I was on hold with stamps.com for 30 minutes to ask if they had some way to interface with shopping carts.
They directed me here:
www.stamps.com/pdk
I personally don't want to take this on, but I wanted to share the info.
:hug:
Printable View
I was on hold with stamps.com for 30 minutes to ask if they had some way to interface with shopping carts.
They directed me here:
www.stamps.com/pdk
I personally don't want to take this on, but I wanted to share the info.
:hug:
Is anyone considering this?????
I would be ETERNALLY grateful if they would.
I LOVE the stamps.com service - it's soooo easy to use, and I even get a discount on priority mail!
I just went to that URL and it looks like their TOS prohibit a public API sort of thing.
We'll see what they say, but their agreement talks about trade secrets, non-disclosure, and all the sort of thing that lead me to believe that a GPL compatible plugin isn't going to be happening any time soon.
We'll see if they approve my application, but I'm not holding out any great hopes for it.
Their newest version now supports downloading XML. So you can retrieve your order from your website and batch ship them. :clap: I like the newly added feature of sending customers return labels via email. :smile:
Hi Creinold,
So are you saying that we can export orders from Zen Cart in an XML format and upload them to STAMPS.com?
Thanks in advance!
Tanner
Good news! Stamps.com Version 8.5 allows you to import sales order data via XML. We;ll also support ODBC soon as well.
Here is some info on importing data via XML from our support site (go to stamps.com/support and type in "XML")
Importing Orders from an XML file
If Stamps.com is not integrated in to your database of orders you can export the orders into an XML file. Stamps.com provides an XML format that is recognized by the Stamps.com software. Once your data is exported into an XML file using this format Stamps.com will be able to import this XML file and enable you to ship your orders. Once you have shipped your orders you can export the data out into an XML file to import back into your database.
To Add an XML File:
Click Batch in the Main Navigation Bar.
In the Manage Profiles popup that appears, click New.
Select XML Shipping File from the list in the Choose Data Source pop-up, and click Next.
In the New Profile Wizard pop-up that appears enter a name for your new profile and click Next.
Select your XML file by clicking Browse and navigating to the desired file.
On the Profile Options pop-up that appears you can set the Return Address, Sender Phone Number, Return Address Graphic and Hidden Postage fields. (Note: Any return address info on the source XML will override the return address choice entered here.)
Click Done.
You may need to click Refresh on the Batch window to initially display the new profile info.
To Create an XML File:
You will need the Stamps.com format to create an XML file. The specification is available for download Stamps.com XML Format
esupport.stamps.com/outgoing/Documents/Stamps.com%20XML%20Format%20Specifications%20v1.1.pdf
what's the advantage of Stamps.com over Click-n-ship service that USPS.com provides? im looking into it, but so far i only see disadvantages:
- $16 monthly fee for stamps.com
- no zen plugin to easily enter the label data (like USPS Autofill plugin that works very well with click-n-ship)
the only little advantages that i see is that you can hide the price of the label and can print first class stamps.. prices seem to be identical.
Anything other advantages for stamps.com ? am i missing something?
As you mentioned, hidden postage and first class postage are both big benefits.
Stamps.com also provides:
-- Media Mail and Parcel Post label printing
-- Get 10% discounts on package insurance vs. USPS standard insurance
-- Integrated USB connected scale so no retyping of weight
-- Track postage spent by cost codes (product, source, client, dept, etc.)
-- Ability to batch label print with different package weight and service options.
We feel Batch Label printing is huge for ecommerce shippers. Stamps.com allows you to import data via our marketplace integrations or via XML or ODBC.
ClickNShip has limited data import features (you must import CSV files into their Address Book).
Hope this helps!
Eric
Stamps.com
Thanks Eric!
is this 10% off comparing to the Click-n-Ship rate?Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
is there a maximum insured amount ? Click-n-ship's is $500.. for anything more, i have to go to the post office.
stamps.com/tools/calculators/postagemeter/ Try their savings comparison tool.
well.. this just compares it to going to the post office or using the postage meter. im trying to compare it with Click-n-Ship.. I already see that the actual stamp prices are the same.. but wondering if insurance is the same as well.. cant find that info anywhere..Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim
I don't know how Click N' Ship compares - but I've used Stamps.com insurance. Unfortunately, I had to file a claim a year or so on a lost box. It had a retail value of over $500, and was lost in transit.
Stamps.com offers their own insurance - I used it, and although I don't remember the exact procedure, I do know that it was painless.
I had a check for the replacement amount in about a week.
In contrast - I filed paperwork with the USPS for a refund of express mail fees that didn't get there in time - I still haven't gotten my check. Probably lost in the mail.
Oh - stamps.com also allows me to put a graphic (my logo) on the return address label - and hiding the postage is HUGE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mumzie
wow.. if Stamps.com offers their own insurance , that is a big plus. Now, if you were able to insure for more than the declared customs value for international packages and the insured amount was not displayed anywhere, this would definitely be a deal maker for me. It would be great to insure items at retail while declaring them at wholesale (or less). In theory , this can be done with regular Post Office shipping; however, custom duties will always be charged on the higher amount..
Stamps.com does offer it's own insurance, but unfortunately only for domestic packages. For international packages, you must go to the Post Office.
Here are the features of Stamps.com insurance vs. USPS insurance on domestic pacakages:
-- 10% discount off US Postal Service’s insurance rates
-- Post Office drop-off is not required.
-- No special forms are required to fill out or attach to your mailpiece.
-- Claims are typically processed in 7 to 10 days.
-- Stamps.com insurance covers up to $2,500 in package value.
Quick update: the latest version of Stamps.com now allows for international insurance. Also, thought I'd mention that Stamps.com now has a Zen Cart addon that integrates Stamps.com directly with Zen Cart.
