Getting to grips with shipping rates

[simon1066]

I'm dealing with detailed shipping rates for the first time and seem to be suffering from brain drain.

A store with a small number of products offers free UK shipping and charges for other countries defined by 5 zones, the free shipping for the UK is fine (using the 'Flat Rate' module) but I'm struggling with the international rates. For Zone 1 would have shipping costs for each product like this:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 7
Product2 -- 7
Product3 -- 7
Product4 -- 9
Product5 -- 9
Product6 -- 9
Product7 -- 12
Product8 -- 12
Product9 -- 12

For Zone 2:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 21
Product2 -- 21
Product3 -- 21
Product4 -- 29
Product5 -- 29
Product6 -- 29
Product7 -- 40
Product8 -- 40
Product9 -- 40

Products can be packaged together and I would add a nominal sum for each product added to the package.

I think I need to give each product an arbitrary weight value, charge the greatest shipping cost where there are multiple items, add the nominal sum for each additional item. Using either 'Per Unit (perweightunit)' and clone it for each of the 5 zones, or use 'Zone Rates' with 5 zones.

Each time I address this task I quickly lose myself. Is it really this complicated? Could someone point me in the right direction?

Cheers

Simon

[Ajeh]

The Per Unit perweightunit is designed so that the shipping is based on the products_weight x Per Unit Rate to get the shipping cost ...

This is further used when you need a different rate for different zones so you can clone it and change the Per Unit Rate ...

Example, set the Products up as:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 7
Product2 -- 7
Product3 -- 7
Product4 -- 9
Product5 -- 9
Product6 -- 9
Product7 -- 12
Product8 -- 12
Product9 -- 12

Then on Zone 1 set the Per Rate Unit to 1 to get:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 7x 1 = 7
Product2 -- 7x 1 = 7
Product3 -- 7x 1 = 7
Product4 -- 9x 1 = 9
Product5 -- 9x 1 = 9
Product6 -- 9x 1 = 9
Product7 -- 12x 1 = 12
Product8 -- 12x 1 = 12
Product9 -- 12x 1 = 12

Then clone it for Zone 2, and on Zone 2 set the Per Rate Unit to 2 to get:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 7x 2 = 14
Product2 -- 7x 2 = 14
Product3 -- 7x 2 = 14
Product4 -- 9x 2 = 18
Product5 -- 9x 2 = 18
Product6 -- 9x 2 = 18
Product7 -- 12x 2 = 24
Product8 -- 12x 2 = 24
Product9 -- 12x 2 = 24

Then clone it for Zone 3, and on Zone 3 set the Per Rate Unit to 2.5 to get:

Shipping Cost(£)

Product1 -- 7x 2.5 = 17.50
Product2 -- 7x 2.5 = 17.50
Product3 -- 7x 2.5 = 17.50
Product4 -- 9x 2.5 = 22.50
Product5 -- 9x 2.5 = 22.50
Product6 -- 9x 2.5 = 22.50
Product7 -- 12x 2.5 = 30
Product8 -- 12x 2.5 = 30
Product9 -- 12x 2.5 = 30

etc. etc. etc.

However, the rates in your example will not really work for this model as they do not follow the pattern ...

So either you would need to change your shipping costs to work within this patterning, or you would need to customize a specific shipping module that sets the rate for each Product for that particular cloned copy for the particular Zone ...

As you have a small number of Products, at least based on your example, that is not impossible to do ...

[simon1066]

So either you would need to change your shipping costs to work within this patterning, or you would need to customize a specific shipping module that sets the rate for each Product for that particular cloned copy for the particular Zone ...

As you have a small number of Products, at least based on your example, that is not impossible to do ...

Thank you for clarifying this, I'll look at the two options you describe. If I use Per Unit is there a way to skip countries as in the case of Zone Rates?

[Ajeh]

You could build a Zone Definition with the DETAILS of the countries that you do ship to ...

[simon1066]

You could build a Zone Definition with the DETAILS of the countries that you do ship to ...

It's ok. With Zone Rates I get 'International Delivery (No delivery available to the selected country)' on the shipping estimator for GB, unless GB is entered in 'skip countries'. I though the same would apply to Per Unit - it seems it does not.

[Ajeh]

If you only had the Per Unit perweightunit and clones of this shipping module installed and a customer does not have a shipping address for one of your defined Zones for these shipping modules, then what will show on the checkout_shipping page is:

Not Available At This Time

Sorry, we are not shipping to your region at this time.
Please contact us for alternate arrangements.

and nothing will show on the shipping_estimator ...