Shipping rates depend on what a parcel weighs and how big it is. A product without a weight or size can't be quoted properly: a small part guessed into a large default box can cost far more to ship than it should. So IAPZ keeps each product's packed weight and size, and the boxes you really ship in.
Your online store uses them to pack each order into the fewest, smallest boxes and ask for a rate for each. You can fill them in now, before your store is set up.
A product's weight and size
Open the product and choose its Shipping tab:
- Weight (g): what one weighs packed as you'd ship it, in whole grams, for example 250.
- Length, width and height (cm): its packed size, for example 12.5 × 8 × 3. Fill in all three sides, or none.
- Packing:
- Goes in one of our boxes (the usual): it's packed with the rest of the order into your boxes.
- Ships in its own box: for something that already comes boxed, or that you always send on its own. It's never put in one of your boxes; each one goes as its own parcel, at the weight and size above. Its Packing cost (tape, label and so on) is added to the shipping for each one.
The weight and size are optional. Services have no Shipping tab, since they're never shipped.
Finding the ones still to do
On Items, set the Shipping filter to Missing weight or size. Open the first one, fill in its Shipping tab, save, and choose Next item to go straight on to the next one still missing, on the same tab. When the list is empty, every product is ready.
Many at once
If several products weigh and measure the same (for example, bags of the same BBs), choose them on Items, then Edit, and under Shipping tick Set the weight, Set the size or both. Services among them are left as they are.
Your boxes
In Settings › Shipping boxes, add each box or envelope you ship in:
- Name: for example Small box or Bubble mailer.
- Inside size (cm): length, width and height, measured inside where the items go.
- Empty weight (g) (optional): added to what's packed in it.
- Most it can weigh packed (g) (optional): for a mailer or box that can't take much.
- Cost (optional): what the box costs you with its tape, label and filler, for example 2.50. Each box an order is packed in adds its cost to that order's shipping.
The list shows the smallest boxes first. Archive a box you stop using; it can be brought back.
How an order is packed
Your store works out how many of an item really fit in a box, in rows, columns and layers, turned whichever way holds the most, and within the box's weight limit. For example, a plate of 31.8 × 24.1 × 1.2 cm fits one to a layer in a box of 40.6 × 30.4 × 10.1 cm inside, 8 layers deep, so 10 plates go in two boxes.
Different items packed together share a box by the part of it each takes: 4 of those plates take half the box. Since that can't follow every way odd shapes might fit together, a box of mixed items may be quoted a little low; a box of one item is exact.
The shopper sees one shipping price: Canada Post's rate for each parcel, plus each box's Cost and the Packing cost of items shipped in their own box. Your flat rate and free shipping stay exactly as you set them.