Canada Post EST

[smokinjo]

I am looking at the the Canada Post EST plug in.

https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=833

According to the description, it allows export of the needed information for Canada Post EST to create a label.

The desktop version is only for companies with large volume of shipments.

Is the information compatible with the online version of Canada Post online? This is for lower volume clients like myself.

Thanks for any feedback.

Joseph

[DrByte]

The more important question is: does the Canada Post online website allow you to import order details for preparing labels?
From what I can tell from their site, the answer is no.
Doesn't look like their promised new "Shipping Manager" tool (also only for high volume shippers) offers it either.

[smokinjo]

What I am starting to gather is that I:
1 - need to install the Canada Post EST software - I did install it, and i found a place to upload addresses and shipments. Which one??)
2 - according to their API section, it says:

Here's how it works

Sign up, it’s free.
Get your API keys (displayed on the main Developer Program page). We’ll provide code samples in any programming language: Java, PHP and C# and servers using XML over REST or SOAP 1.1 protocol.
Integrate our services immediately.
Test your application and go live.

Does this mean that this will link the two together? It seems too easy. How do we tell Zen Cart when and how to use the API?

Thanks

Joseph

[smokinjo]

I was provided with a more detailed page:

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/bus...es/default.jsf

Much more involved that I knew.

[DrByte]

It looks like the EST plugin will allow you to export order details to a text file (.CSV file).
You can then use the Desktop EST application to import those files and use them to prepare your shipping orders with CP.
You'll still need to manually choose how many boxes and what dimensions, etc. But it would save you re-typing the customer address.