Key Concepts
This section provides a foundational overview of key concepts essential to the shipping management system within our portal. These concepts are fundamental building blocks, enabling businesses to manage and optimize their shipping processes effectively. By understanding these core elements, businesses can ensure accurate cost calculations, provide diverse shipping options, and enhance overall customer satisfaction through reliable and transparent delivery services.
Carriers are third-party companies responsible for physically transporting goods from the seller to the buyer. Managing carriers effectively is crucial for ensuring smooth and reliable order delivery within the shipping management system. Businesses have the ability to add, edit, and associate carriers with specific shipping methods and sites to optimize their shipping operations according to their requirements.
Each carrier is assigned a unique identifier within the system, known as the Carrier ID. This identifier plays a vital role in tracking and managing carriers effectively. It enables businesses to easily reference and monitor each carrier within the shipping management system, ensuring seamless logistics operations. In case the Carrier ID is not defined by the person setting up the carrier, the system will automatically assign this ID. This ID will be used in the carrier section when setting up a shipping method.
A descriptive name is assigned to each carrier to facilitate easy identification and selection within the system. Clear naming conventions ensure that businesses can quickly identify and choose the appropriate carrier for their shipping needs, enhancing operational efficiency and accuracy.
The Tracking URL provided by the carrier allows customers to track the status of their shipments in real-time. This feature enhances customer satisfaction by providing transparency and visibility into the order delivery process. Customers can monitor their packages from dispatch to delivery, thereby reducing uncertainties and improving overall shopping experiences.
Shipping methods define how orders are shipped and delivered to the customers. These configurations include various elements such as names, tax codes, and shipping calculators. These methods can be associated with specific retail sites/stores and incorporate various shipping calculators. Properly setting up shipping methods ensures that businesses can offer tailored shipping options that meet their specific needs and provide a seamless experience for customers. Some of the key terms associated with shipping management include:
Each shipping method must have a unique and descriptive name. This name helps in identifying and managing the method within the system, ensuring clarity and organization when multiple methods are in use.
The tax code associated with a shipping method specifies the tax percentage applied to the shipping cost. This is crucial for ensuring compliance with tax regulations and providing accurate cost calculations for customers, providing transparency and trust in the billing process. It helps in applying the correct tax rate to the shipping charges, which can vary based on regional tax laws.
The shipping calculator is a tool that calculates the shipping cost based on predefined criteria. They offer different methods of calculating shipping charges, each catering to specific business needs and customer preferences. Understanding how to configure and use these calculators can significantly enhance the shipping management process. Following are the different calculators that offer various configurations to meet the needs of the business:
Store Delivery: This option allows customers to pick up their orders from a physical store, eliminating shipping costs. It is ideal for businesses with physical locations and caters to local customers who prefer to collect their purchases in person. This method eliminates shipping costs and offers immediate availability of products.
FixedRate: This method applies a flat shipping rate to all orders, regardless of destination or the order size. It simplifies the pricing structure, making it easy for customers to understand and predict their shipping costs. Businesses can set a flat rate and an estimated delivery date, ensuring consistency and simplicity.
When FixedRate is selected as a Shipping Calculator, the Fixed Rate Calculator section is configured via the following set of attributes:
- Carrier Delivery Dates: Refer to the estimated number of days in which the carrier will deliver the order once it's dispatched. It informs customers when to expect their orders. Providing clear delivery timelines helps to set accurate expectations and improve customer satisfaction.
- Price: It is the cost of the shipping service, which can vary based on factors such as destination, distance, and package specifications. Transparent pricing allows customers to make informed decisions and ensures that shipping costs are calculated accurately.
ShipEngine: The ShipEngine calculator offers a seamless, out-of-the-box integration with ShipEngine enabling businesses to access real-time shipping rates from a wide range of third-party carriers. Through this integration,businesses can select their preferred carriers and shipping services, such as standard or express options based on their specific configuration within ShipEngine. This method ensures that customers receive accurate shipping costs at checkout, reflecting current market prices from selected carriers. It offers flexibility and precision, enhancing the customer experience by providing multiple shipping options.
