Calculating shipping charges

Shipping methods can be defined for any form of transport, or for any specific carrier that ships orders. Examples of shipping methods include UPS, USP, FEDEX, Truck Freight, Air Freight, and Rail Freight.

To define shipping methods, you first must add to or create the SHIP_METHOD general lookup table (from the Staff site, go to Settings > Utilities > General lookup tables).

Note: The ship method Code must be 10 characters or less.

Shipping zones are based upon the following:

• Shipping method
• Country (if applicable)
• Zip or postal codes

You can set up shipping zones for multiple shipping methods and for countries that use these shipping methods. Depending on your organization's needs, you can define a single postal code as shipping zone, or divide the postal code into separate shipping zones.

After defining your shipping zones, you can define weight tables 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.

Do the following to define weight tables:

1. From the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > Shipping.
2. Click the By weight tab.
3. Select a Shipping method to add the new rates to.
4. Select Add new shipping rate.
5. Specify the Zone, Weight, and Rate set. 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 Zone Table and Default Zone fields of the Zone window (from the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > Zones).

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.

6. Click Save.
7. Go to Settings > Commerce > System options.
8. Enable Automatic calculation of shipping charge.
9. From Calculation type, select Shipping by weight.

Note: The maximum shipping charge is applied if an item has a weight that exceeds the maximum defined zone shipping price for a selected shipping method and location. If your zone table for a chosen country defines prices for weights up to 10, and an item with a weight of 11 is purchased, the maximum shipping charge will apply.

10. Click Save.

Shipping 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 Starting value for range field. The high value of the range is not entered, because it is calculated upon completing and saving the value.

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.

For example, say you need to 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.
Click to view image

To define these value ranges, do the following:

1. From the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > Shipping.
2. Click the By total value tab.
3. Select Add new total value range.
4. Define the first value range:
   1. Enter 0.01 in the Starting value for range field for the first range's low value.
   2. Enter 2.50 for the Rate.
   3. Click Save.
5. Define the second value range:
   1. Enter 10.00 in the Starting value for 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.
   3. Click Save.
6. Define the third value range:
   1. Enter 25.00 in the Starting value for 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.
   3. Click Save.

Select the edit icon to edit a value, or select the delete icon to delete a value. You are only able to edit the low value of a range, as well as the rate. After editing or deleting, the ranges will be recalculated. There is no limit to the amount of values/rates that can be added, and you are also able to add values/rates that fall in between existing values/rates.

If an order's pre-tax value exceeds the highest defined value range, the order's shipping 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 shipping charges will be calculated or charged.

To enable shipping to be calculated by total value, do the following:

1. From the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > System options.
2. Enable Automatic calculation of shipping charge.
3. (optional) Enter the order types to be excluded from automatic shipping charges in the Exclude order types field. Separate multiple order types by commas.
4. From Calculation type, select Shipping by total value ordered.
5. Click Save.

Shipping 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, because 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. A 0.00 value cannot be the beginning range. In addition, if your beginning range's minimum quantity is 5.00 for example, then shipping 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.

For example, say you need to define rates for three different product quantity ranges:

• Orders with a product quantity of more than 0 and less than 5 will cost 7.50 to ship.
• Orders with a product quantity of between 5 and less than 10 will cost 10.00 to ship.
• Orders with a product quantity of 10 or more will cost 20.00 to ship.

To set up these quantity ranges, do the following:

1. From the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > Shipping.
2. Click the By total quantity tab.
3. Select Add new total quantity range.
4. Define the first quantity range:
   1. Enter 0.01 in the Starting quantity for range field. Low values must be greater than 0.00. The value 10.00 cannot be the beginning range.
   2. Enter 7.50 for the Rate.
5. Define the second quantity:
   1. Enter 5.00 in the Starting quantity for range field.
   2. Enter 10.00 for the Rate.
6. Define the third quantity range:
   1. Enter 10.00 in the Starting quantity for range field.
   2. Enter 20.00 in the Rate field.
7. Click Save.

To edit a quantity range, click the edit icon. To delete a quantity range, click the delete icon. If an order's product quantity exceeds the maximum defined quantity, the order's shipping 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 shipping charges will be calculated, and no shipping will be charged.

To enable shipping to be calculated by total quantity, do the following:

1. From the Staff site, go to Settings > Commerce > System options.
2. Enable Automatic calculation of shipping charge.
3. (optional) Enter the order types to be excluded from automatic freight charges in the Exclude order types field. Separate multiple order types by commas.
4. From Calculation type, select Shipping by total quantity ordered.
5. Click Save.