Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions when configuring Shopify Delivery Checkout rules.

Issue 1: Wrong Price Applied

Symptom

A 35kg cart is charged €50 instead of €200, even though you have rules for both weights.

Cause

Incorrect priority ordering. The system matches the first rule and stops.

Solution

Ensure higher thresholds have lower priority numbers (Priority 0, 1, 2...).

❌ Wrong:

[
  {"name": "Over 10kg €50", "priority": 0, "conditions": [{"value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"name": "Over 30kg €200", "priority": 2, "conditions": [{"value": ["30"], "operator": ">"}]}
]

✅ Correct:

[
  {"name": "Over 30kg €200", "priority": 0, "conditions": [{"value": ["30"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"name": "Over 10kg €50", "priority": 2, "conditions": [{"value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}]}
]

QUICK FIX

List your rules by priority (0, 1, 2...). Read from top to bottom. Does the order go from most specific to most general? If not, reorder the priorities.

Issue 2: No Rules Matching

Symptom

Your rules exist but the base shipping price is always applied.

Possible Causes & Solutions

Cause A: Operator Direction

Using < when you need > or vice versa.

❌ Wrong:

{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["10"], "operator": "<"}
// This matches weights LESS THAN 10kg

✅ Correct:

{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}
// This matches weights GREATER THAN 10kg

Cause B: Incorrect conditions_match

Using "all" when you need "any", or vice versa.

❌ Wrong:

{
  "conditions_match": "all",
  "conditions": [
    {"type": "shipment_country", "value": ["GB"], "operator": "="},
    {"type": "shipment_country", "value": ["FR"], "operator": "="}
  ]
}
// Impossible: Country can't be BOTH GB AND FR

✅ Correct:

{
  "conditions_match": "any",
  "conditions": [
    {"type": "shipment_country", "value": ["GB"], "operator": "="},
    {"type": "shipment_country", "value": ["FR"], "operator": "="}
  ]
}
// Matches if country is GB OR FR

Cause C: Type Mismatch

Using string comparison on numeric values or vice versa.

Check your data types:

// For numeric comparisons
{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}

// For string comparisons
{"type": "shipment_country", "value": ["GB"], "operator": "="}

Issue 3: Free Shipping Not Working for Heavy Orders

Symptom

You offer free shipping over €100, but it doesn't apply to orders over 20kg.

Cause

A heavy order rule with higher priority (lower number) is matching first.

Solution

Reorder priorities or combine conditions.

Option 1: Adjust Priorities

[
  {
    "name": "Free Shipping Over €100",
    "priority": 0,  // Check free shipping FIRST
    "conditions": [
      {"type": "cart_value", "value": ["100"], "operator": ">="},
      {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": "<="}
    ]
  },
  {
    "name": "Heavy Order Surcharge",
    "priority": 1,  // Then check for heavy orders
    "conditions": [
      {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"}
    ]
  }
]

Option 2: Separate Light and Heavy Rules

[
  {
    "name": "Heavy Order Rate",
    "priority": 0,
    "price": 50.00,
    "conditions": [
      {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"}
    ]
  },
  {
    "name": "Free Shipping (Light Orders)",
    "priority": 1,
    "price": 0.00,
    "conditions": [
      {"type": "cart_value", "value": ["100"], "operator": ">="},
      {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": "<="}
    ]
  }
]

Issue 4: Rule Applies When It Shouldn't

Symptom

A rule matches carts that don't meet all your intended conditions.

Cause

Using conditions_match: "any" when you need "all".

Solution

Change to conditions_match: "all" to require all conditions to be true.

