# Getting started with Shipping Profiles 

Shipping Profiles is a tool that allows you to set storewide shipping rates with customizable shipping methods, like Standard or Next Day shipping, for example. You can also offer local pickup or delivery options. Shipping profiles are set on the __[Account](https://my.bigcartel.com/account "Big Cartel Account page")__ page under the __Shipping Profiles beta__ section.

>Need help determining your shipping rates? Use our __[How to Set Up Shipping ](https://help.bigcartel.com/charge-shipping-for-a-product "How to Set Up Shipping guide")__ guide for more information on calculating shipping rates.

# Default Shipping Profiles

With the Shipping Profiles tool, you can set default shipping rates for any regions you want to ship to. The default rates will apply to all products in your shop. In addition to your storewide default rates, you can ship specific items in separate packages using the __[Product Shipping Profiles](https://help.bigcartel.com/product-shipping-profiles "Product Shipping Profile guide")__ tool alongside your default rates.

>⚠️ Shipping Profiles and Product Shipping Profiles are separate from __Product-level Shipping__ settings. To set a unique rate for each product in your shop, follow the steps in our __[Product-level Shipping guide](https://help.bigcartel.com/product-level-shipping "Product-level Shipping guide")__. Keep in mind that enabling Shipping Profiles will hide Product-level Shipping rates.

# Add flat-rate shipping

To charge flat-rate shipping, set the __Each additional__ rate to $0.00. Customers will only be charged the __First item__ rate and nothing more. 

If you would like to charge extra to ship multiple items, you can use the __Each additional__ field to cover the cost of any additional items a customer may add to their cart. For example, if you set the __First item__ rate to $5, and __Each additional__ to $1, then customers will be charged $1 extra for each additional item they add to the cart. 

>💡We recommend keeping the “Each additional” rate lower than the “First item” rate so your customers aren’t overcharge for shipping.

# Offer free shipping

To offer free shipping, set both __First item__ and __Each additional__ rates to $0.00 for any country, zone or region you want to ship to for free. 

If you plan to offer free shipping to specific customers only or as part of a sale, you can create a discount code for customers to enter on the checkout page. We have more information in our __[Add a discount code guide](https://help.bigcartel.com/add-a-discount "Add a discount code guide")__. 

>💡 Shipping settings can be adjusted at any time to temporarily offer free shipping to certain regions

How to Set Up Shipping Profiles

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