[osCmax V2.0.25] Variable Shipping Rates by State

[puddlez]

osCMax v2.0.25 SVN 812

The client's site was ready to launch - until this additional shipping tweak request in the final stretch....
Current Scenario:
1. UPS Shipping with rates is set up
2. Free Shipping is set up

The client does all shipping via UPS, but wanted to offer it free of charge.

Now the client wants to exclude a few states from completely free shipping and have a partial shipping charge to be the responsibility of the buyer.

I am trying to understand if it is possible to set up a shipping scenario like:

1. For all states except AK, HI, PR: Free shipping as it is set up now
2. AK, HI, PR: Charge a partial shipping fee. This could be set up as a flat rate or as a percent.

I tried a few things and wonder if AK, HI & PR were simply deleted from the database table used by the free shipping php file, would they just default to the UPS method? I know that would not address the partial charge piece, just curious.

I searched the forums and found an old posting that said something like this might be possible through customizing the free shipping php file, but I'm not sure that is still the only solution?

Thanks!!!

[michael_s]

Take a look at this:
osCommerce: State Based Rates

[puddlez]

Thanks Michael! I saw that last night, but was unsure if I could use a mod that looks like it was made for Oscommerce with Oscmax?

[michael_s]

osCmax is based on osCommerce and 90% of all the contributions out there will work with osCmax. We work hard to maintain compatibility and aside from some basic structural differences (main language file is called core.php for each language in osCmax, and no language file subdirectories anymore, BTS template system) the core code will all work with osCmax.

[puddlez]

I installed the mod & just love it!!! I set it up such that:

Region 1 States/Countries
AK,PR,HI,VI,AS,AA,AE,AP,FM,GU,MH,MP,PW

Region 1 Shipping Table
9.99:7.00,29.99:8.50,49.99:10.50,99.99:15.00,199.9 9:20.00 etc...

Sort order is Region:0, Free Shipping:2, UPS:3

Ex. New Order Shipping Test for PR region shipping
RegionTestPR shipping
Carr 102 Km 10 9
Cabo Rojo,PR 00623
United States

Checkout for shipping info displays:
Regions No shipping available to the selected location
In testing, it still allows free shipping to the states listed under regions. I think it may be because these areas (PR, HI, etc) are listed somewhere in the database amongst areas included for free shipping. In the database I found a table zones_to_geozones which is referenced in the php file that supports free shipping. I could not locate a table with a list of state entries though. Once I do find one (thinking this must exist somewhere!), will I break the cart if I remove/delete these from the database or will something like this need to be done through some kind of logic statement added to the free shipping php file? Ex. "if PR, HI, etc. then free shipping is false". Okay once you are able to stop giggling over that - not a programmer by any stretch! - just looking to understand appropriate next steps.

Thanks!
Julie

[michael_s]

osCmax automatically provides free shipping if your product weight is set to 0, regardless of whatever shipping modules you use. So make sure you have a non-zero weight set for all your products that you want to charge shipping on.

[puddlez]

That is set up and working but should not include these:
AK,PR,HI,VI,AS,AA,AE,AP,FM,GU,MH,MP,PW

So I tried the region module recommended hoping that if I defined a region for only AK,PR,HI,VI,AS,AA,AE,AP,FM,GU,MH,MP,PW and then set the sort order for region first, then free shipping then it would check to see if one the states listed above were referenced in an order first. If yes, then I thought it would charge based on region shipping. If not then it would charge based on the free shipping module. That's what really needs to happen. I just do not have a clue where to go from here to accomplish that.

EX
If AK,PR,HI,VI,AS,AA,AE,AP,FM,GU,MH,MP,PW, then charge based on prices set up in the region module.

If any other state, then free shipping.

Thanks
Julie

[michael_s]

It can't work that way.

You have to disable the oscmax free shipping module completely, then set a weight for all your products (non-zero). Then, only use the variable rates module. Then set up two regions. One for your free shipping states and one for your charged shipping states.

Also note that I have never used this variable shipping module before, so my suggestion may not work, as I don't really know how the module works. I just suggested it because it sounded like what you were asking for.

[ridexbuilder]

Why not?...
Zone Table Rate. As per its' documented method, setup 2 Zone Tables, one called US-Main, the other US-Outer.
Put most of the States in US-Main, the remaining in US-Outer.
For US-Main, the table rate looks like 9999:0 (anything from 0-999 weight/value will be free).
For US-Outer, define the rates to suit.

Too simplistic?

[michael_s]

The way it can't work is by trying to do what the OP wanted, which is use the free shipping module in addition to the variable rates module. The way you describe is exactly what I was suggesting. Seems to be the best way of doing it.