| ℹ️ For step-by-step instructions on creating a zone, see How to create a shipping zone. To modify, activate, or delete an existing zone, see How to manage shipping zones in Swap Global.
Details
The Details section is where you set the zone name. This is an internal label used only in the Swap Dashboard — it won't be visible to customers.
Countries
The Countries section is where you select which countries belong to the zone. Countries already assigned to another zone are disabled in the dropdown to prevent conflicts.
Buffers
Buffers adjust the total amount charged to customers for duties and taxes by a percentage.
Decrease buffer — reduces the duties and taxes charged. Use this to partially or fully subsidise these costs for a smoother checkout experience.
Increase buffer — increases the duties and taxes charged. Use this to account for additional costs not fully captured at checkout.
Custom fees
The Custom Fees section lets you create additional charges applied at checkout. You can add as many as needed for a zone. Each fee requires:
A Name — shown on the order details page.
An Amount — either a fixed amount (in your store's base currency) or a percentage of the order subtotal.
ℹ️ If VAT-inclusive pricing is enabled, percentage-based fees are calculated against the pre-VAT subtotal, not the VAT-inclusive subtotal shown in Shopify.
For more detail, see Understanding custom fees in Swap Global.
Rule settings
The Rule Settings toggle controls whether your tax strategy (e.g. VAT) is factored in when evaluating subtotal-based shipping rules.
Setting | Subtotal used | Effect |
Enabled | Displayed subtotal (incl. VAT) | Customers more likely to qualify for threshold-based rules |
Disabled | Pre-tax subtotal (excl. VAT) | Rules evaluate against a lower figure; customers may not qualify even if their displayed total exceeds the threshold |
Example: free shipping on orders over $100, with VAT-inclusive pricing at 21%.
Customer's displayed subtotal: $103 — enabled: free shipping applies
Pre-tax subtotal: $85 — disabled: free shipping does not apply
Rules
Rules control which shipping options are shown to customers based on cart conditions. A zone can have multiple rules — the highest-priority rule whose conditions pass determines the available shipping options.
Creating a rule
Click Add New Rule or select an existing rule to edit. Each rule has two parts: Conditions and Shipping Rates.
Conditions
Conditions define when a rule applies. You can base them on Cart Subtotal, Cart Weight, or both.
Logic:
Multiple conditions on the same variable use OR logic.
Conditions across different variables use AND logic.
For the rule to apply, at least one condition per variable must pass.
Available comparison operators: greater than or equal to, greater than, less than or equal to, less than, between.
Example: Subtotal ≥ 100 GBP AND Weight < 10 kg — both conditions must be met.
Shipping rates
If a rule's conditions are met, customers see the rates defined here. Each rate has a Display Name visible at checkout. A single rule can contain multiple rates.
Shipping rate settings
Each rate has three optional toggles:
Hide Breakdown — hides the tax and fee breakdown normally shown at checkout.
Remove "(Includes Taxes & Duties)" suffix — removes the default text Swap appends to the rate name.
Add Swap Protect to this shipping method — you can't check this tickbox on your own - contact Support if you'd like to add Swap Protect to this shipping rate.
| ⚠️ Shopify and your WMS use the rate code to identify the selected shipping option for fulfilment. If your store uses local currencies, rates are automatically converted to the customer's currency before display.
Rule priority
When multiple rules pass, Swap applies the highest-priority one. The rule at the top of the list has the highest priority — reorder using the drag-and-drop handle.
You can reorder rules using the drag-and-drop icon.
Form validation
The Save button stays grey while the form is incomplete or invalid. Hover over it to see what needs correcting. Once all required fields are valid, the button turns green.