---
title: "How to Make a Shipping Agreement in E-Commerce? A Guide to Getting Quotes, Calculating Shipping Fees, and Passing Them On to Customers (2026)"
description: "How do you make a shipping agreement in e-commerce? Types of agreements, 12 questions to ask when requesting quotes, shipping fee calculation by desi and region, and passing the cost on to the customer."
url: https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/how-to-make-a-shipping-agreement-in-e-commerce-a-guide-to
language: en
site: Faprika
---

# How to Make a Shipping Agreement in E-Commerce? A Guide to Getting Quotes, Calculating Shipping Fees, and Passing Them On to Customers (2026)

> How do you make a shipping agreement in e-commerce? Types of agreements, 12 questions to ask when requesting quotes, shipping fee calculation by desi and region, and passing the cost on to the customer.

In e-commerce, the biggest expense after product cost is usually shipping, and that expense is determined not by the shipping fee you add to the sale price but by the agreement you have with your carrier. A well-made **shipping agreement** lowers the cost per order, shortens delivery times and protects you in case of returns and damage; a poorly made one, or none at all, quietly takes profit from every order.

In this guide we explain, step by step, what a shipping agreement is in e-commerce, the types of agreements, the data you need to prepare before requesting a quote, the 12 questions to ask a carrier, how the shipping fee is calculated by desi, weight and region, the four models for passing the fee on to the customer, working with more than one carrier, and common mistakes. At the end you will have a checklist ready for the quote meeting.

Key Takeaway

“A shipping agreement is not a price negotiation but an operations contract: the pickup time, return fee, damage compensation and integration determine your cost per order just as much as the desi tariff does.”

## What Is a Shipping Agreement in E-Commerce?

A shipping agreement is a business contract that an e-commerce company makes with a carrier to ship its orders on a regular basis; it sets the fee per shipment, additional services and mutual obligations. It differs from a single parcel an individual customer sends from a branch in that the price is set according to shipment volume, and services such as pickup, returns and cash collection can be included in the agreement.

The agreement usually works through a customer number or contract code: shipments are created with this code, the carrier issues a single invoice at the end of the period, and the fee is calculated according to the tariff in the contract. That is why an agreement has two sides: the tariff on paper and the operation that applies that tariff correctly on every order.

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## Why Is a Shipping Agreement Important?

A shipping agreement affects your profit per order, the shipping fee the customer sees at checkout, delivery time and your return cost all at once. The shipping fee is one of the most common reasons for abandoning a cart; if your agreement is expensive, either you absorb this cost or you pass it on to the customer and lose conversions.

- **Unit cost:** For low-priced products, shipping can eat up a large share of the sale price; the agreement price directly determines your contribution margin.
- **Conversion:** A reasonable shipping fee or a well-chosen free-shipping threshold reduces abandonment at checkout.
- **Delivery experience:** Delivery time, tracking notifications and damage rate decide whether the customer places a second order.
- **Returns:** Because the cost cannot be charged to the consumer when a return is made with the carrier named by the seller, return shipping is an item that must be priced separately in the agreement.

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## What Types of Shipping Agreements Exist in E-Commerce?

An e-commerce business can obtain shipping services in four ways: a direct corporate agreement, carrier-backed shipping offered by the e-commerce platform, logistics intermediary platforms that compare several carriers, and the marketplaces’ own shipping arrangements. Which one suits you depends on your shipment volume and operational strength.

*Görsel: Types of shipping agreements in e-commerce: direct corporate agreement, the e-commerce platform's contracted carrier, logistics intermediary platforms, and marketplace shipping; the volume each suits and its advantages (Four agreement routes: as volume grows, the bargaining power of a direct agreement increases; at small volumes, ready-made agreements are more advantageous.)*

| Route | How does it work? | Who is it suitable for? | Watch out |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Direct corporate agreement | A contract with the carrier’s corporate sales team; a tariff and customer code made for you | Those with regular and sufficient monthly shipments | May require a minimum shipment commitment and payment terms |
| The platform's contracted carrier | You use the bulk agreement that the e-commerce platform has made on behalf of its many customers | Beginners and small-to-medium volumes | The tariff is fixed; you cannot negotiate your own |
| Logistics intermediary platform | From a single panel you see prices from several carriers and create shipments | Those who want to switch carriers by region or by product | The platform’s own fee and payment arrangement |
| Marketplace shipping | Marketplace orders are shipped with the marketplace’s contracted carrier and its tariff | Those selling on marketplaces | Applies only to marketplace orders; your own site needs a separate agreement |

These routes are not mutually exclusive. Many businesses start with the platform’s contracted shipping for their own site, move to a direct agreement as volume grows, and ship marketplace orders through the marketplace’s arrangement.

