Unlock the Power of Rate Shopping for Enterprise Businesses
by EasyPost
Shipping today is more expensive—and unpredictable—than ever.
Carrier rates keep climbing, peak season surcharges seem to appear out of nowhere, and capacity limits can leave you scrambling for alternatives. If you’re shipping thousands (or millions) of parcels each month, every extra dollar you spend on shipping eats away at your margins.
At the same time, warehouses are evolving. Many businesses are adopting automated fulfillment, robotics, and AI-driven optimization.
But even with all the new technology, shipping remains a critical cost factor in overall warehouse efficiency.
The solution? Rate shopping
We’ll come right out and say it: If you’re relying on just one shipping carrier, you’re missing out on huge cost-saving opportunities.
The only way to know you’re not overspending on shipping is to rate shop between multiple carriers. By selecting the best carrier for each shipment based on cost, speed, and service level, enterprise businesses can save money, reduce risk, and optimize efficiency at scale.
And the right rate shopping strategy doesn’t just save money—it improves fulfillment workflows by integrating smarter carrier decisions directly into warehouse operations.
Read on to learn how rate shopping works, or download our ebook for even more information: The Power of Rate Shopping To Optimize Enterprise Shipping Costs.
How rate shopping works
If you’re shipping massive numbers of parcels, choosing the best carrier for each shipment simply cannot be a manual process.
It needs to happen automatically, factoring in the latest carrier rates, service levels, and business priorities in real time.
A true rate shopping solution finds the cheapest label and optimizes for cost, speed, and reliability—without slowing down your operations. When searching for rate shopping technology, keep an eye out for these capabilities:
Comprehensive carrier coverage
The more carrier options you have, the better positioned you are to control costs and avoid disruptions. A strong rate shopping strategy includes the following:
- Multi-carrier access. When you compare rates across regional, national, and international carriers, you take control of shipping costs.
- Pre-built carrier integrations. A system that connects 100+ carriers eliminates the need for custom development work every time you want to expand your options with a new carrier.
- Seamless carrier updates. The ability to quickly onboard new carriers as your business needs change minimizes delays and keeps you agile.
Real-time rate comparison
Rates and transit times fluctuate based on factors like demand, fuel costs, and carrier volume limits. Rate shopping solutions should do the following:
- Instantly pull rates from all eligible carriers.
- Factor in contract-specific discounts and surcharges.
- Compare services based on both cost and delivery time to strike the right balance for each order.
Advanced filtering options
Not every carrier is right for every shipment. Your business needs to be able to set business rules that determine which services are considered. A flexible system should allow you to do the following:
- Limit service options by country, province, or region to comply with regulations or business agreements.
- Filter by package weight, dimensions, or value to select the carrier that best fits specific shipment needs.
- Restrict carrier selection based on customer preference; for example, you might prioritize delivery date or environmentally friendly shipping options.
Automated selection logic
Once rates are compared, the system should automatically choose the best carrier and service based on the company’s business rules. This ensures that the following occurs:
- Orders are shipped without delays, with no need for manual intervention.
- Business priorities, such as minimizing costs, meeting SLAs, or balancing carrier volume commitments, are met.
- The best rate is selected based on real-time pricing, delivery dates, and other operational considerations.
Customizable business rules
Enterprise shippers need absolute control over rate shopping logic to ensure that the best decisions are made for their business—and that doesn’t always equate to the cheapest rates. The right system will offer the following:
- Low-code/no-code configuration for shippers who want quick, click-to-select rules like “choose the cheapest option” or “prioritize two-day shipping.”
- Custom scripting and rule-based automation for businesses with complex decision-making needs, such as weight-based carrier selection or service restrictions.
- Pre- and post-rate shopping logic that allows companies to fine-tune selection criteria for specific scenarios—such as handling peak surcharges or carrier volume caps.
Read the full ebook for rate shopping tips and success stories
With the right rate shopping strategy in place, businesses can cut costs, improve efficiency, and eliminate shipping blind spots—all while ensuring that shipments move as quickly and reliably as possible.
Want to learn more about rate shopping for enterprises? The full ebook covers:
- Why business rules are important in rate shopping
- How enterprises use EasyPost Enterprise rate shopping
- How to implement rate shopping for your business
- The future of enterprise shipping: scalability, speed, and smarter warehouses
Read it for free: The Power of Rate Shopping To Optimize Enterprise Shipping Costs.