Stamps.com integration - Couple small bugs need addressing

Setup is pretty simple.

• Download the Stamps.com eccomerce zipfiles

• Unzip

• Edit one file by changing the admin folder name and replace the "Token". Instructions are included on how to generate the 31 digit Token (password)

• FTP the fileset to the root folder. Actually there are only 4 files related to zencart, so you do not have to ftp the entire fileset.

• DONE. There is NO button for to be clicked within zencart.
  Everything else is from within the Stamps.com desktop application.
  There is a "Batch" tab under the "Print Postage" section.

• Setup involves creating a zencart profile within Batch and entering the website URL and "Token".

• I select a couple of radio settings to "HIDE POSTAGE VALUE" from the label so the customer doesn't see the actual price that I paid for postage. "Send Email notification" so the customer receives a notice with tracking number (if applicable)

• Change "Max hours of data to download" with each refresh cycle to 24. Otherwise, Stamps.com will check for new orders 1 day into the future and 4 days into the past on every refresh cycle.
  You're done. Everything from this point on is a Stamps.com function.

• Launch Stamps.com & login.

• Click "Batch"

• Click "Refresh"

• All zencart orders with a status of "Processing" will be imported. Address info, postage class info, total order weight, basic order details, etc.

• Verify the postage options for the individual orders. After a while, you'll know if they need editing.

• Select the orders to have postage printed.

• Load the printer with labels.

• Select the label type within Stamps.com

• Click Print.
  One thing that happens is Stamps.com updates the files VERY often. Most times, there are zero changes to the zencart files. If something stops working, the first thing that they require you to do is update the fileset even if there were no changes to the zencart files. Actually, Stamps.com doesn't write the software. They just use the same software ShipRush develops and contracts to Stamps.com, Endicia and others.

Hmm... that makes it hard for me to test, since I don't have a stamps.com account to test with (this is for the site I'm building for my dad's business--he's the one with the stamps.com account and he lives a thousand miles away from me.) Is there a way to test it without actually printing (and paying for) real postage? I mean I assume I could download the stamps.com software and get his login information... but I don't want to waste money doing it.

You could download the desktop app and use his account name/password. You will see enough functionality without actually printing postage. You can always print "test" labels using downloaded customer data without the postage. If you accidentally print a label, there is a "refund" button which will cancel the label. Remember, Stamps.com will not allow multiple logins simultaneously without additional fee, so don't try to test while your Dad is using the service.

You can download the software and sign up for the free 4 week trial as long as you remember to cancel.

Something to remember. "Refresh" in Stamps.com terminology means refresh the screen using that last download. It does not mean "talk to my server - right now and download all orders since the last download"

Ok so my dad gave me his username and password and I logged in, but I can't see where to download any desktop application: http://www.stamps.com/sitemap/
Also, when I click on the integration with Zen Cart link, the only things I can click on to "get started" take me to a page to create a new Stamps.com account. I don't want a new Stamps.com account, I'm #$& LOGGED IN ALREADY with an EXISTING ACCOUNT! Can someone help me out of this frustration?

http://www.stamps.com/download/

Thanks... now what about getting the integration files? It wants me to create an account, even though I'm already signed in... I don't get it. Does someone have a direct link to that download?

my.shiprush.com/assets/Stamps_ShoppingCart_Integration_Kit__See_README_file.zip

You should be launching the desktop application and not have anything to do with Stamps.com website or weblogin.

You should be following the install/setup instructions in the batch tab once you have the desktop software running.

There are instructions for configuring the zencart files in the download README which will point you to instructions in the zsetting.php file.

Aha! Thank you. I figured it out from the instructions and set it up under batch in Stamps.com's software... kind of have to wait and see what happens now, though. I have one order (from me) in "Processing" status right now, so I'm eager to see if it shows up over in Stamps.com or not. Do I need to do anything else once the configured files are in place and the site is verified with it's token and set up as a batch thingiemadoodle and all that?

Nope. That's it.

Any customizing is within Stamps.com and a Stamps.com issue, not zencart.

• I like to turn off the postage value so that customers do not see what I actually paid for postage.
• I like to turn On the shipping confirmation email and customize the message by removing as much of the Stamps.com infomercial that I can.
• You might consider turning OFF the Order details being included with the confirmation email. If you use attributes, the order details will not always be correct which will lead to grumpy customers thinking that you shipped the wrong thing.

So... the Stamps.com integration doesn't use my shipping module prices? That makes it 100% useless... what am I missing? I had to have the CEON guy at Advanced Shipper specially hack his own module to get our custom shipping to work right--there is no way that Stamps.com's internal calculations are going to get it.

I'm not sure what you expected. Stamps.com prints postage based upon what the USPostal Service charges them for the weight and class postage that you are printing. Pretty much exactly what the USPS addon calculates.

Why would you want to pay more for postage than actual? or why would you expect to pay less for postage than the post office charges?

Generally speaking, the shipping price calculated within zencart for USPS shipping is slightly higher than the USPS rates so we actually make a few pennies off of the calculated shipping.

WebKat:

So... the Stamps.com integration doesn't use my shipping module prices? That makes it 100% useless... what am I missing? I had to have the CEON guy at Advanced Shipper specially hack his own module to get our custom shipping to work right--there is no way that Stamps.com's internal calculations are going to get it.

This is true for any third party shipping program They charge you based on weight, volume and destination. That information is transferred from Zencart over to the shipping program, such as Stamps.com. What you actually charge the customer is your business and doesn't factor in what Stamps.com will charge you.

