Set your shop apart from competitors

Shipping and handling costs are a constant subject of debate in the online world. Many businesses swear by a free shipping policy, whereas other businesses attach a low, flat shipping rate for one or more regions within their state, country or international regions. 

Whichever rate you choose to charge, or not charge, your customers, do some homework first. Learn what competitors are charging before settling on a specific formula. If customers provide feedback indicating that rates are too high, you can change rates at any time.

Calculated Shipping Rates

Choose the shipping method you would like to use, and allocate fees and charges involved in shipping and handling.

1. Go to Preferences > Shipping and Handling navigation tab. Enter/edit settings (see below for explanations):

• No Shipping: Select if your shop is collection-based or service-based only.
• Australia Post: Select this radio button to inform your customers that you intend to ship the completed order to via Australia Post. The CMS will automatically calculate the charge through the physical parameters of the product at Australia Post's published rate. Selecting this option also activates Warehouse Information further down the screen.
• Postcode that products are sent from: This allows the Australia post API to calculate the correct shipping charge based on your product shipping information.
• Shipping collating police: Select the shipping carton collating policy for your business.
• Select from the available Shipping Services: Standard Mail, Express Mail, etc, by placing a tick in the appropriate box. These options will become items in a drop-down menu list that the customer can select from when they check out from the shop.

• Fulfillment by Temando: If you choose to activate Temando shipping fulfillment services, select a pricing structure that best suits your business. Selecting this option also activates Warehouse Information further down the screen.
• Refer to Fulfillment Services for further Temando set up information.

• Fixed Price/Flat rates: The flat rates section allows you to create a number of fixed rates that the customer will choose from when they check out.
  
  To create a fixed rate, enter a description of the rate and the fee as a numerical value. Click the + Add New Rate link to add as many rates as necessary then click Save Preferences when done.
• Rate by weight: Using this field you can calculate shipping by weight (based on weights entered into each product’s Shipping and Taxes screen). This figure will be multiplied by the weight of the item. See the Products page section Shipping & Taxes.
• Rate by volume: This section allows you to set a figure for shipping based upon the physical size of the item. The volume is generated from the values entered into the height / length / depth fields of the product. See the Products page section Shipping & Taxes.
• Use shipping defined per product: When entering products into your shop, you have the option of setting a shipping rate for that particular product. Placing a tick in this box would apply the individual shipping charges of each product. See the Products page section Shipping & Taxes.

1. Click the Save Preferences button when finished.

• IMPORTANT: If you elect to ship via Australia Post you must enter physical dimensions for each product. The same applies for Temando Shipping fulfillment. See the Products page, Shipping and Taxes section.

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Shipment Tracking

Allow customers to track their shipped order by providing a tracking number and 3rd party website for tracking their shipment.

1. Go to Preferences > Shipping and Handling navigation tab.
2. Under the Shipment Tracking section, enter details as follows:

• Activate shipment tracking? : Switch tracking on.
• Company Name : Enter the company providing tracking services such as FedEx, Australia Post, DHL, etc.
• Tracking Website URL : This will obviously depend on the freight company providing the tracking service. You can locate the correct URL for your freight company (assuming that the company provides tracking services) by visiting the freight company’s website. A link to tracking should be obvious from the Home page.

1. Click the Save Preferences button when finished.  

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Handling

This allows you to add a handling charge to your standard shipping rates. Useful if your company ships heavy or bulky items.  

1. Go to Preferences > Shipping and Handling navigation tab.
2. Under the Handling section, enter details as follows:

• Activate handling charges? Activate handling charges: Select Yes to apply a shipping and handling fee to your shop orders.
• Handling : Enter a dollar (numerical) value. Select order to charge the dollar value for a complete order, or select item to charge that dollar value for each item in the order.  

1. Click the Save Preferences button when finished.

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