Chuck
Stamps.com
So where do we find the new Stamps.com module? I didn't see it under "shipping modules" on the contribution section of this site.
Thanks!
Here's a link to the Zen integration instructions. https://stamps.custhelp.com/app/answ...tail/a_id/1204Quote:
Originally Posted by mumzie
zen cart version 1.38a
Merchant Settings ID: 190b855a-f421-47de-8f73-xxxxxxxxx
PHP Plugin Version: 1.0.0.37782
HTTP Method: Get
stamps.com build 8.7.3[build 2024]
Ok. We have been having an increasing number of customers prefer usps over ups lately. We have been using stamps.com for quite some time but manually entering every single customer. I saw the integration and though wow this will be a great time saver.. So I followed all the instructions line for line and we where able to import the orders..
Now here are the bugs.
the batch pulls all of the orders- Including orders that customers opted for UPS shipping. I need to be able to exclude the UPS orders from the auto batch. Its a pain for him to go into the super orders and check every single one too see what the customer picked.
secondly. He had to manually select which shipping method for every single order. I offer a wide variety of shipping options from parcel post to first class ect ect.. and the auto import did not get that data.
also. The postage is showing on these labels. The reason I picked stamps.com is because the postage amount could be masked. I have a handling charge built into the cost and if customers see a lesser amount of actual postage they will be complaining very quickly
The one final thing is the software did send back the tracking info to my shipping status but it did not email the customer that it was shipped or the tracking number. I would like my customers to be notified when there items ship via email. And in the status it shows the red X meaning the customer was not notified..
Thanks in advance for any input on these small bugs.
Take a look on the second page of the profile settings in your Stamps.com zencart batch profile. There is a checkbox for both "hide postage" and "email customer" and by default the boxes are unchecked. This is independent of your regular Stamps.com settings.
Yep, they have several other bugs and unless you call the support phone and have the issue verified and escalated, nothing will be done. Even after that, Tier2 support is slow at best. They only return phone calls once per day and if you miss the call, it may be a couple more days before they try again. I was told that's just the way things work there. If they (Tier2) can't fix it and the issue gets referred to development, things slow down even more.
Another bug to add to your list is that the order status is not always changed to "Delivered" in the zen-cart database after postage is printed.
Stamps.com also releases software edits but never notifies customers that changes have been made. A change in version number doesn't necessarily mean that anything in the file has been changed other than the version number.
Robert,
I am glad to hear that you've implemented the integration. Hopefully I can help with the issues you've reported.
Filtering out UPS orders - at this time, we do not filter out any orders. I have passed your request along to our product team.
Importing shipping method - it is possible to import the ship method. In order to accomplish this, you need to use the correct syntax for Stamps.com to recognize the imported ship method. I am looking into the specifics of this syntax and will post a response once I have it.
You can toggle on/off emails and hidden postage under Profile Options:
To access profile options, click Batch>Manage>Edit>Close the Web Store setup and there should be a "Profile Options" dialog box. Here you can select "Hidden Postage Amount".
Please let me know if changing these settings does not correct the issues you have had with hidden postage or email notifications.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to me let me know.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
Thanks for the reply.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
We where able to hide the postage with the above setting. He also checked the box to enable the email notifications. The tracking info is still posting back to the zen cart order status. But its still showing the big red x under Customer was notified. My shipping manager thinks that the email customer option may be for stamps.com to email the customer directly with the tracking info? Which would be fine if the import captured the email address? But I am not sure that it does? Unfortunately I am unable to work directly with the stamps.com software because I am 200 miles away from our shipping warehouse. I just have access to the server side. But My shipping manager is savvy enough to figure out the end user side. I have a feeling there is a flag somewhere in the code we need to enable to make zen cart notify the customer when its been shipped. I just have to find out where it is.
I look forward to the updates regarding postage selection importing and UPS filtering. He said he is able to uncheck the UPS orders but there have been times one slips through accidentally but he is able to get a refund for the postage.
Robert,
Stamps.com is capable of sending out notification emails to recipients. But you are correct, you would need to import email address in order to accomplish this.
When the data is imported, do you not see the email address field populated?
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
I have this configured and working but have a couple issues. First, what is the correct syntax to import the shipping method? I too have the problem of needing to go into every order and select the shipping method the customer selected.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
Next I have the ty_package_tracker_for_x_2-3a add-on installed. This gives my customer the ability to track shipping from their logged in account. You post the tracking number to the order comments but it's not clickable and the field in the DB that the tracking mod uses is not populated. If I try and add the tracking info for the order it says no modifications are found and gives an error. Having a couple items in the settings for the code to use to map the shipping methods to the required syntax and to specify the field in the DB to hold the tracking number would be wonderful. Right now this is as much work as doing a cut and paste for each order.
badarac,
First off, thank you for the feedback. I have passed your request regarding package_tracker along to our product development team.
Regarding the syntax, I am working with our technical team to obtain the syntax for shipping method imports and hope to have this information soon. As soon as I have this information, I will be sure to update.
Is there anything else that I can help you with?
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
was working pretty decent until a couple of days ago. then out of the blue he started getting this error and it no longer connects to the webstore..
This webstore misbehaved and was disabled. Reason:AuthenticationError
Edit
I downloaded the latest version and uploaded it to the webstore and its working again.
stamps says there is a current php plugin zip(v1.0.0.38690) the one that is in the system is 1.0.0.37782
Darn,
They forced me to install what was the current version of 1.0.0.38666 on Monday because last Friday's version 1.0.0.38600 caused them to disable my account. AND NOW, on Wednesday, the current version is 1.0.0.38690 ???
