Miva’s Product Charges and Fees module allows you to add additional fees or charges to specific products or groups of products. These charges are automatically added to the customer’s basket when a qualifying product is purchased.
Charges and Fees are configured as inactive products and are added as child items linked to a parent product.
They follow standard product behavior, including tax calculation and refunds.
Charges can be configured as:
A fixed amount or a percentage of the product price
Applied per unit or once per line item, regardless of quantity
Because charges appear as separate line items, updates to Shadows may be needed to ensure they display clearly to shoppers.
Without these updates, the basket may show both the parent product and the charge as separate items, which can make the item count appear higher than expected.
To improve the shopper experience, update:
Anywhere the number of basket items is displayed
Anywhere charges and fees are displayed so they appear associated with the parent product
For more information, see the Product Charges & Fees Developer documentation.
On This Page
- Installation and Configuration
- Assigning Charges to Products or Collections
- Shopper Experience
- Use Cases
Installation and Configuration
Note: This module is available in recent versions of Miva Merchant. Keep your store up to date to access all features.
To install navigate to Settings > Modules, select Product Charges and Fees, and click Install. After installation, the Charges & Fees section is available under Catalog, where you can create and manage charges.
Add a Charge or Fee:
1. Click Add Charge Type, enter a name, and select a type: Core, Fee, or Other.
2. In the Charge Settings tab, configure the charge:
Price – Choose how the charge is calculated (Fixed or Percent), then enter the amount.
Fixed: A set dollar amount added to the product
Percent: Percent-based charges are calculated using the product’s original (un-discounted) price.
Example: Entering “20” applies a 20% charge based on the product price.
Charge Applies – Choose how the charge is applied:
Per Unit: Applies to each quantity ordered
Once Per Item: Applies once per line item, regardless of quantity
Taxable – Specify whether the charge is subject to tax.
4. Enter a description. This appears when a shopper clicks the info icon next to the charge.
5. Configure Payment Rules and Shipping Rules as needed. Because charges are not tangible products, these are used less frequently. For example, you may exclude a charge from price-based shipping calculations so it isn’t included in the shipping total.
6. Click Update.
Assigning Charges to Products or Collections
After creating a charge, assign it to products or collections.
1. Navigate to Catalog > Charges & Fees and select the charge.
2. Open the Products or Collections tab.
Assign to Products
Click Assign Products.
Select one or more products, then click Continue.
(Optional) Enable Override to set a custom charge value for the selected product(s).
The override uses the same pricing type (Fixed or Percent) as the charge.Click Assign Products.
Assign to Collections
Click Assign Collection.
Select a collection, then click Continue.
(Optional) Enable Override to set a custom charge value.
Click Assign Collection.
Charges and Fees with Price Groups
Charges and fees are created as products, so they are included in Price Group rules and can impact Price Group behavior.
How they behave depends on your Price Group configuration:
Explicit Product Assignment
Charges and fees must be manually included to be affected by the Price Group.Apply to All Products Unless Excluded
Charges and fees are included automatically unless excluded.
Excluding Charges and Fees
To prevent charges and fees from being affected by a Price Group:
Exclude individual charge products
orAdd charges and fees to a collection and exclude the collection
Use a consistent prefix in the Code field (e.g., CHG-, FEE-) to simplify filtering and collection management.
Examples:
CHG-for chargesFEE-for fees
Shopper Experience
When a customer selects a product with an associated charge or fee, the charge is added to the shopping basket as a separate line item. This keeps the product price and any additional charges clearly itemized.
Clicking the info icon next to “Battery Core” displays a description explaining the charge.
The basket will display the product (for example, a car battery) along with its associated charge (such as “Battery Core”). The item count should reflect one product.
Warning
The basket and other storefront displays will only appear as shown if the recommended Shadows updates are applied. These updates require adding and replacing specific code fragments.
Refer to the Product Charges & Fees Developer documentation for details.
Note
The return and refund process for charges and fees is not handled within the Miva admin. Charges are created as standalone items, allowing them to be refunded independently when a customer returns a core or similar item.
Use Cases
Automotive (Core Charges)
Automotive parts such as batteries, alternators, and starters often include a refundable core charge. This encourages customers to return used parts for recycling or remanufacturing.
When a customer purchases a product (for example, a car battery), the core charge is added as a separate line item. When the used part is returned, the charge can be refunded.
Environmental or Recycling Fees
Electronics and appliances may include environmental handling fees to cover recycling or proper disposal, as required by local regulations.
These fees appear as separate line items in the basket and are typically non-refundable.
Percentage-Based Fees
Charges can be configured as a percentage of the product price, allowing fees to scale automatically based on item value.
Common examples include tariffs, insurance fees, and regulatory surcharges.
For example, a 20% charge is calculated based on the product’s original price and appear as a separate line item in the basket.
Setup or One-Time Fees
Charges can be configured to apply once per line item, regardless of quantity.
This is useful for one-time costs such as setup or customization fees.
For example, a product may include a $25 setup fee for custom branding. Whether a customer orders 10 or 500 units, the setup fee is applied only once.
Other Fees
Hazardous Materials Fee – Applied to products requiring special handling, such as chemicals or aerosol items
Customization Fee – A flat fee for personalized products, such as adding a name or number to apparel
Assembly Fee – A fee for assembling products prior to delivery, such as a gas grill