Note: This article covers shipping rate settings for Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN), which is specific to merchants shipping within Japan. The information below will not be directly relevant if you are not selling in the Japanese market.
Yamato Transport, Japan's No. 1 carrier by domestic market share, is the shipping partner most familiar to many Shopify operators. However, once you actually try to configure shipping settings for Yamato Transport on Shopify, you'll often run into doubts and worries such as "the shipping rate doesn't match," "it's more expensive than I thought," or "won't this put me in the red?"
Much of the cause lies in the fact that Shopify's standard features cannot directly reproduce Yamato Transport's rate rule of "applying whichever is larger between size and weight."
Mistakes in the settings can also lead to operational trouble, such as an inverted shipping-rate loss or errors in cool-delivery or small-parcel settings.
This article explains, from a practical perspective, how to organize the basic services you need to know when using Yamato Transport on Shopify, the right way to think about shipping-rate settings to avoid mistakes, and how to safely operate within weight limits.
※ This information is based on details as of January 2026.
Yamato Transport's basic services
Image source: Yamato Transport official site
When using Yamato Transport on Shopify, the point where people tend to stumble first is "which delivery service should the shipping rate be designed around."
Yamato Transport has multiple delivery services, each with different rules for size, weight, temperature range, and receiving method.
If you proceed with shipping-rate settings without sorting these out, you can easily run into trouble such as:
- The shipping rate ends up higher than expected
- You end up in the red due to exceeding size/weight limits
- You fail to properly charge for cool delivery or small-parcel delivery
For this reason, when using Yamato Transport on Shopify, it's important to first understand each service's rate structure and restrictions.
Yamato Transport's main delivery services commonly used in Shopify operations
The representative services often used by Shopify stores are as follows.
| Delivery service | Overview |
|---|---|
| Takkyubin | The standard delivery service. Covers size 60 to size 200, and is the most frequently used option. |
| Compact Takkyubin | For small products under size 60. Requires the use of a dedicated box. |
| Koneko-bin 420 | For small items within A4 size and 3cm thickness. Mailbox drop-off, flat nationwide rate. |
| Cool Takkyubin | For refrigerated/frozen products. An option fee applies on top of the standard shipping rate. |
| Takkyubin Time Service | A speed-focused delivery option, such as next-morning or evening designation. |
Discount programs worth knowing before designing shipping rates
Yamato Transport has a membership program called "Kuroneko Members," which offers the following discounts when you join:
- Up to a 15% member discount
- Drop-off discount
- Digital discount, etc.
Since membership and annual fees are free, this often leads to a real reduction in shipping costs for Shopify stores with a high shipment volume.
Note that Shopify shipping-rate settings need to be designed based on the actual rate after discounts, or it will affect your profit calculations.
Takkyubin｜Size 60–200
Image source: Yamato Transport official site
Takkyubin is Yamato Transport's most standard delivery service. It can handle a wide range from small products to large products, and is often adopted as the basic shipping method for Shopify stores.
Size is determined by the sum of the three dimensions: length + width + height.
Example: 30cm (length) × 40cm (width) × 20cm (height) → Size 100 (80cm or more, less than 120cm)
Takkyubin rates
Takkyubin's rate is determined by the following two factors:
- Distance from the origin to the destination
- Whichever bracket is larger, size or weight
In other words, the important point is that even a light item costs more if the size is large.
Takkyubin's rate is determined by "distance from the origin to the destination" and "parcel size (or weight)."
<Reference rates: example rates for shipping from Kanto to Kansai>
| Size / weight | Example rate (tax included) |
|---|---|
| 60cm・up to 2kg | ¥1,060 |
| 80cm・up to 5kg | ¥1,350 |
| 100cm・up to 10kg | ¥1,650 |
| 120cm・up to 15kg | ¥2,170 |
| 140cm・up to 20kg | ¥2,780 |
| 160cm・up to 25kg | ¥3,160 |
| 180cm・up to 30kg | ¥4,480 |
| 200cm・up to 30kg | ¥5,410 |
※ If the size is 60cm and the weight is 5kg, ¥1,350 applies
If you want to check the rate from your own location to a specific area, check the Yamato Transport official page.
Takkyubin restrictions and Shopify operational notes
- Size: within 200cm total for the three dimensions.
- Weight: up to 30kg.
Since Shopify cannot judge a combination of size and weight, it's almost essential to register products with a deemed setting matched to either size or weight.
※ For detailed conditions and the latest rates, check the Yamato Transport official page.
Compact Takkyubin｜Under size 60
Image source: Yamato Transport official site
Compact Takkyubin is a delivery service for shipping products under size 60 in a dedicated box. It's cheaper than standard Takkyubin, and having no weight limit is a major feature.
Using Compact Takkyubin requires purchasing a dedicated box (¥70 each). The dedicated box can be purchased at Kuroneko Market, Amazon, Yamato Transport branches, and convenience stores.
Compact Takkyubin rates
- Shipping fee: by area (e.g., Kanto → Kansai ¥710)
- Dedicated box fee: ¥70 (tax included)
Since the rate doesn't change based on weight, it's suited to heavy small items such as metal parts or stationery.
