Key takeaways
– Shipping rules automation assigns a courier and service to each order from its details (destination, postcode, weight, value, the delivery option the buyer paid for), so nobody picks a carrier by hand.
– Good rule sets cover four cases: weight bands, remote UK postcodes, high-value orders that need a signature, and non-UK destinations that need customs data.
– Goods sent outside the UK from Great Britain need a customs declaration: a CN22 under £270 and a CN23 above, with a 6-digit HS code and your EORI or VAT number for business senders (Post Office).
– Since 1 July 2026, the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty per item type on low-value parcels (up to €150) (European Commission).
– Free tools have limits. Royal Mail Click & Drop rules for marketplace orders only apply to orders with a single product (Royal Mail help).
Shipping rules automation means setting conditions once (such as “weight over 2 kg”, “postcode starts with BT” or “order value over £250”) and letting your software apply the matching courier and service to every new order. It removes the daily job of choosing carriers by hand, cuts costly mistakes and gets labels printed faster.
At a few orders a day, picking the courier yourself is fine. At fifty a day across eBay, Amazon and your own website, it becomes a slow ritual of checking weights, postcodes, paid-for services and destinations. One wrong choice means a surcharge, a late delivery or a parcel stuck in customs.
This guide shows how shipping rules work, gives you ready-made rule sets for UK and EU orders, and compares the main UK carriers. We’ll use motorcycle gear as the running example: light gloves, bulky helmets, heavy jackets and boots, and the occasional £600 suit that really should be signed for.
What is shipping rules automation?
Shipping rules automation is the use of if-then conditions to assign a carrier and delivery service to each order automatically. A rule checks order details such as destination, postcode, weight, value and the delivery option the buyer chose, and applies the courier you decided in advance. Orders arrive ready to label.
Think of a rule as a sentence: if the order is going to the UK, weighs under 2 kg and the buyer chose standard delivery, use the cheap tracked service. You write a handful of these sentences once. From then on, every imported order is checked against them. Rules don’t replace your judgement; they apply it the same way on a busy Monday as on a quiet Thursday.
How does a shipping rule choose the courier?
A shipping rule compares each order against a set of conditions. If all the conditions in a group match, it assigns that rule’s courier and service. Most tools let you combine conditions with AND (all must match) or OR (any can match), and you keep a catch-all rule for orders nothing else covers.
The conditions that matter most for UK sellers:
| Condition | What it checks | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery option / policy | The service the buyer chose at checkout (standard, express, next day) | Honour what the buyer paid for |
| Country | Destination country | UK vs EU vs rest of world need different services and customs |
| Postcode prefix | The start of the postcode (e.g. BT, IV, ZE) | Remote areas and offshore islands cost more with many couriers |
| Shipping charge | What the buyer paid for postage | Free-delivery orders go on your cheapest service |
| Item / order value | Total value of goods | Expensive orders need tracking, a signature or extra cover |
| Weight | Total parcel weight | Every carrier prices and limits by weight |
AND/OR logic is what turns simple rules into useful ones. “Country is UK AND weight under 2 kg AND (postcode does not start with BT OR value under £50)” is one rule, not four. Put specific rules (remote postcodes, high value) above general ones, so a £600 suit going to Shetland doesn’t match “standard UK parcel” first.
Example shipping rule sets for UK sellers
A practical rule set for a UK seller covers weight bands, remote postcodes, high-value orders, express buyers and non-UK destinations, plus a catch-all. Start with five to eight rules, check a week of orders against them, then refine. Fewer, clearer rules are easier to trust than dozens of overlapping ones.
A starting set for a motorcycle gear shop (swap in your own carriers and thresholds):
| # | Rule (if…) | Then use | Example order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delivery option is next day AND country is UK | Your next-day tracked service | Boots ordered at 10 am with express postage |
| 2 | Country is UK AND postcode starts with a remote prefix (see below) | The carrier with the best rate for those areas | Jacket to Kirkwall (KW15) |
| 3 | Country is UK AND value over £250 | A tracked, signed-for service | £600 one-piece leather suit |
| 4 | Country is UK AND weight under 2 kg AND shipping charge is £0 | Your cheapest tracked letterbox or small-parcel service | Pair of summer gloves |
| 5 | Country is UK AND weight 2–15 kg | Your standard tracked parcel service | Boxed full-face helmet |
| 6 | Country is UK AND weight over 15 kg | A heavier-parcel carrier | Pair of panniers and a top box |
| 7 | Country is in the EU | An international tracked service that sends electronic customs data | Helmet to Munich |
| 8 | Catch-all: any other order | Flag for manual review (no label) | Anything unexpected |
A few notes on these choices:
– Weight bands follow carrier limits. For example, Evri’s parcel weight limit is 15 kg (Evri) and Parcelforce accepts individual parcels up to 30 kg (Parcelforce conditions of carriage). Set your bands just under the limits of the services you use.
