Variable Uplift Pricing enables 3PL warehouses to automatically add an uplift to courier service pricing for connections that support automatic rate retrieval. Each courier service you wish to uplift must have a rate applied. If a new courier service is added to the system, you'll need to apply an uplift to the new service.
Prerequisites
Before setting up Variable Uplift Pricing, ensure:
The courier integration supports automatic rate retrieval (see supported couriers list below).
The courier account is configured to use the courier's postage cost – this setting enables the system to apply variable uplift to the courier's quoted rates.
You have Rate Table access enabled if you want to use rate table prioritisation.
Supported couriers
The following couriers support automatic rate retrieval on Mintsoft:
Australia Post (AusPost).
CSM Logistics.
DHL.
EasyPost.
StarShipIt.
UPS.
Technical note: For UPS shipments, the system retrieves the cost from NegotiatedRateCharges if available, otherwise from ShipmentCharges. The variable uplift is then applied to this cost. Other couriers have similar pricing retrieval mechanisms based on their API specifications.
How variable uplift selection works
When multiple variable uplift rules exist, the system uses a hierarchical matching system to determine which rule to apply. The most specific rule that matches the order's details will be used.
Specificity is determined in this order:
Courier service (specific service vs ALL services).
Client (specific client vs ALL clients).
Geographic scope (specific country vs specific shipping zone vs ALL).
Example: If you have one rule for "ALL Clients, DHL Express, United Kingdom" and another for "Client ABC, DHL Express, ALL Countries", the second rule will be used for Client ABC orders because client-specific rules take precedence.
Best practice: Start with broader rules (ALL) and add specific rules as exceptions for particular clients, regions, or services.
Adding an uplift rate
To add a Variable Uplift Per Service:
Click Shipping Management then Extras.
Click Variable Uplift Per Service.
Click Add Variable Uplift Per Service.
(3PL Only) Select the Client or keep as ALL.
Specific Client: This uplift will only apply to orders from the selected client.
ALL: This uplift will apply to all clients (unless a more specific client rule exists).
Select Courier Service or keep as ALL.
Specific Service: This uplift only applies when using this courier service (for example, DHL Express Worldwide).
ALL: This uplift applies to all services from all couriers (unless a more specific rule exists).
Select Country or Shipping Zone (not both).
Country: Apply this uplift only to shipments going to the selected country.
Shipping Zone: Apply this uplift to all countries within the selected shipping zone.
ALL (default when both are unselected): Apply to all destinations.
Set the Uplift Type to apply:
FlatRate: will add a set amount to each shipment.
Percentage: will increase the cost by a given margin.
None: passes through the courier's cost price without any uplift (useful for specific scenarios where you want to override other uplift rules).
Set the Uplift Rate.
(Optional) Enable VAT Free.
Click Add.
Editing an uplift rate
To edit an existing uplift:
Click Shipping Management then Extras.
Click Variable Uplift Per Service.
Click Edit against the entry you want to update.
Make any changes needed.
Click Update.
Deleting an uplift rate
To delete an existing uplift:
Click Shipping Management then Extras.
Click Variable Uplift Per Service.
Click Delete against the entry you want to remove.
Rate table priority
Courier accounts can be configured to prioritise rate tables over variable uplift. When enabled, if a matching price exists in your courier service price table, that price will be used instead of applying variable uplift to the courier's quoted rate.
This setting is configured at the courier account level and allows you to have full control over pricing for specific scenarios whilst still using automatic rate retrieval as a fallback.
When variable uplift is applied
Variable uplift is calculated and applied during the shipment creation process when:
You generate a shipping label through the Mintsoft UI.
A shipping label is automatically generated via order rules or integrations.
The courier API returns rate information during label generation.
The uplift isn't retroactively applied to existing shipments. If you change uplift rules, only new shipments will use the updated configuration.