## What Data Should You Prepare Before Signing a Shipping Agreement?

The carrier prepares its quote based on your shipment volume, average desi and regional distribution; if you do not provide this data, the quote comes from the general tariff. Before the meeting, put together the following table from the last three months of order data:

| Data | Why is it needed? | Where to find it? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly shipment count | Determines the tariff tier | Order report |
| Average and most frequent desi | Shows which desi range to negotiate on | Product dimensions; [desi calculation](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/desi-calculation-how-is-shipping-desi-calculated-calculator) |
| Regional distribution | Calculates the real cost for tariffs with regional differences | Delivery addresses (by province) |
| Return rate | Effect of return shipping fees on total cost | Return records |
| Cash-on-delivery rate | For negotiating the collection commission | Payment method report |
| Product type | Extra terms for fragile, liquid or bulky products | Product catalog |
| Growth expectation | To have the tariff’s improvement as volume grows written into the contract | Sales plan |

Tip

Negotiate on the desi you ship most often

Tariffs are priced by desi tiers. If most of your shipments fall into a single tier, concentrate the negotiation on that tier; a discount on the tier you use most lowers total cost more than a small discount on the general tariff.

## 12 Questions to Ask a Carrier When Requesting a Quote

A good shipping quote is not made up of the price per desi alone. Ask each carrier the 12 questions below in the same way and write the answers in the same table; that way you can compare the quotes properly.

*Görsel: Shipping agreement quote comparison screen: side-by-side comparison of two shipping quotes by desi rate, regional difference, return fee, pickup time, cash on delivery commission, damage compensation, and integration (Compare the quotes side by side under the same headings (sample screen, values are illustrative).)*

1. **What is the desi and weight tariff?** Which desi tiers exist, where are the tier limits, and is desi or weight used as the basis (usually whichever is greater)?
2. **Is there a regional difference?** Are shipments within the same province, within a region and between regions priced differently, and is there an extra fee for remote regions?
3. **Are fuel, service or seasonal surcharges applied?** If there are items added to the tariff later, they should be put in writing in advance.
4. **How much is the return shipping fee?** Are returns collected from the customer priced on the same tariff or a different one; is there a return code or a contracted return point?
5. **What are the pickup service and its time?** At what time does the courier come each day, is there a minimum shipment requirement, and are weekend pickups made?
6. **How many days is the delivery time?** The time committed by region and what happens in case of delay.
7. **How does compensation work for damage and loss?** Is transport insurance included, is there an extra fee based on the declared value, and how many days does compensation take?
8. **What is the cash-on-delivery collection commission?** The rate for cash and card collection and the time it takes for the collected amount to be transferred to you.
9. **What are the invoicing and payment terms?** Is it a monthly invoice or prepaid; how many days is the term, and is a guarantee requested?
10. **Is there an integration?** Shipment creation, and the barcode and tracking number being passed to the e-commerce panel automatically.
11. **Is there a minimum shipment commitment?** If you fall below a certain number, does the tariff change?
12. **When and how is the tariff updated?** The price-increase period, the notice period and the condition for improvement as volume grows should be in the contract.

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## How Is the Shipping Fee Calculated in E-Commerce?

The shipping fee is determined from the tier in the tariff according to the greater of the shipment’s desi or weight, and to this are added the regional difference and any additional service fees (insurance, cash on delivery, returns). In other words, the real shipping cost per order is not a single figure in the tariff but the sum of these items.

*Görsel: Steps for calculating shipping fees in e-commerce: calculating desi from package dimensions, choosing the larger of desi and weight, rate tier and regional difference, extra services, and total cost per order (The shipping fee is built in five steps; look at the total cost instead of a single tariff figure.)*

1. **Calculate the desi:** Width × length × height (cm) ÷ 3,000. The empty volume of the package also counts toward desi; choosing the right box lowers the cost.
2. **Compare desi with weight:** Most tariffs use the greater of the two; light but bulky products are charged by desi, small but heavy products by kilograms.
3. **Find the tier and the region:** The desi tier the value falls into and the delivery region give the base fee in the tariff.
4. **Add the additional services:** Insurance, cash-on-delivery commission, return shipping and, if any, the fuel or service surcharge.
5. **Add the return share per order:** Multiply your return rate by the return shipping fee and spread it across every order.

