> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://shipmagic-docs.speedysquirrelhq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Rate Blending

> Decide what happens when several rules each produce a rate

When more than one rule matches a cart, you can end up with several rates. **Blending** decides what the customer actually sees — one combined price, the cheapest, or the highest.

Blending is configured on the app's **Settings** page and applies store-wide.

## Basic blending

**Basic** blending controls how rates that share the **same name** combine.

| Option | Result |
| - | - |
| **Add rates** | The rates are summed into one. |
| **Show the highest rate only** | Only the highest is shown. |
| **Show the lowest rate only** | Only the cheapest is shown. |

<Note>
  This only applies to rates with **matching names**. Two rates called "Standard Shipping" blend; a "Standard Shipping" and an "Express Shipping" do not — they appear as separate options.
</Note>

### Add rates

The right choice when different rules cover different parts of the cart and each contributes its share of the cost. A rule charging \$5 for regular items and another charging \$15 for a bulky item produce a single \$20 "Standard Shipping".

### Highest / Lowest

Use these when your rules represent **alternative** ways of pricing the same shipment rather than parts of one cost. Lowest is customer-friendly; highest protects margin when one rule reflects a genuine cost you can't absorb.

## Maximum and minimum limits

When basic blending is set to **Add rates**, an extra control appears: **Set limits while adding rates**.

Toggle it on and you can cap or floor named shipping methods. For each entry give the **method name**, and a **Maximum**, a **Minimum**, or both.

<Warning>
  These limits are only available with **Add rates**. Switch basic blending to highest or lowest and the limits no longer apply — the app won't save them.
</Warning>

See [Setting Maximum and Minimum Shipping Rates](/setting-maximum-and-minimum-shipping-rates) for the detail.

## Advanced blending (by tag)

**Advanced** blending handles rates with **different names**, grouping them by tag.

Every rate you create has a **Tags** field, taking comma-separated values. Advanced blending rules act on those tags.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Tag your rates">
    In the rate dialog, add one or more tags — for example `ground`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a blending rule">
    On the Settings page, under **Advanced**, add a blending rule.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure it">
    | Field | Meaning |
    | - | - |
    | **Blend type** | Add, Lowest, or Highest |
    | **Tags** | Which tagged rates this rule collects, comma-separated |
    | **Maximum** / **Minimum** | Optional bounds on the result |
    | **Rate name** | What the customer sees for the blended result |
    | **Description** | Optional text beneath the name |
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Because the source rates have different names, you must supply a **Rate name** for the blended result — the app has no name to inherit.
</Note>

## Which to use

**Basic** is the store-wide default and handles most cases. Give rates that should combine the same name and let basic blending do the work.

**Advanced** is for when rates must keep distinct names for other reasons, but should still be presented as one option during conflicts.

<Tip>
  If your rates already share a name, you don't need advanced blending. Reach for it only when renaming isn't an option.
</Tip>

## Testing blending

Blending only shows itself when several rules match at once, so test with carts that deliberately trigger more than one.

1. Build a cart matching a single rule and note the rate
2. Build one matching two rules and check the result is what blending should produce
3. If using Add rates with limits, test a cart large enough to hit the cap

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Maximum and minimum" icon="arrows-up-down" href="/setting-maximum-and-minimum-shipping-rates">
    Bounding the result of Add rates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Exclusive rules" icon="layer-group" href="/exclusive-rules">
    Stop lower-priority rules contributing at all.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multiple rates showing" icon="circle-question" href="/multiple-shipping-rates-showing-on-checkout-page">
    When checkout shows more options than expected.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Basic shipping rate" icon="gear" href="/shipping-rates/basic-shipping-rate">
    Rule priority and how rates are produced.
  </Card>
</Columns>


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