How to work out delivery charges that cover your real courier costs, set up shipping zones by division, district and upazila, and explain them clearly to customers.
"How much is delivery?" is one of the most common questions Bangladeshi sellers get. The answer affects both your conversion rate and your margin. Charge too much and customers abandon checkout; charge too little and you lose money on every parcel.
This guide shows how to calculate a sensible delivery charge and set it up as shipping zones.
Step 1: Know your real cost per parcel
Your delivery cost is more than the courier's base rate. Add up:
- Courier delivery charge, which often varies by area and weight
- COD charge, often a percentage of the collected amount (check your courier's terms)
- Packaging: poly, box, tape, invoice print
- Return cost share: if, say, 1 in 10 parcels returns and you pay return charges, spread that cost over the other nine
Example (illustrative only; use your courier's actual rates):
| Item | Inside Dhaka | Outside Dhaka | |---|---|---| | Courier charge | ৳60 | ৳110 | | COD charge (on ৳1,200) | ৳12 | ৳12 | | Packaging | ৳15 | ৳15 | | Return cost share | ৳10 | ৳20 | | Real cost | ৳97 | ৳157 |
If you charge customers ৳60 and ৳120, you're absorbing about ৳37 per order in both zones. That might be a deliberate marketing choice, but it should be a choice, not an accident.
Step 2: Decide your pricing approach
A. Pass the cost through. Charge roughly what it costs you. Transparent and safe for thin-margin products.
B. Partly absorb it. Charge less than cost and build the difference into product prices. Common for fashion, where a low delivery charge helps conversion.
C. Free delivery above a threshold. For example, free delivery inside Dhaka on orders above a certain amount. This raises average order value. Make sure the threshold is high enough that the margin covers delivery.
Step 3: Set up shipping zones in Multipurc
The Learning Center describes a shipping zone as an area with one delivery price, such as Inside Dhaka at one price and Outside Dhaka at another. Shipping rates are weight- or price-based rate tables.
To create zones:
- In your store admin, open Shipping → Zones and click + New Zone.
- Enter a Zone Name (only you see it), for example "Dhaka Metro".
- Enter the Shipping Price in BDT.
- Set Status and Sort Order.
- Under Coverage Location, select the Division (required), then optionally District, Upazila and Union for smaller areas. Use Select all or Clear to speed things up.
- Add optional notes, then click Save Zone.
- Open Shipping → Rates to see weight- or price-based rate tables.
Start simple: two zones, Inside Dhaka and Outside Dhaka, as the Learning Center recommends. Add more only when you have a reason.
When to add more zones
- Dhaka suburbs: areas like Savar, Gazipur or Narayanganj may cost differently with your courier than central Dhaka.
- Your own city: if you're based in Chattogram or Sylhet, local delivery may be cheapest for you, and "Inside Dhaka" may be irrelevant.
- Local-only businesses: grocery or food sellers should create zones only for areas they can actually serve, down to upazila or union level.
Step 4: Communicate charges clearly
Delivery charges should never surprise a customer at checkout:
- Add one line to every product description: "Delivery: Inside Dhaka ৳X, Outside Dhaka ৳Y."
- Create a Delivery Information page (CMS → Pages) with charges, delivery times and coverage.
- Put the same information in your Facebook page's About section and pinned post.
- Mention it during the confirmation call for COD orders.
Step 5: Review every quarter
Courier rates, your return rate and your average order value change. Every three months:
- Compare what you charged customers with what couriers charged you (Reports → Payments and your courier statements).
- Check your return rate by zone. If outside-Dhaka returns are high, consider asking for the delivery charge in advance for those orders; with SSLCommerz configured, customers can prepay online.
Common mistakes
- One flat charge for the whole country, which usually means overcharging Dhaka customers or losing money elsewhere.
- Forgetting the COD fee in your cost calculation.
- Free delivery with no minimum order, which can turn small orders into losses.
- Zones for areas you can't serve, especially for perishable goods.
- Different charges on Facebook and the website.
Connecting couriers
Zones set what the customer pays. To book parcels, connect Pathao, REDX or Steadfast under Shipping → Couriers. All three courier plugins are included in every Multipurc plan, according to the pricing page.
Summary
Calculate your real per-parcel cost, choose a pricing approach deliberately, set two zones to start, and show the charges everywhere. Review quarterly. Delivery is a cost centre you can control.