Sam vs Route: Keep the Protection Fee or Hand Off Claims?

Sam vs Route: Keep the Protection Fee or Hand Off Claims?

	Sam Shipping Protection	Route
App Store rating	4.9★ (107)	4.0★ (377)
Who keeps the protection fee	Self-funded: you keep the fees	Not published
Share of fees you keep	100%	Not published
App cost	Starter Free · Standard $9/month · Plus $29/month	Free to install; external charges via route.com/pricing
Built for Shopify		No

Sam and Route give customers the same choice at checkout: add protection so a lost, damaged or stolen order gets fixed. The difference is who is behind that promise. Route is provider-funded: it collects the fees and handles claims. Sam is self-funded: your store keeps the fees and decides each claim.

Listing data below was checked on the Shopify App Store on October 5, 2026. Sam is our app; we stick to published facts about Route.

How does Route work?

Route’s App Store listing says it “covers lost, stolen, or damaged orders”. Customers who add Route at checkout pay the protection fee, and Route’s merchant help center explains that Route collects those premiums from the merchant through regular invoices. Route also describes contracted plans that can include revenue sharing.

Beyond protection, Route’s listing includes order tracking, returns and exchanges with AI verification, and cash-back loyalty discounts. Route is free to install, with pricing outside the App Store. It launched in January 2019 and shows 4.0★ from 377 reviews.

How does Sam work?

Sam Shipping Protection adds a protection offer to your cart, cart drawer, thank-you page or, on Shopify Plus, checkout. The fee goes to your store with your Shopify payouts. When a customer files a claim on your claims page, you choose a full or partial refund, store credit or a reorder.

Sam is free for 50 protected orders a month, $9/month for unlimited orders and $29/month with the Plus checkout extension. It shows 4.9★ from 107 reviews and is Built for Shopify.

How do Sam and Route compare?

What does the difference mean in dollars?

Take a store with 1,000 orders a month where half of customers add a $3 fee. That is $1,500 a month in protection fees.

• With Route, those fees go to Route unless your contract includes a revenue share, and Route pays the claims.
• With Sam, the $1,500 comes to you. If 1.5% of protected orders end in a $45 claim, claims cost about $338, and Sam costs $9, leaving roughly $1,153 a month.

These are example numbers, not benchmarks. Put in your own in the shipping protection calculator.

Which should you choose?

Choose Route if:

• You never want to review or pay a claim yourself.
• You want tracking, returns and loyalty tools from one provider.
• The protection fee is not a revenue line you care about.

Choose Sam if:

• You want the protection fee as revenue.
• You want claims, refunds and reships handled under your own brand and rules.
• You want a flat, predictable app cost.
• You want a Built for Shopify app with a thank-you page offer and a pick-up blocker.

How do you switch from Route to Sam?

1. Pull 90 days of lost, damaged and stolen orders to set your fee. Our guide on how much to charge shows the math.
2. Install Sam, set your price and turn on the cart widget.
3. Add your protection policy and the claims page.
4. Turn off the Route widget so customers see one offer.
5. Tell your support team: orders placed before the switch stay with Route.

New to the model? Our shipping protection guide explains how self-funded and provider-funded protection work. Comparing more than two apps? See all Route alternatives.