The table below is **a sample calculation** showing the logic of the calculation; the figures are illustrative, and real values change according to your tariff.

| Pens | Example | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Package size | 30 × 20 × 15 cm | 9.000 ÷ 3.000 = 3 desi |
| Weight | 1,2 kg | Since the desi (3) is greater, desi is used as the basis |
| Tariff (1–5 desi, within region) | 95 ₺ | Base fee |
| Cash on delivery commission | + 12 ₺ | Only for cash-on-delivery orders |
| Return share per order | + 8 ₺ | Return rate × return shipping fee |
| **Shipping cost per order** | **115 ₺** | The figure to use in pricing |

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## How Do You Pass the Shipping Fee On to the Customer?

There are four common models for passing the shipping fee on to the customer: a fixed shipping fee, a fee that varies by desi or amount, free shipping above a certain cart amount, and including shipping in the product price. The right model depends on your average cart amount and the desi distribution of your products.

*Görsel: Four models for passing shipping fees on to the customer: flat fee, fee by desi, free shipping above a set amount, and shipping included in the price; the advantage and risk of each model (Four pass-on models: most stores use a fixed fee together with free shipping above a threshold.)*

| Model | Advantage | Risk | Best suited for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fixed shipping fee | Clear to the customer, no surprise at checkout | A loss on bulky products, looks expensive on small ones | Products with similar desi |
| Fee by desi | Every order pays its own cost | The customer cannot know the fee until they see it in the cart | Those selling products of very different sizes |
| Free shipping above an amount | Raises the cart amount and increases conversion | If the threshold is low, the shipping cost eats into profit | Those who can set a threshold slightly above the average cart |
| Shipping included in the price | A “Free shipping” label, a simple checkout step | The price may look higher than competitors’ | Low-desi, high-margin products |

When setting the free-shipping threshold, measure your average cart amount and place the threshold slightly above it: the customer adds products to the cart to reach the threshold, and you spread the shipping cost over a larger cart. For orders below the threshold, show a fixed fee; showing the fee on the product page or in the cart, before the checkout step, reduces abandonment.

Tip

Show the shipping fee on the product page

A shipping fee that the customer sees for the first time at checkout is one of the most common reasons for abandoning a cart. State the fee, or the “free shipping above X ₺” information, clearly on the product page and in the cart; let the customer make their decision knowing the shipping fee.

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## Does Working With Multiple Carriers Make Sense?

If your shipments are spread across different regions, different product types or different customer groups, working with more than one carrier lowers cost and spreads risk. Relying on a single carrier means having no options when one carrier has a delay or a price increase.

- **By region:** If one carrier is cheaper or faster in certain provinces, orders for that region are shipped with that carrier.
- **By product:** A separate carrier for fragile, bulky or high-value products; the most economical carrier for standard products.
- **By customer group:** A different shipping arrangement for corporate or dealer orders.
- **Redundancy:** Being able to transfer orders to a second carrier when there is a problem with the main one.

The condition for working with more than one carrier is that which order goes with which carrier is decided by rule, not by hand; otherwise operations become complicated and orders shipped with the wrong carrier raise cost.

## How Does Packaging Affect Shipping Costs?

Because the shipping fee is calculated by the package’s desi, shipping the same product in a smaller box directly lowers cost. Regardless of the agreement, packaging is the fastest saving tool within your own hands.

- **Choose the box size by product:** Define a few standard box sizes and ship each product in the smallest box that fits; empty volume counts toward desi.
- **Use filler material in moderation:** For non-fragile products, excess filler only makes the box bigger.
- **Enter the desi correctly on the product page:** If you charge shipping by desi, entering the package’s wrong size means charging the customer too little or too much.
- **Combine multiple orders in one package:** Several products from the same customer cost less in one package if they do not exceed the tier limit.

## When Should a Shipping Agreement Be Reviewed?

A shipping agreement is not made once and forgotten; as shipment volume, product mix and regional distribution change, the tariff has to change too. Talk again at least once a year, and immediately in the following situations:

- **When volume rises noticeably:** You gain the right to move to a new tier; the carrier may not apply it automatically.
- **When the product mix changes:** When you sell products with larger or smaller desi, the negotiation tier changes.
- **When the return rate rises:** The return shipping fee gains weight in the total cost.
- **When delivery complaints increase:** Put the delivery time and damage data on the table and renegotiate the terms.
- **When a rate increase arrives:** A price-increase notice is a chance to get updated quotes from alternative carriers.

Go into every meeting with your own data: monthly shipment count, tier distribution, number of returns, damage and delay records. Negotiating with data is far stronger than asking "would you like to give a discount?"

