Shipping Rates & Zones

Shipping Rates & Zones

Channergy includes its own shipping tables for automatically calculating flat rates, charges based on volume and a customizable Rate and Zone chart. It also supports UPS Worldship through an ODBC interface. This tutorial explains how you can enter your own Rate and Zone charts so shipping charges will be calculated automatically for your orders.

Entering Rates and Zones

Channergy can calculate UPS, FedEx and other rates from your area. You will need your Zone chart from each shipper’s web site before entering data. Channergy uses the shipping address Zip code during order entry to determine the recipient’s zone, then looks up the rate and enters shipping charges for the order.

To set up Rates and Zones:

1. First you will need to enter weights for each of your products. Open Channergy and click the Tables tab on the Company Database.
2. Click the Product table then click the Open button. This opens the Product screen to your first item.
3. Enter a Weight for the item. Weights are entered as decimals (e.g, 1lb 20z = 1.125). You can click the Calculator icon to convert pounds and ounces to a decimal. Click the calculator icon to convert to decima.
4. Go to the next product using the Navigation buttons  .
5. After you have entered weights you can set up your shipping charges. Return to the Main Menu.
6. Click the Setup tab, then select Shipping Companies and click the Open button. The Shipping Company table will open.
7. Your table will be blank when you first open it. You can enter shipping methods by simply typing a Shipper and Description for each line (use the Tab or down arrow key to add a new line).
8. After entering your shipping methods click the Charges… field for the item you want to edit. In this example we will edit UPS Ground.
9. On the dialog that opens click the By Zone tab.
10. Two grids are available for entry. You will need your Zone and Rate charts from your shipper (the Zone chart is based on your Zip code). U.S. UPS charts are available online at: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/time/zones/current/import_us.html. U.S. FedEx charts are available at: http://www.fedex.com. You can search shipper’s sites for additional charts.
11. Begin by entering the Zone information in the upper grid. Select a Country from the pulldown in the first field. The country name you select will be replaced by its number and will be entered automatically on subsequent lines.
12. Next, enter a From Zip code or its prefix. For example, 32211 or 322.
13. In the next column enter a To Zip code or its prefix. IMPORTANT: Even if the entry is identical to the From Zip be sure to enter it (e.g., From Zip = 322 and To Zip = 322).
14. Enter the Zone number from your chart. This is based on the distance from your shipping Zip code to the recipients Zip code as entered in the From Zip and To Zip fields.
15. Double-click the Unavailable checkbox if you do not ship to the Zip code in that line. If checked the Order screen will display the following message when attempting to select that shipping method. In most cases you will leave this blank.
16. Press the Tab or down arrow key to continue to the next line until you have entered all Zones.
17. Next enter your Rates. These are based on the Zones you entered above. In the first field enter the first Zone number from your chart.
18. In the next two fields enter the beginning (From Weight) and ending weight (To Weight) from your chart. Note: Most shippers use whole pounds only. The upper limit or To Weight will take precedence over the From Weight of the next line. For example if you enter 0 to 1 in the first line and 1 to 2 in the second line, the amount in the first line will be charged for items weighing exactly 1 pound. Therefore, you may enter weights as:
    • 1 to 2
    • 2 to 3
    • 3 to 4 etc.
19. In the Cost field enter the amount from your Rate chart. This is the actual cost to you to ship.
20. In the Charge field enter the amount you wish to charge your customer. This can be the actual cost amount as entered previously or any amount you wish. Note: You must enter a Charge amount even if it is the same as the Cost amount.
21. Enter additional lines by pressing the Tab or down arrow key to move to a new line. When you are done click the OK button to save your changes and exit the dialog.Note: Changes are saved for each line as you enter them so you do not need to save periodically. Also, you can use the navigator buttons above each grid to move between lines and to delete (use “-” to delete) lines. To change the value of a field, double-click it.
22. Repeat the above steps for each shipper and ship method you wish to set up. When you take an order you can select a method and the shipping charge will be automatically entered for you.

The Channergy help file contains instructions for adding additional charges including: Flat Charges, Charges by Order Total and by Weight. Flat charges can be used in conjunction with the Zone calculations (e.g., a Minimum Charge per order which will supercede a lower calculated amount). Open Shipping Companies from the Company Database and press the F1 key for help on shipping charges.

Note: See the Tip above regarding the available number of fields for Order Total and/or Weight charges. You can set this in Preferences by selecting from the text menu Tools>;Preferences>;Orders and selecting from the Shipping Charges Ranges pulldown.