USPS: Different options for Priority vs. First Class mail?

Running 1.38a+security+fec+USPS-may-2008.

My store will ship exclusively USPS, either Priority or First Class. If an order ships Priority, I use the USPS packaging which costs me nothing. If I ship First Class, I use my own packaging which has additional weight (and cost to me).

Up to 4 of my products will fit into either the Priority Mail envelope or my packaging.

So, essentially, I want to be able to:

1. Get the USPS estimate for Priority Mail to be based on the number of items shipped, e.g. 4 items = $4.95, 5 items = $9.90.
2. Identify the extra weight associated with my packaging for the USPS First Class estimate, including the packaging count calculations.

Can anyone give me a pointer as to where to start in the coding process?

Pretty please. If someone could give me some basic pointers, I'd really appreciate it.

1. Get the USPS estimate for Priority Mail to be based on the number of items shipped, e.g. 4 items = $4.95, 5 items = $9.90.

Are you referring to you want to use the concept of "If it fits it ships" and for your products quantity 4 fits in each box ... :unsure:

Yes, that's it. Up to 4 of my products will fit in a USPS flat rate envelope (or my packaging). I found your previous post about where to edit usps.php for adding the handling cost per package; is that the same place that I'd fuss with number of items per box?

Thanks for your help ...

Actually, what I am getting at is you are not really using USPS for shipping by weight on the 4 items per package as you are using the "If it fits it ships" concept ...

So you could write your own shipping module and call it:
USPS Priority Mail

in the language file and calculate the cost based on:
number items/4 x 4.95

Using something like ceiling or the function zen_round to obtain the number of boxes you really need ...

For your shipping you need to know that each time you hit 4 or more, meaning 1-4 is 1 box and 5 - 8 is 2 boxes and 9 - 12 is 3 boxes and 13 - 16 is 4 boxes and so forth, you want to charge 4.95 for shipping ...

Then your First Class can use the USPS shipping module, as is, and it will turn off the First Class when the order weighs too much ...

Cool idea! That's thinking outside the box ...:smile:

I really appreciate your help.

Thanks for letting us know that this can work for you on the USPS shipping for If it Fits it Ships idea where your packaging allows 4 items per package ... :smile:

lat9, did you implement this? If so would you share your code?