Most of the time there is no difference in the versions other than the version number itself. The Stamps.com programmers say that even though WinMerge indicates no changes other than version number that there are in-fact changes to the files and that WinMerge is not a valid utility to check for differences.
well I will tell you this.. On the zsettings file I changed nothing but the version number on the top of the php file. The other 3 files I replaced w the new files.. And it is indeed working
TNX Robert
That's what I'll start doing too. It seems a bit much to release new versions that have no changes on a daily basis.
Any update on the syntax question?Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
I just added first class mail as an option and have uncovered a problem. I imported an order and in batch mode it added a 19 cent charge to the rate for delivery confirmation. Using the manual mode to calculate shipping (packages - thick envelope 8oz) to the same address did not add that fee. The USPS rate calculator also did not add this on the website. In batch mode adding a manual entry first class is not even selectable regardless of weight.
I installed the plugin last week and I've processed orders since then without incident. Today I download one order, clicked on it to edit it and received the following message.
It seems to be "permanently" disabled with no information on rectifying the situation....sometimes I really hate programmers, they just don't get the big picture...sorry programmers(I was one once too). Actually I don't blame the programmers, I blame the project managers for letting arcane error messages like this make it through to published software.Quote:
This webstore misbehaved and was disabled. Reason: Too many failed jobs.
Sorry for the rant, but I have not been able to do anything to get this working again. I have tried to download new orders and I get the same message. I tried installing the latest version of the plug-in(had the one from 9/27 installed and now installed the latest from 9/29) and it had no effect.
BTW, I too am having the first class issues mentioned by badarac. I also agree that if you're going to pass back the tracking info it should be placed into the comments field and the e-mail should be sent from the ZenCart system. I'm still not clear from this thread if the e-mails are being generated from stamps.com directly, or if they're supposed to be sending from Zen Cart. If they're coming from stamps.com, there's no indication whether they were really sent. I too need for the program to properly set the shipping class so this doesn't have to be done manually.
Also, when you download new orders why does there have to be a delay between when an order is in Zen Cart and marked processing and when it will download into the stamps.com software. The delay is really a problem. If an order has been placed by our shipping cutoff time, then we need to have those orders download when we process right after the cutoff.
I hope you guys get the bugs worked out on this soon as it really is a nice integration and generally works well and is a real time saver. Thanks.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Re: disabled account
Try this. Go to the "Manage" section of the plug in. Disabled accounts usually have a RED "Enable" button in the upper right corner of the screen where you enter the Access Token.
That happened to me last weekend after they had the Stamps.com site down for updates. This weekend's update gives me a "You have the wrong domain name entered" error.
Re: 2 hour time delay. The development team told me that was a hardcoded business decision by Stamps.com & was not going to be changed. Like you, the expected behavior when I click the "Refresh" button is a Refresh, RIGHT NOW.
Thanks for the lead Rick. The enable button was active, but unfortunately when I clicked it I got the same error back and it remained disabled, and the enable button is gone now. Clicking on System Info I did get a little more information though. It lists the same error as before but it says "Can't access Order Total module" below it, which gives me a little more info, but still doesn't make any sense. I've made no changes to my store that would have caused this.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
ERROR: This webstore misbehaved and was disabled. Reason: TooManyFailedJobs. (10/3/2010 4:36:44 AM)
Can't access Order Total module
I wonder what the heck the thinking is with that? It's totally contrary to the whole point of doing business on the Web. If they aren't going to change that behavior, that alone may be enough that I have to find another solution for printing USPS postage.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Thanks again for the help.
Bill
Bill,
Last weekend when I got that error, the final fix was to install the latest version of the app because the last update I had gotten one file out of sync. It's a pain to have to edit the same file every time they update which is almost daily. I had one file with one version number and the rest with a different verison # and had forgotten to copy/paste the Access Token and edit the admin folder name in 2 places. Grumpy me found that out while talking to support which only works banker's hours.
I also expected orders manually labeled as PRINTED to be updated back to the ZenCart database as Delivered. Tier2 says that's the expected behavior. 4 weeks later the Dev Team has yet to respond.
I tried updating to the latest version but without any change.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
No kidding, but at least that means they're working on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Two places???? I was only aware of the one in the settings file.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
The basic error has not changed, but the detail in system info has changed now to the above.Code:Unable to download orders from https://www.mysite.com/ShippingZZencart.php. ERROR: <strong>Error Type:</strong> 8<br><strong>File:</strong> /home/html/ShippingZZencart.php<br><strong>Line:</strong> 236<br><br><strong>Message:</strong> Undefined variable: shipping_charges<br><br><strong>Trace:</strong>  ...
I have found the place in the code where the error is being thrown, but it's still not obvious what is failing.
Bill
edit Admin folder name: 1 line, 2 places though 1 may be a comment
Yep, one's just a comment. It only has to be edited in the one place.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
FYI, my problem has been escalated to level 2 support(developers). I'll report back here when they provide a solution.
Unfortunately, still no word on the syntax; we should have an answer soon. Thank you for your patience while we work this out.Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
ROFL. Make them elaborate on that. Sounds like a smokescreen to me. ie: passing the buckQuote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Ok. So I was a little concerned about the tracking number actually getting to the customers once it posts back to the zen-cart.
So I did a little test.. I logged in as one of the customer accounts that was shipped via stamps.com to see if the order actually shows shipped and it shows the tracking number. Because it certainly isn't emailing the customer via the zen-cart because it has the big red x under customer notified.. So I figured well at least the customer can access the info if they log into the web store.. WRONG
While The order does show shipped to anyone in the admin section with the tracking number. The customer has no idea of this. I logged into multiple customer's accounts. And all of them show shipped on my side.. But when they go to get the order status.. It says Processing still! And there is no tracking number ! This was one of the main reasons for this implementation. My shipping manager doesn't have time to feed back tracking numbers for 40 orders a day. Yes they are posting back to zen cart but only the admin can view them. That is totally POINTLESS! The customer needs this info not the admin. So guess what I have had to do. Go to each and every order and copy the tracking number and paste it below to actually change the status and email the customer. This issue needs to be addressed immediately. I do not have time to copy and paste 40 to 50 orders a day. When the software is suppose to do this! Its still importing ups orders and my shipping manager still has to look at every order to see what shipping option they selected. I repeat.. This info needs to be available to the customers. Somebody back me up on this.. Login to a customers account that shows shipped and see for yourself!
