Canada Post Updating

I have the CPC mod installed in V1.5 and when going to the shopping cart or when the cart is updating it takes a while for the shipping rates to be calculated, just wondering if it is possible to have a message displayed that it is updating or has somebody come up with something like that.
Thank you

I was wondering it if it's possible to include the Canada Post module into the distribution, as its install is quite difficult process.
Also, every time I tried using the module, I had to give up, as it was consistently overcharging the customers and I had to manually correct the invoices 100% of the time.
The module does not seem to recognize the situation where Small Packet rate should be used instead of Expedited parcel.

Or am I doing something wrong?

Hi
I have it installed and it's working perfect for me. When you say small packer rate are you reffering to a parcel to the USA ?

windsurfer:

Hi
I have it installed and it's working perfect for me. When you say small packer rate are you reffering to a parcel to the USA ?

It's worldwide, which includes USA.

Hi Tall man, I am testing my website and you could go to
http://dev.mysurplus.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45_28&products_id=20 and add the product to your cart go to checkout and select USA , texas 79705 and see what comes up.

windsurfer:

Hi Tall man, I am testing my website and you could go to
http://dev.mysurplus.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45_28&products_id=20 and add the product to your cart go to checkout and select USA , texas 79705 and see what comes up.

Shipping quotes are based on the address information you selected:
Texas 79705 United States
Available Shipping Methods Rates
Canada Post (Priority Worldwide USA) CAD $127.10
Canada Post (Xpresspost USA) CAD $39.84
Canada Post (Expedited US Business) CAD $25.69
Canada Post (Small Packets Air) CAD $17.67
Canada Post (Small Packets Surface) CAD $14.66
Free Shipping Options (Free Shipping if applicable to product) CAD $0.00
Store Pickup (Walk In) CAD $0.00

Do they look not right to you ?

windsurfer:

Do they look not right to you ?

No idea, tell me.

I do add a small amt for handling but the numbers are right on compared to going to CPC website and also their rate chart from the post office. I have tested this pretty thoroughly and even selecting different items various quantities to come up with a large amount of items and the calculations are right on, one major reason i am going with Zencart is that i can calculate Other lettermail which i haven't found on any other cart. I have 2 other websites and when somebody orders 2,3 or 4 items the shipping charges are way out of wack because the items are not combined into one. Zencart seems to do that rather nicely. You just have to pay close attention how you setup the CPC module and read through the post. Only thing i don't like too much is that when a customer selects to update the cart it might take a few seconds for the prices to be updated and it would be nice to have an icon or message that advises the customer that the page is updating.
Hope this helps.

windsurfer:

I do add a small amt for handling but the numbers are right on compared to going to CPC website and also their rate chart from the post office. I have tested this pretty thoroughly and even selecting different items various quantities to come up with a large amount of items and the calculations are right on, one major reason i am going with Zencart is that i can calculate Other lettermail which i haven't found on any other cart. I have 2 other websites and when somebody orders 2,3 or 4 items the shipping charges are way out of wack because the items are not combined into one. Zencart seems to do that rather nicely. You just have to pay close attention how you setup the CPC module and read through the post. Only thing i don't like too much is that when a customer selects to update the cart it might take a few seconds for the prices to be updated and it would be nice to have an icon or message that advises the customer that the page is updating.
Hope this helps.

Maybe it's just me or my products. I am scared of changing anything once the site is working, because the process of installing CP module is so complicated. Thus using Ship-in-a-click manually every time.

I can't figure how to specify that certain quantity of small items can fit in a box, and only beyond that quantity the box size will increase.

You don't specify a box size in Zencart, you do this at CPC

windsurfer:

You don't specify a box size in Zencart, you do this at CPC

Yeah, that's what I am referring to. I have box size in CP mod and that's it. How can I specify that small items first have to fill that box and only then box size would have to grow?

Now I am confused with setting up CP module: Sell Online supplied me with Customer number (000.....), account name and password.
The module setup wants Customer ID - what is that? And there is no field for a password...

I suggest you read the documentation that comes with the add on very carefully and all the answers especially for lettermail are in the support section for the add on

Sell Online is something different that the Canada Post Module for Zen Cart. You can use the former to make a little online shop on Canada Post server, or to generate shipping stamps and such but it does not integrate in any way with Zen Cart.

When setting up Zen Module you have to get a free account from Canada Post - that will give you an id name and password, both probably starting with CPC_

You then access that account from the Canada Post Module side bar in admin/configures/modules/shipping/CanadaPost

That is where you define which services you will use and define the box sizes you will use.

For each product, you have to give a length, width, height in your product description. In the Canada Post module you have to define boxes that will hold these items. AND you have to give the dimensions in the same sequence...ie don't use width, height, length, instead of length-width-height.

If you want to combine items for shipping you need to define additional boxes that will hold the multiples. And you need to keep the lengths, widths, and heights properly sorted - the module won't figure out how to turn one item sideways to fit in a box. You don't have to do this, but if you don't it will calculate shipping for three separate boxes for three items instead of one bigger box.

And likewise, you want a big enough selection of boxes in your defines that it doesn't put a 6" item in a 36" box.

I've been using CanadaPost module from zc 1.3.7 all the way up to my current 1.3.9h (I've been too chicken to upgrade to 1.5 yet - waiting from someone more knowledgeable than I to update the CP mod.)

There is a something that I can't figure: the 'handling cost'.
The cost of box and beans, as well as scotch tape and sticker has to be factored in and I've added it in my Sell Online account, but it's not getting added.
How can I make sure that ZC is using my account's settings when querying shipping cost from CP?

Or should I ditch handling cost at SO and use module's handling cost?

one tall man:

There is a something that I can't figure: the 'handling cost'.
The cost of box and beans, as well as scotch tape and sticker has to be factored in and I've added it in my Sell Online account, but it's not getting added.
How can I make sure that ZC is using my account's settings when querying shipping cost from CP?

Or should I ditch handling cost at SO and use module's handling cost?

Canada Post SELL ONLINE has nothing to do with Zen Cart and it doesn't interact with it in any way. It is not the same thing as the Canada Post shipping module for Zen Cart.

That contradicts the information in the module itself:

InstallCP.txt: > "Also you need SellOnline profile with Canada Post"

Module configuration:

Enter CanadaPost Server
Canada Post server.
(default: sellonline.canadapost.ca)

one tall man:

That contradicts the information in the module itself:

InstallCP.txt:

Module configuration:

Yes - I know it's confusing.

SellOnline is a broad group of services - you can use it sort of like Paypal services where you can add bits and pieces of services to an existing web site rather than setting up an ecom site like a zen cart. You can also use it to buy shipping supplies and such or even set up a SellOnline shop via their site. These things have nothing to do with zen cart.

However, the free account number you need to link the zen cart module is obtained via the same Canada Post web section. But you need to specifically tell them that you are linking the zen cart module, as opposed to availing of the other services.

I struggled with this back in zc 1.3.7 days!

There is a phone number in the install txt file in the mod. I found I got better sorted to phone than dig around their web site. They were very helpful.