Before any order ships, Walmart needs you to define shipping settings and rules per region — the two main ways to do this are manual Shipping Templates (set rules per SKU or template) or Simplified Shipping Settings, which calculates delivery promises from real-time carrier transit data instead of a static rule set. The goal either way is avoiding late deliveries when carrier performance doesn't match what a template assumed.
What it's compatible with — and what it isn't
Simplified Shipping Settings works with free and paid shipping, virtual packs, and most domestic USPS, UPS, and FedEx services. It does not support Ship to Store items, international shipping, freight shipping, or third-party logistics services such as Flexport — those still need Shipping Templates or a different configuration path.
How it works
Once your fulfillment settings include all your locations, shipping methods, and carriers, Simplified Shipping Settings uses live carrier transit data to close the gap between your promised and actual delivery times automatically, rather than relying on a delivery estimate you set once and forget.
Three things you can do within it:
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Manage carrier settings | Customize carrier services per fulfillment center, and assign shipping speeds and carriers by region |
| Apply settings to items | Roll settings out to all eligible published items, including new catalog additions, instead of configuring SKU-by-SKU |
| Manage shipping rules | Create item-level rules for products with special requirements — electronics, luxury items, specific brands, etc. |
The on-time delivery protection
This is the part worth paying attention to: if you meet Simplified Shipping Settings' criteria, your On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance metric isn't penalized by carrier delays that are genuinely out of your control.
| Criteria | Requirement |
|---|---|
| On-Time Shipping | 100% of orders shipped on or before the Estimated Ship Date (ESD) |
| Carrier method accuracy | 100% of orders shipped using your selected carrier method |
| Ship from location accuracy | 100% of orders shipped from the recommended fulfillment center location |
Meet all three and a carrier's late delivery doesn't count against your account health the way it would under a looser setup — you can track this in real time via the Performance dashboard.
Pro tip: your preferred shipping and carrier settings directly affect your performance metrics. Check order details for specific recommendations on improving them, and if you're processing orders through the Orders API, confirm your ship-from location and carrier methods are accurate there too — a mismatch in API-submitted data can undercut OTD protection even if your Seller Center settings are correct.
FAQs
Can I use more than one carrier service across the entire U.S.? Yes, Simplified Shipping Settings supports assigning different carriers and shipping speeds by region rather than requiring one carrier nationwide.
Are all of my offers automatically eligible? Not necessarily — eligibility depends on shipping type and fulfillment method; Ship to Store, international, freight, and third-party-logistics-fulfilled items are excluded regardless of your other settings.
Will switching to Simplified Shipping Settings increase my shipping costs? This isn't addressed directly in Walmart's published overview — check current program guidance or your own shipping cost data before and after switching, since the answer depends on your existing carrier mix and regions.