Improve conversion with trusted delivery dates
Promise lets you show accurate pre-checkout delivery dates to provide clear and reliable delivery expectations.
By displaying an accurate delivery date on product details pages and at checkout, you can boost conversion rates, reduce cart abandonment, and build trust throughout the customer journey.
Best Practice
When configuring promise, it’s important to consider the following:
Map service levels to each of your carrier service levels and keep naming consistent (for example: "Standard", "Next Day")
Use realistic warehouse handling times and regularly review and update times based on fulfillment data
Configure delivery cut-off times per warehouse to reflect your latest possible order processing time to ensure your promise configuration doesn’t overcommit on late-day purchases. Additionally, adjust cut-off times seasonally if needed (for example: during peak periods).
Use special days (for example: inventory, strikes, or weather events) and holiday observance (for example: Christmas Day) settings for each warehouse as failing to exclude non-working days leads to inaccurate promise dates
Set the calibration for the delivery methods to fine-tune promise windows and ensure they reflect operational processes. Update calibrations as your carrier performance or SLAs evolve.
Use the SLA minimum and maximum values to ensure there’s always a fallback delivery range.
Use consistent naming for delivery methods to make it easier to filter to segment promise performance by region, warehouse, or sales channel.
Preview and test changes to your promise configuration before publishing and avoid disruptions by validating changes before they go live
Maintain and keep your promise configuration up-to-date, including warehouses, service levels, and delivery methods and publish changes promptly to reflect the latest fulfilment capabilities.
Use Cases
Explore practical ways to integrate delivery promises into key touchpoints to increase customer satisfaction and reduce support inquiries.
Standard Domestic Shipping
Use case: Offer standard shipping across your home market to show a conservative 3-5 day range that accounts for warehouse handling and courier variability.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"Standard Domestic" mapped to relevant carrier service level (for example: DHL Standard)
Warehouse settings
Define accurate time zone (for example: Europe/Berlin)
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days (for example: Black Friday)
Delivery method settings
Assign correct service level
Calibration = Balanced
Warehouse handling time = 24 hours
Line-haul handling time = 24 hours
SLA min = 3 days, SLA max = 5 days
Cut-off time = 16:00
Days of operation - Monday-Friday
Expected result in Promise API
Delivery by 3-5 day range depending on order time and day
Goal: Set clear delivery expectations that reduce support calls and allow for minor delays without disappointing customers.
Same-Day Dispatch for Orders Before 2pm
Use case: Provide fast delivery to customers who order before 2pm from a specific warehouse. This would be a premium offering for select locations.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"Same-Day Dispatch" mapped to relevant carrier service level
Warehouse settings
Define accurate time zone (for example: Europe/Berlin)
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days (for example: Black Friday)
Delivery method settings
Assign correct service level
Calibration = Aggressive
Warehouse handling time = 2 hours (so orders ship the same day if placed before the cut-off)
Line-haul handling time = 4 hours (to reflect the carrier pickup window)
SLA min = 1 day, SLA max = 1 day (for next day delivery after same day dispatch)
Cut-off time = 14:00
Destination countries = relevant countries
Expected result in Promise API
Orders placed before 14:00, promise date will show next day delivery
Orders placed after 14:00, promise date will show delivery one day later
Goal: Encourage purchases by advertising same-day dispatch if the order is placed early enough.
Express International Shipping
Use case: Offer an express international delivery option from multiple warehouses across Europe, depending on stock location and customer destination.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"Express International" mapped to relevant carrier service level
Warehouse settings
Set up multiple warehouse locations with accurate country, region, and zip code
Define accurate time zone (for example: Europe/Berlin)
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days (for example: Black Friday)
Delivery method settings
Create relevant delivery methods (for example: Express_Int_DE, Express_Int_UK)
Assign correct service level
Calibration = Aggressive
Warehouse handling time = 6 hours
Line-haul handling time = 12 hours
SLA min = 2 days, SLA max = 4 days
Destination countries = relevant countries
Expected result in Promise API
Promise date adapts based on warehouse logic and destination country
Goal: Maximize conversion for international shoppers by offering realistic delivery times for premium shipping.
No Weekend Dispatch
Use case: For warehouses that do not operate on weekends to ensure Promise respects this and doesn’t create unrealistic expectations for Friday orders.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"No Weekend" mapped to relevant carrier service level
Warehouse settings
Define accurate time zone (for example: Europe/Berlin)
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days (for example: Black Friday)
Delivery method settings
Set days of operation to exclude Saturday and Sunday
Assign correct service level
Calibration = Balanced
Warehouse handling time = 8 hours
Line-haul handling time = 24 hours
SLA min = 2-3 days, SLA max = 2-3 days
Expected result in Promise API
Orders placed Friday at 15:00, promise date will show Monday or Tuesday delivery
Orders placed Friday at 17:00, promise date will assume it ships Monday and delivery Tuesday or Wednesday
Goal: Avoid overpromising and improve accuracy for late-week orders.
Peak Season Buffering
Use case: Expand delivery windows during peak periods to account for higher volumes and slower couriers, without changing your core delivery method setup.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"Peak Season" mapped to relevant carrier service level
Warehouse settings
Define accurate time zone (for example: Europe/Berlin)
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days for high-volume periods (for example: Black Friday, Christmas)
Delivery method settings
Assign correct service level
Calibration = Conservative
Warehouse handling time = extend slightly +8 hours
Line-haul handling time = add +1 hours
Expected result in Promise API
Orders placed during peak period, promise date will show wider date ranges (for example: 5-7 days instead of the usual 3-5 days)
Goal: Protect the customer experience by extending promises seasonally without harming conversion.
Urban vs. Rural Delivery Promise Adjustment
Use case: Tailor promise accuracy by delivery location to cater for shipments across the country, with urban areas receiving faster delivery than remote regions.
Promise configuration:
Service level
"Standard Urban/Rural" mapped to relevant carrier service level
Warehouse settings
Shared setup for all regions
Enable setting to observe holidays
Add any known closure days via special days (for example: Black Friday)
Delivery method settings
Create two delivery methods:
Standard_Urban (for example: SLA 2-3 days)
Standard_Rural (for example: SLA 4-6 days)
Assign correct service level
Set destination countries and zip code rules to route orders to the correct method
Expected result in Promise API
Orders placed from city, promise date will show date range 2-3 days
Orders placed from remote village, promise date will show date range 4-6 days
Goal: Reduce missed expectations and build regional trust.
Check out the parcelLab guides
For further information on using promise, see our user guide documentation:
Last updated
Was this helpful?