How quoting works

Overview

When you request a quote through Transdirect — whether via the API, a plugin, or the website — we send your shipment details to multiple courier partners simultaneously and return the best available rates.

Each quote includes:

• Price — the total cost including any applicable fees
• Transit time — estimated delivery timeframe
• Service type — road, air, or express
• Pickup dates — available dates for collection
• Pickup window — the time range for collection

What you need for a quote

At minimum, a quote request requires:

Field	Description	Example
Sender postcode	Pickup location postcode	2000
Sender suburb	Pickup suburb	SYDNEY
Receiver postcode	Delivery location postcode	3000
Receiver suburb	Delivery suburb	MELBOURNE
Items	At least one item with weight and dimensions	See below

Item details

Each item in a shipment needs:

Field	Description	Unit
weight	Item weight	Kilograms (kg)
height	Item height	Metres (m)
width	Item width	Metres (m)
length	Item length	Metres (m)
quantity	Number of identical items	Integer
description	Package type	carton, satchel, pallet, etc.

Caution

Items exceeding 25kg must be securely packaged on a forklift-able skid, pallet, or crate. If you don’t have a forklift at the pickup or delivery address, you must request a tailgate service — additional surcharges will apply.

How quotes are returned

A quote response contains pricing from every available courier for your route. Each courier quote includes:

{
  "allied": {
    "total": 79.24,
    "price_insurance_ex": 72.09,
    "fee": 7.15,
    "insured_amount": 4500,
    "service": "road",
    "transit_time": "1-2 days",
    "pickup_dates": ["2025-08-27", "2025-08-28"],
    "pickup_time": {
      "from": "14:00",
      "to": "18:00"
    }
  }
}

Field	Description
total	Total price including fees (AUD, ex-GST)
price_insurance_ex	Price excluding insurance/warranty fee
fee	Warranty fee component
insured_amount	Maximum insured value
service	Service type (road, air)
transit_time	Estimated delivery timeframe
pickup_dates	Available pickup dates
pickup_time	Pickup time window

Frequent rates and tiers

Some couriers (Couriers Please, Aramex) offer frequent rates — discounted pricing for members who ship regularly. When available, the quote response includes a tiers array:

{
  "couriers_please": {
    "total": 11.03,
    "service": "road",
    "transit_time": "0-1 Business Days",
    "tiers": [
      {
        "identifier": 1,
        "description": "Multipickup 10",
        "total": 6.96
      },
      {
        "identifier": 2,
        "description": "Multipickup 21",
        "total": 5.75
      }
    ]
  }
}

Learn more about frequent rates.

Quotes in eCommerce plugins

If you’re using a WooCommerce, Shopify, or Magento plugin, the quoting process is handled automatically. Your plugin:

1. Captures the customer’s delivery address at checkout
2. Sends the cart items with dimensions and weights to Transdirect
3. Displays the available shipping options and prices to the customer

You can control which quotes are shown using quote display settings and courier settings.