Shipping rate tables let you setup shipping prices based on the location of the delivery and box being used. This is a good alternative to using automated delivery providers like FedEx, which calculates the delivery cost for a sales order by using the FedEx api to get a price quote. With the shipping rate table, you can come up with delivery charges that are calculated completely in the site based on the information provided in this admin page.
On the left side of the page is a list of defined rate tables. A single rate table defines one delivery option that can be shown to the user during checkout. You can define as many rate tables as you want.
To create a new rate table, use the add button in the main toolbar on top. This will clear out the fields in rate tables details area so that you can define it. Once you’ve completed filling out the fields, use the update button to save your changes to the site.
NOTE: Before you can create any rate tables, you need to define the shipping companies you use as contacts in the contacts admin page first so that you can select the shipping company in the rate table details. You also need to define the boxes that you will be using for shipping sales orders in the shipping boxes admin page before creating a new rate table.
You need to provide the following information for each rate table defined:
-
Name – A description shown to the user as the option during checkout. For example, USPS Ground or ACME Freight.
-
Shipping Co – This is a dropdown field of contacts that are typed as “shipping company”. You need to defined the shipping company that you are using for the delivery in the contact management page before defining the rate table.
-
Rate Type - A dropdown field containing two choices:
-
Destination Country – The rate is based on their location, starting with what country they are located in. In order for the delivery option defined by this rate table to be offered to the user during checkout they must at least live in the countries defined in the facets area of the rate table definition.
-
Distance From Buyer – The rate is based on the distance between the address you define for where you ship your products and them, based on the distance provided by the Google Map API. You can define a list of distances in the delivery option facets area below. If the sales order delivery location is further away than the furthest distance offered, the delivery option will not be shown to the user.
Delivery Option Boxes
This section shows a grid of boxes defined in your site. If this grid is empty it is because you have not defined the boxes you use in the Shipping Boxes admin page first. For each box defined, you can use the editable fields in grid.
-
Use – This is a checkbox column, which if checked means the box will be used for the rate table. If this is not checked, that box will not be used by this rate table for a delivery.
-
Priority – A number from 1 to 3 indicating what priority this box has for being used to calculate the order. 1 indicates it will be used first while 3 indicates it will be used only if needed based on the size of items (good for big boxes). See the Shipping Boxes admin page help for more information about this value.
-
Max – A decimal value for the maximum weight that should be packed into the box.
-
Weight – A dropdown column to pick either pounds or kilos for the max weight value.
-
Cost – The rate to charge for this box. This rate is a flat rate for the box regardless of how much it does actually weight.
Delivery Option Facets
A rate table delivery option can have multiple facets or aspects to it that help guide its price. Each facet can have both a fixed add on price, such as $5.00 and/or a % of cost which is a % of the total sales order. You don’t have to define an additional marketup, but you need at least one facet for the delivery option to work properly. The exact way in which the facet is used is based on the rate type chosen.
Destination Country Facets
When the rate type is based on destination country, there can be multiple countries that each have an addition cost added onto it. For example, you may have a shipping company you use to ship orders to Europe from the USA. Each country within Europe may have additional charges on top of the base price for the box price listed in the delivery boxes grid.
The Max and Distance columns are not used for destination country facets.
Distance From User Facets
For distance from buy rate types, you can have multiple distances, such as 5 miles, 10 miles and 15 miles out. Each distance has an additional surcharge added to the order.