Customers order status
Status History & Comments Date Order Status Comments
09/29/2010 Processing
Order status via control panel
09/29/2010 15:19:33 Shipped Shipped on 09/29/2010 via USPS [USPS First Class], Tracking number 910101052129782203xxxx
Chuck. We do appreciate your concern at attempts on this matter. But lets get some of these bugs addressed! If you need some new programmers there are plenty out there looking for jobs that could nail these problems quickly!
I logged in to a couple orders and all the order comments are displayed. The final comment has the order tracking number and shows a status of shipped which was automatically entered by stamps.com. While the shipping notice is not sent by ZC it is sent by stamps.com with the tracking info. I'm not sure why your site is working differently. I guess I should consider myself lucky.
btw I do agree that these things should be implemented correctly and be simpler for us to use.
did you log in as the customer? Because I get all the info when I login the admin control panel. But When I log in as a customer it reads as processing still.. Did you change yours to read shipped instead of Delivered? As thats why I have my status update too.. ShippedQuote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Yes I logged in as the customer, yes I changed my store to have an order status of shipped instead of delivered, and no I didn't update the status manually.Quote:
Originally Posted by roberttimmons
Ok thanks for that info. When you look at the customer order via super orders details You do have the red x next to customer notified when stamps.com posted it back to zen cart right? Or is yours actually notifying the customer as well?Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Here's what shows in the logged in customer order status. I deleted the CC transaction info.
Payment Status: Completed
AVS Code: AVSADDR: Y, AVSZIP: Y, IAVS: N
CVV2 Code: Y
Amount: 30.00 USD
10/04/2010 Shipped Shipped on 10/04/2010 via USPS [USPS Priority], Tracking number 9101010521297820017990
Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Ok .. This is interesting.. One more quick thing if you have a sec..
While you are in the customer's My account section. It shows the previous orders and the status there.. I just noticed that mine does indeed say shipped there for the customers.. But that's all it says.
But then if I click the view button next to that.. where it gives you further order detail.
Under status and history & comments
That's where I see the processing Order Status... But still no tracking info anywhere on anything.. This was on a paypal order if that makes any difference to anything.
EDIT: - Its only doing it on the paypal orders.. Mabye since paypal places back status to the order it must add some sort of flag to the order that keeps it from updating the status history and comments.. My credit card orders do indeed get posted back to the customer's order status..
But we still need to work on getting this tracking info sent as an email. The customer should not have to log back in to find out if there order shipped.. I will have to figure out the paypal issue on my own.
Thanks for helping me troubleshoot this badarac
No problem. I don't get a lot of Paypal orders so I might not see that. I can't imagine why that would make a difference though. Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by roberttimmons
Small thing to watch out for: on a couple of installations, the first "Refresh" didn't work in the stamps.com local executable; I had to select the "Zen Cart/Not Printed" on the left hand side (instead of "All Profiles"). Don't give up just because you get a "No new orders" dialog the first time. You may even need to do a Manage/ then edit your profile and click at the link on the bottom that says something like "Get all orders (slow)".
Hi Badarac,
We've finally received some info relating to Syntax from our dev team for your question back in Sept. Sorry for the lengthy time it took to get a response.
Stamps.com shold recognize the default shipping status codes used by each shopping cart. So long as a ZenCart customer does not change these defaults, mail classes should be imported.
If the default shipping status codes have been modified in any way, you will have to manually edit the mail class on orders that are pulled into the Stamps.com software.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks!
Eric
Stamps.com
Well I was hoping for something a little more specific than that. What are they testing for? The USPS delivery method name? The value of a DB variable? What values are they expecting for Zen Cart? How can I check my install to see if me settings are what is expected?Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
As it stands now orders import in batch mode. For each order I must select the shipping method (which I must to each order in Zen Cart to find), adjust the weight of the package since that doesn't seem to come across either, and then print the labels.
The order is then updated in the comments with the tracking info and an e-mail is sent from stamps.com to the customer with tracking info. Even though I have a package tracking add-on installed I cannot add a trackable link to the order so my customers can login and track their order. There is also no order shipped e-mail sent from Zen Cart to my customer.
All in all a pretty sloppy implementation which is just moderately better than cut and paste. I don't mean to be harsh but the settings file that we have to update for the order status could be used to map the other settings which you expect to be defaults At the very least if I knew what may have been modified I could make a decision if I want to set things back to defaults or live with the batch processing the way it is.
I appreciate your participation here but you really need to give your programmers a little whack for us.
I don't understand why Stamps.com need to access the ShippingZZencart.php file 195 times every 2 hours.
Still waiting on resolution to Incident:100831-002082 opened on 8/31/2010. Sounds to me like customer service/support takes a backseat to issuing code updates on a daily basis that have no changes other than the version number. OR the programmers are 3rd party contractors who are doing most of their work for someone else. That would explain why it takes days for someone to return a phone call.
What Eric is saying here, is that if you look at ShippingZZencart.php at the function PrepareZencartOrderStatusFilter() it builds a query using the default values from Zen Cart.Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Pending = 1
Processing = 2
Delivered = 3
Update = 4
If you look in admin->Localization->Orders Status, and click each of these values, you'll see in the URL the parameter oID, which should correspond to the numbers shown above. If they're different, you will need to change ShippingZZencart.php function PrepareZencartOrderStatusFilter().
