Calculating Shipping Rates in Shipbridge

Overview

Shipbridge offers an integrated rate calculator that gives shippers an easy way to choose a shipping method for a given order. Calculating shipping rates in Shipbridge lets you compare rates from different shipping services at the time of shipping. The calculator will retrieve rates from any carrier configured on the Shipping API page in Sellercloud’s company settings.

Configuring Carrier API Credentials

• How to retrieve your UPS credentials
• How to retrieve your USPS credentials
• How to retrieve your FedEx credentials

1. In Shipbridge, click Menu > Options > Rates tab.
   

2. Fill out your API credentials for each carrier you ship with and click Save.

• For the USPS – You only need the USPS API User ID (which is unnecessary if using an Endicia Label Server account).
• If you use Dazzle to manage postage – Choose USPS Web Tools in the USPS Rate Provider dropdown.
• If you have an ELS account, select Endicia Label Server. If selected, your Endicia credentials are pulled from the USPS tab; the USPS API User ID field can stay blank.

Importing a rate chart for certain carriers

Some carrier rates, such as for DHL eCommerce (Global Mail) and UPS Mail Innovation (UPSMI), cannot be obtained by API. Instead, these are brought into the Rate Calculator by importing the carrier’s rate chart.

• See the list of mapping Shipbridge services and table names. For example, if an Excel spreadsheet has one table/tab named UPSMI, the rates from that table will show as UPS.MailInnovations.Expedited in Shipbridge. Additional lines after some table names set additional restrictions for the service, like address classification or packaging.
• See this sample DHL Rate Sheet for chart formatting requirements and sheet names.
• See this sample file for uploading UPSMI rates into Shipbridge (keep the file name as-is.)
  Note: These UPSMI rates are just an example. You must request rates from UPS and import them into Shipbridge.
  

Using the Rates Tab Settings

The Rates tab has a number of settings that impact rates:

• Show FedEx Ground rate for residential destinations – This setting defaults to disabled because FedEx Home offers benefits, like Saturday or late evening delivery. Enable this setting If you want FedEx Ground rates, which are often cheaper than FedEx Home rates, to appear in Shipbridge.

Calculating order shipping rates

1. Select an order from the grid.
2. Click Menu > Rate Calculatoror the F6 hotkey or right-click an order > Calculate Rates. A rate window will appear with available services and their rates, including Endicia and ExpressOne postage rates next to each other for comparison. The amount the customer paid for shipping is referenced above the rate grid, but only if the setting for this notification is enabled under Menu > Options > Shipping tab > Show how much customer paid for shipping (on Calculate Rates form).
3. The Accessory dropdown field lets you see rates when adding Signature Required or Delivery Confirmation options. A column called Features Rates will appear to show the additional cost for services selected.
4. Select a Package Type to compare rates with different package types. For example, to compare USPS Priority rates for a Flat Rate Box with USPS Priority rates for an Envelope.
5. Highlight a service on the grid > Click Select service. The selected service and packaging type will populate in the order grid.
6. Choosing a rate will update the order detail page in Sellercloud with that shipping method choice after the order has been shipped in Shipbridge.

Troubleshooting Carrier Rate Calculations

If carriers or services do not appear when calculating shipping rates, you have several options:

• Check that the carrier credentials are valid under Menu > Options > Carrier tab AND Menu > Options > Rates tab
• Ensure that the service is enabled under Menu > Customize Interface > Shipping Services
• If the order ships to a PO box, the setting Only Offer USPS services for POB destinations under Menu > Options > Shipping tab may be affecting the rates that appear
• Ensure that the service ships from the ShipFrom address to the ShipTo address: Check the country, address type, etc.
  Note: If weight and dimensions are required for that service, these must be populated on the order.