Shipping rates

Zonos Rate allows you to check shipping rates to and from any destination your carrier accounts are authorized for. We use API connections with carriers or provided rate sheets to retrieve this information. The shipment options returned in the calculated shipping response correlate with the serviceLevels you've assigned to shipping profiles in Dashboard. If you expect a serviceLevel in the response but don't see it, ensure that serviceLevel is enabled for the destination.

Checking rates 

To check shipping rates for a given destination, you can follow the instructions below to do so via the API or in Dashboard.

DashboardAPI with carton detailsAPI with cartonization

1. Go to Dashboard -> Shipping -> Rates.
2. Click Check rates.
3. Select the Ship from location.
4. Select the country you are wanting to get rates for and fill in all details.
5. Enter the carton dimensions and weight.
6. Click Calculate rates.

Instant Rate 

Instant Rate uses your shipping history to predict shipping costs instantly. When you request shipping rates using shipmentRatingCalculateWorkflow, we first check if an instant rate is available based on cached carrier data. If so, you'll receive it immediately—typically 1 second faster than live carrier rates. If not, we request fresh rates from the carrier and cache them using AI to improve future predictions.

Benefits:

• Faster response times: Instant rates return without waiting for carrier API responses (approximately 1 second faster)
• Improved reliability: Reduces dependency on carrier API availability and ecommerce platform timeouts
• Consistent checkout experience: Customers receive reliable shipping costs quickly and consistently

Rate accuracy

Instant rates are predictions that may occasionally differ from live carrier rates, typically by just a few cents. In fact, 96% of instant rates are within 10 cents of live carrier rates. Common reasons for variations include:

• Recently changed carrier discount rates or fuel surcharges
• Fees that vary by timing (e.g., Saturday pickup fees, holiday surcharges, etc.)
• Uncommon surcharges we're still learning to predict
• Time-sensitive carrier pricing adjustments

Instant rates reflect your actual negotiated carrier rates, including discounts, fuel surcharges, and applicable fees. When we request fresh rates, we use them to continuously improve prediction accuracy.

Accuracy threshold

The accuracy threshold is a safety net that protects you from sustained inaccuracy. You set a single threshold globally, but the system monitors and enforces it on a per-carrier basis. It defines the maximum allowed average deviation (calculated as a percentage of the absolute rate difference) between instant rates and live carrier rates before that specific carrier is automatically disabled from Instant Rate.

How it works: The system continuously monitors the average deviation between cached rates and live rates for each carrier. If a carrier's average deviation exceeds your threshold, that carrier is automatically disabled from Instant Rate and will fall back to live rates. Other carriers that remain within the threshold continue using Instant Rate normally. Once a carrier's accuracy recovers below your threshold, Instant Rate automatically resumes for that carrier.

For example, if your accuracy threshold is set to 5% and FedEx rates are averaging a 6.2% deviation from live rates, FedEx will be auto-disabled from Instant Rate while UPS and USPS (if within threshold) continue using cached rates. Once FedEx's accuracy improves below 5%, it will automatically resume using Instant Rate.

How to configure the accuracy threshold:

• Default: 5% — provides a good balance between speed and accuracy.
• Minimum: 1% — strictest setting, disables carriers more frequently but ensures tight pricing accuracy.
• Range: 1% to 100%

Consider lowering it if your margins are tight. Consider raising it if checkout speed is your top priority and small rate variances are acceptable.

When Instant Rate may not be available: Instant Rate requires sufficient historical data from similar shipments. If we don't have enough recent data for your specific shipment scenario, we'll automatically request live carrier rates instead. This is more common for low-volume accounts or unusual shipment configurations.

Important consideration for UPS accounts: Instant Rate requires the UPS REST integration. If you're using the older UPS SOAP integration, you'll need to upgrade to UPS REST before enabling Instant Rate. Additionally, if your UPS account becomes disconnected from Zonos and rates change while disconnected, Instant Rate will continue returning cached rates based on old pricing until you reconnect your account in Dashboard.

For Shopify merchants: Instant Rate helps prevent Shopify's steep backup rates from displaying when carrier rate calls time out, ensuring customers see more accurate pricing.

Enable Instant Rate

Supported carriers: APC, DHL, FedEx, UPS, and USPS (single-package shipments only). Note: DHL Express 12pm is supported but less accurate than other services.

Follow the steps below to enable Instant Rate in Dashboard:

1. Go to Dashboard -> Settings -> Manage rates.
2. Locate Advanced settings.
3. Toggle Enable Instant Rate on.
4. Set your desired Accuracy threshold percentage (default is 5%).
5. Click Save.

That's it! Instant Rate will now be enabled for your account. The system will monitor rate accuracy per carrier. If any carrier's average deviation exceeds your threshold, that carrier will be automatically disabled from Instant Rate until its accuracy recovers.

Dashboard users: If Instant Rate was used on a quote or order, you will see a lightning bolt icon next to the carrier service level name.

Example:

API users will see a SOURCE field in the response indicating whether the rate is LIVE or CACHE (Instant Rate).

Example:

FAQs

Will this change my shipping costs?

No. Instant rates are based on your actual negotiated carrier rates. They may occasionally differ from live quotes by a few cents as the AI continues learning. If a carrier's average deviation exceeds your accuracy threshold, that carrier will be auto-disabled and fall back to live rates.

What happens if my carrier rates change?

We automatically request fresh rates from the carrier and update the instant rate model. During the brief period before the model updates, your accuracy threshold setting acts as a safety net — if a carrier's cached rates drift too far from live rates, that carrier will be auto-disabled until its accuracy recovers.

Do custom shipping rules still apply?

Yes. Custom rules like shipper buffers work normally with Instant Rate.

What is the accuracy threshold and how should I set it?

The accuracy threshold sets the maximum allowed average deviation before a carrier is auto-disabled from Instant Rate. You configure a single threshold, but the system monitors and enforces it per carrier. The default is 5%, and the range is 1% to 100%. A lower value means stricter accuracy but carriers may be disabled more frequently.

What happens when a carrier is auto-disabled?

If a carrier's average deviation exceeds your accuracy threshold, that carrier is automatically disabled from Instant Rate and will use live rates instead. Other carriers within the threshold continue using Instant Rate normally. Once the carrier's accuracy recovers below your threshold, Instant Rate automatically resumes for that carrier.

How do I know if a rate was instant or live?

In Dashboard, instant rates are marked with a lightning bolt icon next to the service level name. Via the API, the source field in the shipmentRatingCalculateWorkflow response will return CACHE for instant rates and LIVE for live carrier rates.