This guide provides practical examples of courier service selection rules for typical fulfilment scenarios and solutions to common problems you might encounter when orders aren't assigned the correct courier service.
Common use cases
Standard UK fulfilment with weight bands
Scenario: You fulfil UK orders using different courier services based on weight.
Rules to create:
Rule 1: Channel = Your Channel | Country = United Kingdom | Min Weight = 0 | Max Weight = 2 | Courier Service = Royal Mail Tracked 48
Rule 2: Channel = Your Channel | Country = United Kingdom | Min Weight = 2 | Max Weight = 30 | Courier Service = DPD Next Day
International with regional zones
Scenario: You use different courier services for Europe and the rest of the world.
Rules to create:
Rule 1: Channel = Your Channel | Shipping Zone = Europe | Courier Service = DPD International
Rule 2: Channel = Your Channel | Shipping Zone = Rest of World | Courier Service = UPS Worldwide
Important: Set up your Shipping Zones with countries only (no postcodes) before creating these rules.
Multi-channel with client separation (3PL)
Scenario: You're a 3PL managing multiple clients, each with their own courier preferences.
Rules to create:
Rule 1: Client = Client A | Channel = Amazon | Courier Service = Royal Mail Tracked 48
Rule 2: Client = Client A | Channel = eBay | Courier Service = Hermes
Rule 3: Client = Client B | Channel = Amazon | Courier Service = DPD Next Day
Express service with Service Types
Scenario: Your channels send "Express" shipping tags, but you need different couriers based on weight.
Setup required:
Create Courier Service Type called "Express"
Set up Courier Service Mapping to assign "Express" type to orders with express shipping tags
Rules to create:
Rule 1: Courier Service Type = Express | Min Weight = 0 | Max Weight = 2 | Courier Service = Royal Mail Tracked 24
Rule 2: Courier Service Type = Express | Min Weight = 2 | Max Weight = 30 | Courier Service = DPD Next Day
Troubleshooting
Zero-value orders aren't assigned a courier automatically
Cause: Your courier service selection rules don't include orders with a value of 0.
Solution: Edit your rules to set the Min Order Value to 0. This ensures zero-value orders (such as replacements, samples, or promotional items) are included in automatic courier selection.
Steps:
Click Shipping Management then Courier Service Selection.
Click Edit on each rule that should apply to zero-value orders.
Change Min Order Value to 0.
Click Save.
Recalculate courier services for any existing zero-value orders.
Custom courier services don't appear in the dropdown
Cause: The courier service might not be set up correctly or isn't active.
Solution: Verify your courier service configuration:
Click Couriers then Manage Courier Services.
Locate your custom courier service.
Check that the courier service:
Has been saved correctly
Is marked as active
Has the correct spelling and naming
If the courier service is missing, add it following your standard courier setup process.
No courier is selected for certain orders
Cause: Your courier service selection rules don't cover all order scenarios. Common gaps include:
Orders with weight = 0 or no weight recorded
Orders from channels not included in your rules
Orders to countries or zones not covered by your rules
Orders with values outside your defined ranges
Orders with Courier Service Types that don't match your rules
Solution: Identify which criteria are causing the mismatch, then either:
Edit existing rules to broaden the criteria (such as setting Min Weight to 0)
Create new rules to cover the missing scenarios
Steps to diagnose:
Check the order details to identify:
Channel
Destination country
Weight
Order value
Courier Service Type (if applicable)
Click Shipping Management then Courier Service Selection.
Review your existing rules to find which criteria don't match.
Create a new rule or edit an existing rule to include the missing scenario.
Tip: Create a "catch-all" rule with minimal criteria for your default courier service. This ensures all orders receive a courier assignment, even if they don't match more specific rules.
Multiple rules match an order, but the wrong one is applied
Cause: Mintsoft selects the most specific rule when multiple rules match. You might have overlapping rules with different levels of specificity.
Solution: Review your rule structure and understand precedence:
Country rules always win over zone rules. If an order matches both a country-specific rule and a zone rule containing that country, the country rule is applied.
More criteria = more specific. A rule with channel, country, and weight range is more specific than a rule with just channel and country.
Review your rules for unintended overlaps:
Click Shipping Management then Courier Service Selection.
Identify rules that could match the same orders.
Adjust criteria to eliminate conflicts or ensure the desired rule is more specific.
Example:
You have:
Rule A: Channel = Amazon | Country = United Kingdom | Courier Service = Royal Mail
Rule B: Channel = Amazon | Country = United Kingdom | Min Weight = 0 | Max Weight = 2 | Courier Service = Hermes
An order from Amazon UK weighing 1kg will match Rule B (Hermes) because it has more specific criteria (includes weight range).
Orders recalculated but courier service didn't change
Cause: The order might already be processed, or the current courier service still matches your rules.
Solution:
Check order status. Recalculation only affects unprocessed orders. If the order has been picked, packed, or shipped, the courier service won't change.
Verify the current assignment matches rules. The order might have the correct courier service already assigned based on your current rules.
Review rule changes. If you've recently modified rules, ensure the new criteria actually apply to the orders you're recalculating.