EStore Tools

Shipping Policy Generator

Write a shipping policy that covers processing times, rates, international orders, duties, delays and lost parcels.

Describe the result you need. AI will set up the tool and ask for any missing details.

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Your brief

These form details are sent to our AI provider when you generate. Review the result before publishing.

What a shipping policy should answer

Most "where is my order?" emails come from four questions the policy didn't answer. The generator builds a section for each one from your details:

  • When will it ship? Processing time, same-day cutoff, and whether weekends count.
  • How much and how fast? Each shipping option with its cost, free shipping threshold and estimated delivery time.
  • What about international orders? Where you ship, and who pays import duties: the customer on delivery, or included at checkout.
  • What if something goes wrong? Delays, lost or damaged parcels, and wrong addresses.

It uses your numbers exactly and never estimates duties or delivery times you didn't give. Anything missing becomes a [placeholder].

Delivery rules the policy follows

Customers inRuleWhat the policy says
United StatesFTC Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Rule (16 CFR 435)Ship within the time you state, or 30 days if you state none. If you can't, tell the customer and let them wait or cancel. Refund cancelled orders within 7 working days, or one billing cycle for card payments.
EUConsumer Rights Directive, Articles 18 and 20Deliver by the agreed time, or within 30 days. The store carries the risk until the customer has the parcel.
UKConsumer Rights Act 2015, sections 28 and 29The same 30-day default, and the goods stay at your risk until the customer (or someone they name) has them.

So for EU and UK customers, the policy never tells a customer to chase the carrier for a lost parcel. That's your job. The one exception is a carrier the customer chose that you didn't offer.

Publishing it and keeping it accurate

  1. 01

    Shopify

    Go to Settings → Policies, open Shipping policy and paste the result. Shopify links it in the checkout footer.

  2. 02

    WooCommerce

    Create a page, paste the HTML into a Custom HTML block, and link it from the footer, cart and product pages.

  3. 03

    Match your settings

    Check the rates and thresholds in the policy match your shipping zones and rates, and update both at the same time.

  4. 04

    Review before peak season

    Holiday cutoffs and carrier delays change every year. Update the dates and replace [DATE].

This is a template, not legal advice. It follows the published US, EU and UK delivery rules, but check it against your own carriers and markets.

Questions people ask

Is this legal advice?

No. It's a template based on the FTC's order rule and the EU and UK delivery rules. Check it against your own situation before you publish.

What happens if I can't ship on time in the US?

Under the FTC's rule, tell the customer before your stated time runs out, give a new date if you can, and let them choose to wait or cancel for a full refund.

Who's responsible for lost or stolen parcels?

In the EU and UK, the store is, until the customer or someone they name has the parcel. In the US it depends on your terms and state law, so say clearly what you'll do.

Should I charge duties at checkout or on delivery?

Charging at checkout (duties included) avoids surprise fees and refused parcels. Collecting on delivery is simpler to set up, but the policy must warn customers they'll pay.

Where should I link the shipping policy?

In your footer, on product and cart pages, and in order confirmation emails, so customers see it before they buy.

Related tools

Return Policy GeneratorTurn your return rules into a clear return and refund policy, tailored to what you sell and where your customers are.Free Shipping Threshold CalculatorFind the order value where free shipping pays for itself, then see what a threshold does to monthly profit.OfferShippingDetails Schema GeneratorMark up your shipping rates, free shipping threshold and delivery times so Google can show them.Pre-Order Policy GeneratorWrite a pre-order policy that covers payment, deposits, ship dates, delays and cancellations.

Want this builtinto your store?

I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.

Emmanuel Asika

Emmanuel Asika

Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin

I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.

hello@emmanuelasika.com
See my work

Last reviewed 30 September 2026.

Sources: Shopify Help Center: Adding store policies · eCFR: 16 CFR 435, Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule · EUR-Lex: Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU · Your Europe: Consumer contracts and guarantees · legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28 · legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29