Rate Shopping in Fulfillment

Shipping is one of the largest recurring costs in ecommerce, but it often hides in plain sight. Labels get printed, packages leave, and invoices arrive later. When brands finally dig into those invoices and see how much money is flowing into the carrier line, they start to wonder whether each shipment is really taking the best possible path. That question leads directly to rate shopping in fulfillment.

Why manual rate comparison breaks down

Comparing carrier options by hand might work when you ship a few orders a day. As volume grows, no one has time to check every shipment. People fall into habits, using the same carrier for everything regardless of whether it is optimal. Meanwhile, carriers adjust their rates, surcharges, and services often enough that last years assumptions no longer hold.

The result is usually a mix of overpaying on some shipments and underperforming on others, all without a clear sense of where the problems lie.

What automated rate shopping actually does

Automated rate shopping connects your WMS or shipping system to multiple carriers. When a label is requested, the system evaluates available services based on rules you set, covering factors like weight, destination, and expected delivery time. It selects the best option automatically, then prints the label so packers can keep moving.

This approach uses data to make decisions at a speed humans cannot match consistently. It also creates a record of which services were chosen and why, helping with future planning.

How G10 uses rate shopping to protect margins

G10s shipping workflows incorporate carrier rate shopping as a standard feature. The system can compare FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, and freight options as needed. Rules can be set to avoid certain carriers except for specific cases, such as PO boxes, or to prioritize speed for certain product lines.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO, explains that this configuration lets brands maintain fast fulfillment without asking staff to pause and play shipping analyst for each order. The software handles the complexity in the background.

When every package takes a smarter route

Once rate shopping is part of your fulfillment process, shipping decisions become more consistent and less expensive over time. Costs become easier to forecast, and small savings on individual shipments accumulate into meaningful improvements in margin. You keep orders moving quickly while giving each package a better chance to travel on the most sensible path.