Japan Post EMS Shipping

Japan Post EMS (Express Mail Service) is a built-in shipping method for stores that ship from Japan. It quotes the EMS rate at checkout from Japan Post's published rate table, using the package weight in kilograms and the destination country. There is no account to connect and no API key to enter.

Before you start

  • Rates are in Japanese yen. Your store must sell in yen. Check Store Currency in Dashboard → Settings → Store Settings.
  • Every product needs a weight in kilograms. EMS does not need dimensions. A product with no weight cannot be quoted, and the shopper sees an error at checkout.
  • EMS is international only. The rate table covers more than 160 destination countries, but not addresses inside Japan. Use Simple Shipping in per-product mode if you also ship domestically.

Turning on Japan Post EMS

Go to Dashboard → Settings → Shipping.

One method for the whole store

  1. Choose One shipping method for all products at the top of the page.
  2. Under Shipping Method, select Japan Post EMS.
  3. Optionally add a Description, for example Ships by EMS from Osaka. It appears on product pages when Show Shipping rate descriptions on product pages is turned on in Dashboard → Settings → Design → Store.
  4. Click Save.

Different methods per product

  1. Choose Choose a shipping method per product at the top of the page.
  2. Under Manage Shipping Methods, click Add Shipping Method.
  3. Give the method a name, select Japan Post EMS under Shipping Method, and save.
  4. On each product's edit page, pick that method under Shipping Profile. See Shipping Profiles.

Setting product weights

Once Japan Post EMS is the active method, the product edit page shows a Package Weight section with a single Weight (kg) field. Enter the packed weight of the item, not the bare item. Decimals are fine, for example 0.35 for 350 grams.

To set many products at once, go to Dashboard → Products, select the products, and run the Set Weight and Dimensions bulk action. With Japan Post EMS active the form is titled Bulk Set Weight and asks only for Weight (kg). See Bulk Editing Products.

How rates are calculated

  • The platform adds up the weight of everything in the cart, multiplying each product's weight by its quantity.
  • It looks up the destination country's EMS zone. Japan Post groups countries into five zones. For example, China, Korea and Taiwan are zone 1; most of Europe, Australia and the Middle East are zone 3; the United States and Canada are zone 4; South America is zone 5.
  • It finds the matching weight band. Bands run from 500 g in small steps up to the EMS maximum of 30 kg.
  • The shopper sees one option at checkout, labelled Japan Post EMS, with the yen price for that zone and weight.

If the cart weighs more than 30 kg, or the destination is not in the EMS table, no EMS rate is shown and the shopper cannot choose it.

Tips

  • EMS quotes the postage only. You still buy the label from Japan Post when you ship.
  • Weigh a few packed orders on a kitchen scale and round up a little. A weight that is too low under-charges you.
  • Place a test order to a foreign address to check the quoted rate before you open the store.
  • For an overview of all shipping methods, see How to Setup Shipping on IndieMade.

Questions? Email support@indiemade.com.