Hi RobertTimmons,
Default behavior for ZenCart is to pull down orders that have been marked as "Processing." Once the customer processes the label in our Stamps.com software, the tracking number will be posted-back and the order status will be changed to "Delivered."
If you have Email Notifications turned on inside the profile options, an email will be sent by Stamps.com once the label is processed.
This should not interfere with your webstore’s ability to send an email -- if you are experiencing problems, there could be other issues causing the problem. We'll have to ask our dev team about the tracking info only showing up in the backend as this should not be the expected behavior.
We definitely need to research this problem more as the problem could be due to customizations that have been made to the shopping cart.
On the differences you noted with PayPal vs. CC for payment method, this should have no bearing on the information we post back.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Eric
Stamps.com
Hi Badarac,
A "whack" will be given! I can certainly understand your frustration with this process and would like to apologize for having to deal with these issues.
The whole implementation has been an eye-opening experience for us as Zen Cart customers such as yourself have really found a lot of areas of improvement with the Stamps.com software.
But we're committed to getting the bugs out and making sure the integration works very well.
Let me see if I can get more specific answers for you.
Thanks!
Eric
Stamps.com
Actually that's not the settings we were discussing. Those settings are configured in the stamps settings file and I am receiving orders. The problem is that the orders do not contain the mail class selected and total weight of the shipment. These apparently rely on some values in the order which at this time are a mystery to us all.Quote:
Originally Posted by swguy
I think what people are voicing here is that this is not acceptable behavior. E-mails sent to customers from ZC stores have a customized look, logo, etc. for each store and match other e-mails coming from each person's store(registrations, order confirmation and all status updates). The "item has shipped" e-mail with delivery confirmation needs to be sent through the ZC interface. I'm sure it's very easy for stamps.com to send it through the existing stamps.com system, but that is not a good, consistent, experience for the customer. The other problem with doing it that way is that there is no confirmation for the store owner that the e-mail was actually sent, nor does the owner have any control over what is said in that e-mail.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
UPDATE: My problem still exists where I cannot pull in orders any more because of receiving an error from the stamps.com code while trying to do so. The stamps.com team is working on it and I've received a couple of calls needing additional info and I appreciate that they are trying and I hope they find a solution soon.
I too have recently started to use stamps.com. I have sent 2 orders so far and it seems to work well. I really would want these emails to be relayed out of my Zen Cart store as the post above indicates. I want the experience for the shopper to be seamless. When they start getting emails coming from all over it gets confusing to the customer as to whom they are dealing with. I want all communication to come or to be relayed through my store. Anything that can be done to improve this would be greatly appreciated.
glad to see this thread is still going and we are all still working toward the same end goal. Today we got this error
Stamps.com will not let me get the wholevacuums mailing infor tell me this This webstore misbehaved and was disabled. Reason: TooManyFailedJobs
So i went ahead and downloaded the latest plugin. - will update back
Well, I hate to say I'm happy you got that error, but that's the problem I have and since I first got that error, over two weeks ago, I haven't been able to get it working again. The development team is supposed to be working on it, but I haven't heard a word in over a week.Quote:
Originally Posted by roberttimmons
This is definitely their problem and I have a feeling everyone's going to run into it unless they find out what's causing it. It shouldn't be rocket science and I'd think they should be able to fix it within a day, but it certainly hasn't happened yet.
I was just going to ask you to get details on your error in the manage/edit Zencart in Stamps.com batch, and when I went in there the error wasn't there anymore. It said it had downloaded 4 orders, but nothing new was showing, but possibly that's because I already manually processed those orders. Anyway, the one order that was "stuck" when all this happened and I couldn't do anything with it, I was now able to cancel. I am not getting the error anymore. I haven't updated the plug-in for at least a week. If they fixed something, I sure wish they'd report it here.
Well unfortunately today I received a new order and now stamsp.com isn't working. It wont import the sale so I can print up postage. Last week it worked for 2 sales and today it keeps saying There are no new items for Zen Cart webstore.
Nothing has been changed in my store so I have to assume its Stamps.com that is broke...
Anyone have any ideas what is wrong?
How long has it been since the order was placed? It can take up to two hours before stamps.com will download an order, which I was told was a business decision by stamps.com. What the reasoning was I have no idea. I strongly suggest everyone complains about this. As I stated in an earlier post, this is close to, or may be, a deal breaker for me. The Internet is all about instant service, and imposing an arbitrary delay just makes no sense at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by nohart
I called customer service at a number I found on the web site and it magically started to work. This was after I tried about 5 times. Then I called and asked what the issue may be and just like magic all of a sudden it downloaded the sales? I don't know go figure must have been internet wookie wookie! lol
RixStix,Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
For each order we import and post back information for, there can be back and forth communication resulting in multiple calls to your server. Are you seeing this type of traffic during periods when you do not have orders that are imported or shipment info that is being posted back? Is this traffic typical, or does it occur only when you have a number of orders?
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
RixStix,Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
I've passed your concerns to our developers regarding faster import times. One thing I should mention is that this is less of a business decision and more to do with technical limitations of how the import works. We recognize the preference to cut that delay down to allow for real time imports.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Currently, all packages sent in batch, or using the "Packages" tab in Stamps.com automatically add on Delivery Confirmation. For Priority, DC is free for online postage (like Stamps.com). For Express, tracking is in included (tracking differs from DC in that the USPS is only required to scan at delivery whereas tracking scans throughout the packages route).
For other mail classes (such as First-Class packages or thick envelopes, Media Mail, or Parcel Post), we currently require the purchase of 19 cent DC with the option to upgrade to Signature Confirmation. We are looking to change this to an optional service.
