Shipping policy generator for small online stores
Where do you ship, how long does it take, and who pays customs? Customers want those answers before checkout. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn your carriers, zones and rates into a clear shipping page with a delivery-times table, international notes and what happens when a parcel goes missing.
The prompt
- Write a shipping policy for my store [STORE NAME AND URL]. We ship from [SHIP-FROM LOCATION] with [CARRIERS]. Orders are processed in [PROCESSING TIME]. Shipping options and rates: [ZONES, SPEEDS AND PRICES]. Free shipping: [FREE SHIPPING RULE]. International: [INTERNATIONAL RULES]. Include: processing time and cutoff, a table of zones, delivery estimates and costs, holiday and sale delays, order tracking, address changes, customs duties and who pays them, PO boxes, lost, late or damaged parcels and how to report them, and contact details. Look up typical delivery estimates for my carriers so the times are realistic, with links. Deliver the page as HTML and Word, plus a one-line banner for my site and a short checkout note.
What to change
- [STORE NAME AND URL]: e.g. "Hearth & Hive, hearthandhive.com".
- [SHIP-FROM LOCATION]: e.g. "Asheville, North Carolina".
- [CARRIERS]: e.g. "USPS and UPS" or "Royal Mail and DPD".
- [PROCESSING TIME]: Time to pack before shipping, e.g. "1 to 2 business days" or "5 to 7 days for made-to-order".
- [ZONES, SPEEDS AND PRICES]: e.g. "US standard $6.95, US express $14.95, Canada $18". Or attach your rate table.
- [FREE SHIPPING RULE]: e.g. "free US standard shipping over $60" or "none".
- [INTERNATIONAL RULES]: e.g. "Canada, UK and EU only, duties paid by customer".
Example result
- Shipping Policy (sample page)
- Processing time. Orders ship from Asheville, North Carolina within 1 to 2 business days. Orders placed after 12 pm ET on Friday ship on Monday.
- Delivery options
- • US Standard (USPS): 3 to 6 business days after dispatch, $6.95, free over $60
- • US Express (UPS): 1 to 3 business days, $14.95
- • Canada: 6 to 12 business days, $18
- • UK and EU: 7 to 15 business days, from $24 at checkout
- Delivery times are estimates from the carrier and are not guaranteed.
- Busy seasons. During holidays and big sales, allow 2 to 3 extra days. We post cutoff dates for holiday delivery on our homepage.
- Tracking. You get a tracking link by email as soon as your parcel ships.
- Address changes. Email us within 2 hours of ordering. Once a parcel ships, we cannot change the address.
- Customs and duties. International orders may be charged import duties and taxes by your country. These are paid by the customer and are not included in our prices. Refused parcels are refunded minus shipping costs.
- PO boxes. US Standard ships to PO boxes. Express does not.
- Lost or late parcels. If tracking has not updated in 7 days, or your parcel is 10 days late, email us. We will open a claim with the carrier and send a replacement or refund once the claim is confirmed.
- Damaged items. Email a photo of the item and the box within 5 days of delivery.
- Contact. hello@hearthandhive.com
- Site banner
- Free US shipping on orders over $60. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.
- Checkout note
- International orders may owe import duties on delivery.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your carriers, processing time and rates. Attach your rate table if you have one.
- Paste it into todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Slack.
- Your agent checks realistic delivery times, writes the page and sends HTML and Word files.
- Paste it into your store, and ask your agent to update it before holidays with cutoff dates.
Tips for a better result
- Separate processing time from delivery time. Customers often think "ships in 5 days" means "arrives in 5 days".
- Say clearly who pays customs on international orders. Surprise duties are a top cause of refused parcels and bad reviews.
- Use a table for zones, times and prices. It is easier to scan on a phone.
- Set a recurring to-do in November: "look up carrier holiday cutoff dates and update my shipping banner text".
- Keep your shipping, return and refund policies consistent. Ask your agent to check all three together.
shipping policy generator: FAQ
- What should a shipping policy include? Processing time, shipping options with delivery estimates and costs, free shipping rules, where you ship, customs and duties, tracking, and what happens with lost or damaged parcels.
- Who is responsible for a lost package? It depends on your terms, the carrier and local law. Many stores handle the claim with the carrier and replace or refund the order once the loss is confirmed, which keeps customers happy.
- Should I offer free shipping? A free shipping threshold, set a bit above your average order value, is a common way to raise basket size while protecting margins.
- Can my agent track my own parcels or update the store for me? Your agent can check public tracking pages in a browser and message you about delays on a schedule. It writes the policy text, and you paste it into your store.
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