Same-day delivery pricing:
How to charge at checkout

Same-day delivery pricing at checkout comes down to three choices. A distributor can pass delivery through at cost, add a markup, or cover it to win the order. Curri quotes the price live from the items, the store and the address, so the buyer sees a real number before paying, and passing it through or marking it up means same-day adds nothing to the distributor's costs.

The right choice depends on the buyer and the order. A contractor who needs a water heater on the jobsite today thinks about price differently than a key account adding a few fittings to a stock order. The same live quote powers every option.

How do more delivery options increase checkout conversions?

Delivery pricing at checkout and delivery speed are where online carts stall. In the Baymard Institute's list of reasons shoppers abandon checkout, extra costs that were too high topped the list at 40% for US shoppers. Another 12% said they couldn't see or calculate the total order cost up front, and 20% said delivery was too slow.

A same-day option with a clear price speaks to both. Buyers see the delivery cost up front, and the order arrives today. As national carriers push same-day, it is fast becoming table stakes for distributors.

How can you pass through delivery cost at checkout?

Passing delivery through means the buyer pays what Curri quotes, at cost. The quote is calculated live from the items, the store and the address, so heavy and oversized orders get an accurate number instead of a guess.

This is the simplest place to start. Same-day adds nothing to your costs, because the buyer covers the delivery, and the price stays easy to explain.

Offering your customers more delivery options costs you nothing and can raise conversions. It comes down to giving your customers a choice at checkout.

Can you add a same-day delivery markup?

Yes. A markup adds your own margin on top of the live quote, so same-day delivery pays for itself and can earn something extra. The buyer sees one delivery price at checkout and your team decides how much sits on top of the quote.

That works well for urgent orders, where the buyer is paying for speed and cares about the time more than the last few dollars. Like passing it through, a markup keeps same-day from adding to your costs.

When should you cover the delivery fee?

Cover it when winning the order is worth more than the delivery cost. A free same-day option builds loyalty or pulls more items into the cart. That turns the delivery fee for distributors into a sales tool, not just a cost.

It is the exception and not the default. Lead with pass-through or a markup, and cover delivery where winning the order justifies the cost.

How do you decide how to show delivery cost at checkout?

Start from the orders you already handle. Look at where urgent orders come from today, which categories they cover and what the branch tells buyers about delivery cost when they call. The approach that matches that habit is the one buyers understand fastest.

You set the rules in your Curri integration. That covers which branches ship which items, by which delivery methods, and whether the Curri delivery cost is passed along, marked up or covered. The integration also decides which delivery options buyers see, by location, by item or by your own fleet's availability.

What happens after the buyer sees the price?

The buyer pays, and Curri dispatches a driver from the branch or store that holds the order. They follow the delivery live with an ETA, and photo proof of delivery flows back into your order system and customer notifications.

That follow-through is part of why the price feels trustworthy. A buyer who sees a clear number, a delivery window and a tracking link is far less likely to call the branch to ask what is happening with the order.

Want to see how each option looks in a checkout? Get a demo and the Curri team will walk through it on your catalog.

How does Curri fit into delivery pricing at checkout?

Curri quotes the price and delivers the order. The Curri API returns a live quote, books the delivery when the order is placed, and sends status and proof of delivery back to your system. Your team decides how to price it for buyers.

Oversized orders follow the same path. Curri matches the vehicle by weight and dimensions, from a car to a flatbed, so the quote reflects the vehicle the order needs. That is how big and bulky delivery stays quotable at checkout instead of turning into a phone call.

To see what drives the underlying delivery quote, read about hotshot delivery cost factors. For the full picture of what buyers see, read how to offer same-day delivery at checkout. To see how it all launched, read Curri launches same-day delivery at checkout.