❌ Wrong:

{
  "name": "Premium Heavy Order",
  "conditions_match": "any",  // Matches if EITHER condition is true
  "conditions": [
    {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"},
    {"type": "cart_value", "value": ["500"], "operator": ">="}
  ]
}

This matches:

  • ✅ 25kg cart with €600 subtotal (both true)
  • ✅ 25kg cart with €100 subtotal (weight true)
  • ✅ 10kg cart with €600 subtotal (subtotal true)

✅ Correct:

{
  "name": "Premium Heavy Order",
  "conditions_match": "all",  // Requires BOTH conditions
  "conditions": [
    {"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"},
    {"type": "cart_value", "value": ["500"], "operator": ">="}
  ]
}

This matches:

  • ✅ 25kg cart with €600 subtotal (both true)
  • ❌ 25kg cart with €100 subtotal (subtotal false)
  • ❌ 10kg cart with €600 subtotal (weight false)

Issue 5: Shipping Method Not Disabled

Symptom

You have a type: "disable_method" rule but the shipping method still appears.

Cause

Conditions aren't matching, or the rule has low priority and another rule matches first.

Solution

Step 1: Verify Conditions

{
  "name": "Hide Express for Hazmat",
  "type": "disable_method",
  "priority": 0,  // Should be highest priority
  "conditions_match": "any",
  "conditions": [
    {"type": "product_tag", "value": ["hazmat"], "operator": "contains"}
  ]
}

Step 2: Check Priority Disable rules should typically have Priority 0 to execute before price modification rules.

Step 3: Verify Product Tags Make sure your products actually have the tag you're checking for.

Issue 6: Different Results in Test vs Production

Symptom

Rules work in testing but behave differently in production checkout.

Possible Causes

  1. Cart Context Differences

    • Test cart may have different products/quantities
    • Shipping address may differ
    • Currency conversion issues

  2. Caching Issues

    • Old rule configuration cached
    • Solution: Clear cache or wait for TTL expiry

  3. Time-Based Conditions

    • Delivery date conditions may evaluate differently based on current date

Solution

Test with production-like data:

✅ Use real product SKUs
✅ Use actual shipping addresses
✅ Test at different times of day
✅ Clear cache between tests

Issue 7: Rules Work Individually But Not Together

Symptom

Each rule works when it's the only rule, but they conflict when combined.

Cause

Priority conflicts or logical overlaps.

Solution

Map out your rule execution flow:

Priority 0: Most specific condition
    ↓ (if no match)
Priority 1: Less specific condition
    ↓ (if no match)
Priority 2: Least specific condition
    ↓ (if no match)
Base shipping price

Example Conflict:

[
  {"priority": 0, "conditions": [{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"priority": 1, "conditions": [{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"}]}
]

Problem: 30kg cart matches Priority 0 (>10kg) and stops. Never evaluates Priority 1 (>20kg).

Fixed:

[
  {"priority": 0, "conditions": [{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["20"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"priority": 1, "conditions": [{"type": "cart_weight", "value": ["10"], "operator": ">"}]}
]

Debugging Checklist

When rules aren't working as expected, check:

  • [ ] Priority Order: Are rules ordered from most specific (0) to least specific?
  • [ ] Operators: Are you using >, <, >=, <=, = correctly?
  • [ ] Conditions Match: Do you need "all" or "any"?
  • [ ] Value Format: Are values in the correct format (strings in array)?
  • [ ] Rule Type: Is it modify_method_price or hide?
  • [ ] Test Data: Are you testing with realistic cart data?
  • [ ] Overlapping Conditions: Do multiple rules match the same scenarios?

Getting Help

If you're still stuck:

  1. Export your rules and review the priority order
  2. Create a test case with specific cart data
  3. Document expected vs actual behavior
  4. Check logs for rule evaluation details

Common Patterns That Work

Pattern: Tiered Pricing

[
  {"priority": 0, "conditions": [{"value": ["highest"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"priority": 1, "conditions": [{"value": ["medium"], "operator": ">"}]},
  {"priority": 2, "conditions": [{"value": ["lowest"], "operator": ">"}]}
]

Pattern: Exception Override

[
  {"priority": 0, "name": "Special Case Exception"},
  {"priority": 1, "name": "General Rule"}
]

Pattern: Exclusion

[
  {"priority": 0, "type": "disable_method", "name": "Hide for Condition X"},
  {"priority": 1, "type": "modify_method_price", "name": "Apply Price"}
]

Next Steps

Last Updated:
Contributors: Brian Faust