Using an external Shipping Calculator

The WP e-Commerce plugin supports integration with UPS and USPS. As these are both third-party services, you should create an account with one or the other before you can offer them as valid shipping options.

Using one of these services relieves you of some of the burden of determining how much shipping to charge. UPS or USPS will calculate it exactly for you and present the cost to the customer during checkout.

UPS Calculator

The UPS Shipping Calculator differs from USPS in that it does not actually require you to create an account with them. Plugging into the UPS system is as easy as selecting the appropriate checkbox and editing the settings for this module, as seen in the following screenshot:

Let's see this in action: assuming that our store is based in the USA, here is what would happen when a customer from elsewhere in the world visits your store. Instead of you having to worry about how much it will cost to ship a product abroad, UPS handles it for you. This is demonstrated in the following screenshot:

Please choose a country below to calculate your shipping costs

Thailand

Calculate

UPS- CHOOSE A SHIPPING RATE

Worldwide Express Plus S31.38 ®

Worldwide Express $50.38 ©

Even though the customer might recoil in horror at the cost of shipping, at least you, as the store owner, know that it is covered and that you will not lose a boatload of money on shipping costs. Assuming the customer selects UPS and makes the purchase, all that is left for you to do is to make contact with UPS and confirm the shipping details. If you plan to offer UPS, you should create an account with them in order to enjoy other benefits, such as automated pick-up service. Create your account at www.ups.com.

While convenient, one disadvantage is that UPS shipping can be expensive, sometimes painfully so. Be sure to do your research before committing—you may find that another service suits your needs better.

USPS Calculator

Integrating USPS shipping requires that you register for their Web Tools service. Start here: http://www.usps.com/webtools

Once you register, you will receive an automated e-mail with your account user ID and password that describes how to start using their service. It will include detailed information on how to communicate with their servers, but fortunately, the WP e-Commerce plugin already handles this integration.

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