For the order that did not charge $.19, which mail class was it? I just checked out a test order using the manual entry and for First-Class, I was charged $.19 for DC but for Priority it was free.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
As bpryor mentioned, there can be a delay between when the orders are placed and when Stamps.com imports them. Are you still experiencing a problem with importing orders?Quote:
Originally Posted by nohart
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
If you would like, you can CC yourself on the emails that are sent. I realize this does not address all of the problems expressed, but it is something you can do immediately. To do this, go to File/Preferences/Email from within Stamps.com. There are also limited customization options and I should mention that we are working on additional customization of emails sent from Stamps.com.Quote:
Originally Posted by bpryor
nohart,Quote:
Originally Posted by nohart
I appreciate your feedback regarding the ability to have emails generated from your Zen Cart store and I've passed this on to our product development team to investigate whether or not it is feasible to have our software initiate email sent through Zen Cart. Currently, we post back information to Zen Cart at which point merchants can send emails from Zen Cart. As an option to merchants, Stamps.com can send out emails to your customers.
Based on your comments in this thread, we will investigate a solution which will have Stamps.com prompt Zen Cart to send the email.
Hi Chuck,Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
It may in fact have been applied to the first class mail postage in manual mode. I tried to test it again and it's there but it doesn't jump out at you on the menu. Since I generally ship priority mail I've never noticed a change. I'll just need to figure out how to add a little extra to the rates calculated by USPS for first class only.
Actually unless I've missed it, ZC does not have the functionality to send an order shipped e-mail to the customer without a change of status. The only way to do it would be to change it from the shipped or the delivered status which is set when stamps adds tracking info to the comments. It would seem to be a better solution to have stamps trigger the e-mail at the time they add the tracking number.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
Hi Chuck. TNX for being involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
This appears to be typical. I just checked and the latest call list was over 6 dozen calls for only 4 orders that had not been previously downloaded.
Also, on an unsecure connection there is quite a bit of data being requested that is not necessary for printing postage in addition to the 56 digit Access Token being transmitted in each of those calls. I don't understand the need for a 56 digit password when you transmit it on an unencrypted connection. Sorry, that's just the skeptic in me asking the question.
I've been looking into this with our technical team. Here are some more specifics on importing shipping methods to Stamps.com.Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
When integrating your ZenCart shopping cart with Stamps.com, your shipping modules should use the following mail classes in order to be imported correctly. The documentation provided with your shipping modules should contain information on how to edit these choices. Note: You can present these to your customer in any format, so long as this exact syntax is what gets stored in the ‘shipping_method’ column of your orders table.
USPS First Class
USPS Priority
USPS Media Mail
USPS Parcel Post
USPS Express
USPS Bound Printed Matter
USPS Library Mail
USPS Intl Express
USPS Intl Priority
USPS Intl First Class
The default shipping methods provided by ZenCart are defined in the following four files in the directory below. For additional information on editing these files, we recommend that you consult ZenCart’s documentation or contact their support team.
<zencart_root>\includes\languages\english\modules\shipping\
flat.php
item.php
perweightunit.php
table.php
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
Chuck,
I'm not sure that I follow the logic. I use ZenCart without any shipping mods. I assume that since ZenCart sends USPS PRIORITY MAIL as the shipmethod, that S.com logic is supposed to use USPS Priority instead of FirstClass. There seems to be a bug if that is the case.
Data requested by Stamps.com (1st few lines) Notice Ship Method
<ShipmentOrders>
−
<ShipmentOrder>
<OrderDate>2010-10-18T21:25:22Z</OrderDate>
<ItemsTotal>50.89</ItemsTotal>
<Total>58.01</Total>
<ShippingChargesPaid>7.12</ShippingChargesPaid>
−
<ShipMethod>
United States Postal Service (Priority Mail (2 - 3 days))
</ShipMethod>
Entered into Stamps.com application from the data downloaded
Postage cost $1.42
Mailpiece: Package
Mail Class: FIRST CLASS MAIL
Rick,
It looks like the ship method that is being passed is "United States Postal Service (Priority Mail (2 - 3 days))". The syntax recognized by Stamps.com is "USPS Priority". Because "United States Postal Service (Priority Mail (2 - 3 days))" is being passed, Stamps.com is defaulting to First-Class Mail.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
Hi Chuck,
Since I don't believe that I've made changes to zen default code, maybe it would be better for Stamps.com to pull the default zencart codes. or provide the necessary override files.
TNX
Rick
Thanks so much Chuck for your prompt attention. I really appreciate it! Also thanks for the info about cc the email and allowing us to customize to a certain extent the Subject and From info. Looking forward to further options as this is turning out to be a great shipping module/Add on!Quote:
I appreciate your feedback regarding the ability to have emails generated from your Zen Cart store and I've passed this on to our product development team to investigate whether or not it is feasible to have our software initiate email sent through Zen Cart. Currently, we post back information to Zen Cart at which point merchants can send emails from Zen Cart. As an option to merchants, Stamps.com can send out emails to your customers.
Based on your comments in this thread, we will investigate a solution which will have Stamps.com prompt Zen Cart to send the email.
Same here. I'm using the unmodified USPS shipping module in ZC and it passes the same the same text for the shipping method. I agree that modifying stamps is a better solution than having every ZC user overide the shipped code. I still think adding this stuff to the settings file or some mappings in the db that are retained is the best way to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Thank you for the feedback.Quote:
Originally Posted by badarac
Our development team is investigating a solution to simplify shipping method imports.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
I am still getting too many failed jobs error.. any idea?
Well. My apologies to the ZC community. I was the one that started begging for this interface - and I guess I can say I'm grateful that I didn't jump on it when first released!
I think stamps.com is a great service - but I too have had issues with them and some nasty bugs.
