Overview
Cold chain delivery has two parts. Both must be set up before customers can choose a cold chain delivery method at checkout:
- Shipping temperature of product variants：Assign a shipping temperature to each variant. Variants without one are treated as ambient.
- Cold chain settings of delivery methods：Turn on "Cold Chain Delivery" in a delivery method, select the supported temperatures, and enter a fee for each.
Four Temperature Tiers
Temperature tiers map to ShipAny storage types. Temperature ranges are for reference only; actual conditions depend on the logistics provider's service.
| Tier | Reference Temperature | Example Products |
|---|---|---|
| Ambient | No temperature control | Biscuits, dry goods, clothing, daily necessities |
| Air-conditioned | 17–22°C | Chocolate, wine, heat-sensitive skincare |
| Chilled | 0–4°C | Cakes, fresh milk, fruit, ready-to-eat salads |
| Frozen | -18 to -15°C | Ice cream, frozen meat, seafood |
The shipping fee is based on the highest tier in the cart. From lowest to highest: Ambient < Air-conditioned < Chilled < Frozen.
Setup
Step 1: Set the Shipping Temperature of Product Variants
Path: "Products" → Edit product → "Variants" → "Advanced".
- Open "Advanced"Click "Advanced" (formerly "Conditions") in the variant list. "Shipping Temperature" is the first option.
- Choose a temperatureThe default is "Ambient". If left unchanged, the variant continues to be treated as ambient.
- Save the productClick "Save" on the product page for the change to take effect. You can save even if only the temperature has changed.
Bulk Setup via Excel (Optional)
The last column of the product Excel file is "Shipping Temperature". Accepted values:
| Value | Temperature |
|---|---|
| 0, "ambient" or "常溫" | Ambient |
| 1, "chilled" or "冷藏" | Chilled |
| 2, "frozen" or "急凍" ("冷凍" also accepted) | Frozen |
| 3, "air conditioned" or "恆溫" | Air-conditioned |
| Blank | Bulk update keeps the existing value; new products are treated as ambient |
Simplified Chinese and English (ambient, chilled, frozen, air conditioned) are also accepted. Invalid cells will be flagged. Older Excel files without this column can still be imported.
Step 2: Turn On Cold Chain for a Delivery Method
Path: "Settings" → "Delivery Methods" → Edit delivery method → "Cold Chain Settings".
- Enable cold chain deliveryTurn on "Enable Cold Chain Delivery". Any delivery method can use it, not only ShipAny.
- Select temperatures and enter feesSelect the temperatures this delivery method supports and enter a fee for each one (0 is allowed).
- SaveAfter saving, the delivery method list shows a summary, e.g. "Cold chain: Ambient $35 · Chilled $65 · Frozen $80".
Turning off "Enable Cold Chain Delivery" and saving clears the cold chain settings and restores the original fee. Existing cold chain orders are not affected.
How Shipping Fees Are Calculated
- Replaces the original fee：The temperature fee replaces the delivery method's original fee and is charged as a flat rate.
- Charged once per order：Based on the highest tier in the cart; fees are not added up across tiers.
- All tiers must be supported：If any tier in the cart is not supported by a delivery method, that method cannot be selected.
- Existing offers still apply：Free shipping thresholds, free shipping codes and who pays the fee all follow the delivery method's original settings.
Example
Delivery method settings: Ambient $35, Chilled $65, Frozen $80, free shipping over $500 (Air-conditioned not selected).
| Cart | Fee | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuits | $35 | Ambient items only |
| Biscuits, chilled cake | $65 | Highest tier is chilled, charged once |
| Biscuits, chilled cake, ice cream | $80 | Highest tier is frozen |
| Same as above, subtotal $600 | $0 | Meets the existing free shipping threshold |
| Chocolate (air-conditioned) | Unavailable | This method does not support air-conditioned |
What Customers See at Checkout
- Available methods：Show a note such as "Charged by shipping temperature · Fee $65".
- Unavailable methods：Appear greyed out with the reason shown. If a selected method becomes unavailable, the selection is cleared and the customer is asked to choose again.
