🧩 Which Integration Option is Best for My Business?
Quoting shipping rates to your customers one by one? There’s a better way.
Whether you're running a slick Shopify store or hustling on WooCommerce, choosing the right integration can save your South African business hours in admin and open the door to global growth. In this guide, we’ll break down your options - manual, Shopify, or WooCommerce - so you can pick the best fit and ship smarter.
🔍 Feature Comparison Table
💡 Feature / Criteria | 🚀 Shopify Live Rates | 🧱 Shopify Basic Rates | 🌐 WooCommerce Live Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
Integration Plan | Shopify Grow | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce / TUNL Plugin |
Type of Rates at Checkout | ✅ Live / Dynamic Rates - Matches tunl.to pricing incl. surcharges & outlying fees | 🧾 Static Rates - Cart weight & destination | ✅ Live / Dynamic Rates - Matches tunl.to pricing incl. surcharges & outlying fees |
Real-Time Surcharges | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |
Outlying Area Fees | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |
Carriers Available | TUNL Economy, UPS & FedEx | TUNL Economy & FedEx only | TUNL Economy, UPS & FedEx |
Duties & Taxes at Checkout | ✅ Available - Full landed cost shown | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available - Full landed cost shown |
Best for Cost Savings | 💸💸 If you’re doing over R50k/month, Grow usually costs less overall | 🆓 Free to use - Great for low-volume stores | 🆓 Free to use - Ideal for WooCommerce users |
3rd-Party Live Rates Fee | 💵 $20/month - Waived with annual billing | ❌ Not applicable | 🆓 TUNL Plugin is free to use |
Product Weight Requirement | 📝 Add accurate weights & HS Codes | 📝 Add accurate weights only | 📝 Add accurate weights & HS codes |
Integration Setup | 📖 Use helpdesk article to DIY or R5000 if done by TUNL | 🛠 R3500 if TUNL assists - DIY guide available | 🛠 Use helpdesk article to DIY or R5000 if done by TUNL |
Automation Benefits | 🔗 Auto-syncs orders into dashboard -⚡ Faster booking | 🔗 Auto-syncs orders into dashboard - ⚡ Faster booking | ❌ Manual booking required (order automation coming soon) |
🏁 Summary & Recommendation
✅ Choose Shopify Live Rates (Shopify Grow) if:
- You want a professional, seamless shipping experience with accurate live pricing.
- You don’t need to sell R50,000/month to use Grow - but if you do, Grow becomes the better deal compared to Basic.
- You’d prefer duties, fees, and taxes at checkout.
- You’d like UPS as a shipping option at checkout too.
- You value checkout conversion, transparent landed costs, and reduced admin.
✅ Choose Shopify Basic Rates if:
- You're just getting started.
- You prefer a free option.
- You are happy to add a handling fee to cover surcharges and outlying area costs.
- You’re okay with a less accurate shipping cost at checkout.
- You don’t need UPS at checkout and are comfortable with fewer automation options.
✅ Choose WooCommerce Live Rates if:
- You want a professional, seamless shipping experience with accurate live pricing.
- You’d prefer duties, fees, and taxes calculated at checkout.
- You’d like UPS as a shipping option at checkout too.
- You value checkout conversion, transparent landed costs, and reduced admin.
Related articles:
- Shopify Live Rates
- Shopify Basic Rates
- Woocommerce Integration
- Why is there a shipping rate difference when I book on TUNL vs what my customer paid via the plugin
- Rates Calculation (Volume vs. Actual Weight)
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Keywords: Integration | Rates
Updated on: 04/09/2025
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