– The value threshold is your call. Base it on your own loss history and your carrier’s compensation levels.
– Rule 8 is a safety net. A catch-all that sends odd orders to a person beats one that silently books the wrong courier.
How should you handle remote UK postcodes?
Many couriers charge more, or take longer, to deliver to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland and offshore islands. Use postcode-prefix conditions so these orders go to the service with the best price and reliability for that area, and take the exact prefixes from your own courier’s rate card.
A Scottish Government analysis cites Ofcom research finding that, of all UK areas, only Northern Scotland and Northern Ireland faced delivery surcharges from the national companies interviewed (Scottish Government).
Postcode areas UK sellers commonly write rules for:
| Area | Postcode prefixes to consider |
|---|---|
| Scottish Highlands | IV, parts of PH, PA, KW, AB |
| Scottish islands | HS (Outer Hebrides), KW15–KW17 (Orkney), ZE (Shetland), KA27–KA28 (Arran, Cumbrae), parts of PA |
| Northern Ireland | BT |
| Isle of Man | IM |
| Channel Islands | GY, JE |
| Isles of Scilly | TR21–TR25 |
Each courier draws its own map, so treat this as a checklist. The Isle of Man and Channel Islands sit outside the UK proper, so also check your carrier’s customs requirements before treating them as domestic. If you ship with DHL, Stock Konnect’s order list flags DHL remote-area deliveries before you book, so the surcharge isn’t a surprise on the invoice.
What changes when you ship to the EU?
Parcels from Great Britain to the EU are exports. Each one needs a customs declaration (CN22 or CN23) plus matching electronic customs data, a clear goods description, an HS tariff code, country of origin and your EORI number. The buyer or you may also owe import VAT and, since July 2026, a €3 EU duty.
- CN22 or CN23. The Post Office says the CN22 is used for goods worth less than £270, and goods over that need a CN23. Business senders must enter a 6-digit HS tariff code and an EORI or VAT number (Post Office CN22 guide). Forms going from Northern Ireland to the EU are not needed.
- Electronic data is not optional. Royal Mail’s Click & Drop guidance notes that electronic advance data is mandatory, and a physical CN23 must still be attached to the parcel (Royal Mail help). Couriers such as DHL and UPS collect the same data through the booking and print their own paperwork.
- Import VAT and IOSS. The EU’s Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) lets non-EU sellers charge EU VAT at checkout on consignments worth up to €150, so buyers aren’t surprised by a VAT bill at the door. Non-EU sellers need an EU intermediary to use it (Irish Revenue). Marketplaces often collect this VAT for you on their own sales.
- The €3 EU duty. From 1 July 2026, the EU applies a temporary €3 customs duty to low-value parcels (goods up to €150), charged per item type based on tariff classification, and the seller or importer declares and pays it (European Commission).
In shipping-rule terms, this means every EU order should go to a service that captures customs data, and your products need HS codes and a country of manufacture stored against them. Fill these in once at product level. Re-typing a customs description for every helmet at the packing bench is how errors creep in. In Stock Konnect, for example, HS codes and country of manufacture are set once and carried into the carrier booking.
Tired of choosing couriers order by order? Stock Konnect’s shipping rules engine assigns the carrier and service as orders arrive from eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce, across 12 carriers, then prints the label and pushes tracking back to eBay and Amazon. Try it free for 30 days.
Which UK courier suits which order?
