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Integrating USPS online rates
Setting up your Ecommerce Plus template to automatically use USPS
shipping is pretty simple as the majority of the the integration
has been done for you.
Just follow the
steps below.
US and overseas shipping costs are automatically
calculated according to product weight and destination. To activate
USPS shipping method
you need to register for a username. The process is
quite simple and the registration form is available at https://secure.shippingapis.com/registration/
You will receive a long email from
USPS with information regarding testing the system before going
live on the production
server.
We have already done this step for you so that can be ignored.
All that is needed is to follow the instructions for going live
on
the
production
server.
You can then open your main admin settings of
the control panel and select USPS for your shipping choice
Next enter the username given to you by USPS
Now enter
your ZIP code.
Do be sure to use your 5 digit zip code, not the extended version.
This is used in determining shipping costs within the USA.
Finally click on the left hand menu link entitled
"Shipping Methods" and select "Edit
USPS Shipping Methods"
You should now see a list of domestic and international
USPS shipping methods
Select only those that you want to support on your
store. The customer will be able to choose the method that they
want to use on checkout, only applicable methods will be made available
to them. The "FSA" field is provided if you want to offer Free
Shipping, which needs to be set up in the discounts
admin page.
There's no more to it than that really, and as
all the integration has already been provided in the software
you should
be up and running with USPS.
All
that is left to do is to add the weight of each product as they
are added through the product admin section. The shipping
cost will
then be calculated on checkout depending on the origin, destination
and weight of the order.
USPS Order Tracking
It's possible for customers to track their orders from a page
on your site - if you don't have the tracking page, you can set
it up yourself...
ASP Version
Take a copy
of products.asp and
call
it tracking.asp
Then go to HTML view and change the line
<!--#include file="vsadmin/inc/incproducts.asp"-->
to
<!--#include file="vsadmin/inc/inctracking.asp"-->
PHP Version
Take a copy of products.php and call it tracking.php
Then go to HTML view and change the line
<?php include "vsadmin/inc/incproducts.php" ?>
to
<?php include "vsadmin/inc/inctracking.php" ?>
IMPORTANT NOTE: After you apply to the USPS,
you will receive an email from them with your username.
In this
email will be a couple of lines about how to switch your profile
to
allow
you access to the production server. Until you follow this
step you will receive an error in checkout about not being
authorized
on the server. Remember to mention to USPS that the set up is "pre-tested"
and you are using Ecommerce Templates.
USPS containers
If you need to specify container types for USPS
shipping then you'll need the following addition to the vsadmin/includes
file
ASP Version:
uspsprioritycontainer="flat rate
box"
available options for priorirty mail: flat rate envelope
/ flat rate box / lg flat rate box
uspsexpresscontainer="flat
rate envelope"
To make the system use whatever flat rate box fits
rather than having to specify container types explicitly, use the
following...(Version 5.8 minimum)
uspsprioritycontainer="auto"
uspsexpresscontainer="auto"
PHP Version
$uspsprioritycontainer="flat rate box";
available options for priorirty mail: flat rate envelope / flat rate box / lg
flat rate box
$uspsexpresscontainer="flat rate envelope";
To make the system use whatever flat rate box fits
rather than having to specify container types explicitly, use the
following...(Version 5.8 minimum)
$uspsprioritycontainer="auto";
$uspsexpresscontainer="auto";
Troubleshooting
If you receive the following error
"Invalid XML Element content is invalid
according to the DTD/Schema."
then make sure you have selected "Pack Products
Together" in your main admin settings. USPS has a hard limit of
25 package ratings per request so unfortunately anything over 8
items in the cart exceeds this limit if you are using "Pack
Products Separately".
If you get the following error:
Authorization failure. Perhaps username and/or password is incorrect.
Double check the username you have entered in the
main admin settings. Make sure you have received an email from
USPS, the content of which will be something like this:
Congratulations on completing your testing using
the U.S. Postal Service's Internet Shipping Application Program
Interfaces (APIs).
Your profile has been updated to allow you access to the Production
Server. |
