How do you setup shipping zones with manual shipping calculator?

[tcsky]

The title of this thread has been edited from the original by a Community Moderator to help with searching threads.

"Our teams will be spending some time revamping the shipping feature in the near future, and I'll be sure to pass along your feedback."

ZONES are a critical piece you have left out also. EVERY SINGLE SHIPPER USES ZONES. USPS bases it off the distance/radius from shipping origin and I can get them to gel zones down to one page of zip codes = which zones. I need to set up rates per zone.

I have tried to approximate this by adding the US plus zone 2 states, set a rate, but Square won't allow me to add US again with Zone 3 rates, or again with Zone 4 states. I can only add the US once, even if it only has two states on it.That was my work around, and I can't pull that off either as I can only add the US once.

[faheem]

@tcsky You should be able to create multiple shipping profiles with different US states, as long as those states are not already in another profile. Please double check your profiles to ensure the states are not already assigned to a profile - each US state can only belong to one profile

[BernadetteA]

Hi @ Thanks for bringing this up!

@faheem is absolutely right that you can create multiple shipping profiles (or zones) where each one is designated to X number of states, and has its own set of pricing rules. 

Can you post a link to your website so I can take a look at the current settings? The new shipping page takes a little getting used to, and there may be something that was overlooked by the rep you spoke with. 

[tacsky]

Thanks. I did not speak to anyone. I added the US and three western states, and then was prevented from adding the US again whatsoever. I will give it another try, nothing to look at but feel free https://skyranchsoaps.square.site/

[tacsky]

I Have done so, added 5 profiles now. Each profiles contains different states; each profile has a different shipping rate I have loosely correlated to a zone.  This took several hours to gel down rates and zones from USPS. But, still not working for me as I cannot add the same item to each profile. I am only working on one large item, GIFT BOX, that always ships separately so the profile is PER ITEM and applies to no other items. If that gift box ships to my zone 8 it is more expensive than if it ships to my zone 4, for example. But SQUARE ONLINE won't allow me to assign the GIFT BOX ITEM to more than one profile. So, once again I am stuck and cannot charge a customer in California a different rate than a customer in New York. How can I make this work please? All other items will ship by weight, but this item always has to be boxed and charged separate shipping, even if it is within an order of other small items. Even if ordered alone, with no other items I cannot charge a different rate for different destinations as SQUARE ONLINE will not allow me to apply the item to more than one profile. Gaaak!

[tacsky]

In addition, so I reverted back to one flat rate per item, for this one item GIFT BOX. Not to mention, I have to charge all customers my farthest destination zone rate so not to lose money. I test ordered 3 gift boxes and it only charges shipping ONCE!! I needed it to charge the flat rate for EACH GIFT BOX. So I have shut down shipping on that item, the only one I was attempting to successfully set up. Why can't it charge the flat rate PER ITEM for each one?

[BernadetteA]

Thanks for posting your site, @tacsky 

Setting up shipping can be a bit frustrating, especially for stores that have a wide range of items. Please keep in mind that your goal should be to get as close as possible to the true rate. This means you may slightly under or over charge some orders, but it should balance out in the end. 

I am just now seeing your replies in my queue, and am sorry I won't be able to address this tonight, but I will make sure to follow up with you over the weekend! ❤️

[tacsky]

I set up some shipping profiles last night, a couple of custom and one default for everything else. After that, my option to allow pick-up disappeared on all items. Double, triple checked that pickup and shipping was checked on each item. I need to restore pickup, what do I do please? Seems like a malfunction, did not resolve overnight.

[BernadetteA]

Hi @tacsky

Not sure if you received my private message from earlier in the week or not, but we can continue to troubleshoot on the public post if you prefer. I did move your first comment (and all replies) to this new page since the thread was starting to get long. 👍 

From my private message: 

One thing I noticed is that you have made all of your shipping rules "custom". If you add an item to a custom profile you won't be able to add that same item to any other rule(s). Instead, you need to use the "default" option when setting up each of your zones. 

The gift box shipping dilemma you are running into is a bit more complicated to sort out. I'm not quite ready to say it is not possible to do, and am still looking into a way for you to make this work. 

Can you please reply to this new thread when you get a chance? Can you also let me know the approximate weight and dimensions the gift box will be? 

Thanks in advance! 

[tacsky]

Thank you, I did reply to your message and will work on your suggestion not to use custom, and test. Thank you again!

[tacsky]

After some thought, I really don't want customers to order multiple gift boxes as they is only one ship to addy and lots of customization, so that would be a mess. I will require them to phone in any gift box orders. I love talking to my customers, very small here.

[BernadetteA]

That does sound like the best way to handle this for both yourself, and your customers. 😊

Please let me know how the shipping setup goes for the rest of your items. I believe you had mentioned going the weight-based route? 

[tacsky]

I set up some shipping profiles last night, a couple of custom and one default for everything else. After that, my option to allow pick-up disappeared on all items. Double, triple checked that pickup and shipping was checked on each item. I need to restore pickup, what do I do please? Seems like a malfunction, did not resolve overnight.

[tacsky]

Please disregard, found some initially missed settings. It's now working fine.

[tacsky]

FYI I'm not using a manual calculator, I use Pirate Ship.

[BernadetteA]

Thanks for clarifying, @tacsky I did not catch that initially! 😊 

I'm also not super familiar with Pirate Ship. Does it integrate well with your Square Online store, and allow you to display rates on the checkout page for your customers? Or do you just use it when creating the actual labels?

[tacsky]

I checked a while back, they did not offer integration but perhaps there is a way. I am busy selling via phone

at this time, only using square site to manually enter my sales and shipping, yes use Pirate for printing labels.

Its a very comprehensive, heavily discounted shipping app. Hopefully you two will integrate in the future. Lots of soapers/sellers use it.