thus, exporting such items to Muslim countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Indonesia is not a straightforward process.
The store owner may need to obtain a permit or ship it after only adhering to special requirements, such as packaging. Even within countries, states/provinces might have different requirements. Thus, ensuring you have set up the required restrictions ensures compliance.
2. Product Based
Another equally important shipping restriction is referred to as product based. Suppose your store deals with a variety of chemicals which can be classified as hazardous materials. Of course, these products cannot be shipped in the same way as an everyday item like a piece of clothing. Instead, they require special packaging and only a handful of shipping carriers may be allowed to deal in such products.
Apart from hazardous materials, product-based restrictions also apply to perishable goods. Naturally, it is difficult to ship perishable goods like fruits and vegetables across the country. Thus, store owners have no option but to restrict the product’s shipping to certain areas only. Also, perishable goods can be shipped in special vehicles which have cold storage options.
Apart from hazardous and perishable items, other items may also require special considerations. One such item is prescription drugs. For starters, to ship prescription drugs, you may require a special licence, depending upon where you live or operate. Secondly, it is important to use secure packaging. Knowing how to safely ship prescription drugs is imperative if you wish to avoid legal hassle.
3. Customer Based
In certain cases, store owners need to set up customer-based shipping restrictions. Every business has at least two categories of customers. First are the infrequent buyers. These customers buy a product occasionally. The second are the frequent buyers. They are the repeat customers and most valuable to the store in terms of sales. Naturally, you would want to reward the loyal customers. Therefore, certain stores limit the top-end shippers to the loyal customers alone.
4. Order Value
Next, we have the order value restrictions. It involves setting up restrictions based on the order value. For instance, you can create a rule that shipping company A is only available for orders that are $100 or greater. For orders less than $100, A is unavailable. Instead, customers can opt for company B or C. This shipping restriction is ideal for stores dealing in high-value products.
Suppose you are an online jewellery store. You offer artificial, gold, diamond, platinum, palladium, and other types of jewellery. Now, if a customer has ordered a custom diamond ring, it makes little sense to send it via a standard shipping carrier given the item’s value. Instead, the store must send it via a carrier which offers insurance and fast shipment for peace of mind.
Considering the high costs and competition, eCommerce store owners need to capitalise on every opportunity to reduce their costs. While shipping restrictions can help a great deal, there are other ways shipping can help bring down costs. For further information, refer to our guide on ‘Maximize eCommerce Profits Using These 9 Shipping Tips’.
5. Shipping Carrier
Lastly, we have the shipping carrier restrictions. While shipping carriers claim to cover every area, it is rarely the case. In most cases, there are certain areas which are not covered due to cost implications. Even if they are covered, they might charge extra due to the location. Thus, as the store owner, it is your responsibility to identify the most appropriate shipping carrier for each location.
Similarly, product’s weight and dimension should also be factored. Since shipping carrier charge based on weight or the dimension, it is important to carefully select which carriers offer the best rate. You can pass on the savings to the customers, making your store more competitive in the long run. After all, everyone loves to save money in any way they can.
Magento 2 does offer the ability to set up various shipping restrictions through in-built functionality. For example, to set up geographic based restrictions, store admins need to go to Stores 🡪 Configuration 🡪 Sales 🡪 Shipping Methods. Under each shipping method, specify the allowed countries. However, the in-built features leave a lot to be desired.
For example, if you wish to set up zip code restrictions in Magento 2, there’s no in-built functionality. Similarly, if you want to reward your loyal customers with better shipping options, you cannot set up restrictions based on customer attributes. There’s no option to configure restrictions based on product attributes either. In short, in-built features are not up to the mark.
The best way to configure Magento 2 shipping restrictions is by using an extension. If you look for extensions, you will come across many. We are not going to mention any specific extension. Nevertheless, we will list some features that a reliable shipping restriction extension must have. It will help you decide which extension to buy based on these features, your requirements, and of course, the budget. The features include:
1. Product Attributes
Even the most basic shipping restriction extension will allow store admins to restrict based on product attributes.
2. Customer Attributes
You can set up restrictions based on an individual customer or customer groups (loyal customers, one-time buyers etc.)
3. Coupon Codes
One of the best ways to increase Magento 2 store sales is by offering discounts. To avoid a loss, store owners can offer specific shipping carriers after the user enters the coupon code.
4. Day and Time
Store owners can configure shipping carriers to deliver on specific days or time. This feature will be offered only by top-end shipping restriction extensions.
5. Create Multiple Rules
Did you know that you can create multiple shipping restrictions and assign them a priority? With a top-end extension, this is quite easy to set up.
6. Restriction Message
For a positive user experience, it is vital to inform the user that the shipping method they are tyring to select is unavailable/restricted. A top-end extension will allow you to set up a custom message informing the user why the carrier is unavailable.
While we have listed the most important shipping restrictions in Magento 2, there are other ways to enhance your shipping capabilities and ensure they add value to the store. One such method is to use a shipping software such as ShipSaving, which can be best described as a one-stop solution for all shipping needs. This software offers up to 89% off shipping discounts and must-have features such as automated label creation and barcode generation, thereby streamlining shipping operations.
This concludes our article on the top 5 shipping restrictions you should implement in your Magento store. We have gone one step further by elaborating on how to implement them. When browsing through an extension, we do recommend checking its demo or booking a live demo if possible. This will provide you with greater insights and assess whether the extension matches your requirements.
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