Is free shipping really free for the seller?

[ElizabethParker]

Customers love seeing free shipping at checkout, but the delivery fee still has to come from somewhere. If you were running a small online store, how would you handle it? Would you include the cost in your product prices, require customers to reach a minimum order amount, or offer free shipping only during sales and promotions?

 

[jayonmarketing]

I'd probably set a minimum order amount for free shipping. That way, customers have a reason to add more items to their cart, and the seller doesn't have to shoulder the delivery fee for every small order. I wouldn't want to raise my product prices just to cover shipping because that might make the products look more expensive compared to other stores. You still have to make sure the offer makes sense for your profit, though.