No single courier is cheapest for every parcel. Royal Mail suits letterbox items and small parcels, Evri and DPD suit standard and next-day parcels, Parcelforce suits heavier UK parcels, and DHL, Deutsche Post and UPS suit international shipments. Shipping rules let you use each where it’s strongest.
| Carrier | Often used for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail | Letterbox items, small parcels, tracked and signed-for services, international postal services | Size formats; customs data on all non-UK goods |
| Parcelforce | Heavier UK parcels, express UK and international | 30 kg per-parcel limit on standard services |
| Evri | Low-cost standard UK parcels | 15 kg weight limit and 120 cm maximum length |
| DPD Local / DPD UK | Next-day parcels, bulky items | Remote-area pricing; check your contract |
| DHL Parcel UK | Domestic UK parcels on a DHL account | Remote-area pricing |
| DHL Express | Fast international and EU shipments | Remote-area surcharges abroad; customs data |
| Deutsche Post | Lighter cross-border shipments to the EU and beyond | Service and size limits vary by product |
| UPS | International and business-to-business parcels | Commercial invoice for customs |
| UK Mail | Existing UK Mail accounts | — |
| LCP / Boost | Existing LCP / Boost accounts | — |
| Manual | Any other courier: enter tracking yourself | No automatic label |
Weight limits from Evri and Parcelforce. Always check your own contract: negotiated rates change the cheapest option more than list prices do.
Labels, thermal printers and manifests
Most busy sellers print 4×6 inch (101.6 × 152.4 mm) thermal labels, because thermal printers need no ink and print one label per order in seconds. Carriers supply labels as PDF or image files, or as printer languages such as ZPL. A manifest is the end-of-day list that hands your parcels over to the carrier.
- Label formats. PDF and PNG work with any printer. ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) and EPL go straight to compatible thermal printers, which is faster and sharper (Zebra). Royal Mail Click & Drop, for example, offers A4, 6×4 and 4×3 label formats, and can print the SKU on a 6×4 label to help pick and pack (Royal Mail help).
- Manifests. A manifest tells the carrier which parcels are being handed over. Royal Mail’s Click & Drop, for instance, automatically manifests orders that are ready from 6.30 pm on working days if you haven’t done it yourself (Royal Mail help). Manifest before the van arrives, not after.
- Tracking back to the marketplace. The job isn’t finished until the tracking number reaches the channel. eBay counts a delivery as late partly by whether there is a carrier scan within your dispatch time, so verified tracking protects your seller rating (eBay seller performance policy).
Labels are only half of the packing bench. For pick lists, packing slips and job sheets, see our pick list and packing slip guide.
Where other shipping tools stop
Most shipping tools handle rules well; the differences are scope and cost. Royal Mail Click & Drop is free but only applies marketplace rules to single-product orders. ShipStation and Helm WMS are shipping- and warehouse-first. Veeqo’s shipping is free, with advanced features on paid plans. StoreFeeder is quote-only.
| Tool | Shipping rules | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail Click & Drop | Free rules by country, store, store postage method, order value, postage cost, weight and package size | Rules on marketplace and online-store orders only apply to orders with a single product (Royal Mail help) |
| Helm WMS (formerly Despatch Cloud) | Detailed conditions including country, price, weight, dimensions, postcode and item count, with rule priority (Helm docs) | Warehouse-first; not a listing tool |
| StoreFeeder | Rules on order total, shipping cost, weight and packaging size (StoreFeeder support) | Quote-only pricing |
| ShipStation | If/then automation rules (ShipStation) | Shipping-focused; no listing creation |
| Veeqo | Free shipping software from Amazon (Veeqo pricing) | Inventory, listings and digital picking are on paid, usage-based plans |
The single-product limit in Click & Drop matters more than it sounds. A rider who buys gloves and a neck tube is exactly the multi-item order where the right service changes, and that’s the order the free rule won’t touch.
How to set up shipping rules, step by step
To set up shipping rules, list your carriers and services, record product weights, decide your weight bands and value thresholds, write the specific rules first and the general ones after, add a catch-all, then test against a week of real orders before switching them on.
- List your carrier accounts and services. Note each service’s weight and size limits, and which ones send customs data.
- Record accurate weights. Weigh products packed, not bare. A helmet in its box and outer carton weighs far more than the helmet.
- Store customs data on products. Add an HS code and country of manufacture to every product you might ship abroad.
- Map your checkout options. Match each delivery option buyers can choose on eBay, Amazon and your website to a carrier service.
- Write specific rules first. Express orders, remote postcodes and high-value orders go at the top.
