Shipping Based on Zip Code

[rwoody]

There is a new shipping module available in the Down Loads area - ZipShip. This is based on and works very similiar to the existing Zones module that comes standard with Zen-Cart 1.3.7 - You can create shipping zones based on Zip Codes for either weight/price or Items, just as in the Zones module.

This has been tested only on 1.3.7, but should work on most Zen-Cart versions. Just as with any module - back up before installing and at your own risk.

I created this for a customer that also has a brick and mortar store. She wanted to offer free and flat fee shipping to the communities within her store's immediate area. By using this module I was able to setup free shipping for a group of zip codes for Order Total over $50.00 and a flat $5.00 for those under $50.

Hopefully others might need this or be able to use is to create your own zip code shipping modules.

Ruth

[FredZ]

Hi Ruth

I have several questions before I install this mod.

Where does this module get the zip codes from during the shipping process? ie. does the user have to enter the zip code to calculate the shipping cost, or does the mod get it from the users details when they register.

How can I change the number of digits in the zip code. Here in NZ we only have 4 digits for all of our zipcodes. Or should I just get the customer to pad there zip code out with a receeding 0 (03201).

How many characters can I put ino each field? I am assuming 255

Regards

Fred

[rwoody]

You add the zip code via the admin when configuring the module. I don't think it matters whether you have 4 or 5 numbers in your code. Just change the default to whatever you need them to be.

You ask how many characters in each field - I'm not sure I know where you are asking unless its in the language files and that would be up to your design.

You would list the zip codes for each zone separated by a comma. In the rates you would set it something like 50:5, 5000:0

Note that there is a caveat that I've found and I'm not sure if it pulls from the core or from where, but when you are listing free shipping over a a dollar amount, you need to list a really high amount in order for all values to be included. What that amount is would be based on typical sales from your store. You can set it to whatever you want. The example above is from my customer's store - Order Totals less than $50.00 for a small selection of zip codes within 10 miles of her store are charged a flat $5.00 shipping. If they purchase over $50.00 shipping is free - again just for those zipcodes. I used $5000 as she has a candle shop and that would be a really high class problem for her to get an order over $5,000.00.

If you would like to see it in action, you can go to my customer's site. This is a live site so don't order, but you can place something in the cart and then click the shipping estimator without registering. The zipcodes that offer the reduced shipping for her site are cities listed on the main page including the following zipcodes - 33801,33803,33809 and 33810. You can use anyone of those to test it to see how it works. You can adjust the text in the language file to whatever is appropriate for your site.

http://www.lorindascandles.com

Hope that is helpful.

Ruth

[chris_rex]

Hi,

The zipship module is great, but I need to combine the zip code with the country of the user. There are zip numbers that are the same in different countries, but the shipping prices should be different. Therefor I must calculate shipping based on country and zip code. Is this possible to do with this module?

Do anyone else have a suggestion on how to achive this?

Regards,

Chris

[dantien]

I wonder if i have to define a zip zone in
admin - locations taxes - Zone Definitions
or if it goes automaticaly when i add the zip in the admin - module - shiping.


Will the customer get a drop down meny at registration to choose the predefined zip, or does the customer type exactly the zip that is predefined ?

seems like this is a very nice module. :)

[kina]

This is a great module...and totally what I need, however, in entering the zip codes, I'm finding this error:

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /www/url.com/web/onlinestore/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php on line 114
(some sections in this error have been changed to protect my clients privacy)

With all of my troubleshooting...it seems to come up based on the "amount" of zipcodes I"m entering into each zone,which is basically all the zipcodes in each particular state (I'm using 1 zone per state...so I have 48 zones)

So what I'd like to know... is there a limit of the number of characters I can enter into the area where I enter the zip codes?? Is there a way that I can change that in the php code to accomodate all the zipcodes that exist in say California and Texas?? Even just Washington state, it doesn't seem to want to work right when I enter in *all* of the zip codes from that state...but it works just fine when I enter in a partial list of zip codes from that state.

Any help is most appreciated!!

[rwoody]

Hi,

The zipship module is great, but I need to combine the zip code with the country of the user. There are zip numbers that are the same in different countries, but the shipping prices should be different. Therefor I must calculate shipping based on country and zip code. Is this possible to do with this module?

Do anyone else have a suggestion on how to achive this?

Regards,

Chris

I have to be honest, I really don't know. I created this based on the exisitng Zones based system with some minor changes to accomodate for a US zip-codes. I'm not sure how one would take into account multiple countries.

I wish I could be more helpful. I would imagine that would take a much larger effort, but maybe you can use this as a basis to work from.

Ruth

[rwoody]

This is a great module...and totally what I need, however, in entering the zip codes, I'm finding this error:

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /www/url.com/web/onlinestore/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php on line 114
(some sections in this error have been changed to protect my clients privacy)

With all of my troubleshooting...it seems to come up based on the "amount" of zipcodes I"m entering into each zone,which is basically all the zipcodes in each particular state (I'm using 1 zone per state...so I have 48 zones)

So what I'd like to know... is there a limit of the number of characters I can enter into the area where I enter the zip codes?? Is there a way that I can change that in the php code to accomodate all the zipcodes that exist in say California and Texas?? Even just Washington state, it doesn't seem to want to work right when I enter in *all* of the zip codes from that state...but it works just fine when I enter in a partial list of zip codes from that state.

Any help is most appreciated!!

As I mentioned in my post above, I took the original code base from Zones and modified it, so honestly I can't take credit for the original code. I don't know where the limitations are in the number of zones that can be created. According to the notes in the files, one should be able to add the number of zones needed.

have you tried using the regular Zones module and creating 48 zones or whatever you need. The system will recognize your state, you merely need to define it. Just a thought.

Sorry I'm not of more help. Maybe someone else who is a better coder than I could jump in and help.

[rwoody]

I wonder if i have to define a zip zone in
admin - locations taxes - Zone Definitions
or if it goes automaticaly when i add the zip in the admin - module - shiping.


Will the customer get a drop down meny at registration to choose the predefined zip, or does the customer type exactly the zip that is predefined ?

seems like this is a very nice module. :)

It's really pretty basic. It merely recognizes their zipcode from their shipping address. For my needs it was designed for a limited amount of zipcodes to offer free or reduced shipping near the actual store of my client. In the estimator, one would type in their zipcode to get the shipping costs for their area. It will defer to other available shipping methods if the zipcode is not predefined and I modified the language files to indicate free shipping was not available for their area if they were not in the predefined list.

[kina]

thanks for your fast response Ruth...unfortunately one of the zones has to be zipcode based cuz there is local delivery being offered to a limited number of zip codes in washington and oregon (brick and mortar business originates in Portland OR and they do local deliveries to PDX metro and parts of Vancouver WA), so I'm concerned that if I do a combination of zipcode shipping and state shipping that it will get confused.

Now that I'm thinking about it...if I installed both the zipship module and the regular zones module will zencart get confused?, or will it recognize the zipcode module and override the regular zones module if the delivery zipcode is in the local delivery area, but still says "OR" state in their delivery address?? Do you know? Has anyone tried this combination of shipping before?

Thanks to all! Once I figure out a way for this type of shipping to work, I will repost here in case anyone else has the same type of shipping they are setting up.

Basically one of the zones has to be zipcode based because of local delivery to a limited number of zipcodes in 2 different states (WA and OR) and the rest of the united states is being delivered from a different company.