The new Shipping Wizard in the Vendors Administration Area (VA) provides suppliers with more options for setting up shipping charges. One of these options is the ability to charge shipping based on the order weight. When shipping charges are based on order weight, suppliers may set charges based on exact order weight, or they may set charges based on weight ranges. This tutorial will explain how to create a shipping method in your account that will be based on the order weight.

Important Note: The unit of measure for weight fields in the Shipping Wizard will display pounds.This measurement is given as an example only, and you may consider 1 pound to equal 1 of your unit of measure.

To begin, you will first need to log in to your account and then click the Shipping tab to be redirected to the Shipping Methods page in your account.

Step 1: Click the blue plus sign “+” next to Add New Shipping Method on the right side of the Shipping page. A new Shipping Wizard window will open in your browser.

Step 2: Enter a Shipping Method Name, Tracking URL (if applicable), select what shipping charges will be based on, customers country, order total or order weight, and then select what countries this method will be offered to. Suppliers may offer the method to customers from all trusted countries, the supplier’s home country only, or, from a custom list. If you will be shipping by a method that will provide tracking numbers, you may want to list that url in the Tracking URL field as the url will be included in the shipment confirmation email that can be sent to the customer when the order is marked as shipped. After you have entered a Shipping Method Name, Tracking URL (if applicable), selected how shipping charges will be calculated and what countries the method will be offered to click Continue.

Step 3: Enter a Base Price for the method, and select how shipping charges will be calculated, based on customers country, order total or order weight. Please note: The Base Charge will be charged on all orders regardless of order weight. After you have entered a Base Price and selected how shipping charges will be calculated, click Continue.

Step 4: If you had selected Home Country Only or All Trusted Countries, you will not see this screen and will go directly to Step 5 or 5A. If you had selected Custom List, you will now select the countries this method will be offered to. To add countries to the list, highlight the country and click the Add Countries button. After you have added all of the countries the method will be offered to, click Continue.

If you will be calculating shipping charges based on exact order weight please follow Steps 5 and 6. If you will be calculating shipping based on weight ranges please follow Steps 5A and 6A.

Step 5: Enter a Weight Max and Amount . When calculating the charges based on exact order weight, you will need to enter the maximum order weight that will only be charged the Base Price in the Weight Max Field, then enter 0.00 in the amount field and click Add Surcharge. Please note: The Weight Max field will only accept whole numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc.

Step 6: Set Overweight Charge. The Overweight Charge will be the amount that is added for each pound over the Weight Max that was set in Step 5. When charging shipping based on the exact order amount, Overweight Charges will be based on the exact order weight. As an example: If you had set up the method to charge a Base Charge of $1.00 and the Overweight Charge is set to $1.00 for each pound over 1, the shipping charges for an order that weighed 1.50 pounds would be $1.50. $1.00(Base Charge) + $.50(Overweight Charge)=$1.50 Shipping cost. After you have entered the Overweight Charge, click Continue. Go to Step 7.

Step 5A: Enter the Weight Max and Amount. The first Weight Max that you enter will determine the maximum order weight that would only bill the customer the Base Charge that was set up in Step 3. For the Amount for the first Weight Max you will enter 0.00 and click Add Surcharge. Continue to add additional Weight Maxes and Surcharges for each weight range you wish to use on the method. In the below example the method is set up to charge customers a Base Price of $1.00 for the first 10 pounds and to then add a Surcharge of $1.00 for orders from 10.01 to 20 pounds, $2.00 for orders from 20.01 to 30 pounds, $3.00 for orders from 30.01 to 40 pounds. After you have entered all of the weight ranges for the method go to Step 6A. Please note: The Weight Max field will only accept whole numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc.

Step 6A: Set Overweight Charge. The Overweight Charge will be the amount that is added for each pound over the highest weight that you had entered for your weight divisions in Step 5A. When charging shipping based on weight ranges, the Overweight Charges will be based on the exact Overweight amount. As an example, if you were charging $4.00 for orders up to 40 pounds, and adding an additional $1.00 for each pound over 40, for an order weighing 40.50 pounds the customer would be charged $4.50 for shipping. $4.00(Charge for weights up to 40 pounds) + $.50(Overweight Charge for .50 pounds)= $4.50 total shipping cost. After you have entered the Overweight Charge click Continue.

Step 7: Review the settings for the method and save the Shipping Method. To save the method to your account click Save after you have reviewed the settings for the method. The page will refresh and advise the method has been successfully created and you may then click Close to exit the Shipping Wizard.