How to hide standard shipping before Christmas on Shopify

Short answer: From 18 to 24 December every year, hide standard shipping that won't arrive in time, so holiday shoppers pick express. In Checkpost, choose “Holiday shipping cutoff” from Templates, adjust the values, test it, then save and enable the rule.

The problem

In the week before Christmas, standard shipping often arrives too late. Shoppers who pick it and miss the holiday blame the store, not the carrier.

How to set it up

1. Install Checkpost from the Shopify App Store.
2. Open Templates and choose Holiday shipping cutoff.
3. Set the dates of your carrier's last standard-shipping day and your standard rate's name.
4. Use Try this rule to test a sample cart, then click Save rule.

The rule

Hide delivery methods containing "Standard" when all of these conditions is true:

• Date is between 18 Dec every year and 24 Dec every year

Shoppers see no message: the methods are changed before checkout shows them.

{
  "name": "Holiday shipping cutoff",
  "action": {
    "kind": "hide_delivery",
    "methods": [
      "Standard"
    ],
    "match": "contains"
  },
  "match": "all",
  "conditions": [
    {
      "kind": "date",
      "op": "between",
      "dates": [
        "12-18",
        "12-24"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Where this rule works

This changes existing delivery options; it does not create rates, change their prices or configure pickup. Address conditions are evaluated for each delivery group's own address. Product-tag conditions inspect the whole cart. Verify that an eligible delivery option remains.

Tips

• Dates without a year (12-18 to 12-24) repeat every December; add a year for a one-off window.
• A yearly window can cross New Year, for example 12-27 to 01-03 for a holiday shutdown.
• Pair it with a Rename rule that labels express as "Express (arrives before Christmas)" for the same dates.

FAQ

Are both dates included?

Yes. With 12-18 to 12-24, standard shipping is hidden all day on the 18th and on the 24th.

What if a shopper only has standard shipping available?

Checkout then has no shipping rate for them, so make sure an express rate covers every zone you ship to during the window.

Related rules

Add holiday shipping cutoff to your store