Items in the store are shipped USPS either First Class or Priority. Each items (tee shirts) weighs .75 pounds. As an example we sold one tee shirt shipped from zip code 77422 to zip code 77566. The store calculated the shipping to be $5.15. We took the package to the Post Office and the First Class shipping was $3.75. We do add $2.00 for handling, but that brought the actual shipping and handling charged on the site to $7.15. Why the discrepancy?

Order Total:
$20.00
Shipping:
$5.15
Handling:
$2.00

The weight of the packaging drove the cost up just a bit perhaps...
Are you comparing the final weight of the shipment to that .75 pounds that it would have been quoted at?

If this is the problem then perhaps you need this setting

quote:

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Set the initial box weight. (Minimum version 6.0.3)

If you want to set the initial weight of your shipping box / packaging, set the following

$initialpackweight=2.5; (where 2.5 pounds is the average weight of your packaging)

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I'm not sure I understand. First Class shipping is the same rate for up to 15.99 ounces. The packaged tee shirt weighs 12 ounces, so it should be calculated at the First Class rate of $3.75. In the product admin I set the weight of the tee shirt to .75 (which is approximately 12 ounces), so it should calculate the First Class shipping costs as $3.75 (and then add the $2.00 handling) - but it is setting the First Class rate to $5.15.

I went into the zones and set it to add "0" to any additional weights, but that did not change anything.

Here is the site: https://coledegges.com/products.php?cat=1 -- you can add a shirt to your shopping cart and then see the price in the shipping estimator on the cart page (remember there is an additional $2.00 handling charge).

First I would suggest removing the default zip code in your includes. On the cart page, it defaults to 77422 which I presume is your zip code. Also, check your includes file for something like $initialpackweight=2.5; as mentioned previously. You would want to remove that or make the weight maybe .25 (4 ounces) to account for box weight. If you have that already, that amount gets added to the product weight, so your 12 ounce shirt is now 16 ounces. And you may also want to set in your includes to display shipping and handling separately so the shipping does not look as high: $combineshippinghandling=FALSE; The shipping dollar amount I got made it seem like you were going to send it Priority Mail.

Marshall
CENLYT Productions - ms designs
Affordable Web Design
Custom Ecommerce Designs
Responsive Websites
Cenlyt.com

quote:

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First Class shipping is the same rate for up to 15.99 ounces

---

This is not correct at all.
The price rises with each ounce added.

What was the final weight of the shipment?

You are correct it does go up (not the same as for a first class letter, but there is an increase). A 12 ounce large envelope (bubble mailer which is what the tee shirts are being mailed in) is $3.75 - this is actual cost when the package was weight and stamped at the Post Office. The final weigh (as weighed at the Post Office) was 12 ounces. We set the weight in the product admin as 12 ounces. Even a 15 ounce First Class large envelope would only be an actual cost (at the Post Office) of $4.66 (not $5.15 as the store is calculating).

I've removed the default zip and checked the includes for "initialpackweight" and that does not appear in there at all.

My store calculates USPS 100% correct, so at this point, you need to check your includes carefully for any setting that may affect shipping.
one that comes to mind is $discountshippingusps=5;

I will add that my store has always been spot on for First Class which is why I am wondering if there is something in the includes that is causing the problem.

Marshall
CENLYT Productions - ms designs
Affordable Web Design
Custom Ecommerce Designs
Responsive Websites
Cenlyt.com

Here is the content of my includes.php:

$GLOBALS['usecsslayout']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['detailpagelayout']='navigation,productimage,productname,instock,description,price,currency,options,quantity,addtocart,socialmedia,previousnext,emailfriend';
$GLOBALS['socialmediabuttons']='facebook,twitter,google,pinterest';
$GLOBALS['adminencoding']='utf-8';
$GLOBALS['payproviderradios']=1;
$GLOBALS['showinstock']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['nomarkup']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['recentlyviewed']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['yousavetext']='<br /><br /><span class="yousave">You save %s</span>';
$GLOBALS['useemailfriend']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['useaskaquestion']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['inlinepopups']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['detailnameh1']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['enablecustomerratings']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['imgcheckoutbutton']='button';
$GLOBALS['nomailinglist']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['htmleditor']="froala";
$GLOBALS['combineshippinghandling']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['noproductoptions']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['xxConfig']='Select Options';
$GLOBALS['xxClkPrd']='Please click on a category to view products. We are shipping ONLY to addresses within the U.S. at this time.';
$GLOBALS['estimateshipping']=TRUE;
$GLOBALS['nodefaultzip']=TRUE;

Next, I would go to my admin main setting to confirm all settings there, and then go to the USPS setup in your admin to double check the services and settings there.
If there are any options on that product, check to be sure none of them are adding weight in the option settings.

Checked product options. There are two shirts - Adult and Youth - each have a few size options and there a "0" under Weight Diff under all of them.

We have only one Postal Zone - United States (they are selling only to U.S. addresses). When I click to edit those rules I see:

You are modifying the rules for the Postal Zone "United States".

This zone is set to use 1 shipping method(s) such as "Standard", "Express", "2nd Day Air", etc.
For every 1 above the highest weight...
...add an extra 0 for Standard Shipping

Below that under "Max Weight" - everything is blank.

Under Shipping & Handling Settings. I have (reading down from the top on the settings page):

Don't use alternate rates
U.S.P.S. Shipping
Same as domestic shipping
Pack products together
[here is my USPS username]
Nothing in the next two
77422 (zip code)
LBS
Do not specify
2 (this is the Handling Charge)

On the USPS Shipping Methods page I have only TWO Methods checked: First Class Mail and Priority Mail.

I also should mention that when someone buys two shirts - they are given only the option of Priority Shipping (because two shirts makes the weight 1.5 lbs and therefore not eligible for First Class -- and that calculates correctly.

Can anyone tell me what other settings I should check, or if any of these are set incorrectly?

I would setup a few test products with various weights to see what the website shows for each.
make one .3 and one .5 and one .8
See what the website shows for each.

I'm still having the same problem with this store. My client stopped selling for a while, but now they want to add a new product and the USPS costs is still way off. I even removed the "handling charge", just to make it easier to see what was going on.

I have ONLY 1st class shipping enabled.
The product has a shipping weight of .1 (the actual weight is 1.6 ounces).
The store is calculating that the shipping cost is: "First-Class Mail (1-3 days) $3.50"

Obviously that is way off.

Please help.

I just tried that here https://postcalc.usps.com/

First-Class Package Service - Retail™ - $3.50

That's a 2 ounce package from zip code 77422 to zip code 77566

Andy

Please feel free to review / rate our software

That is so strange. I use "Stamps.com" and when I enter in 2 ounces with a mail class of "First-Class Mail Package/Thick Envelope", I get a price of $2.66. I ship with Stamps.com all the time and I've never had a package come back as having incorrect postage.

If you look at the USPS calc site $2.66 corresponds to Media Mail®

Andy

Please feel free to review / rate our software

I just realized that Stamps.com gives me a discount on all shipping costs. I've been using them for so long that I didn't keep up on what it cost if you don't use them!

Sorry about that!

One quick question...not to complicate things...The items they are selling in the store are tee shirts and CDs. CDs could be shipped via Media Mail at a cheaper rate. Is there a way to offer Media Mail ONLY for the CDs?

Thanks,

There isn't a feature to specify shipping methods for specific products.

Andy

Please feel free to review / rate our software