My shipping rate usage limit isn't being respected

Short answer: the limit is checked live before the rate is applied, and the count goes down when Shopify reports each order. If that report is delayed, or the customer is a guest, the rate can still apply.

What your customers see on the storefront.

Shipping Rate rules have two usage limits in the Rate Settings step:

• a total limit for the rule,
• a per-customer limit. This is not available when the rule applies to All or Not-logged-in customers.

Common causes

Cause	What to do
A recent order is not counted yet	Wait a moment and check the rule again
The customer checked out as a guest	Per-customer limits need a logged-in customer. Target logged-in customers or tags.
The live check could not run	Reload the cart and try again. If it keeps happening, contact support.
Two rules share the same name	Use a unique rule name. The app warns about this next to the usage limits.

Note

If several Shipping Rate rules match, Settings > Choose which shipping rate to apply decides whether the lowest or highest rate wins.