For ecommerce businesses that sell regulated or restricted products, shipping is more than logistics—it’s a compliance challenge. Whether you sell alcohol, firearms, hazardous materials, age-restricted products, or other regulated goods, you need a way to enforce shipping rules without frustrating customers or causing unnecessary cart abandonment.
Our Product-Based Shipping Restrictions Module, part of the Ebizio Checkout suite, enables BigCommerce merchants to set up automatic shipping restrictions based on product type and customer location. Below we discuss how to ensure compliance for restricted products while preserving a seamless checkout experience for shoppers.
Product-Based Shipping Restrictions: How it Works
Our module supports compliance with industry regulations by giving merchants full control over shipping restrictions. With this module, your business can:
- Implement shipping restrictions by product category, brand, or SKU
- Set geographic shipping rules based on state, ZIP code, or municipality
- Allow mixed cart handling – support split shipments with restricted and non-restricted products
- Customize error messaging to inform users why their order cannot proceed and how to adjust cart contents
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Common Use Cases for Product-Based Shipping Restrictions
Many industries face unique challenges when it comes to ecommerce shipping. Here are a few examples of how different businesses can benefit from automated shipping restrictions:
Alcohol and Wine Retailers
Online alcohol sales come with strict regulations—some states allow direct-to-consumer wine shipping, while others prohibit it entirely. Wine and liquor merchants can automatically prevent checkout when a shipping address falls within a restricted state or ZIP code, reducing compliance risks and order cancellations.
Firearms and Ammunition Dealers
FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealers need to follow strict shipping laws, often requiring firearms to be shipped to licensed locations rather than a buyer’s home. Using geographic-based shipping restrictions, merchants can ensure customers select an eligible FFL location while still allowing accessories and non-restricted items to ship directly to their address.
Vape and Tobacco Retailers
Vape and tobacco sales are highly regulated, with some states banning online sales altogether. With location-based restrictions, merchants can automatically block checkout in restricted areas and notify customers about availability based on their shipping destination.
Hazardous Materials & Chemical Suppliers
Businesses selling chemicals, industrial cleaners, or hazardous materials must comply with DOT (Department of Transportation) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations. By restricting shipping to locations that meet compliance requirements, these businesses can avoid costly legal issues.
Health & Pharmaceutical Products
Certain over-the-counter medications and medical devices have shipping restrictions based on state laws or customer eligibility. Our module helps merchants ensure they’re only selling to approved locations while maintaining a smooth checkout experience.
Smarter Shipping Controls for Restricted Products: Get Started Today
Unexpected shipping limitations at checkout can frustrate customers and result in abandoned carts. With the right tools in place, you can protect your business while delivering a smooth, transparent shopping experience.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local shipping laws
- Reduce chargebacks and order cancellations from restricted purchases
- Improve transparency with clear messaging on shipping limitations
- Streamline fulfillment by ensuring only permitted products ship to each location
- Support multi-address shipping by enforcing restrictions across different product types
If your business sells regulated or high-risk products, the Product-Based Shipping Restrictions Module is an essential tool for ensuring compliance and providing a better shopping experience.
Contact our team today to schedule a personalized demo or learn more about how our shipping restrictions module works for your business.
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