Don't lose your shoppers due to speed
Shoppers abandon their cart if shipping rates take too long to show. Most checkouts have a cutoff to make rates show up fast, but that means any rates that take too long are left behind. Plus, carriers can have outages and delays, during which they may not return a rate at all, costing you sales.
Zonos’ store-specific Instant rates shrink shipment response times from 1500ms to only 20ms and work even during a carrier outage—so you never lose a sale due to speed.
Example
In this example, the merchant’s cheapest shipping rates never showed because the carrier’s responses took too long. The lowest shipping rate their shopper saw was 145% ($184) more than their best rate.
Real example with carrier service levels anonymized.
Accuracy you can count on
This accuracy still applies even when cartonization is used or when your negotiated rates change. Most common reasons for inaccuracy >2% are fees that are inconsistently applied by carriers (such as a carrier's "Other" fee) and Saturday pickup fees.
Works with all major carriers
Works with both express and postal carriers (USPS, APC, UPS, FedEx, and DHL). If other carriers are used in addition to these, accuracy won’t decrease. Instead, Instant rates will not be triggered for those services.
Are Instant rates just standard rates?
No, Instant rates are built from actual carrier responses for your specific account and reflect your actual negotiated carrier rates and discounts. They are not just a standard, retail rate.
What happens if my carrier rates change?
You’ll always see your most up-to-date rates. If your carrier updates pricing, the system automatically pulls the new rates and updates the Instant rate model for future quotes.
What carriers does Instant rate work with?
Instant rate works with both express and postal carriers (USPS, APC, UPS, FedEx, and DHL). In addition, you can still use other carriers without decreasing accuracy. Instant rates will simply not be triggered for other services.
Are Instant rates compatible with flat rates?
Yes, if you offer both flat rates and live rates, your flat rates will remain unchanged and your live rates will be swapped with Instant rates where available. Without having to wait for a live rate, both your flat rate and your Instant rate will be returned instantly.
Are Instant rates compatible with negotiated rates with discounts?
Yes, Instant rates are compatible with your store-specific negotiated rates, so you always get your discounts.
Why use Instant rate?
Instant rate increases speed and reliability. Carriers can have outages or delays, during which they may not return a rate. This can be a critical failure during a checkout if your cheapest rate is not shown (impacting conversion) or, even worse, no shipping options appear at all. Backup rates aren't accurate and may not include prepaid duties and taxes, interrupting your normal fulfillment flow and causing a bad experience for your shopper. Instant rates ensure your best rates are always shown and duties and taxes are always prepaid.
Increase conversion with Instant rates
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Carrier rating is unreliable and slow, which can cost you sales. Zonos Instant rates are the opposite. They're fast, reliable, and always include your best rates and prepaid duties and taxes.
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