--- title: New Shopify Shipping Carriers and Labels in 2026 description: A region-by-region list of the new Shopify shipping carriers and label features from the 2026 Editions, including DHL, UPS, Royal Mail, and cross-border DDP canonical: https://tacey.app/blog/new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026 published: 2026-11-03T14:49:00.690Z updated: 2026-11-03T14:49:00.690Z category: Shopify Operations --- # New Shopify Shipping Carriers and Labels in 2026 Shopify's 2026 Editions introduced new shipping carriers and label options, including expanded DHL services, Royal Mail pickup points, and new cross-border duty labels. Shopify's platform updates throughout 2026 brought significant changes to shipping, introducing new carriers in key markets and adding more flexibility to how merchants create and manage labels. The Winter, Spring, and Fall editions focused on expanding international options, offering more convenient local delivery choices, and simplifying the complexities of cross-border duties. These updates give you more ways to get products to your customers, but also require a clear understanding of how each new service works. For merchants, these changes mean it is a good time to review your shipping setup. You may now have access to a carrier or a service that better fits your products and your customers' expectations. From DHL's expanded European presence to Royal Mail pickup points in the UK, the right option can improve delivery speed, reduce customer service queries, and make international selling more predictable. > New platform features are opportunities, not guarantees. The merchants who benefit are the ones who connect them back to their own operations and ask what needs to adapt to make the new tool work. Odera Joseph Echendu, Founder, Tacey ## Which carriers did Shopify add across the 2026 editions, by region? Across the 2026 editions, Shopify expanded its roster of integrated shipping carriers, with a strong focus on European and North American markets. These additions provide merchants in these regions with more native choices for fulfilling orders directly within the Shopify admin. Each new option brings different services and rate structures to the platform. According to Shopify's Winter, Spring, and Fall 2026 edition announcements, the key carrier updates include DHL Express availability for merchants in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. [Shopify also added DHL eCommerce services for domestic shipping in the Netherlands and for shipping within the EU from Poland](https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026). For UK merchants, the most notable addition is the ability to offer delivery to Royal Mail pickup points. In North America, Shopify expanded options for international shipping from Canada with UPS. These integrations mean merchants can purchase labels from these carriers through their Shopify account, often at discounted rates. The goal is to streamline fulfillment by keeping label purchasing, tracking, and customer notifications all within a single system. However, availability depends on your store's fulfillment locations and, in some cases, your Shopify plan. ## What changed for DHL Express and DHL eCommerce? Shopify significantly broadened its integration with DHL in Europe during 2026, adding both Express and eCommerce services in several new countries. This gives merchants more tools for both fast international shipping and cost-effective regional delivery. The new services are available through Shopify's own carrier accounts. As announced in the [Winter 2026 Edition](https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026), merchants with fulfillment locations in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain can now buy DHL Express labels. This service is designed for shipping internationally. Separately, Shopify introduced DHL eCommerce for merchants in the Netherlands for domestic shipping and in Poland for shipping to other EU countries. These additions are particularly useful for merchants selling across European borders. Using DHL Express through Shopify can simplify customs by enabling the purchase of Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) labels, which include duties and import taxes in the cost paid by the customer at checkout. This prevents the customer from facing an unexpected bill at their door, a common reason for refused international shipments. ### The Cost of a Refused DDU Shipment Shipping without DDP (known as Delivered Duty Unpaid, or DDU) creates a significant financial risk. When a customer is surprised by import fees at their door, they may refuse the delivery. When this happens, the merchant loses the original shipping cost and the cost of the product. On top of that, they are often charged for the return shipping as well. These costs combined can easily wipe out the entire profit margin on an order. For example, a customer in Germany refusing a €100 order shipped DDU from the UK could cost your business dearly. You lose the sale, the €15 shipping fee, and then may have to pay another €15 for the package to be returned. That's a €30 loss, not including the time spent on customer service and processing the return. This is a concrete cost of a poor customer experience. ## What is new for UPS and Royal Mail? The 2026 updates for UPS and Royal Mail focused on improving international reach and local convenience. For Canadian merchants, Shopify expanded international shipping options with UPS. For UK merchants, a significant update introduced Royal Mail as a native pickup point provider, offering an alternative to home delivery. The addition of international services for UPS from Canada, highlighted in the [Spring 2026 Edition](https://www.shopify.com/editions/spring2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026), gives Canadian businesses more integrated options for cross-border sales. Meanwhile, the