I was in the software quality management field for almost 30 years - and I have to say that the cavalier attitude that stamps.com is using (in general - not Chuck) is at odds with the teachings of my previous discipline.
Stamps.com may just see their service as one for homemakers to not have to go to the post office, but for most of us ZC users, this is our LIVELIHOOD and REPUTATION at stake - and their faulty implementation endangers these. I want the best experience possible for my customers - for now, I'll keep doing what I've been doing - using stamps.com manually, cutting and pasting every order - because this way, I can guarantee a good experience for my customer!
Let me know when the implementation of the stamps.com module is working as it should - or feel free to contact me if you want an engineering-eye view of the specs for this module.
mumzie,
Thank you for your feedback; I've passed your post along to our product team.
Are there any specific concerns that you have about the integration? While there are certainly issues we are looking into, the core functionality of importing orders from Zen Cart to Stamps.com can be a huge time saver relative to copy and paste.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
well Since nobody really knew how to fix the issue nor did I get any replies. I did what any tech would do. made my shipping guy re install the stamps.com software and re create the profile. And what do you know its working again.Quote:
Originally Posted by roberttimmons
Now for the next issue. The email notify. This is not a issue that will be hard to fix. Its very simple actually. When you post something to the customer order you either check the box that says notify the customer. which is the default. Or you uncheck the box so the customer gets no email about the update. So somewhere in the stamps.com module files we need to create that flag where it inserts the tracking number back to the webstore. I have no idea of where the code is or what it is but Iv had just about enough of copying and pasting tracking numbers so my customers know there item shipped. So Im going to dig into the files today because what I truly believe is. Stamps.com does not want this to happen because they would much prefer to collect the email addresses of all of OUR Customers to add to there database. Maybe they are doing nothing with them now. But that huge email list could be worth big bucks down the road. That's why IMO this has not been addressed. Will report back if I figure anything out. If I cant I will hire a coder.
When you open up the php files you'll find that they've copyrighted the mod and use of it is subject to their terms and conditions under license. I suspect that if you modify the code you'll be exposing yourself to possible problems. That's why I didn't do anything to it.
Here is the code. I think I already know what to change. Under customer_notified they have it at 0.. I bet if its changed to 1. Then the customers would be notified. Althought I am not going to make this change as I do not own this file. I am simply posting this information to prove its possible.
//update order status
$db->execute(" update ".DB_PREFIX."orders set orders_status='3' where orders_id='". $this->MakeSqlSafe($OrderNumber,1) ."'");
}
else
{
if($current_order_status==1)
$change_order_status=2;
else if($current_order_status==2)
$change_order_status=3;
else
$change_order_status=$current_order_status;
$db->execute("insert into " . TABLE_ORDERS_STATUS_HISTORY . "
(orders_id, orders_status_id, date_added, customer_notified, comments)
values ('" . $this->MakeSqlSafe($OrderNumber,1) . "', '".$change_order_status."', now(), '0', '" . $this->MakeSqlSafe($comments). "')");
if($change_order_status!=$current_order_status)
$db->execute(" update ".DB_PREFIX."orders set orders_status='$change_order_status' where orders_id='". $this->MakeSqlSafe($OrderNumber,1) ."'");
Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
Thanks for this information Chuck, but I won't use the Stamps.com e-mail. The e-mail has to come from ZenCart for a consistent customer experience, so for now I'll manually send them. Hopefully this will be fixed, or added as an option in the near future.
Thanks for the lead Robert. I'd try it out if my installation of stamps.com wasn't broken again.Quote:
Originally Posted by roberttimmons
I have a completely new problem. Without explanation stamps.com started working again for me about a week ago. It was working fine until a couple of days ago when I received a new error and I'm out of luck again. The new error is as follows:
Nothing has been changed on the installation. The URL has not been changed and is correct. I tried installing the latest rev of the plugin but there was no change.Code:ERROR: The webstore URL is incorrect. Please verify this is the correct URL. (10/27/2010 11:10:02 PM)
Unable to connect to webstore. Unable to connect to the remote server The webstore URL is incorrect. Please verify this is the correct URL.
Does the fact that
today is 10/28/2010 and Stamps.com is checking for orders on 10/29/2010 have anything to do with any problem?
Last week, a Stamps.com supervisor called me but apologized that he could not help with any problems because the Technical Supervisors declined to participate in a phone call for a technical issue.
OOPS. Don't know why a duplicate post appeared.
Hi RixStix,Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Where are you finding that date? In the XML? If it's doing that, it certainly is a problem. What time of day did you see that happen?
There is no doubt Stamps.com has huge software development, QA, and support department issues. From running software development departments of all sizes for 25 years, I can only say that this is a management problem and they need to solve it.Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
Here's my latest problem from today that's related to the stamps.com software, not the plug-in, but it points to the poor management in both software dev, support and QA that is in place there. Sorry in advance for being so long winded but I think it's important to help illustrate the problems we're dealing with at stamps.com, and hopefully Chuck will read this and get it back to someone that can do something about these core management problems.
