Shipping Carriers
Compare USPS, UPS, and FedEx shipping options, surcharges, and refund policies to choose the right carrier for your store
Overview
CMS Max supports shipping through USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Each carrier has different strengths depending on the size and destination of your shipments. Understanding their surcharges and refund policies helps you make the best choice for your business.
Carrier Comparison
| USPS | UPS | FedEx | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Lightweight residential packages | Heavy packages, business deliveries | Overnight, large and heavy items |
| Residential surcharge | None | ~$5.00+ | ~$5.00+ |
| Fuel surcharge | None | ~15%+ | ~15%+ |
| Label void window | 30 days | 90 days | 30 days |
General guidance: Use USPS for lightweight packages going to residential addresses. Use UPS or FedEx for heavier shipments, business-to-business deliveries, or when a guaranteed delivery time is required.
USPS
When to Use
USPS is the most cost-effective option for small, lightweight packages delivered to residential addresses. It has no residential surcharge and no fuel adjustment fees, which makes it significantly cheaper than UPS or FedEx for packages under 1 pound going to homes.
USPS also has a legal obligation to deliver to every US address, including rural and remote locations that other carriers may charge extra to reach.
Required Information
Sender email address and phone number are required when generating USPS labels.
Refund Policy
If you create a shipping label but don't use it, you can void it within 30 days for a refund. USPS verifies that the label was never scanned into the mail stream before issuing the credit. Refunds are held for 14 days before being applied.
UPS
When to Use
UPS performs well for heavier packages (over 10 lbs) and business-to-business deliveries. It offers fast guaranteed service options and a post-billed model — you are only charged for labels that are actually scanned into the UPS network.
Surcharges to Expect
- Residential delivery surcharge: Approximately $5.00 or more per package
- Fuel surcharge: Approximately 15% or more (the rate changes weekly)
These surcharges can add up on high-volume residential shipping. Factor them in when comparing rates with USPS.
Refund Policy
Unused labels can be voided within 90 days (for direct accounts). Unscanned labels are not charged. Refunds typically process within 10 business days.
FedEx
When to Use
FedEx is best for premium overnight delivery, large items, and heavy shipments. It is reliable for commercial deliveries and offers a wide range of time-definite service levels. Direct accounts use a post-billed model.
Surcharges to Expect
- Residential delivery surcharge: Approximately $5.00 or more per package
- Fuel surcharge: Approximately 15% or more (the rate changes weekly)
Refund Policy
Unused labels can be voided within 30 days (on third-party platforms). Unscanned labels are not charged. Refunds typically process within a few business days.
Setting Up Shipping in Your Store
Shipping carrier configuration is available under eCommerce > Store Settings > Shipping. From there you can:
- Enable or disable specific carriers
- Configure available shipping services and rates
- Set up flat-rate or carrier-calculated shipping options
- Define free shipping thresholds
Setting a Fixed Shipping Price for a Product
The Fixed Shipping Price field is an optional per-product override that appears on the Fulfillment Methods tab whenever Shipping is one of the selected fulfillment methods. It gives you three ways to control shipping cost for a single product:
| What you enter | What happens at checkout |
|---|---|
| Blank (default) | Standard shipping methods apply — carrier rates, zones, and free-shipping thresholds work normally. This is the default for every shipping-enabled product. |
0 |
Free shipping for this product. Carts containing only free-shipping products show a single "Shipping — $0.00" option. |
| A value greater than 0 | Fixed per-quantity cost. Shipping for these items is calculated as Fixed Shipping Price × quantity. |
How to set it
- Open the product in the admin panel
- Go to the Fulfillment Methods tab
- Make sure Shipping is one of the selected fulfillment methods
- In the Fixed Shipping Price field, either leave it blank (use standard methods), enter
0(free shipping for this product), or enter the per-quantity cost - Save the product
How a fixed price behaves in the cart
When a customer adds a fixed-price product to their cart, shipping for those items is Fixed Shipping Price × quantity and is added to whatever standard shipping methods apply to the rest of the cart. The customer just sees the carrier name (e.g., "UPS Ground") with the combined total — they don't see a separate "Fixed Shipping" line.
If the cart contains ONLY fixed-shipping-priced products, the customer sees a single shipping option labeled "Shipping".
Free-shipping-threshold does NOT apply to fixed-price items — they are always charged the fixed amount.