- Add weight-band rules for standard UK orders, then destination rules for the EU and the rest of the world.
- Add a catch-all that flags unmatched orders for a person to review.
- Test on real orders. Run a week of past orders through the rules and check every assignment by eye.
- Switch on and review monthly. Carrier prices and limits change. Revisit your rules whenever a rate card does.
Shipping rules automation with Stock Konnect
Stock Konnect’s shipping rules engine uses nested AND/OR conditions on delivery policy, country, postcode prefix, shipping charge, item value and weight to pick the carrier and service for each order. It works across 12 carriers, prints labels in each carrier’s format and pushes tracking back to eBay and Amazon.
Stock Konnect’s order management brings orders from eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce into one list, and the rules engine suggests the service for each one. What that covers in practice:
- Rules with real logic. Conditions on delivery policy, country, postcode prefix, shipping charge, item value and weight, combined with nested AND/OR groups, choose the carrier and the service.
- 12 carriers, including manual. Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DHL Express, DHL Parcel UK, Deutsche Post, UPS, UK Mail, DPD Local / DPD UK, Evri, LCP / Boost, plus a manual option for any other courier. See the DHL integration.
- Labels in the carrier’s format. PDF, PNG, GIF, HTML, and thermal-ready ZPL and EPL, depending on the carrier.
- Manifests for DHL Express, Deutsche Post, Royal Mail and Parcelforce.
- A dispatch wizard. Courier, then booking (with customs details and dimensions), then label, then tracking. Bulk dispatch handles a whole batch at once.
- Customs data stored once. HS codes and country of manufacture live in settings, and collection addresses carry your VAT and EORI numbers.
- Remote-area flag. The order list flags DHL remote-area deliveries before you book.
- Tracking pushed back to eBay and Amazon, so dispatch confirmation reaches the marketplace without re-keying.
Comparing all-in-one tools? See Stock Konnect vs Linnworks and our order fulfilment software guide.
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Frequently asked questions
What are shipping rules in ecommerce?
Shipping rules are if-then conditions that assign a courier and delivery service to an order automatically. They check details such as destination country, postcode, weight, order value and the delivery option the buyer paid for, then apply the service you chose for that combination.
Can shipping rules handle orders with more than one product?
It depends on the tool. Royal Mail Click & Drop’s rules for marketplace and online-store orders only apply to orders with a single product. Multichannel order management tools usually apply rules to the whole order, using its total weight and value.
Do I need a CN22 or CN23 for parcels to the EU?
Yes, for goods sent from Great Britain. The Post Office says a CN22 is used for goods worth less than £270 and a CN23 above that. Business senders must add a 6-digit HS code and an EORI or VAT number, and electronic customs data is also required.
What is a shipping manifest?
A manifest is the list of parcels you hand to a carrier at collection, usually created at the end of the day. It confirms which labels are being sent and is used for billing. Some carriers, such as Royal Mail Click & Drop, can manifest automatically if you don’t.
Which postcodes do couriers treat as remote in the UK?
Commonly the Scottish Highlands and Islands (such as IV, HS, KW15–17 and ZE), Northern Ireland (BT), the Isle of Man (IM), the Channel Islands (GY, JE) and the Isles of Scilly (TR21–TR25). Each courier uses its own list, so check your rate card.
What size are thermal shipping labels?
The most common size is 4×6 inches (about 102 × 152 mm), often called 6×4 in the UK. Most UK and EU carriers support it, and thermal printers print it without ink.
Sources
- Royal Mail Click & Drop Help Centre: How to create shipping rules
- Royal Mail Click & Drop Help Centre: Choosing your label format
- Royal Mail Click & Drop Help Centre: How to manifest your orders
- Post Office: CN22 customs form guide (updated 18 August 2026)
- European Commission: €3 customs duty on low-value parcels
- Irish Revenue: Import One Stop Shop (IOSS)
- Scottish Government: Postal delivery pricing: econometric analysis
- Evri: Parcel size and weight guide
- Parcelforce Worldwide: Conditions of carriage
- eBay UK: Seller performance policy
- Zebra: ZPL command information
- Helm WMS: Shipping rules · StoreFeeder: How to create shipping rules · ShipStation: Top 5 automation rules · Veeqo: Pricing