Shipping -USA only, flat rate + per item charge?

[DragonLady]

Okay...I did several searches, but can't find what Im looking for.

I'm *mostly* ready to open shop and start taking orders. Here are the last things that need fixed so I can do that. I plan to change most of them in the future, but for now this one thing will get me in biz.


I'm wanting to ship to the USA only.
I want to charge a flat base rate for all orders.
I want to add a per-item charge based on the item.

I can't figure out how to make all three of those work together?

I've found the individual pieces, but they're scattered among other things and don't seem to be available on their own?

I'm planning to purchase a good postal scale and switch to the USPS application later, but for now this system will get me up and running, if I can just figure out how to implement it.

Thanks in advance for any help. :)

DL

[Ajeh]

Create a Zone for your definition of the USA ...

When you say you want a Flat Rate and then go on to say you want a Per Item Charge based on Item ... what are you really say you want for the shipping?

[DragonLady]

I want a $3.50 flat rate.

Most of my buttons are very, very small, and a bunch of them can be shipped for $3.50.

But, other items cost more, so I want to charge a per-item rate for those to be added to the flat rate.

Flat rate: 3.50
Big Button: .25
Box of anvils: 45.00

You see?

[Ajeh]

Would a minimum charge of $3.50 work ... where you could put in the per item charge for shipping in the Product Weight products_weight field and use the Per Unit perweightunit shipping module with a bit of customization?

[DragonLady]

Yes; a $3.50 minimum would be fine. It would narrow the number of items that require more shipping.

My scales are on the way...and I'm trying to apply for the USPS tools thing...but I'm waiting for them to email me back because I'm unsure which address to use.

I live 30 miles out of town. I send mail from one location and receive it at another...and I'm not sure which the USPS would prefer I use for their application. I would assume they want the one I'm shipping it from, since that's the one that applies when calculating the costs. But, I want to hear from them to be sure.

[Ajeh]

What the Per Unit perweightunit module does is let you enter what you want to charge for shipping per Product per quantity ...

So if you enter on the Product Weight .50, it would charge $0.50 ... if 2 were ordered then it would be 2 x .50 or $1.00 ...

The one draw back is, when you switch to USPS you will need to re-enter all of your weights for your products ...

As to what to do with USPS, to get correct Rate Quotes, you would need to enter the information for where you are shipping from on the Configuration ... Shipping/Packaging ... this way the rates will match where you are actually doing your shipping from ...

To customize the Per Unit perweightuni shipping module for making it a minimum of $3.50 you can edit the file:
/includes/modules/shipping/perweightunit.php

and change the code for:

    $this->quotes = array('id' => $this->code,
                          'module' => MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_TEXT_TITLE,
                          'methods' => array(array('id' => $this->code,
                                                   'title' => MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_TEXT_WAY,
                                                   'cost' => MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_COST * ($total_weight_units * $shipping_num_boxes) +
                                                   (MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING_METHOD == 'Box' ? MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING * $shipping_num_boxes : MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING) ) ));

To read:

    $this->quotes = array('id' => $this->code,
                          'module' => MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_TEXT_TITLE,
                          'methods' => array(array('id' => $this->code,
                                                   'title' => MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_TEXT_WAY,
                                                   'cost' => (MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_COST * ($total_weight_units * $shipping_num_boxes) < 3.50 ? 3.50 : MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_COST * ($total_weight_units * $shipping_num_boxes)) +
                                                   (MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING_METHOD == 'Box' ? MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING * $shipping_num_boxes : MODULE_SHIPPING_PERWEIGHTUNIT_HANDLING) ) ));

[DragonLady]

Wow. Thanks! I'll give it a shot tomorrow. :)

DL

[DragonLady]

That's working great! Thank-you!!!!

[Ajeh]

Thanks for the update that this is working for you ...