If you want to check the rate from your own location to a specific area, check the Compact Takkyubin official page.
Compact Takkyubin restrictions and Shopify operational notes
- Condition: must fit in the dedicated box
- No weight limit
There are two types of dedicated boxes, but the rate is the same:
- Outer dimensions: 20cm (length) × 25cm (width) × 5cm (height) (inner dimensions: 19.3cm × 24.7cm × 4.7cm)
- Outer dimensions: 24.8cm (length) × 34cm (width) (inner dimensions: 24cm × 33.2cm)
※ For detailed conditions and the latest rates, check the Yamato Transport official page.
Koneko-bin 420｜Small items
Image source: Yamato Transport official site
Koneko-bin 420 is a new service that rolled out nationwide (excluding Okinawa) starting in May 2025. It's a service for dropping products within A4 size and 3cm thickness into a mailbox. Because it's a flat nationwide rate, shipping-rate design becomes very simple. Dedicated materials are purchased in advance, available via Yahoo! Shopping or Kuroneko Market, and pickup is also supported.
It's suited to shops handling clothing, cosmetics, handmade products, and similar items.
Koneko-bin 420 rates
- Shipping fee: flat ¥420 (tax included) nationwide, excluding Okinawa
- Dedicated material fee: included in the shipping fee
Koneko-bin 420 restrictions and Shopify operational notes
- Size: 34cm × 24.8cm × within 3cm thickness.
- Weight: no limit
- Excluded area: Okinawa
Since multiple purchases easily exceed the thickness limit, using it together with order limits is often advisable.
※ For detailed conditions and the latest rates, check the Koneko-bin 420 official page.
Cool Takkyubin｜Refrigerated/frozen products
Cool Takkyubin supports refrigerated (0–10℃) and frozen (-15℃ or below) delivery. An option fee is added on top of the standard Takkyubin rate.
Cool Takkyubin is strictly a cold-chain transport (temperature-maintaining) service, so it has no cooling function itself — freezing the item beforehand, etc., is required.
Note that it does not support shipping products exceeding size 120.
Cool Takkyubin rates
| Size / weight | Additional fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| 60cm・up to 2kg | ¥275 |
| 80cm・up to 5kg | ¥330 |
| 100cm・up to 10kg | ¥440 |
| 120cm・up to 15kg | ¥715 |
Cool Takkyubin restrictions and Shopify operational notes
- Size: up to size 120 (15kg)
- Note: pre-cooling is required
※ For detailed conditions and the latest rates, check the Cool Takkyubin official page.
Takkyubin Time Service｜Next-day delivery
Takkyubin Time Service is an option that uses air transport to deliver a parcel by 10 a.m. the next day, even to distant locations.
If you offer this on Shopify, it's a good idea to create a dedicated shipping option that adds a "time-service surcharge" on top of the standard shipping rate. It's a powerful option for customers who prioritize speed.
Takkyubin Time Service rates
| Size / weight | Example additional fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| 60cm・up to 2kg | ¥330 |
| 80cm・up to 5kg | ¥660 |
| 100cm・up to 10kg | ¥990 |
| 120cm・up to 15kg | ¥1,320 |
| 140cm・up to 20kg | ¥1,650 |
| 160cm・up to 25kg | ¥1,980 |
| 180cm・up to 30kg | ¥2,310 |
| 200cm・up to 30kg | ¥2,640 |
Takkyubin Time Service restrictions and Shopify operational notes
- Some products cannot be shipped due to aviation law
- Cutoff times and coverage areas vary by region
※ For detailed conditions and the latest rates, check the Takkyubin Time Service official page.
Can Shopify support doorstep delivery? How EAZY works and points to note
The short answer is: no, you cannot directly configure "doorstep delivery" in the Shopify admin.
EAZY is Yamato Transport's doorstep-delivery-support service. Its distinguishing feature is that the recipient can change how they receive the parcel right up until just before delivery, which helps reduce redelivery and meet the need for contactless receiving.
However, you cannot set "EAZY" as a shipping method on Shopify, nor can you let customers select doorstep delivery at checkout.
On Shopify, orders are simply received as standard Takkyubin, and whether EAZY is available or how the item is received is handled through Yamato Transport's own system.
How EAZY actually works with Shopify
The flow when using EAZY with a Shopify store is as follows.
- Orders and shipping-rate settings on Shopify are handled as standard Takkyubin
- At shipping time, the order is processed as an EAZY-compatible shipment via Yamato Transport (e.g., B2 Cloud)
- After the product ships, Yamato Transport sends a notification to the purchaser
- The purchaser selects "in-person receipt" or "doorstep delivery" just before delivery
In other words, the choice of doorstep delivery is made not on Shopify, but between the carrier and the purchaser.
What you should do on the Shopify side
What's needed on the Shopify side when introducing EAZY isn't a setting, but guidance and rule organization.
- Clearly state in your shipping policy or FAQ that you support "Yamato Transport EAZY"
- State a disclaimer regarding theft, damage, or loss after a doorstep-delivery designation
- Add a note in order-completion emails, etc., that "the receiving method can be selected via guidance from Yamato Transport"
This helps prevent misunderstandings by purchasers and shipping-related trouble.
