Shopify delivery zones by postal code or distance
Decide where you deliver by ZIP or postal code, or by how far the customer is from your store. Each zone gets its own delivery rates, minimum order value and schedule, so farther areas can pay more.
All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.
Delivery zones
Each ring is a zone with its own rate.
In the cart
Enter your address
What are delivery zones in Bird?
A delivery zone is an area you deliver to, set by a list of postal codes or by a distance from your store. In Bird, each zone is a copy of your store location, so it has its own delivery rates, minimum order value and schedule. Customers outside every zone can't book local delivery.
- Zone types
- A list of postal codes, or a distance by radius or driving distance
- Each zone gets
- Its own delivery rates, minimum order value and schedule
- How many zones
- One per location your plan includes: 1 on Essential, 4 on Growth and 20 on Scale
- Setup
- Done in Bird's settings. Distance zones need your own Google Maps API key
- Outside the US
- Yes, including countries without postal codes such as the UAE, Qatar and Hong Kong
- Price
- Paid plans from $19.99 a month, with a 14-day free trial
How do delivery zones work for my customers?
Customers enter a postal code or address, Bird finds the zone that covers it, and they book from that zone's schedule.
- Postal code check
Customers enter their postal code in the cart widget. If a zone serves it, they see the date picker. If not, they see an error message instead.
With distance zones, customers type their address and pick it from Google Maps suggestions. Bird assigns the nearest zone that covers it.
Customers pick a date and time from the matched zone's schedule, and its delivery rate shows at checkout.
- Check from any page
Turn on the global postal code checker so customers can check delivery on any page, before they add anything to the cart.
- No address switching
Bird can recheck the postal code at checkout, so a customer can't book a slot for one address and check out with another you don't serve.
Edit the checker's header, label, success and error messages, for each language you sell in.
How do postal code zones work?
You list the postal codes each zone serves. This suits delivery areas that line up with postal codes.
- Exact match
A code must match character for character. Suits US 5-digit ZIP codes.
- Partial match
Put * at the end of a code as a wildcard: 11* covers every code that starts with 11, and M1* covers a whole UK district.
- Advanced match
Use _ for a space, so M1_A* allows M1 A234 but not M12 A234. Suits UK-style codes with spaces.
- One zone per code
Each postal code can belong to only one zone. A code that is in no zone gets no local delivery.
- One mode for the store
The matching mode applies to your whole store. You can't use exact matching for one zone and partial for another.
- Delivery days by postal code
Give a zone its own delivery days, for example Fridays only for one postal code.
How do distance zones work?
Bird measures how far the customer's address is from each zone's address.
Straight-line distance, like a circle drawn around your store.
Distance by road through Google's Routes API, for when a short straight line means a long drive, such as across a river.
- Rings around one store
Copy your store location and keep its address on each copy, for example 5 km, 10 km and 15 km zones. Set limits in km or miles.
- When zones overlap
Bird picks the nearest zone that covers the address. If several are the same distance away, the one with the smaller limit wins.
- Countries without postal codes
Distance zones work where postal codes aren't used or don't match your delivery areas, such as the UAE, Qatar or Hong Kong.
- Your Google Maps key
You need a Google Maps API key with the Places, Geocoding and Maps JavaScript APIs, plus the Routes API for driving distance, and billing set up on your Google Cloud project.
What do real zone setups look like?
Examples from the help center: three distance rings, a ZIP+4 code, a road that bends, and a busy day.
- The zones
Main Store Location 5 km at $10, Downtown Zone 10 km at $20, Extended Zone 15 km at $30, all keeping the store's address.
- Customer 4 km away
Fits all three zones the same distance away, so the smallest limit wins: Main Store Location, $10.
- Customer 8 km away
Fits the 10 km and 15 km zones, so the smaller limit wins: Downtown Zone, $20.
- Customer 20 km away
No zone covers the address, so the customer is told it's outside your delivery area.
- ZIP+4 in exact mode
With 90210 listed, 90210 matches but 90210-1234 doesn't. Use partial matching or add the ZIP+4 codes.