## 8 Common Mistakes in Shipping Agreements

1. **Looking only at the desi price:** Return fees, commissions and extra charges change the total cost.
2. **Negotiating without knowing your average desi:** You end up getting a discount on the wrong tier.
3. **Not putting return shipping in the agreement:** From 2026, the return cost falls on the seller; the price must not be left unclear.
4. **Ignoring regional differences:** If most of your orders go to distant regions, the "within-region" price is meaningless.
5. **Not discussing pickup time:** A late pickup undermines your same-day shipping promise.
6. **Not asking about the damage and loss process:** If compensation terms are unclear, the loss stays with you.
7. **Working without an integration:** Creating shipments by hand means time and the cost of errors.
8. **Not reviewing the rate even once a year:** As your volume grows, you miss out on the right to move to a better tier.

## Shipping Agreement Checklist

Before entering the offer meeting and before signing the contract, you should be able to answer "yes" to each of the items below.

- Do you have the shipment count, average desi and regional distribution for the last three months ready?
- Are the desi and weight tiers and regional differences in writing?
- Are fuel, service and seasonal surcharges included in the rate or charged separately?
- Are the return shipping fee and return method (code, drop-off point or courier) clear?
- Are the daily pickup time, minimum shipments and weekend pickup in writing?
- Are delivery times by region and the delay conditions clear?
- Are the scope of compensation for damage and loss, the declared value and the time limit in writing?
- Are the cash-on-delivery commission and the transfer time of collected payments clear?
- Are the invoicing period, payment term and guarantee conditions clear?
- Is there an integration with your e-commerce panel, and does the tracking number sync automatically?
- Are the minimum commitment and rate update conditions in the contract?
- Has the pass-through model to the customer (flat fee, free above a limit) been calculated based on this rate?

## Running Your Shipping Agreement with Faprika

Once the agreement is made, the second half of the job is applying the rate correctly on every order and managing shipments without manual work. The Faprika e-commerce platform includes the following tools for this stage (you can see which feature starts in which plan on the [e-commerce plans](https://www.faprika.com/en/pricing) page):

- **Shipping desi and flat price setting:** You pass the shipping fee to the customer based on product desi or as a fixed amount.
- **Free shipping above X TL:** You set the free shipping limit from the panel.
- **Shipping integrations:** Ready-made integrations with 22 carriers; shipments are created from the panel and the tracking number is written to the order. The list of carriers is on the [logistics add-ons](https://www.faprika.com/en/logistics-add-ons) page.
- **Shipment tracking module and shipping status automation:** The shipment status is reflected in the order and the customer is notified.
- **Regional shipping management:** With rules, you decide which order goes with which carrier based on country, city, district, product or customer group; details are on the [Regional Shipping Management](https://www.faprika.com/en/add-ons/regional-shipping-management) page.
- **Contracted shipping service:** If you don't have your own agreement, you can ship with Faprika's contracted shipping prices; apply on the [shipping](https://www.faprika.com/en/shipping) page.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do you make a shipping agreement in e-commerce?**

You gather the shipment count, average desi, and regional distribution of the last three months; request quotes from carriers' corporate sales teams using the same 12 questions; compare the quotes by desi rate, regional difference, return fee, pickup time, damage compensation, cash on delivery commission, payment terms, and integration; and sign the contract.

**Is there a minimum shipment count for a shipping agreement?**

In direct corporate agreements, carriers usually ask for a monthly shipment volume or commitment; the requirement varies by carrier. Businesses whose volume falls short can ship at prices close to corporate rates by using the contracted shipping of an e-commerce platform or logistics intermediary platforms.

**Is the shipping fee calculated by desi or by weight?**

Most rates use the larger of desi and weight. Desi is found with width × length × height (cm) ÷ 3,000; light but bulky packages are charged by desi, small but heavy packages by kilograms.

**How is the free shipping limit determined?**

You measure the average cart value and set the limit slightly above it; that way customers add products to their carts to reach the limit, and the shipping cost is spread across a larger cart. A flat shipping fee is shown below the limit.

**Who pays for return shipping?**

As of January 1, 2026, when a product is returned with the carrier the seller specified in the pre-contract information, return costs cannot be charged to the consumer. Therefore, return shipping should be priced separately in the shipping agreement and added to the cost per order.

**Is it necessary to work with more than one carrier?**

If shipments are spread across different regions or product types, using more than one carrier lowers costs and spreads risk. The condition is that which order goes with which carrier is decided by rules (region, product, customer group), not by hand.

Let your shipping agreement run from the panel

Manage your shipments from a single panel with 23 shipping integrations, desi-based fees, a free shipping limit and regional shipping rules; if you don't have your own agreement, use Faprika's contracted shipping prices.

Explore Contracted Shipping Prices

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