Calculating freight charges

You can define shipping methods for any form of transport or for any specific carrier that you use to ship your orders. Examples of shipping methods include Truck Freight, Air Freight, and Rail Freight as well as conventional carriers such as UPS, FEDEX, and USPS.

To define shipping methods, you first must create the SHIP_METHOD general lookup/validation table (in the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Membership > Set up tables > Set up lookup/validation tables).

Note: SHIP_METHOD look/up validation table codes must be 10 characters or less.

After creating the SHIP_METHOD table, you can create shipping zone and freight tables. For more information, see Creating a general lookup/validation table.

After creating the SHIP_METHOD general lookup/validation table and defining your shipping methods, you can set up your shipping zone tables. Zone tables are based upon shipping method, country (if applicable), and zip or postal codes. You can set up zone tables both for multiple shipping methods and for countries that use these shipping methods.

To define a default zone table for a shipping method, do not designate a country for a shipping method when setting up shipping zones. Orders that do not list a country will use the default zone table for a given shipping method.

Shipping zones are defined according to postal code. Depending on your organization's needs, you can define single postal codes as shipping zones or divide groups of postal codes into shipping zones.

Shipping zones use the first three characters of a postal code, and the table format for defining zones is XXX,Z where XXX represents the first three characters of a postal code, and Z represents the zone designation defined by the user. You also can enter a postal code in the format XXX-XXX,Z where XXX represents the first three characters of the beginning postal code, XXX represents the first three characters of the ending postal code, and Z represents the zone designation. These zone designations are used when setting up weight tables on the Set up freight by weight window in the Advanced Accounting Console.

For example, if you define a shipping zone for a single postal code, such as 75208, you would enter 752 followed by a comma. You then would enter either a numeric or alphabetic value for the zone designation, such as a 1. The shipping zone would display as 752,1. A shipping zone defined for a group of postal codes could be entered as 900-999,2.

As long as you follow the correct table format, you can define as many zone codes as necessary. You must define shipping zone tables before defining freight tables.

After defining your shipping zone tables, you can define weight tables on the Set up freight by weight window for your user-defined shipping zones. Weight tables allow you to calculate shipping rates for individual shipping methods, and rates are calculated according to an order's shipping weight and shipping zone. When defining rates, high value determines the weight break for each rate.

After defining your weight tables, make sure you enable the Automatic Calculation of Freight Charge and Freight by Weight options on the Add-on Charges window (go to Settings > Commerce > Configure commerce options, and click Add-on Charges). When you enable these options, freight charges are automatically calculated by order weight when you enter an order.

Remember that you always can override automatic freight charges on the Order Details tab of the Enter and edit orders window if necessary.

Do the following to define weight tables:

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by weight.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Click New to create a new weight table.
   • Select an existing Shipping Method and click Edit to modify the table.
   • Select an existing Shipping Method and click Delete to remove the table.
3. Specify the weight table information:
   • To create new rows in the table for zone-weight-rate sets, position your cursor in the Rate cell of the last row in the table and press Tab.
   • To delete rows from the table, position your cursor in the Rate cell of the row to be deleted and click Delete at the right of the table.

   Be sure to define at least one entry for every zone designator that is used in the various shipping zone tables that use this shipping method. These designators are used in the Default Zone and Table fields of the Zones window.

   For example, assume you have defined a UPS zone table and a UPS-USA zone table, and you have used zone designators A, 1, 2, and 3 in those two UPS-based zone tables. In this example, you would define weight-rate sets for those four zone designators.

4. Click Save.

Do the following to define a single value range:

1. Enter the low value in the Total Value Range field. Each range's high value is determined by each succeeding range's low value; a range's high value equals the low value of the succeeding range minus .01. Low values must be greater than $0.00. $0.00 cannot be the beginning range.
2. Enter the Rate for the order value range.
3. Enter the low value of the succeeding range in the Total Value Range field.

For example, define rates for the following three order value ranges:

• Orders with a value greater than $0.00 and less than $10.00 will cost $2.50 to ship.
• Orders valued between $10.00 and less than $25.00 will cost $5.00 to ship.
• Orders valued above $25.00 will cost $7.50 to ship.

Do the following to set up value ranges for required rates:

1. Define the first value range:
   1. Enter 0.01 in the Total Value Range field for the first range's low value.
   2. Enter 2.50 for the Rate of the first range.
   3. Press Tab.
2. Define the second value range:
   1. Enter 10.00 in the Total Value Range field for the second range's low value. By entering 10 for the second range's low value, the first range's high value will equal 9.99 when the entire table is completed and saved.
   2. Enter 5.00 for the Rate of the second range.
   3. Press Tab.
3. Define the third value range:
   1. Enter 25.00 in the Total Value Range field for the third range's low value. By entering 25.00 for the third range's low value, the second range's high value will equal 24.99 when the entire table is completed and saved.
   2. Enter 7.50 for the Rate of the third range.
4. Click Save. The Total Value Range field will calculate and display the low and high values for each range.

