Shipping Modules

What

Shipping modules are used to assign specific types of shipping to shipping groups.

Why

These modules have multiple settings that can be used to dictate the shipping charges attached to a group of products.

There are two main types of shipping modules that each have different options:

Live Rates: These refer to rates provided by USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL. When set up, these modules forward information to the proper shipping provider like order weight and shipping address during your customers checkout process. These rates aren't always identical to what your supplier may charge you to fulfill the order.

Flat Rates:  These charge a flat rate that can be based on the number of products ordered, the weight of the products ordered, or the total price of the customers cart at checkout. These rates are often more consistent and easier to use.

Choosing which type of module and the rates to charge for shipping is totally up to you. While flat rates are easier to setup and manage, live rates can sometimes be more exact.

How

• From the Dashboard, head to your checkout section by navigating in your breadcrumbs to 'Dashboard > Store > Checkout > Shipping Modules'.


• Click the green 'Install' button at the top of the page.


• Name the module the using the type of shipping it will be. So if you're using live rates from FedEx, name the module FedEx. If you're using flat rates, name it 'Flat Rate'. These names display on your checkout page, so you want them to be presentable to your customers (Do NOT name the module after the supplier it is attached to.)





• Use the 'Type' drop down to select what type of module you're setting up. For flat rates, select 'Custom'.



• In the 'Shipping Group' field, begin typing the name of the shipping group you want to attach the module to. After inputting a few characters, it will drop down in a menu. Select the proper shipping group and you'll see it drop into the grey bar below.



• 'Tax Group' allows you to specify a specific tax rate associated with this suppliers products. This feature is not something you should commonly need to use. If you do however, simply start typing the name of the tax group in the field, and select it from the drop down.


• The 'Set the Allowed Countries' feature allows the module to only be used for the countries you specify. Once you choose the proper option, you can type the names of the countries you want to apply it to by typing their names in the field and selecting them from the drop down. For example, if I only wanted a shipping module to give its rates to orders from the United States and Canada, I would select 'Only the Countries Specified Below', and add both United States & Canada to this feature.



• If your supplier charges a handling fee, you can insert it here to add to the order total. For example, if your supplier charges a $2.50 handling fee, simply insert '2.50' in the text box.




• The 'Enabled' field allows you to enable or disable the shipping module as you see fit.


• Note: If you are setting up live rate modules (UPS, USPS, or FedEX),at this point you should simply hit 'Save' and NOT 'Save & Continue'. You will need to e-mail us at 'support@kreative.com' to finish setting up these modules for you. The rest of the steps below are for flat rate modules only.



• For setting up flat rate modules, at this point hit 'Save And Continue'. In the 'Shipping Method' field you'll need to select your preference from the drop down menu. Those methods are as follows:

     Flat Rate: Charges a flat rate on the cart regardless of the number of items. If selected simply input the dollar amount you want to charge for shipping.

     Flat Rate Per Item: Charges a flat rate per item in the cart from this supplier. If selected simply input the dollar amount you want to charge per item for shipping.

     Table Rate (Price): Charges a rate based on the dollar amount of the products in the cart. If selected, click 'Create Table Rate Condition'. Insert the maximum dollar amount of the first tier of the table rate, and in the second field insert the price for that tier. For example, putting in 25.00 for 'Total Item Price' and '5.00' for shipping price would result in orders from $0-$25 having a $5 shipping fee. Hit 'Save' and repeat the process until you have enough tiers to cover all of your shipping needs.

     Table Rate (Weight): Charges a rate based on the total weight of the products in the cart. If selected, click 'Create Table Rate Condition'. Insert the maximum weight of the first tier of the table rate, and in the second field insert the price for that tier. For example, putting in 25.00 for 'Total Item Weight' and '5.00' for shipping price would result in orders from 0-25 pounds having a $5 shipping fee. Hit 'Save' and repeat the process until you have enough tiers to cover all of your shipping needs.

Notes

• It is ALWAYS important to test your shipping modules once you have them created. You can do this by adding a product to your cart on your website from the shipping group attached to the module. On the checkout page, set your shipping address. You should then be able to see the shipping options for that product in the 'Shipment #' field on the checkout page. If you do not see the rates in a drop down menu, you'll need to check that your shipping module is set up correctly. Keep in mind to use an address that the shipping module works for if you applied any country exceptions. If your first test fails and you make a change to the shipping module and are looking to test it again, remove all products from your cart and re-add them to be sure the update changes take effect in the cart.
• Any shipping group must have a shipping module attached to it in order for products to be able to be purchased from that shipping group. If a shipping groups products are added to a customers cart on your website with no shipping module attached, they will not be able to check out.
• You can make multiple shipping modules for the same shipping group. For example, if your supplier offers both UPS and FedEx shipping, you can create UPS module for the supplier, along with a separate FedEx module, and rates from both shipping modules will be offered during checkout.
• Applying country restrictions to a shipping module makes it only include or exclude the countries specified, depending on how you set it up. If you want to provide different rates (like international rates for example), you'll need to make a separate module using the opposite parameters.
• You can also include or exclude specific states/regions/provinces in the countries settings. Once the country is added, hover over it in the grey bar, and select 'Manage State/Province Exceptions'. From this list, you can select/deselect and deselect regions to include or exclude them from this modules shipping rates.
• Handling fees that are entered in a shipping module do not show up separately in the pricing breakdown in your customers cart. They are added to the shipping cost that is listed. This means if you have a flat rate module set up for $5, with a $2.50 handling fee, the shipping cost will read $7.50 in your customers cart.
• When using table rates, make sure the top end of your largest tier is high enough to accommodate your customers. For example, if I want my last tier to be at the $100 mark, I might enter $100,000 for 'Total Item Price' just in case someone places an order above the $100 mark. This same principal should be applied to table rates based on weight as well.