With CEON Advanced Shipper, you can configure the settings to charge shipping by item, weight or sales figure. You can also include a surcharge as a handling fee if your product is especially difficult to package. So what you charge your customers is their cost of doing business with you. All Stamps.com is concerned about is the weight, volume and destination of the package. This is the fee they assess for you to do business with them.

My dad ships flat rate depending on what the item is, and whether or not it's the only item in the shipment. So for example Widget A costs $6 to ship, but if you have Widget B and Widget A, Widget A only adds $1 to the shipping. There are basically like 8 tiers, and there is a $5 difference between whether or not it's the only item in the order (so basically there is a $5 handling charge per order). Anyway he uses flat rate boxes to ship and this is the method he uses to get the right amount for the size box or whatever he's shipping in. I don't have weights for any of his products that he manufactures, as we never needed them since he doesn't ship based on weight. Shipping based on price would not work either, as some of the larger, bulkier, heavier things are cheaper than the smaller, more refined things.

Your description has nothing to do with how Stamps.com prints the postage. Zencart calculates the shipping charged to the customer, not Stamps.com.

Stamps.com is used to print the postage label based upon the package class and could care less how much you charged the customer. How does your Dad pay the post office for the packages being shipped? When you import the orders into batch, you select the shipping class for each order and are billed accordingly. If you print the shipping label for a small flatrate box, then you are charged $5.15. You may have charged the customer 9.64 for shipping if you've added a handling fee per order.

It sounds like you've confused shipping method setup with exporting shipping information to Stamps.com.

Eh, I just have never used it, so I didn't know. I have tried it out now and see how it works.
I have a question, though. I tried to follow the directions for how to add other order statuses--specifically "Google Processing [101]" as an order status to import. My efforts broke it, so I reverted to the original code... can someone help me with this? I think part of the problem is that Google Processing is two words... I know to use 101 instead of 1, 2, 3, 4 like the default order statuses--at least I think I know that--I could be totally wrong... I edited it in the Settings file and in the ZenCart file, and it threw errors when I tried importing orders.

Can someone pretty please walk me through adding the Google Processing [101] order status? When I tried it borked it up.

Sorry that I can't help with changing the files but I can tell you that Stamps.com publishes changes to the fileset on a very frequent basis and you'll be merging those edits every time you update the files. Most of the time, the changes are related to other shopping carts.

Technically, editing the Stamps.com files violate the ToS; though the likelihood that you get caught is minimal.

Not being familiar with GoogleCheckout, it there a reason that the stock zencart order status can't be used? It might be easier to convert the Google Checkout status' into the stock zencart order status' so that the Stamps.com files will function as designed.

You might check with ShipStation to see if their app will work with your different order status codes

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&cPath=40_51&products_id=2007

Shipstation looks awesome... unfortunately it starts at $25/month and since I'm just launching my business... I don't even know if I'll MAKE that much a month at first. My dad is willing to let me share his Stamps.com account (hey, it's in the same family!), so I am going that route at least for now.

The Google Checkout module doesn't let you set the order status at all... it creates several new order statuses and uses those:

Google New
Google Processing
Google Digital Proccessed
Google Shipped
Google Refunded
Google Shipped and Refunded
Google Canceled

As far as editing the Stamps.com files, they tell you right in the file where to edit it to add order statuses. I tried it following their instructions but failed. I patterned my addition on what was there... but I think the space in "Google Processed" is throwing it off. Maybe. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Here is what I did:

Default code in ShippingZSettings.php:

# To retrieve statuses in addition to those here, see the section below "Adding New Order Statuses"
#

define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_1_PENDING",0);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_2_PROCESSING",1);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_3_DELIVERED",0);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_4_UPDATE",0);

Instructions referred to above:

# Say you want the system to retrieve an order status in addition to what is already coded here.
# How?
# There are two areas to modify. This settings file, and the php file for your platform.
# Here is an example for OsCommerce (can be used for most other php based systems):

# Step 1: Add to this settings file (without the leading # comment symbol):

# define("OSCOMMERCE_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_4_PAID",1);

# Step 2: Modify ShippingZOscommerce.php
# Add to this section:

# //Prepare order status string based on settings
# if(OSCOMMERCE_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_4_PAID==1)   // if set to 1 in Settings
# {
#  if($order_status_filter=="")
#  {
#  $order_status_filter.="orders_status=ZZZ";
#  }
#  else
#  {
#  // The ZZZ is the actual value in the database as the order_status for Paid
#  // For the status you want to retrieve, look in the database to find the real value
#  // and use it in this code
#  $order_status_filter.=" OR orders_status=ZZZ";  
#

My edits to ShippingZSettings.php (I did as instructed above and looked in the database--the 'Google Processed' order_status is "101" whereas, for example, 'Processing' is "2":

define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_1_PENDING",0);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_2_PROCESSING",1);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_3_DELIVERED",0);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_4_UPDATE",0);
define("ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_101_GOOGLE_PROCESSED",1);

My edit/addition to ShippingZZencart.php:

if(ZENCART_RETRIEVE_ORDER_STATUS_101_GOOGLE_PROCESSED==1)
{
	if($order_status_filter=="")
	{		
		$order_status_filter.=" orders_status=101 ";
	}
	else
				
	{					
		$order_status_filter.=" OR orders_status=101 ";
	}
}

Now what I'm not clear about, is that they only tell you to use that database number for the second $order_status_filter line... the first one, where it says ZZZ, are you supposed to put something else? The pattern for all the others is to have the same number in both places, so that is what I did...

In addition to adding those order status to the Stamp.com file, did you also make changes to the zencart order status table so that those status exist there?

Sorry but anything more than mentioning that is above my paygrade.

Those statuses were added to the order status table by the Google Checkout Module.