Roadcase guide
How to show delivery estimates on Shopify product pages
How to add an accurate "arrives by" delivery estimate to Shopify product pages: what to base it on, cutoff times, holidays and where to place it.
Short answer: Show a date range, not a single day, built from your real handling time plus the carrier's transit time, with a same-day order cutoff and weekends and carrier holidays skipped. Put it right by the add to cart button. Use a theme block or app rather than hard-coded text, so it updates every day.
What to base the estimate on
- Handling time: business days from order to carrier scan. Measure it from your own orders, not your best day.
- Transit time: business days from first scan to delivery for your usual service. Your own delivered packages are the best source.
- Cutoff: the time of day after which an order ships the next business day.
- Days off: skip weekends and the days carriers don't run, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Example: ordered Monday before a 2pm cutoff, shipped the same day, 3 to 5 business days in transit, shown as "Arrives Thu to Mon".
Where to show it
- Next to the add to cart button, where the buying decision happens.
- In the cart, for the whole order.
- In the order confirmation email, so the shopper knows what to expect after buying.
Keep it honest
- Use a range. A single date that's missed creates a "where is my order" email.
- Lengthen it in peak season, when both handling and transit slow down.
- Around holidays, show the last day to order for on-time delivery, then switch to a clear note once it passes. Our 2026 holiday deadlines guide has the carrier dates.