Carrier Shipping Rates Directly From The Carrier

A common question we receive at Approosters is whether our app can automatically fetch real time shipping prices from carriers API and display them directly at the checkout. While this sounds convenient, it is currently not technically possible.

This limitation is due to two main reasons: carrier API constraints and the complexity of required product data.

Carrier API constraints

Not all shipping carriers provide real-time price querying through their APIs. Packrooster acts as a bridge between your Shopify store and the carrier but we can only retrieve the information that the carrier’s system is able to share. In many cases, these APIs are designed strictly for creating shipping labels, shipments and tracking packages, not for dynamic pricing at checkout.

Complexity of Product Data

For a carrier to calculate an exact price in real-time, the system would need access to highly specific data that is often unavailable at the checkout stage:

Exact Dimensions and Weight: This includes not just the product itself, but the weight and size of the final shipping box/packaging.
Packaging Logic: The system would need to "know" how products are bundled together. For example, whether three items fit into one medium box or require two separate shipments.
Surcharges and variables: Fuel surcharges, seasonal peaks, and regional area fees (like island deliveries) change frequently and are difficult to calculate instantly without a finalized shipment manifest.

What should I do?

Since automated price fetching is not available, you must configure the price of your shipping rates in the app.

You can set up:

Flat rates (e.g. 6,90€, no special conditions).
Weight-based tiers (Shipping price based on order weight).
You can also use all the available visibility filters supported by Packrooster Shipping.

Managing rates this way ensures your checkout remains fast and reliable, as it doesn't have to wait for an external server to respond before showing the total to your customer.

Need help setting up your shipping rates? Contact our support team at support@approosters.com and we’ll help you find the best way to structure your shipping costs!