Royal Mail update in the UK allows customers to have their orders sent to a local Post Office or a Royal Mail Customer Service Point. During checkout, the customer sees a map or list of nearby locations with their hours and selects the most convenient one. Enabling Royal Mail pickup points is done in the shipping and delivery settings of the Shopify admin. This feature uses Royal Mail's Local Collect service, which works with both Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 services. This kind of flexibility can reduce failed delivery attempts and gives customers more control over when and where they receive their orders. ### Handling Edge Cases for Pickup Points While pickup points are convenient, they introduce edge cases you must plan for. Royal Mail's Small Parcel size limit, for instance, is 45cm x 35cm x 16cm with a 2kg weight limit. If a customer orders an item that exceeds these dimensions, the pickup point option may not be available or could cause issues. Ensure your product dimensions and weights in Shopify are accurate to prevent this. Another common issue is when a customer fails to collect their parcel. Royal Mail will hold an item for 18 days before returning it to the sender. When this happens, you are out the original shipping cost and now have a support ticket to resolve. Proactive communication, such as sending a reminder email a few days before the holding period expires, can help prevent these costly returns. ## What changed for labels: default package per variant, sender name and cross-border duties labels? Shopify's 2026 updates introduced several enhancements to shipping labels, with the most impactful change being expanded support for cross-border duty labels. This addresses a major friction point in international selling: surprise fees for the customer upon delivery. The Winter '26 Edition specifically improved how merchants can handle duties and taxes. The key update is broader support for creating Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) labels. With DDP, you collect duties and import taxes from the customer at checkout, and the label you purchase reflects that these costs are prepaid. This prevents the customer from facing an unexpected bill at their door, a common reason for refused international shipments. Shopify's help documentation confirms that DDP labels can be purchased for shipments with DHL Express and DHL eCommerce, among others. The [Winter '26 Edition](https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026) also included the ability to set a default package type for each product variant and customize the sender name on labels. These smaller tweaks help streamline the fulfillment process by reducing manual data entry and ensuring consistency across shipments. Another update from the [Fall '26 Edition](https://www.shopify.com/editions/fall2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026) introduced pay-on-scan return labels, which means you're only charged for a return label if the customer actually uses it. Setting a default package is a crucial step to prevent profit loss. If you sell a small item but your default shipping box is large, you might accidentally buy oversized labels. A few dollars extra per label adds up. Taking the time to assign the correct package to each variant ensures you always get the most accurate, cheapest rate available. ### The Trade-off with Pay-on-Scan Labels Pay-on-scan labels offer great convenience, as you can generate them freely without being charged for unused ones. However, there is a trade-off. The per-label cost for a scan-based return may be slightly higher than if you were to purchase traditional prepaid labels in bulk. Carriers price this service to account for the risk and administrative overhead of tracking usage rather than receiving payment upfront. This is a classic "cost-per-use versus bulk-rate" decision that every merchant must weigh. ## What changed for FedEx and local-currency label billing? A key update for US-based merchants in the [Spring 2026 Edition](https://www.shopify.com/editions/spring2026?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026) was the integration of FedEx One Rate into Shopify Shipping. This service offers flat-rate pricing for domestic shipments based on the size of the FedEx packaging used, not the weight of the package or its destination. This makes shipping costs more predictable. It is important to note that while you can purchase FedEx One Rate labels in your Shopify admin, the flat rates themselves are not displayed to your customers at checkout. The price your customer sees is based on the shipping rates you have configured in your store's settings. The One Rate option appears for you when you are in the process of buying the shipping label for an order. This allows you to benefit from predictable costs, while still controlling the shipping price your customer pays. ### A Worked Example: Profit on a Flat-Rate Shipment Imagine you sell a small, dense item for $40. At checkout, Shopify calculates a weight-based rate of $13.50 for a customer across the country. However, the item fits perfectly in a FedEx Small Box. When you go to buy the label, you see the option to use FedEx One Rate for a flat $12.75 for 2-day shipping, a rate that includes fuel and residential surcharges. By choosing the One Rate option, you have a predictable shipping cost of $12.75. Since you collected $13.50 from the customer, you've made a small $0.75 profit on the shipping. This might seem small, but it demonstrates how flat-rate options can protect your margins from the variable surcharges that often inflate standard shipping costs, especially for residential deliveries. Another change from the Spring '26 edition was that shipping labels purchased through Shopify Shipping are now billed in your local currency. This simplifies accounting by removing the need to manage currency conversions for shipping