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 unlock global growth. In this guide, we break down your options—manual, Shopify, or WooCommerce—so you can pick the best fit and ship smarter.
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.
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.
You're using WooCommerce and are okay with static rates only.
You can manage duties, fees, and taxes away from your store.
You are happy to add a handling fee to cover surcharges and outlying area costs.
You don’t need UPS at checkout and are comfortable with fewer automation options.
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)
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 unlock global growth. In this guide, we 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 Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integration Plan | Shopify Grow | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce / Octalise |
| Type of Rates at Checkout | ✅ Live / Dynamic Rates - Matches tunl.to pricing incl. surcharges & outlying fees | 🧾 Static Rates - Cart weight & destination | 🧾 Static Rates - Cart weight & destination |
| Real-Time Surcharges | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included | ❌ Not included |
| Outlying Area Fees | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included | ❌ Not included |
| Carriers Available | TUNL Economy, UPS & FedEx | TUNL Economy & FedEx only | TUNL Economy & FedEx only |
| Duties & Taxes at Checkout | ✅ Available - Full landed cost shown | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
| 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 | 💵 Pay for Octalize, $49 annual fee |
| Product Weight Requirement | 📝 Add accurate weights & HS Codes | 📝 Add accurate weights only | 📝 Add accurate weights only |
| Integration Setup | 📖 Use helpdesk article or let TUNL assist for free | 🛠 R2500 if TUNL assists - DIY guide available | 🛠 DIY guide only (support available if stuck) |
| Automation Benefits | 🔗 Auto-syncs orders into dashboard -⚡ Faster booking | 🔗 Auto-syncs orders into dashboard - ⚡ Faster booking | ❌ Manual booking required |
🏁 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 Basic Rates if:
You're using WooCommerce and are okay with static rates only.
You can manage duties, fees, and taxes away from your store.
You are happy to add a handling fee to cover surcharges and outlying area costs.
You don’t need UPS at checkout and are comfortable with fewer automation options.
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)
Updated on: 13/06/2025
Thank you!