RateShop+ allows you to define a custom set of shipping methods to be used when calculating the cheapest shipping option to use. This includes:
- Defining which methods should be included in the calculation
- Setting a rating factor for each method
- Setting a maximum delivery time for each method
NOTE: Feature is currently available to ShipHero software clients free of charge. Speak to your support team about getting it activated. Once enabled, it can be accessed by going to https://shipping.shiphero.com/settings/?tab=cheapest-methods.
In this article, we will walk you through how to create a custom cheapest method for RateShop+.
How to Create a Method
How to Set RateShop+ as a Shipping Method
How to Create a Method
You will create Custom Cheapest Methods under your settings in Shipping.ShipHero.com. To create a method:
Click on Settings in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
Click on RateShop+ from the right hand menu, then click the Create Method button either at the top or bottom of the screen.
Give the method a name. This will appear as a shipping method under the “Cheapest” carrier.
NOTE: Do not name the method Cheapest alone. It needs at least one other word as part of its name.
Choose the Carrier and Carrier methods to include. Begin typing the name to get the list to populate.
Click Next.
NOTE: Do not select any of the shipping methods named "Cheapest ..." for RateShop+. These methods will be ignored by the system when it rate shops during the shipping step. You must select an actual carrier for RateShop+ to work.
Set Rating Factors (Optional)
Rating factors allow you to get more specific when choosing the cheapest method.
For example:
- For instance, setting a factor of .85 for Ground will reduce the cost by 15% when comparing it with other methods causing it to be selected more often than it otherwise would be.
- In the image below, Endicia (USPS) has a rate factor of 0.90 for Ground Advantage. This means the returned rate for USPS Ground Advantage will be multiplied by 0.9, reducing the rate and potentially making it the cheapest over the other methods.
Set Delivery Time (Optional)
Set the maximum delivery time for each method (optional). This allows you to filter the methods based on estimated delivery days.
- In the example below, we would only use USPS if the delivery time is 3 days or less. A value of 0 disables the filter for that method.
Existing methods can be edited by clicking on the method row and then clicking the Edit button next to the item you want to change.
To delete the method, click the Trash icon visible when hovering over the row.
NOTE: In order to use this method for your shipments, you must map to it.
How to Set RateShop+ as a Shipping Method
There are two ways to automate using RateShop+ Method:
1. Mapping