costs on your Shopify bill. ## How do you check whether a new carrier serves your region? The most reliable way to check which shipping carriers are available for your store is directly within your Shopify admin. Carrier availability is tied to your fulfillment locations, not just your store's primary address. If you use a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, their location determines the carriers you can use. Start by navigating to **Settings > Shipping and delivery** in your Shopify admin. From here, you can see your shipping profiles and the locations they apply to. To see which carriers you can buy labels from, go to the "Shopify Shipping" section. When you go to purchase a label for an actual order, Shopify will show you all the available services from integrated carriers for that specific destination and package size. ### Troubleshooting Missing Carrier Options If a carrier you expect to see doesn't appear when you're buying a label, it's often due to a simple configuration issue. First, check that the destination address is complete and formatted correctly; a missing or misspelled city or postal code can prevent rates from being returned. Also, verify that every product in the order has a weight assigned, as this is crucial for rate calculation. If you have your own account with a carrier, you may be able to connect it to display your negotiated rates at checkout. This feature is included on the Advanced and Plus plans and is available as a paid add-on for the Grow plan. Always check Shopify's current help documentation for the most up-to-date list of supported carriers for your region. The growing number of shipping options on Shopify provides welcome flexibility, but it also adds another layer of complexity for both you and your customers. A customer might choose a pickup point that is inconvenient, or misunderstand the implications of a DDU shipment. If they realize their mistake after checkout, their only option is often to contact your support team. This creates extra work for your staff and a delay for the customer. Allowing customers to make small corrections themselves on the order status page can reduce this friction. With post-purchase [order editing](/order-editing), a customer can correct a mistake in their delivery address or even upgrade their shipping method if they have second thoughts, all within a window you define. This self-service approach empowers customers and frees up your support team from handling minor logistical changes. You can explore how these tools work by [installing Tacey from the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/tacey?utm_source=tacey&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new-shopify-shipping-carriers-and-labels-in-2026). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between DDP and DDU shipping? DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid, which means you, the seller, collect all import duties and taxes from the customer at checkout. DDU, or Delivered Duty Unpaid, means the customer is responsible for paying any duties and taxes to the carrier upon delivery. DDP generally provides a better customer experience by avoiding surprise costs. ### How do Royal Mail pickup points work at checkout? If you enable Royal Mail pickup points for your UK fulfillment location, eligible customers will see an option to "Ship to a pickup point" at checkout. They can then choose from a map or list of nearby Post Office branches or Royal Mail Customer Service Points. The address and opening hours are shown before they confirm their choice. ### Are the new carrier services available on all Shopify plans? Access to purchase labels from carriers like DHL, UPS, and Royal Mail through Shopify Shipping is generally available on all plans. However, the feature to display real-time calculated rates from your own carrier accounts at checkout is typically limited to the Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus plans, or available as a monthly add-on to other plans. ### What does 'pay-on-scan' mean for return labels? Pay-on-scan is a billing model for return labels where you are not charged when you create the label. You only pay for the label if and when the shipping carrier scans the package from your customer. This prevents you from paying for return labels that are never used. ### Can I use my own FedEx account to show One Rate prices at checkout? No, not directly through the Shopify Shipping integration. The built-in FedEx One Rate feature is only for purchasing labels after an order is placed. To show your own live FedEx rates to customers at checkout, you would need to connect your own FedEx account using the third-party carrier-calculated shipping feature, which is available on specific Shopify plans. ### Do all these new carriers support pickups? Pickup availability varies by carrier and service. For example, DHL Express through Shopify Shipping includes free shipment pickups. However, for other services like DHL eCommerce in the Netherlands, you are required to drop packages off at a service point. Always check the specific terms for the carrier and service you plan to use. ### How do I enable the new carriers in my store? You don't typically "enable" a carrier for Shopify Shipping. If the carrier is supported for your fulfillment location, their services will automatically appear as an option when you go to buy a shipping label for an eligible order. To offer pickup points, you must activate that specific delivery method in your "Shipping and delivery" settings. ### Where did Shopify's shipping settings move in 2026? Shopify began a phased migration of shipping rate configuration from "Shipping profiles" to "Markets" in late 2026. This change, scheduled to complete by mid-2027, means you will manage your shipping rates and options within the settings for each market you sell to, creating a more unified setup for international commerce.