Help with setting shipping rates that are state specific. not zipcode.

I am on zencart 1.5.0 in the shipping module zone rates. In my e-book guide, and on the shipping module, it has included in zone 1 countries these attributes--- US,CA. my question is, I want all 50 states to have shipping charges based on the state, so for example, all of CA would get charged a flat rate of shipping for any zipcode within CA, all of IL would get a specific rate for the entire state, no matter where the zipcode in the state.
I want to do this because it will make it easier for what Im trying to accomplish for shipping. In the zone 1 countries, should I continue to do the state abbreviations? like US,CA,IL,FL,MI? or do I need to do it like US,CA US,IL, US,FL ect or do I do for zone 1 countries US,ca then go onto zone 2 countries US, FL? do I need 50 countries zones set up?. Im not sure exactly how to do the abbreviation so I can set the zone 1 shipping table. Ive looked everywhere for an answer to this before I posted this thread.

Much Karma to anyone who has an answer to this.

If you want ALL of the US for teh 50 States, DC and ALL Territories as well, you can use Zone Rate zones with US set as the Zone ...

If you only want the 50 States plus DC or the 48 States plus DC and not the Territories, then you are better off with the add on for Zone Table that allows you to make Zone Definitions for your shipping Zones and you can be more specific on Country/State (Country/Zone) ...

Peek in the add on Plugins at the shipping addon:
http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=478

Create all of your Zone Definitions first, a peek in the FAQs with a search on:
zone

will help you with:
http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?308-prepared-zone-definitions

this is all so confusing. zencart 1.5.0 has a table rate and a zone rate module for shipping. is this zone-table rate module link you posted something different( i see its for version 1.3.7)? I just want to assign each state a seperate shipping charge, I do not want to deal with millions of zipcodes or more plugins and database changes, curle this contact these people that. I just want to be able to set one shipping rate for each state. is this something I can already do on 1.5.0?

While that Add on is from v1.3.7, it still works fine in Zen Cart v1.5 ...

If you make Zone Definitions for what ever Zones you are trying to use for shipping that have different shipping rates, you can then install the Zone Table Rate zonetable and it will allow you to set rates for each Zone Definition that you create ...

I think I found out what to do. If you go to location/taxes then zones. it will list every state in the USA and the code for it. It allready has all 50 states in there, so my next question is, via the zone rates module, the box where you enter zone 1 countries, how do I list all 50 states? it allready has US,CA. does that stand for UNITED STATES, CALIFORNIA? do I continue to list the state abbreviations after CA like this US,CA,IL,FL or do I have to go US,CA,US,IL,US,FL ect. im not sure how to list them....

im basicaly stuck at the shiping module ZONE RATES section in vbulletin v 1.5.0 looking at the zone 1 countries box. I have no clue what to put in there so I can accomplish setting 50 different shipping prices for 50 different states. I want florida to have a flat shipping rate of $9, I want California to have a flat shiping rate of $11, I want Illinois to have a flat shipping rate of $10 ect. Im stuck not knowing how to achieve this. I have the zen cart e-book that is advertised on here and Its not helpful at all when it comes to how to list specific states and a single flat shipping charge for the entire state. It only explains how to add countries and a shiping rate for the country in my e-book and every other resource I have came across online. I beleive 1.5.0 allready has this zone table installed, via its what Im stuck on. can't I use the zone codes for the 50 states that are already in the zones listing in zencart 1.5.0 and implement them into the zone rates module?

ok, I see, the plugin you were talking about lets you set the shipping rates for each zone. the one that comes with zencart 1.5.0 only has 3 zones available for its module right? so basically I would need to go to zone definitions and insert 50 new zones names, and put 1 state in each zone name? or do I create 1 zone name with 50 states under that single zone name? just want to make sure before I install the plugin.

The Zone Rate module is for Countries ONLY ...

If you want Zones based on States, you need the add on module for the Zone Table rates that I posted earlier so that you can build specific Zones that have the States that you want for the Zones for each shipping rate(s) that you want to set up ...

o ok, thanks. so basically I would need to go to zone definitions and insert 50 new zones names, and put 1 state in each zone name? or do I create 1 zone name with 50 states under that single zone name? just want to make sure before I install the plugin. I know I must do the zone defenitions right before I isntall the plugin, so I want to do it right the first time.

