google checkout shipping services

[modwerx]

i have successfully installed GC on my website but during a test order i noticed that when taken to the GC page for payment and shipping options they list fed-ex as a shipping method and only 2 forms of usps shipping. i only want to use UPS and USPS for shipping to make things easier for my customers and me so is there any way to change this? is this something i have to set up through google?

just checked again before i posted this and now all shipping options are showing up as only $1 for shipping...

[chain_man]

i have successfully installed GC on my website but during a test order i noticed that when taken to the GC page for payment and shipping options they list fed-ex as a shipping method and only 2 forms of usps shipping. i only want to use UPS and USPS for shipping to make things easier for my customers and me so is there any way to change this? is this something i have to set up through google?

just checked again before i posted this and now all shipping options are showing up as only $1 for shipping...

Did you set your Google Checkout options?

Generally GCO will use the options you have configured in your Shipping modules. But GCO has to know about then first. Open your GCO for editing in your admin>modules>payments. Make a note of all the settings you have. About half-way down there is a link for Shipping Generator. Clicking that should find all your configured shipping methods and add them to the GCO file.

[modwerx]

thanks chain man. i hadnt figured out the shipping generator yet. which specific file name do i need to modify with the code the generator gives? shipping_methods.php? also will i need to do this for every item since it asks for weight and value in the generator?

[chain_man]

thanks chain man. i hadnt figured out the shipping generator yet. which specific file name do i need to modify with the code the generator gives? shipping_methods.php? also will i need to do this for every item since it asks for weight and value in the generator?

OK - you caught me...

When I set up my GCO, it was before the Shipping Generator was available. So I haven't actually used it myself :-(

[modwerx]

thanks anyway chain man. at least you pointed me in the right direction. i guess ill have to play around with it and see if i can find the right file to modify. can any one help with this in case i cant figure it out?

[modwerx]

can someone explain what these are in the admin under GC module:

value/fix charge/variable

like what is each one for? i posted the generated code in the shipping_methods.php but the shipping is still showing up as $1..

[gobrinton]

can someone explain what these are in the admin under GC module:

value/fix charge/variable

like what is each one for? i posted the generated code in the shipping_methods.php but the shipping is still showing up as $1..

There are two different packages of shipping options to choose from, Carrier Calculated Shipping (CCS) and Real Time.

CCS means that Google Checkout (GC) ignores any shipping info that comes from your site. Instead GC looks up the shipping costs from a database, (I assume it is based on "to and from" locations that the carriers have calculated in advance, hence the name.) It presents the buyer with rates from about three different carriers. Some feel that these rates are not always up to date and accurate. On the other hand, some like it because it is a no-fuss no-muss method.

Real Time means that GC makes every attempt to use whatever "real time look up" method your site has done. The /shipping_methods.php file that came with Google Checkout already lists all of the default or built-in modules that are in ZC. It also comes with the handy utility (which you have already discovered) to add or modify to only the shipping methods that you have enabled in your store.

After running the shipping generator copy and paste that new list (code) into your /googlecheckout/shipping_methods.php file. Your paste can overwrite the other default methods completely if you want.

Now the shipping_methods.php file will tell GC what shipping methods to offer, as long as you have enabled Real Time Shipping, (or rather, disabled CCS.)

To set GC to use your store rates/methods instead of Carrier Calculated rates set GoogleCheckout Carrier Calculated Shipping=False.

With both modes of operation, you can provide a list of rock bottom "Default" rates, just in case any of the look-ups would fail.

To get a generic shipping amount for all of the Default boxes, again use the Shipping Generator link in the GC settings. For the city choice, just pick a city that is an "average distance" or half way between you and the farthermost city in your country. Do the same for the country and copy and pastes those charges into your Defaults.

The Fixed Charge box is to add an extra charge to the shipping cost. This may be used to adjust for handling charges, (boxes and packing materials.)

The Variable is the same as fixed adjustment but calculated by percentage instead of fixed.

Hope this helps.

[modwerx]

thanks for the explanation gobrinton

when i enable CCS it only calculates for ups services but still shows as 1$ shipping for usps methods and shows methods i have disabled like parcel post. when i disable and use the real time shipping all shipping methods show up as 1$. ive tried changing values in every column but no matter how high i set it or what i set it to it still shows shipping as 1$....

do i have to set this up with the sandbox first? i have already tested the sandbox before i switched to production and tried adjusting the shipping costs but do i have to adjust the costs in sandbox first?

[gobrinton]

...i have already tested the sandbox before i switched to production and tried adjusting the shipping costs but do i have to adjust the costs in sandbox first?

Did you have it working correctly in Sandbox mode before you switched to Production?

[modwerx]

this is what i keep getting in sandbox and production. ive changed all the boxes/values and still get either all shipping is 1$ or usps shipping is 1$ and the wrong methods show up. i had it set up to use priority first class and express but parcel post and media mail are showing up...