Notes for implementation
- Using EAZY requires a corporate contract and screening with Yamato Transport
- Not all deliveries automatically become doorstep delivery
- You cannot control whether doorstep delivery is available/unavailable from within Shopify
※ For more details on EAZY, check the official page.
Key points when setting Yamato Transport shipping rates on Shopify
Here's a summary of the points where people tend to stumble on Shopify shipping-rate settings.
How to handle products that are large but light
The only shipping-rate calculation methods Shopify supports are "shipping zone," "order amount," and "weight" — there's no feature that automatically judges packaging size.
For this reason, if you register a product that's large but light using its actual weight, it won't match Yamato Transport's size-based rate, and you'll easily end up in the red.
A common countermeasure is to set the weight at product registration as a "deemed weight" based on size, rather than actual weight.
- Size-60 equivalent: 2kg
- Size-80 equivalent: 5kg
Registering this way lets you use Shopify's weight-based shipping-rate settings to reproduce Yamato's size-based rates.
If you prefer a simpler operation, a flat nationwide shipping rate is also effective. By setting it based on the average of the expected sizes, you can reduce calculation and setup errors, and present a shipping rate that's easy for purchasers to understand.
Choose between these methods according to your own products' characteristics.
If you're setting weight-based shipping rates on Shopify, also refer to the following article.
Set a dedicated shipping rate for Cool Takkyubin (refrigerated/frozen)
Yamato Transport's Cool Takkyubin incurs an "option fee" on top of the standard shipping rate.
If you sell without configuring anything special on Shopify, the shop ends up covering this option fee, which can squeeze your profit.
By using Shopify's "shipping profiles" to separate room-temperature products from cool-delivery products, you can automatically calculate an accurate shipping rate for each temperature range.
However, note that cool-delivery products and room-temperature products are often "shipped separately" depending on your Shopify shipping design and product configuration.
This is common because shipping profiles are typically set up separately by temperature range, and in that case, it's Shopify's specification that shipping fees are combined for simultaneous purchases.
Depending on the product, bundling may sometimes be possible, but it's worth noting that many stores design around separate shipping, out of concern for quality control and operational load.
To prevent customers from being surprised at checkout by a higher-than-expected shipping cost, it's important to clearly state on product pages and in your shipping policy that "products in different temperature ranges may have different shipping methods or shipping fees."
Disclaimer statement when "doorstep delivery" is selected
While doorstep delivery services like EAZY offer high convenience, there is a risk of theft, damage, or loss after delivery is completed. For this reason, it's important to clarify the scope of the shop's responsibility.
Be sure to state a disclaimer in your shipping policy or terms of use, such as: "In principle, theft, loss, or damage after a doorstep-delivery designation is not eligible for reshipment or refund."
How to comply with Yamato's weight limits on Shopify
Yamato Transport's delivery services have rate brackets and caps (such as a maximum of 30kg) based on weight. On the other hand, while Shopify's standard features can calculate shipping rates based on weight, they cannot restrict orders that exceed a specific weight.
For this reason, depending on your settings, trouble can occur such as "the shipping rate puts you in the red" or "you simply can't ship it."
For example, in the following scenarios:
- When adopting a "flat nationwide shipping rate": A large purchase increases the packaging size or number of parcels, and the actual shipping cost significantly exceeds the flat rate you set — meaning the more you sell, the more you lose.
- When you only want to use Koneko-bin: Multiple purchases exceed Koneko-bin's specified thickness (3cm), forcing a switch to a different shipping method.
- When exceeding Yamato's maximum weight (30kg): An order exceeding the weight limit for a single parcel requires manual work to arrange split shipments or additional billing.
Use an app to apply weight limits
The Shopify app "RuffRuff Order Limits" lets you configure flexible weight limits, avoiding the kind of trouble described above. (For Koneko-bin, you can address this by setting a weight limit that doesn't exceed the thickness limit.)
By using "RuffRuff Order Limits," you can restrict checkout if the total weight in the cart exceeds a certain range (e.g., 0.1kg to 30kg). You can also display an alert message such as "This exceeds the weight limit for a single parcel. Please split your order into two," prompting customers to split their purchase.
This lets you prevent trouble before it happens, such as the shipping rate putting you in the red or being unable to ship in a single parcel.
For specific setup steps, please refer to the following article.
Making good use of Yamato Transport on your Shopify store
This article organized Yamato Transport's main delivery services, explaining the approach to shipping-rate settings on Shopify and how to prevent trouble caused by weight limits.
What's important when using Yamato Transport on Shopify isn't just "which delivery service to use," but how you build your shipping-rate design and operational rules based on your own products' size and weight characteristics.
In particular, if a weight overage causes a shipping-rate loss or an order can't be shipped in a single parcel, it has a big impact on your operational workload and profit. Sorting out shipping conditions in advance and designing a system less prone to trouble is essential.
Set things up optimally according to your own products, shipping setup, and shipping-rate policy, and build a stable, mistake-free shipping operation.
