Understanding Shipping Costs
Learn how Conjura's Shipping Costs import enhances profitability analysis by tracking shipping expenses tied to your orders for accurate contribution margin insights.
Note: Shipping revenue (amount paid by customers) is included in Contribution Profit, so it's essential to add corresponding shipping costs to avoid inflating your margins.
When to Use a Custom Shipping Costs Import
Conjura's Shipping Costs import is essential for businesses wanting to understand their true delivery profitability by accounting for all shipping-related expenses. Since shipping revenue from customers is already included in your contribution profit calculations, adding accurate shipping costs ensures you're seeing realistic profit margins.
This feature applies costs by shipping method, which is determined from:
Shopify/BigCommerce: Line item shipping methods
Brightpearl/Linnworks/Cin7: Shipping methods from these platforms
Note: If your shipping methods vary based on weight/dimensions, ensure your OMS (such as Linnworks rules engines) assigns the correct shipping method so Conjura can accurately identify and apply the corresponding costs.
Common shipping costs to track include:
Carrier fees from shipping providers (e.g., Royal Mail, DPD, UPS)
Insurance fees for high-value shipments
International shipping duties and customs fees
For example, you might apply £3.50 to all "Standard Delivery" orders or 2% insurance to "Express International" shipments.
Once uploaded, we'll identify which shipping method was used for each order and apply the corresponding cost to your Contribution Margin metrics across all dashboards.
Important: Costs are applied by shipping method and can be split by country for more precise tracking.
How to Use a Custom Shipping Costs Import
Using the Form Interface
Navigate to 'Connect & Import' and select 'Shipping Costs'.
Complete the form with the following information:
Start Date (optional, yyyy-mm-dd): When these shipping costs begin applying. Leave blank to apply to all historical orders and future orders.
End Date (optional, yyyy-mm-dd): When these shipping costs stop applying. Leave blank for ongoing costs.
Shipping Method Key: [Prepopulated] Internal identifier for the shipping method
Shipping Method: [Prepopulated] Display name of the shipping method
Shipping Method Source: [Prepopulated] Platform source (e.g., Shopify, Amazon, Linnworks)
Shipping Country: [Required] Country code for where this cost applies
Currency: The currency for the cost amount (e.g., GBP, USD)
Cost Amount: Enter a fixed shipping cost per order (leave blank if using percentage)
Percentage of Revenue Cost Amount: (Optional) Enter as decimal (e.g., 0.02 = 2%) for variable costs based on total order revenue (leave blank if using fixed amount)
Select 'Submit Data'.
Your data will sync overnight and appear in your reports.
Using CSV for Bulk Uploads
For bulk uploads, download the CSV template from the Shipping Costs page. The template will include all your available shipping methods. Fill in your data offline and upload by dragging and dropping the completed file onto the editor. Remember to delete all template rows before uploading your data.
Managing Your Imports
To remove shipping costs, locate the file under 'My Imported Data' in the custom data import tab and select the delete button.
Cost Structure Options
You can set up shipping costs using either:
Fixed Amount: A flat shipping cost per order (e.g., £4.99 for Standard Delivery)
Percentage of Revenue: A variable rate based on total order value (e.g., 2% for insurance on high-value orders)
Important: Only fill in one cost type per row - either the fixed amount OR the percentage, not both.
Examples
Standard Delivery (UK):
Shipping Method: "Standard Delivery"
Shipping Country: "UK"
Cost Amount: 3.50 (£3.50 per order)
Percentage of Revenue Cost Amount: [leave blank]
Express International (US) with Insurance:
Shipping Method: "Express International"
Shipping Country: "US"
Percentage of Revenue Cost Amount: 0.02 (2% insurance fee)
Cost Amount: [leave blank]
Next Day Delivery (UK):
Shipping Method: "Next Day Delivery"
Shipping Country: "UK"
Cost Amount: 8.99 (£8.99 per order)
Percentage of Revenue Cost Amount: [leave blank]