How to Reduce Shipping Costs for Your Shopify Store in India

Running a Shopify store in India is fun until the shipping bill arrives. Many sellers tell me the same thing, "Shipping cost is eating my profit." And ya, that happens a lot. But the good news? You can make shipping feel light if you use the right tools and take small steps.

And one tool lots of sellers use today is the ILS Portal, a shipping panel that helps cut costs by giving many courier partners in one place. So let's talk about small tricks you can use to lower your shipping cost and keep more money in your pocket.

Why Shipping Cost Goes High in India

Many Shopify sellers get shocked when they see random charges. It happens because:

• Wrong weight
• Far delivery areas
• Return orders
• No rate compare
• Using just 1 courier

When you run a store alone, all this feels heavy. But if you use a multi-courier tool like ILS Portal, you don't need to juggle everything by hand.

To cut shipping costs for your Shopify store in India, keep your box light and small, compare courier rates, and use tools like ILS Portal to pick the cheapest courier. Offer local delivery or pickup whenever possible. It almost removes the cost.

You can also buy packing stuff in bulk, ask courier partners for better rates as you grow, and charge the right shipping amount so you don't lose extra money.

Optimise your packaging and shipping:

• Reduce weight and dimensions
• Use Shopify Shipping
• Compare carrier rates
• Implement flat-rate shipping
• Negotiate rates

Adjust your shipping and fulfilment strategy:

• Offer local options: If the buyer is local, provide local delivery, store pickup, or same-city courier services.
• Bundle products: When buyers purchase 2–3 items in one box, your cost per item decreases significantly.
• Buy in bulk: Packing tape, boxes, and bubble wrap are all cheaper when purchased in large quantities.
• Consider dropshipping: In dropshipping, your supplier ships the item directly to the customer. You don't pack or send anything. This removes your shipping and warehouse costs completely. Select trusted suppliers that deliver quickly in India.

Manage your shipping policies and rates by setting up shipping profiles, establishing a clear shipping policy, and staying informed at all times.

Smart Ways to Reduce Shipping Costs

1. Use Multiple Courier Partners (ILS Portal Makes This Easy)

If you ship with only one courier, you pay whatever they ask. But India is big. Blue Dart excels in one area, Delhivery is strong in another, DTDC handles some pin codes more effectively, and Shree Maruti is particularly strong for many locations in the west zone.

ILS Portal gives you many courier partners on one screen:

When you compare, you pick the lowest ship cost each time. That alone cuts 15–30% of your monthly spend.

2. Fix Your Product Weights (Shopify + ILS Portal Combo)

Lots of sellers make this mistake: they guess the weight. Then the courier charges higher because of a weight mismatch.

Simply use a small weight machine and add actual weight to your Shopify product.

Your shipping cost drops because you stop paying the "extra weight" amount.

3. Reduce RTO (Return to Origin) Orders

RTO hurts the most. You lose the shipping cost both ways. Simple tricks to lower RTO:

• Show COD fee
• Call or WhatsApp COD buyers
• Use strong address validation

The ILS Portal sends quick alerts for failed deliveries, allowing you to contact the buyer and resolve the issue. This saves lots of wasted shipping money.

Also Read: https://ilsportal.io/blogs/cash-on-delivery-courier-service

4. Pack Smart and Small

Shipping charges depend on both the size and weight of the item.

If your box is big, you pay more. Try this:

• Small boxes
• No heavy fillers
• Bubble wrap only where needed

5. Ship From the Closest Warehouse

If you ship from Delhi to Kerala every time, the cost will be high.

However, if you store some stock in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or Bangalore warehouses (3PL), your shipping costs decrease because the distance is shorter.

Many ILS Portal sellers use this model for fast delivery and low charges. Check out our warehouse management guide.

6. Use Prepaid Over COD When Possible

COD is the biggest reason for both:

• RTO
• Higher ship cost

Give a small discount:

"Pay online and get ₹20 off." You save shipping money if more people choose prepaid.

7. Automate Shipping From Shopify Using ILS Portal

ILS Portal connects with Shopify in one click.

You sync orders → Choose courier → Print label → Done.

8. Track Shipments Real Time

Late delivery = more customer calls = more chances of returns.

The ILS Portal displays all tracking information in a single dashboard.

You see delays fast → contact the buyer → save the shipment.

Shopify Shipping Integration helps you send orders fast, pick the right courier, and cut shipping cost with simple setup.

Final Thoughts

Keeping shipping costs low in your Shopify store is not a big trick. It's just small, steady changes that make things cheaper over time. When you use the ILS Portal, you have many courier choices, a quick rate check, better control over RTO, a simple weight match, and real-time tracking, all in one panel. It also integrates seamlessly with Shopify, so your workload feels lighter and your shipping costs stay under control.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to reduce shipping costs on Shopify?

You can reduce shipping costs by keeping your box compact, using actual weight, and comparing courier rates. Tools like the ILS Portal help you select the most cost-effective courier for every order. Try local delivery, prepaid orders, and bundle items to save even more.

2. How to discount shipping on Shopify?

You can add a small shipping discount inside your Shopify shipping settings. Many sellers give "₹20 off on prepaid" or "free shipping after ₹499."

3. How do I remove shipping costs from Shopify?

You can remove shipping costs by setting free shipping in your Shopify shipping rules. Many stores offer this service for nearby cities or for orders exceeding a certain amount. Just make sure your product price covers the shipping so you don't lose profit.