different shipping options to different states

hello n thanks, I was wondering this, I need to offer different shipping types to different states, for example, someone in Texas can only choose overnight delivery as someone in Michigan can choose priority or overnight as an option. I make chocolates and it is important that certain states can only choose certain methods of shipping b/c the chocolate will melt in the hotter states if they choose too long of a shipping method.

any ideas where i need to start?

thanks a lot, i am not a programmer so be easy please.

version: Zen Cart v1.3.8a/v1.3.8
no upgrades
no add on's installed
using usps mail but don't mind using other option

In your ZONE DEFINITIONS you specify certain states for certain zones.

So, you first create your ZONE DEFINITIONS...

You do this by first working out how many ZONES you will need - let's say there will be FOUR groups (you may have more, but my example will be for FOUR zones).

I call them:

Zone_One
Zone_Two
Zone_Three
Zone_Four

You create these zones in admin >>> locations / taxes >>> zone definitions.

Use the INSERT button to create each new zone.

When you have your zones, "activate" the menu options by clicking on the zone, so you get the menu-box on the right that has a number of buttons, including one called DETAILS.

Click the DETAILS button for each of your zones, and select the COUNTRY (in your case USA) and then (one-by-one) add the STATES that will be applicable for each of your zones.

SO... let's say you click the DETAILS button for Zone_One...

You will click COUNTRY = USA, and then add the first state... let's say - New York.

Repeat this process for all Zone_One states.

Then do the same for Zone_Two, Zone_Three and Zone_Four.

(If you need to specify Tax setting for different states, you may want to consider adding the tax rates too - but these will also need prior configuration before they can be added... It will be necessary then to group states together that share the same tax rates.)

Anyway.... when you have allocated all the states to:

Zone_One, Zone_Two, Zone_Three, and Zone_Four

You will then specify the shipping methods/modules that can be allowed for each of these zones.

This is done by using the dropdowns for ZONE in the shipping modules.

Great, that works perfect, only thing is now, lets say with usps shipping, there is only 1 zone to choose, so i choose zone 1 for that, in the drop down thing, and then below i was able to pick
EXPRESS
PRIORITY
FIRST CLASS
PARCEL
for that zone, how do i now specify what i want for the zone 2 i created?

Am I doing something wrong here?

thanks so much again for your help!

If you are using the USPS module then there is no need to configure your own zones. Set that to "none".

If you are only selling to customers in the USA, then either remove all countries from the database (except USA), or in that USPS zone field, specify USA (after setting up a zone definition "USA" with ALL states (zones) selected.)

I think you need a USPS account to make that module function.

let me give that a try, thanks again!!!

I don't know the answer to this as I don't use that module, but I fear that what you are after may not be possible with the module - because I don't think there is a way to ZONALIZE it (if you get my drift).

You may have no choice but to manually get this effect. You may like to consider the ZONETABLES module which is a really nice combination of ZONES module and TABLE module. It negates the need to CLONE shipping modules in many cases.

If you use this mod (and I use it a lot), you MUST have all your zone definitions properly set up before you install it... After installation, if you ADD a new zone definition you will have to uninstall the mod, and then re-install it so it recognises the added zone definition.

... and this requires you to know that REMOVING a shipping mod will erase its configurations, so before you ever remove a shipping module, make a copy of all the rates settings you've previously entered!

I have to agree with you, i will install that mod, thanks so much again :D

i'll update as to what happened :smartalec:

I have followed fairestcape's instructions for setting up the zones (locations taxes/zone definitions) for 3 zones and clicked the detail tab to add the individual states to each zones and then setup the "modules, shipping, zones" to reflect the 3 zones and shipping rates for each zone.

When a customer places an order it just pulls the zone rate for one.

Any suggestions?