Freight rates can be defined for any range of order values, and no limit exists to the number of value ranges and rates that can be defined. When defining a rate's value range, only the low value of the range is entered in the Total Value Range field. The high value of the range is not entered. It is calculated upon completing and saving the table.

When defining a value range's low value, the low value must be greater than $0.00, such as $0.01; $0.00 cannot be the beginning range. In addition, if your beginning range's lowest value is $5.00 for example, then freight will not be calculated for any orders valued less than $5.00.

Each range's high value is determined by each succeeding range's low value; a range's high value equals the low value of the succeeding range minus .01.

Do the following to define a value range:

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total value.
2. Click Edit.
3. Enter the first range's low value in the Total Value Range field. Low values must be greater than $0.00. The value $0.00 cannot be the beginning range.
4. Enter a Rate for the first value range, and press Tab.
5. Enter a value in the Total Value Range field. The value entered determines the following:
   • The high value of the preceding range.
   • The low value of the current range you are defining.
6. (optional) Repeat this process for each additional value range you are defining.
7. Click Save.

When adding value ranges, you can add additional, expanded ranges as well as ranges that fall between other ranges.

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total value.
2. Click Edit.
3. Place your cursor on the Rate of the last value range, and press Tab to display a new line (0.00).
4. Define the new range:
   • Enter the new range's low value in the Total Value Range field.
   • Enter a Rate for the new range.
5. Click Save. When you save the new range, it will be inserted in the table, and the high value will be calculated.

Do the following to edit or delete a value range:

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total value.
2. Click Edit.
3. Select the total value range you want to edit. You only can edit the low value of a range and the Rate. To delete a total value range:
   • Select the row of the range you want to delete.
   • Click Delete.
4. Click Save. The ranges are recalculated.

If an order's pre-tax value exceeds the highest defined value range, the order's freight charges will be calculated at the rate defined for the highest value range. If an order's pre-tax value is below the lowest defined value range, no freight charges will be calculated, and no freight will be charged.

Freight rates can be defined for any range of product quantities, and no limit exists to the number of quantity ranges and rates that can be defined. When defining a rate's quantity range, only the minimum quantity of the range is entered in the Total Quantity Range field. The maximum quantity of the range is not entered; it is calculated upon completing and saving the table.

When defining a quantity range's minimum quantity, the minimum quantity must be greater than 0.00, such as 0.01 (0.00 cannot be the beginning range). In addition, if your beginning range's minimum quantity is 5.00 for example, then freight will not be calculated for any orders for quantities of less than 5.00.

Each range's maximum quantity is determined by each succeeding range's minimum quantity; a range's maximum quantity equals the minimum quantity of the succeeding range minus .01

The Total Quantity Range field will populate with the maximum quantity for each range.

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total quantity .
2. Click Edit.
3. Enter the first range's minimum quantity in the Total Quantity Range field. Low values must be greater than $0.00. The value $0.00 cannot be the beginning range.
4. Enter a Rate for the first quantity range, and press Tab.
5. Enter a quantity in the Total Quantity Range field. The quantity entered determines the following:
   • The maximum quantity of the preceding range
   • The minimum quantity of the current range you are defining
6. (optional) Repeat this process for each additional quantity range you are defining.
7. Click Save.

When adding quantity ranges, you can add additional, expanded ranges as well as ranges that fall between other ranges.

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total quantity .
2. Click Edit.
3. Place your cursor on the Rate of the last quantity range, and press Tab to display a new line (0.00).
4. Define the new range:
   • Enter the new range's low value in the Total Quantity Range field.
   • Enter a Rate for the new range.
5. Click Save. The new range is inserted in the table, and the high value is calculated.

Do the following to edit or delete a quantity range:

1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Commerce > Set up tables > Freight by total quantity .
2. Click Edit.
3. Select the total quantity range you want to edit. You only can edit the low value of a range and the Rate. To delete a total quantity range:
   • Select the row of the range you want to delete.
   • Click the Delete button to the right of the table.
4. Click Save. The ranges are recalculated.

If an order's product quantity exceeds the maximum defined quantity, the order's freight charges will be calculated at the rate defined for the maximum quantity. If an order's product quantity is less than the minimum defined quantity, no freight charges will be calculated, and no freight will be charged.