- Straight line or road
A customer 4 km away in a straight line but 12 km by road counts as 12 km in driving distance mode.
- Slot and day capsGrowth & up
A full time slot closes even if the day has room, and a full day closes every remaining slot.
Can each zone have its own delivery fee?
Yes. Give each zone its own rates on Bird's Rates page.
Charge less nearby and more farther out, for example $10, $20 and $30 across three zones. Enter 0 for free delivery.
- By order value or weight
Make delivery free above an order value in a zone, or charge heavier orders more.
- By day, time or urgencyGrowth & up
Charge more for weekend days, a time slot, holiday dates, same-day delivery or specific SKUs within a zone, or combine several conditions on one rate.
Set a minimum order value for each zone, in your store's default currency.
- Or keep Shopify's rates
Run local delivery rates through Shopify and use Bird for dates and times. Shopify's rates can't change by the day, date or time slot picked.
Can each zone have its own delivery days and limits?
Yes. Each zone is set up like any other location in Bird.
Choose the weekdays and time slots each zone delivers.
- Preparation time
Set same-day, next-day or custom lead times per zone, with an optional cut-off.
Close holidays per zone and set how many days ahead customers can book.
- Order limitsGrowth & up
Cap delivery orders per day or per time slot in each zone. A full slot or day shows as unavailable.
- Products for delivery
Allow only products with a tag, or exclude tagged products, for each zone.
- Delivery notes
Add a field for instructions such as a gate code. You can make it required.
Do zones count as extra Shopify locations?
No. A zone exists only in Bird.
- Shared stock
A zone shares inventory with the store location you copied and doesn't create a new Shopify location.
Each zone counts toward the locations your Bird plan includes. You can opt in to extra locations at USD 5 a month each.
Map each Bird location to the Shopify location that holds its stock, so delivery is checked against the right inventory.
Do delivery zones work with my other tools?
Yes. Bird integrates with route planning apps, Google Calendar, text messages and its own developer APIs.
Bird integrates with EasyRoutes and LionWheel for route planning, and Stuart for last-mile delivery.
- Google CalendarGrowth & up
Track scheduled orders on Google Calendar.
Send delivery status texts on paid plans for stores in the US, UK, Canada and Sweden, charged per message.
A JavaScript API reads the customer's method, date and time on your storefront, and a REST API serves mobile apps and other integrations.
Offer store pickup to customers outside your delivery zones.
How do Shopify's local delivery and Bird zones compare?
Both can limit local delivery by radius or postal code. Here is where they differ.
| Capability | Shopify local delivery | Bird delivery zones |
|---|---|---|
| Area by radius | Shopify local deliveryYes | Bird delivery zonesYes, straight line or by road |
| Area by postal code | Shopify local deliveryYes | Bird delivery zonesYes, with exact, partial or advanced matching |
| Rates by the day, date or time slot picked | Shopify local deliveryNo | Bird delivery zonesYes, on Growth and up |
| Rates Apple Pay can fetch | Shopify local deliveryNo | Bird delivery zonesYes |
How do I set up delivery zones on Shopify?
Turn on different schedules per location, copy your store location once per zone, then give each zone its postal codes or distance limit and its rates. Each zone type has its own guide in the Bird help center.
FAQ
What else do merchants ask about delivery zones?
Can I set delivery zones by ZIP code or postcode?
Yes. List the ZIP codes or postcodes each zone serves. With partial matching on, 11* covers every code that starts with 11, and M1* covers a UK district, so you don't have to type each one.
Can I charge different delivery fees by distance?
Yes. Create a zone for each distance band and give it a rate, for example $5 within 5 km and $10 within 10 km. Bird measures straight-line or driving distance from the zone's address.
What if two suburbs share a postal code?
Use distance zones. A postal code can only be in one zone, so postal code zones can't price two suburbs differently. Copy your store once per suburb with different distance limits, for example 5 km at $15 and 10 km at $25.
Does it work for Shopify stores outside the US?