You build your Zone Definition(s) first ...

You can look at the FAQ on Zones that I posted and that may help you in making the Zone Definition(s) that you need such as 48 States plus DC just needs Alaska and Hawaii added to it to be 50 States plus DC ...

NOTE: if you forget a Zone Defintion, you can save your settings to NotePad and do a REMOVE and make your missing Zone Definition(s) and then do an INSTALL and configure based on what you saved in NotePad to save time ...

thanks for all your response and being patient with me. However, that FAQ says "Zone Definitions can be created by adding 1 by 1 each Zone or SQL" then proceeds to explain how to add just the 2 extra states to make it all 50 states, then goes into sql stuff. Im still wondering how I go about properly creating the zone definitions with the first option being edit the zone name and give it a description which creates a folder. you can then click into that folder and insert a "new sub zone" which lets you select the country, which in my case is the usa, then the zone, which I have the option of selecting a state withing the usa. now, heres were im stuck, It lets you insert as many zones as you want into the folder. so if I want a separate flat shipping rate for each state, should I create 50 folders, giving each folder a state name, then inserting that state into it, or should i create one folder, and then INSERT all 50 state zones into it, which would be 50 zones in one folder....

If you want a separate shipping cost for each of the 50 states, then you would create a Zone Definition for each State and add 1 State to each definition ...

If you want ALL of the States to have the same rate, then you can create 1 Zone Definition and add all 50 States to it ...

If you are trying to do 1 shipping cost per each of the 50 states, you could clone Flat Rate 50 times ... :shocking: ... or, get the Zone Table add on from the plugins and build your 50 Zone Definitions ...

alright sweet. when you say you can get the zone table add-on and build your 50 zone definitions, do you mean I can get the add on, install it and then create the 50 zone definitions? I thought I had to create the zone definitions before I install the add-on?

You need to get the Zone Table shipping add on plugin ...

1 Create your 50 Zone Definitions that you need different shipping cost for

2 Install the Zone Table shipping modules that your got from our Free Addon Pugins

3 Configure the 50 Zones that you need for the 50 separate shipping costs

out of curiosity, what happens if I do not add all of the zone defenitions before I install the add on? I was thinking, what happens if I want to create more zone definitions later on for other countries after I install this add on?

If you want to add more later ... you save the current settings to NotePad and make your new Zone Definitions and do a REMOVE, INSTALL and re-configure ...

Thank you, sounds good.

one last question. when you go to zones, it list the country and then the zone. district of columbia is listed on zones under the country United States and it has a zone code for it, however, you are able to select district of columbia as a country and select "all zones" when adding them to a definition folder. so, do I create a zone defintion with the in the country United States, and then district of columbia as a zone, or not create a zone code defenition folder and do not add them as a insert and just use there zone code on the add on im about to install, that zen cart already has for them. im not sure if this will cause problems with shipping or paypal later on and kinda confused why zones has them under the Country United States with a zone code for it but they are also selctable as a country with "all zones" as a zone for them in shipping zone and table options.

When Creating/Editing Zone Definitions you have:
Country:
Zone:

If you pick the Country: United States ...

You will see Zones for each State, DC or Territory ...

All Zones means Everything for the United States without a choice of 50 States, or DC or Territories ...

I know that when selecting the united states I can select "all zones" however,territory of the usa for example is district of Columbia, Marshall islands ect. when you go to add a zone to a country, which since I want to assign a separate shipping charge to each state I am selecting the usa and then selecting the state. I have now decided I would like to do the same for territories of the USA also. Since I have the option of selecting the the district of columbia as its own country and then inserting "all zones", or selecting the United states of america as the country and assigning the district of columbia as a zone as one of the USA's territories, im confused as to what to do. If I assign a zone defenition and select district of columbia as the coutnry and insert "all zones" under it, will this mean all zones will ahve the flate rate shipping charge I can assign after installing the zen cart add on you suggested? it seems like both ways would do the same thing, but I just wanted to be sure.