The Custom Courier feature in Biteship allows you to register your own delivery fleet or partner couriers into the Biteship system. With this feature, your custom couriers will appear alongside regular couriers during the shipping cost check process, enabling sellers to offer more flexible shipping options to buyers.
This feature is suitable for businesses that have internal couriers, use specific local delivery services, or want to integrate their own logistics fleet into the shipping flow on the Biteship platform.
This article will help you understand:
- What Custom Courier is and its benefits
- How to create a new Custom Courier
- How to add services to a Custom Courier
- How to set rates for each service
- How to activate or deactivate a Custom Courier
1. What Is Custom Courier?
Custom Courier is a feature that allows you to register your own courier or delivery fleet into the Biteship dashboard. Each Custom Courier can have multiple services (e.g., Same Day, Regular, Cargo), and each service can be configured with shipping rates based on destination or distance.
Once the Custom Courier is configured, the Biteship system will use the rates you set to calculate shipping costs when sellers or buyers check shipping rates via the API or dashboard.
2. How to Create a New Custom Courier
Via Biteship Dashboard
- Log in to the Biteship Dashboard, then select the Rates menu in the left navigation.
- Select the Custom Couriers submenu.
- You will enter the Custom Courier Settings page. Click the Create New Custom Courier button at the top right.
- A modal will appear. Fill in the following information:
- Courier Logo (optional): Click the upload area to upload your courier’s logo. Maximum file size is 5 MB.
- Name (required): Enter the courier name, up to 25 characters. Example:
Internal Store Courier. - Description (optional): Enter a brief description of the courier, up to 250 characters.
- Click Submit to save the new Custom Courier.
After successfully created, your Custom Courier will appear on the Custom Courier Settings list page with a Inactive status.
3. How to Add Services to a Custom Courier
Each Custom Courier requires at least one Service to be used in shipping cost checks. Services define the types of delivery offered by your custom courier.
- From the Custom Courier Settings list page, click the name of the Custom Courier you want to add services to.
- On the Custom Courier detail page, you can see courier information (name, code, status, and description). Scroll down to find the Services section.
- Click the Add Service button.
A Create New Service modal will appear. Fill in the following details:
- Name (required): Enter the service name, up to 25 characters. Examples:
Regular,Same Day. - Description (optional): Enter a service description, up to 250 characters.
- Service Type (required): Choose one of the following types:
- Same Day: Delivery on the same day
- Next Day: Delivery the next day
- Regular: Regular delivery
- Instant: Instant delivery
- Delivery Type (required): Choose one:
- Parcel: For regular package delivery
- Cargo: For heavy or bulk item delivery
- Collection Type (required, at least one): Choose available pickup methods:
- Courier Pickup: Courier will pick up the package from the seller's location
- Drop Off at Store: Seller delivers the package to the courier's store
- Name (required): Enter the service name, up to 25 characters. Examples:
- Click Submit to save the new service.
The successfully created service will appear in the Services section on the Custom Courier detail page.
4. How to Set Rates for Services
After creating a service, you need to configure shipping rates so the system can automatically calculate shipping costs. Rates are configured based on the origin of shipment, the main price determinant, and additional conditions.
From the Custom Courier detail page, click the service name you want to configure rates for.
- On the service detail page, click the Create Rate button.
- The rate creation page will open. You need to fill in three main sections:
a. Shipment Origin (Origins)
Select the shipment origin area that will use this rate. You can select up to the city/regency level to define the rate coverage.
b. Main Price Determinant
Select the price determinant type and fill in the rate details for each destination or distance range. There are two main price determinant types:
- Destination: Rates are determined based on the delivery destination area. You fill in the base cost and estimated delivery duration for each destination.
- Distance: Rates are determined based on the delivery distance in a specified unit. You fill in the distance range, base cost, and estimated delivery duration.
c. Additional Conditions (Optional)
You can add conditions that adjust the rate based on package characteristics. Conditions can be set based on:
- Item Price: Range of product value being shipped
- Item Weight: Range of package weight
- Item Volume: Range of package volume
- Item Quantity: Range of number of items shipped
If a shipment meets more than one condition, only the condition with the highest priority order will be applied.
- After all sections are filled, click the Create Rate button to save the rate configuration.
The successfully created rate will appear on the service detail page and be ready for use in shipping cost checks.
5. How to Activate or Deactivate a Custom Courier
You can change the active status of a Custom Courier or its services individually at any time without deleting their configurations.
- From the Custom Courier Settings list page, find the Custom Courier whose status you want to change.
- Click the toggle button on the Custom Courier card to activate or deactivate it.
Custom Courier status consists of two values:
- Active: The Custom Courier is active and will appear in shipping cost checks.
- Inactive: The Custom Courier is temporarily deactivated and will not appear in shipping cost checks.
The same applies to service status. You can activate or deactivate services individually from the Custom Courier detail page.
6. Understanding Custom Courier Codes
Each created Custom Courier will receive a unique Code automatically generated by the Biteship system. This code serves as the courier identifier when used through the Rates API. The code can be viewed on the Custom Courier detail page in the courier information section.
Use this code when integrating via API to ensure the system retrieves rates from the correct Custom Courier.
7. FAQ About Biteship Custom Courier
How many Custom Couriers can be created?
The number of Custom Couriers you can create depends on your Biteship subscription plan. Contact the Biteship team at support@biteship.com for information on quota limits according to your plan.
Can Custom Courier be used through the API?
Yes. Custom Couriers that have been configured with services and rates will automatically appear in the Biteship Rates API response. Ensure the Custom Courier and its services are Active to appear in shipping cost check results.
Can Custom Courier rates be changed after creation?
Yes. You can go to the rate detail page and use Edit Mode to update the shipment origin, price determinant, or conditions. Each change will be saved and applied immediately.
What happens if a shipment meets more than one rate condition?
If a shipment meets more than one condition, the system will apply the condition with the highest priority order. You can set the condition order when creating or editing rates.
Can Custom Courier be deleted?
Yes, Custom Couriers can be deleted. However, deletion will remove all related service and rate configurations. It is recommended to deactivate the Custom Courier first if you only want to pause it temporarily.
Where can I get the Biteship API key?
The API key is available in the Biteship Dashboard > Settings > API. Make sure your account is verified before the API key is activated.
Conclusion
The Custom Courier feature provides flexibility for businesses that have their own delivery fleet or partner couriers to be integrated directly into the Biteship system. By configuring appropriate services and rates, your custom courier will function automatically in the shipping cost check flow, both via the dashboard and API.
If you encounter any issues during the Custom Courier setup process, do not hesitate to contact the Biteship support team at support@biteship.com or through the help feature in the dashboard.