Yes. Partial and advanced matching handle UK, Canadian and other postal code formats, and distance zones work where postal codes aren't used, such as the UAE, Qatar or Hong Kong. Distances can be in km or miles, and minimum orders use your store's default currency. Text messages work on paid plans for stores in the US, UK, Canada and Sweden.
Do I need a Google Maps API key?
Only for distance zones. Postal code zones don't need one. For radius, enable the Places, Geocoding and Maps JavaScript APIs; driving distance also needs the Routes API. Google requires billing on your Google Cloud project to use them.
Should I use radius or driving distance?
Radius is simpler and suits plain rules such as "we deliver within 5 km". Driving distance follows real roads, so it suits cities with rivers, highways or irregular streets, where an address 4 km away in a straight line can be 12 km by road.
How is this different from Shopify's own local delivery?
Shopify's local delivery also limits delivery by radius or postal code, but its rates can't change with the day, date or time slot the customer picks, it can't be combined with shipping zone rates for the same area, and Apple Pay can't fetch them. With Bird, each zone also gets its own schedule and order limits, distance can be measured by road, and rates can depend on the day, time or urgency. You can also keep Shopify's rates and use Bird for dates and times.
Can I use postal code zones and distance zones together?
No. You choose one mode for your whole store: exact, partial or advanced postal code matching, radius, or driving distance.
Can I draw a delivery zone on a map?
Bird offers two kinds of delivery zones: a list of postal codes, or a distance from the zone's address by radius or driving distance. Pick the one that matches how you draw your boundaries.
How many delivery zones can I create?
As many as your plan's locations allow, since each zone is a location in Bird. Locations included: 1 on Essential, 4 on Growth and 20 on Scale. You can opt in to extra locations at USD 5 a month each.
Do I need a developer to set up delivery zones?
You set it up yourself: zones, postal codes, distance limits and rates are all set in Bird's settings, and the widget is added from your theme editor. Distance zones also need a Google Maps API key, which you create in Google Cloud Console.
Do discount codes at checkout get around a zone's minimum order?
The minimum is checked on the cart page. A discount applied in the cart counts toward it; a discount code entered at checkout doesn't affect it.
Do express checkout buttons skip the zone check?
They can. Express checkout buttons bypass the cart page, so the Bird widget and its zone check are never shown for those orders.
Which plan do I need for delivery zones?
Each zone uses one of your plan's locations: 1 on Essential, 4 on Growth and 20 on Scale. Rates by order value or weight are on every plan. Rates by day, date, time, urgency or SKU need Growth and up, order limits need Growth and up, and a minimum order value needs Essential and up.
How much do delivery zones cost?
Paid plans start at $19.99 a month. Plans are priced in US dollars and billed through Shopify. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial, and annual billing is 10% off.
Terms on this page
- Delivery zone
- An area you deliver to, set by postal codes or by distance, with its own rates, minimum order value and schedule.
- Partial postal code match
- Matching with * at the end of a code, so 11* covers every code that starts with 11.
- Advanced postal code match
- Matching with _ for a space and * as a wildcard, so M1_A* allows M1 A234 but not M12 A234.
- Radius
- Straight-line distance from a zone's address to the customer.
- Driving distance
- Distance by road from a zone's address to the customer, measured with Google's Routes API.
Related features
- Geo Distance ValidationCheck where a customer is before they order, and show the products and prices that apply there.
- Intelligent Rate ConfigurationsCharge by order value, weight, date, time slot or rush, with no separate shipping-rates app.
- Minimum Order ValueSet a minimum spend for delivery or pickup, per method and per location.
- Multi-location SupportRun every store or kitchen from one dashboard, each with its own hours, slots and rates.
- Date & Time PickerCustomers choose a pickup or delivery date and time, and only see the ones you can actually fill.
- Order LimitsCap how many pickup, delivery and shipping orders you take in a day, so a busy week doesn't swamp the team.
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Deliver only where you want to.
Try delivery zones free for 14 days on any paid plan. Set your zones and their rates, then test a few addresses before you pay.