USPS Web Tools API goes SSL

[DrByte]

The Online Rate Quoting API for USPS is not affected by the SSL changes USPS is making to several of their web tools.

This is just a re-post to help answer questions which may arise related to the emails that USPS is sending out as reminders.

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...stpost&t=34261

There NO CHANGES REQUIRED for operation of the USPS rate-quote functions used by Zen Cart.

From USPS, April 30, 2006:

Dear Sir,

Thank you for contacting Internet Customer Care. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. The affected APIs do not include Rate Calculations.

The Rate Calculation portion of your programming may stay at http:// mode.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us again.

Thank you,

USPS Internet Customer Care Center
icustomercare AT usps DOT com

[bpeddicord]

If Zencart is supposed to already handle this then how come the old code is still in the usps.php file?

switch (MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_SERVER) {
case 'production':
$usps_server = 'production.shippingapis.com';
$api_dll = 'shippingapi.dll';
break;
case 'test':
default:
$usps_server = 'testing.shippingapis.com';
$api_dll = 'ShippingAPITest.dll';
break;
}

Bob

[Merlinpa1969]

Please read the responce from USPS,
the rate calculator is OK doesnt require SSL

[Lorissia]

I just got this letter from USPS. It looks like they are changing servers too. Any help on this?
Dear USPS Web Tools Customer,



Subject: FOURTH NOTICE - Important – Action Required! Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Implemented for Web Tool APIs



This is the fourth notice sent regarding the SSL Implementation for Web Tools APIs. If you wish to continue using the APIs listed below, you must alter your code by January 31, 2007. You will be required to communicate via https://, instead of http://, for a total of 46 USPS Web Tools APIs. This change will also require you to change the Web Tools server called from production.shippingapis.com to secure.shippingapis.com.



After January 31, 2007, the http:// instances of impacted APIs shall no longer be accessible.

In summary, the implementation of SSL in Web Tools will require you to alter your code for aforementioned APIs to call URL:



- https://secure.shippingapis.com, instead of http://production.shippingapis.com

[iGabe]

I just got this letter from USPS. It looks like they are changing servers too. Any help on this?

I second this question.

Just received the exact same email "FOURTH NOTICE - Important – Action Required! Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Implemented for Web Tool APIs"

Please advise :-)

Gabreil

[dualtech]

I'm pretty confident that Dr Byte is correct in his statement. The rate calculation APIs are:

RateRequest
IntlRateRequest

They are not listed in the USPS notice email. Additionally, the email mentions:

Technical user guides available via: http://www.usps.com/webtools/technical.htm have been updated and denote proper URL prefixes.

If you read through the rate request documentation, you'll see that the server has not changed.

And one more point, I just signed up a new customer for API access, and the email still shows production.shippingapis.com as the proper server:

Thank you for contacting us. Your profile has been updated to allow you access to the Production Server.

1. The Production Server URL is: production.shippingapis.com.
2. There is a line of code that refers to "shippingapitest.dll". You'll need to remove the word "test".

Best regards,

[cslhypnotech]

I just got this letter from USPS. It looks like they are changing servers too. Any help on this?

...

In summary, the implementation of SSL in Web Tools will require you to alter your code for aforementioned APIs to call URL:

Since none of the API's ZC uses for rate quoting are affected, I would assume you wouldn't need to change servers?

[DrByte]

I have spoken with USPS customer service again to confirm.

The RateRequest and IntlRateRequest API's are NOT moving servers.

THERE IS NO NEED TO CHANGE ANY CODE FOR THIS.

[tcustomgolf]

Funny how everyone got a "Fourth" notice on this...I don't remember getting the first three...does anyone else? Even the USPS logo looked a little suspect in the email....possibly spam??