Conflict Resolution
A conflict happens when two or more active rules match the same cart and produce a rate with the same service code. ShipSmart can’t send duplicate service codes to Shopify, so it has to pick one.
Rules with different service codes are never in conflict. They each produce their own rate option shown at checkout.
Four strategies
Section titled “Four strategies”Highest (default)
Section titled “Highest (default)”Keeps the rate with the largest dollar amount. If two rules both produce a “Standard Shipping” rate, the customer sees the more expensive one.
This is the conservative default. It protects your margins if multiple rules overlap in ways you didn’t plan for.
Example. A “flat $10” rule and a “weight-based $14” rule both match a 5 kg cart with service code STANDARD. The customer sees $14.
Lowest
Section titled “Lowest”Keeps the rate with the smallest dollar amount. The customer sees the cheapest option among all matching rules.
Use this if you want to guarantee customers always get the best price when multiple promotions stack.
Example. A “flat $10” rule and a “free shipping over $100” rule both match. The customer qualifies for free shipping, so they see $0.
First match
Section titled “First match”Keeps the rate from whichever matching rule has the lowest priority number. Priority is set on each rule, with 1 being the highest priority.
Use this when you want explicit control. Set a specific rule as the “winner” by giving it a lower priority number than the others.
Example. A “Remote Surcharge” rule at priority 10 and a “Standard Flat Rate” rule at priority 20 both match. The customer sees the Remote Surcharge rate.
Adds up the amounts from all matching rules into a single rate. The rate label comes from the first matching rule.
Use this for layered pricing, where you want a base rate plus surcharges to combine automatically rather than compete.
Example. A “$8 base rate” rule and a “$5 remote area surcharge” rule both match. The customer sees $13.
Where to configure it
Section titled “Where to configure it”Go to Settings, find the Conflict resolution dropdown and choose a strategy. The setting applies to all rules across your store.