In BVC5, the USPS first class shipping method returns values for weights greater than 13 ounces. Items over 13 ounces can not ship via First Class Mail, but this method is still offered to the customer as a selection. They would never choose it since it is much greater than Priority and Parcel Post, but it should not even be seen.
A short term fix would allow for a maximum weight for first class similar to what is available for flat rate Express and Priority. Another way would be to use the BV method by weight, but again, limits would have to be set for a maximum weight.

A more appropriate solution would be to return the values that the Post Office returns through their API as per the USPS.com website. They don't return any values for first class over 13 ounces or International Air Letter over 4 lbs.

A majority of my shipments are under 13 ounces and the parcel post values are too high. They are based on 1 lb and distance. First Class is not based on distance. Same cost shipping via first class a few miles or across the country.

Are there any third party modules for USPS shipping methods?

Thanks,

Bob

Good Luck guys.

We ship everything in the US by Priority Mail. We get the correct rates for that. Anything out side the US the Web Services only quote rates for Global Priority. Apparently nothing else works and hasn't for for over a year. And when I talk to them they don't seem to care. They just keep mentioning something about BUDGET.

I was in our local Post Office a few weeks ago and the postal worker was telling a customer the quoted rates on USPS web site were wrong and she didn't know why. Apparently everyone in US is having the same issue. Everyone that is except Andy.

So here is what I think is happening. The post office has tables for all postage rates for every shipping method to anywhere in the whole world. These tables are kept up to date and made available to software developers (like Andy). However their web people don't know or don't care how to point to them.

Pardon me if I sound like a Grinch, but I think the best way out of this mess may just be get the tables and point directly to them or purchase the rights to someones software that uses the right tables.

Andy (or someone else) help me out if my somewhat biased observations are incorrect.

Bob Noble

Hello,

The current cart I am using is using tables. It works well. The problem is that I had to do a table for each shipping zone, 8 of them, and specifiy a minimum shipping cost and the price for each weight interval. I combined the first class and parcel post in the same table and called it USPS ground. I also had to have tables that listed all the zip codes (ranges) to attach to a particular zone. This took a long time to do. I had to redo all the 8 tables when the postage rates changed. May change again in January. I got the rates from USPS, but don't know if they are in a spreadsheet format.

If BVC5 gets the tables with the rates and the zipcodes and connects to them it should work. Would need to specifiy the maximum weight. This would be for International Air Letter and for 1st Class. The table would have to be updated when there are new rates, usually once every year or two.

What I just can't understand is that I had another cart for a demo for 1 year and another one for 3 months. I got USPS account and passwords for each and tested them using the USPS api's, just like the one in BVC. Both had the logic that I was looking for and worked fine. Only showed the approriate methods based on location (US or International) and on weight. The one cart has 22 USPS methods built in and the ability to add or subtract for handling fees. And, it works just fine when using the online USPS rate calculator.

Some guides for USPS is located here:

http://www.usps.com/webtools/technical.htm, specifically, this link is a pdf concerning the integration:

http://www.usps.com/webtools/_pdf/Rates-Calculatorsv1-0.pdf

Bob

Hi,

I found a very nice free desktop shipping calculator tool for USPS Domestic, International shipping and delivery confirmation information (did not check this). After installing, there is one link for each of the three functions.

Unfortunately, it can't be integrated into a web site.

The link is:

http://www.spaceware.com/downloadusps.htm



It only calculates valid methods and has all USPS methods. Example is that it will show international air letter rates when entering 4.0 lbs, but will not show it when entering 4 lbs, 1 ounce.



This tool, I believe, is how BVC5 should calculate the postage and display or at least have available the different USPS methods.



Bob