Last night I scheduled a pickup through the stamps.com software at 12:30 am Pacific time. Per USPS and Stamps.com doc you are supposed to be able to schedule a pickup up until 2:00 am Central time for next day pickup(I've had trouble with USPS on this for years and it's never worked correctly). When I scheduled the pickup it came back saying my pickup was scheduled for 10/29(Friday), not today like I needed it…..so here we go again with the USPS side of things not working as documented( I do not believe this part is a stamps.com problem), so I tried to cancel the pickup. On the schedule a pickup page in stamps.com software there is a link that says "Click here to modify or cancel a previously scheduled pickup". You click on it and a form comes up to enter the pickup location and the pickup confirmation #. So, where do you get the pickup confirmation #? I couldn't find it so I looked in the stamps.com help for the form and it states "Enter in the provided Confirmation number.". The problem is there was never any confirmation # provided and there's nowhere to get it in the stamps.com software…..so….I called support and the answer I got was pathetic. First, the support guy didn't have a clue what I was talking about. It took me 10 minutes to get him to understand the problem, then when he did he went offline and talked to someone higher up. His answer was that I had to call USPS and get them to give me the confirmation #, and that USPS did not provide stamps.com with that information and that's why it wasn't available in the stamps.com software. I pointed out to him the absurdity of having mature commercial software shipping with a link to a feature that can't even be implemented. He didn't get it, and when I asked to speak to a supervisor he denied me. This type of "bug" in shipping software is inexcusable.
Bill
hey Rix.. I have noticed when all else fails just delete the web profile on the stamps.com and re create it.. kind of a hassle but its fixed us a few times. Make sure to save that access token or you will be digging for it..Quote:
Originally Posted by RixStix
There were quite a few individual hits for tomorrow in the string of the 6-8 dozen Stamps.com "Who's Online" listings that occurs every couple of hours and are probably in the server logs that I am too lazy to dig through.Quote:
Originally Posted by bpryor
Hello,
I wanted to reach out to everyone and let you all know that we are still working on these issues. Here are some quick updates:
Import Shipping Methods: We're working to put together more detailed instructions on how these can be imported. As soon as I have more details, I'll be sure to post.
Emails: We're investigating the feasibility of having Stamps.com initiate the emails sent through Zen Cart. With a number of our other shopping cart integrations, we do support similar features. We'd like to get this working with Zen Cart if possible. At this time, I don't have any additional details, although we're researching the issue. In the meantime, we do support a feature that allows you to use Stamps.com to send a shipping confirmation email directly to your customers.
As for the other errors/feature requests that have been mentioned, we are looking into these as well. Thanks to everyone for your patience as we work to make this integration better for the Zen Cart community.
If anyone has any additional questions/complaints/requests, please let us know; we take your comments very seriously and we are committed to improving this integration.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
bump for updates
Hello,
Sorry for the delay on resolving these issues; we are still working to investigate/resolve these issues.
The one issue I do have an update on is the automated process for notification emails. After investigating the requested functionality, we feel that this is a feature outside of the scope of the Stamps.com integration. Stamps.com's solution is designed to allow Zen Cart merchants to import orders from Zen Cart and process USPS shipping labels for these orders. After processing shipping labels, Stamps.com posts back information to Zen Cart to confirm shipment.
As a feature for our customers, Stamps.com offers the ability to send email confirmations directly from Stamps.com. As some have mentioned, this is not an ideal solution. To improve this, we will soon be offering additional levels of customization to the emails we send.
As for the other issues, we are currently investigating these. Most notably, we are working to fix the ship method importing as fast as we can.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com
You are aware that this forum is full of software programmers right? The reason we choose this software for our web stores is simple. There is nothing that is outside the scope of possibility. Its fully customizable to do anything with the proper code.Quote:
Originally Posted by StampsCom
I'm sure we all understand stamps.com reasoning for this update to be ignored. Its simple. You want our customers to get emails from stamps.com to increase customer awareness and branding for the stamps.com software. So basically if we want our customers automatically notified we have to allow you to spam our customers with your advertising.. Which you do with every single notification email you sent out..
This is what is in the footer of every single email you send to OUR customers..
The shipment information contained in this email is provided by Stamps.com.
For questions about this package, please contact the sender of
the package or the U.S. Postal Service.
============================================================================
Print official USPS postage from your own printer with Stamps.com,
and eliminate trips to the Post Office forever!
Sign up at http://www.stamps.com/freeoffer and receive our special
introductory offer. Try it risk free today!
============================================================================
This is an unacceptable practice in my opinion. Aol.com got in trouble for doing the exact same. Spamming emails with a footer to free email customers. They certaintly dont do it anymore.
And by the way. its very possible to invoke the zc notification system to email the customers.
I made it happen and here is a screen shot- please note this is not with the stamps.com module but another that auto posted to the customer order detail and notified the customer..
Simple flag under customer notify
-1 hide from customer
0 post to order but do not notify customer
1 post to order and notify customer.
Hi Robert,
I am sorry for any frustration that I may have caused. It is certainly not our intention to block merchants from emailing from within Zen Cart as opposed to Stamps.com.
I understand your frustrations with our email system and I will pass on your comments about the included email ad to management. Please note that this email notification feature is simply an option for our customers to use and is not something that is required.
Thanks,
Chuck
Stamps.com
Robert,
If you look at the almost daily updates to the Stamps.com ecommerce package, you'll see that nearly all changes are to the Magento files and very few changes to the zen-cart files which shows where the programming resources are being directed.
I don't have a problem with the Stamps.com email notices vs from within Zen-cart. I do have issue with Stamps.com was SPAMMING our customers with their adverts. I had assumed that the notices were clones of the USPS notifications.
Just beware that the communication with the application once installed on your computer with your store is horrible. Once you have an order placed it can take several hours for the order to be imported into the stamps.com application so you can print the shipping label!
There is absolutely no excuse for this and I have called several times about this and every time they give me the same answer that it may take up to 2 hours for the order to be imported into your application. I told them there is absolutely no reason why this shouldn't be real time and their basic attitude is oh well we are sorry.
I have told them that it is very important for me to give my customers timely service and they obviously could care less because this has been going on for over 6 months.
nohart,
I've passed your concerns to management regarding faster import times. Currently, this delay is due to technical limitations of how the import works. We recognize the preference to cut the delay down to allow for real time imports and hope to decrease this delay as much as possible in a future release.
Thanks!
Chuck
Stamps.com