How to Understand & Manage Shipping Costs in Your TopDawg Import List

What You’ll Learn in This Video

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to control and customize shipping costs for products in your import list using TopDawg’s built-in tools and your store’s platform settings.

1. The Different Shipping Methods Available

Understand the difference between managing shipping inside your store platform versus using TopDawg’s fixed or estimated shipping options.

2. Using Real-Time Carrier Rates

Learn why “Manage in My Store” is recommended for Shopify users who want live shipping rates at checkout from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more.

3. Choosing Fixed Cost Shipping Estimates

Explore the low, average, and high estimate options, and learn when to use each depending on your shipping strategy.

4. Applying Flat-Rate Shipping

See how to set a single flat-rate shipping cost for all products, ideal for simple pricing structures.

5. Adding Custom Markups

Discover how to add percentage increases, flat dollar amounts, or roll shipping into your product pricing to support “free shipping” strategies.

6. Saving and Applying Your Shipping Settings

Learn why clicking “Apply” is essential and how it updates all products in your import list.

7. Choosing the Best Method for Your Store

Get guidance on when to use real-time rates vs fixed rates vs flat-rate shipping based on your tools, platform, and customer expectations.

Explore More Tutorials

Visit the TopDawg Video Learning Center for more guides, including platform-specific integrations and advanced automation tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does TopDawg calculate shipping costs for my products?

TopDawg offers multiple shipping methods: real-time carrier rates through your store platform, fixed estimates (low, average, high), or a single flat rate. You choose the method in your import list settings.

What is the “Manage in My Store” shipping option?

This option hands all shipping control to your platform—like Shopify, Amazon, or eBay—allowing you to manage zones, rates, and carrier-calculated shipping directly in your store.

When should I use real-time carrier rates?

If you use Shopify with carrier-calculated shipping, this is the most accurate method. Customers see live pricing from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and others, creating a better checkout experience.

Can I charge a fixed or flat shipping rate instead?

Yes. You can use TopDawg’s low/average/high estimates or set one flat rate that applies to all products. You can also add markups or roll shipping into product pricing if offering “free shipping.”

Why do I need to click the “Apply” button after selecting shipping options?

Clicking Apply saves your selections and updates all products in your import list. If you skip this step, none of your shipping settings will be applied.