- Recalculated before submission：Before the order is submitted, the fee is recalculated with the latest product data. If it changes, the customer is asked to confirm before submitting. They will not be charged twice.
| Message Shown | Reason | What To Do |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping temperature of items in cart not supported | The cart contains a tier this method does not support | Customer chooses another method, or the merchant adds the tier to this method |
| Add-ons or gifts not supported yet | The cart contains add-on or gift items | Current limitation; see "Current Limitations" below |
| Unable to confirm shipping temperature | Product temperature could not be loaded, usually due to network issues or a recent product edit | Refresh the page and try again |
| This delivery method is temporarily unavailable | Cold chain settings are incomplete, e.g. a tier has no fee | Merchant reviews and re-saves the cold chain settings |
| Cold chain delivery is not available with this promotion | An advanced promotion is in use | Choose another delivery method or remove the promotion |
Orders and Fulfilment
Only orders using a cold chain delivery method ("cold chain orders") record and display temperatures. Every item in a cold chain order shows its temperature, including ambient items; regular orders are unchanged. Temperatures are recorded when the order is placed, so later changes to product temperatures or delivery settings do not affect existing orders.
| Location | Shown for Cold Chain Orders |
|---|---|
| Order details | A temperature tag next to each item |
| ShipAny shipment window | "Shipment Temperature" lists each item's tier; the system passes the temperature to ShipAny |
| Order export | Optional "Shipping Temperature" column |
| Picking list | "Shipping Temperature" column |
| Printed orders | A label such as " · Chilled" after the option text |
When shipping via ShipAny, choose prepaid or collect as usual. The quote list only shows services that accept the temperature. If no quotes appear, your ShipAny account has no provider supporting that temperature; please check with ShipAny that the relevant cold chain services are enabled.
Setting Up Shipping Rules in ShipAny
Each item in a cold chain order is sent to ShipAny with a product tag for its temperature tier. In ShipAny's Shipping Rules, add a rule with the condition "Product Tag" includes one of the tags below to assign a suitable logistics service to each temperature tier:
| Tier | Product Tag |
|---|---|
| Ambient | shopage_temp_ambient |
| Air-conditioned | shopage_temp_air_conditioned |
| Chilled | shopage_temp_chilled |
| Frozen | shopage_temp_frozen |
Current Limitations
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Cart contains add-ons or gifts | Cold chain delivery methods cannot be selected |
| Advanced promotions | Cannot be used together with cold chain delivery |
| POS orders | Cold chain delivery not available |
| Merging cold chain orders | Not supported yet |
| Splitting cold chain orders | Not supported yet |
| Editing items or delivery method of a cold chain order | Not supported yet; address, notes and other details can still be edited |
| Variants linked to subscriptions | Temperature cannot be set for now |
These limitations keep the temperature and fee on each order consistent. If items in a cold chain order need changing, we recommend cancelling the order and placing a new one.
FAQ
I can't find "Shipping Temperature" or "Cold Chain Settings".
Shipping temperature is under "Products → Variants → Advanced" (formerly "Conditions"), and cold chain settings are on each delivery method's edit page. Variants linked to subscriptions do not show the "Advanced" button.
Do I need to set existing products to ambient one by one?
No. Variants without a setting are treated as ambient. You only need to set chilled, frozen and air-conditioned variants.
If an order has both chilled and frozen items, is the fee charged twice?
No. The fee is charged once per order, based on the highest tier (frozen).
What happens if the cart has chilled or frozen items but the customer chooses a delivery method without cold chain settings?
Delivery methods without cold chain settings are not affected by shipping temperature. Customers can still select them, and the method's original fee applies. The order is handled as a regular order, so no temperature is recorded or shown, and if shipped via ShipAny the items are sent as an ambient shipment. If your store sells chilled, frozen or air-conditioned products, review your other delivery methods so customers cannot buy items that need cold chain delivery through a regular method.
Do free shipping thresholds and free shipping codes still apply?
Yes. Cold chain only replaces the delivery fee with the temperature fee; free shipping thresholds and codes apply as usual.
Can cold chain shipping be collect-on-delivery?
Cold chain settings have no prepaid/collect option; payment follows the delivery method's original setting. If a tier's fee is 0, customers see "Shipping fee will be collected on delivery", which is existing system behaviour.
Can I use logistics providers other than ShipAny?
Yes. Any delivery method, such as your own fleet, can use cold chain settings, but you must confirm the provider actually offers cold chain service. Temperatures are only passed to the provider automatically for ShipAny deliveries.
If I change a product's temperature after an order is placed, does the order change?
No. Temperatures are recorded at the time of order and fulfilment follows that record. New settings only apply to future orders. Turning off cold chain settings likewise does not affect existing cold chain orders.
Can I set the temperature for all variants at once?
The "Unified Conditions" window does not include temperature, to avoid overwriting all variants at once. For many variants, use the product Excel bulk update and fill in 0 to 3 in the last column.
What should I do if "Missing temperature data" appears when shipping?
The order's temperature record is incomplete. To avoid shipping frozen or chilled items as ambient, the system has stopped creating a ShipAny waybill for it. Please contact SHOPAGE customer service with the order number.