The clients are required to complete the necessary setup within their own ShipEngine account, including enabling their preferred carriers and adding their billing information. This setup is essential to utilize the ShipEngine Calculator within the UpStart Commerce Portal effectively.
When ShipEngine is selected as a Shipping Calculator, the Carriers and Ship Engine Calculator sections need configurations.
In the Carriers section, Set carrier id is configured using the following:
- Carrier Identifier: The Carrier Identifier is an internal identifier used to select and integrate a preferred third-party carrier service. It allows you to choose carriers that have been predefined in the Carriers section of Shipping for use with the FixedRates calculator. This way, you can easily use their shipping rates and services for your deliveries.
- Service Code Selection: It enables the selection of specific services offered by the designated carrier. The option to choose multiple services empowers you to provide a variety of shipping options to your customers, including standard economy, express, or overnight delivery. This flexibility ensures that your shipping offerings can be tailored to accommodate diverse customer needs.
For instance, FedEx is chosen as the Carrier Identifier, the Carrier ID set during the carrier setup in the Shipping section will appear above the Carrier Identifier.
In the ShipEngine Calculator section, you can configure:
- Default Service Code: Specify this to automatically to select a carrier service if the customer does not specify a preference during checkout. This ensures a seamless ordering process for customers by providing a fallback option in case they do not choose a specific shipping method. It streamlines the checkout process and avoids potential delays in order fulfillment.
FixedRates: This method allows businesses to offer multiple carriers with different rates and services. Customers can choose from various shipping options based on their preferences and needs, making the shopping experience more customized and flexible. The FixedRates calculator supports detailed configurations to manage different carrier properties effectively.
When FixedRates is selected as a Shipping Calculator, the Carriers and Fixed Rates Calculator sections need configurations.
In the Carriers section, Set carrier id is configured by:
- Carrier Id: The Carrier Id is an identifier for the preferred third-party carrier service. It facilitates the integration of the chosen carrier that has already been defined in the Carriers section of the Shipping, into the FixedRates shipping calculator. This way, you can easily set fixed shipping rates for different service types offered by the same carrier for your deliveries.
- Carrier Properties: It encompasses detailed attributes associated with each carrier, ensuring comprehensive management within the shipping system. These attributes include Rate ID, Service Code, Carrier Code, Service Type, Delivery Dates, and Price. By configuring these properties, businesses can tailor shipping options to meet specific requirements and align with customer expectations effectively.
- Rate Id: A unique identifier for distinguishing between shipping rates across different services provided by a single carrier. It simplifies the process of managing and identifying the various rates available.
- Service Code: A code that helps identify different types of services provided by a carrier, like standard or express shipping. This allows businesses to distinguish between the service types offered to their customers.
- Carrier Code: The Carrier Code is the unique identifier used by the carrier or industry-standard shipping systems. It ensures that each carrier's services are clearly identified and managed when integrating with external shipping platforms or generating shipping labels.
- Service Type: Indicates the type of service offered by a carrier, such as standard, express, or overnight shipping. This classification helps businesses provide appropriate shipping options to customers.
- Delivery Dates: Refer to the number of days it will take for the order to be delivered after it's been sent out by the carrier. It informs customers when to expect their orders. Providing clear delivery timelines helps to set accurate expectations and improve customer satisfaction.
- Price: It is the cost of the shipping service, which can vary based on the type of service. Transparent pricing allows customers to make informed decisions and ensures that shipping costs are calculated accurately.
In the Fixed Rates Calculator section, you can configure:
- Default Service Code: Specifying the default service code automatically selects a carrier service if the customer does not specify a preference during checkout. This ensures a seamless ordering process for customers by providing a fallback option in case they do not choose a specific shipping method. It streamlines the checkout process and avoids potential delays in order fulfillment.
