Introduction

Table rate shipping makes it possible for you to create complex shipping rules for shipping your products all over the world. You can define multiple rates based on the product’s destination, have multiple rates per zone, and add rules based on product weight, number of items, shipping class, and price. It is usually used when you would like to add rates for shipping processors that are not integrated with your store.

When your customer checks out the items in their basket, the plugin checks the destination of the items, and then uses the table of rates you have created to calculate the total shipping. Each destination can have its own rules, and multiple sets of rules, based on your shipping requirements.

Table rates shipping lets you calculate shipping rates according to a combination of conditions. All conditions depend on the destination value.

Table rates conditions can be set in three different ways:

• Weight vs Destination.
• Price vs Destination.
• Number of items vs Destination.

For example, if you are shipping a TV and a mobile phone to two different customers in Dubai, it should cost less to ship the TV than o ship the mobile phone. You can use table rate shipping to pass the savings to your customers.

One set of table rate can be active at a time. Values are added to an excel sheet and imported to your store. However, table rate values are editable, you could edit them and re-import the sheet.

To configure table rates shipping:

• Go to System  > Advanced > Settings.
• From the left side bar menu go to Shipping Methods.
• Expand the Table Rates drop down.

OB 2.25.1

• To enable table rates, shipping, select “Yes” from the Enables dropdown list.
• In the Title field, set the title you would like to display for this method.
• Edit the Method name for the table rate shipping method.
• Select how you like, the shipping rate to be calculated from Condition dropdown. In this example we are selecting Weight vs Destination.
• Include Virtual Products in Price Calculation: Determines if virtual products, such as gift cards, are included in the shipping rate calculation.
• Set the calculation method used to determine the handling fee for the table rate shipping from the Calculate Handling Fee dropdown list:
  • Fixed: By default, the handling fee is calculated at a fixed rate, based on the shipping charge. The resulting handling fee is then added to the shipping charge.
  • Percent: Applies the handling fee as a percentage of the shipping charge. The resulting handling fee is then added to the shipping charge.
• In the Handling Fee field, specify the value of the handling fee that you would like to add to the shipping rate. The value can either be fixed or percentage. If you would like to specify 30% handling fee, just write in 30 without the percentage sign.

Note: Handling fee calculation, depends on the Calculate Handling Fee option.  If you choose percent from the calculate handling fee dropdown list, the handling fee value will automatically be percentage.

• In the Displayed Error Message field, set the error message that you would like to display when the table rate shipping method is not available for any reason.
• Ship to Applicable countries: Specifies which country customers are allowed to use this shipping method.
• Ship to specific countries: If shipping to specific countries, select each country where you want to offer customers the option to use table rate shipping.

Note: To select multiple items, hold down the Ctrl key and click each item.

• Sort Order: Sets the sort order value for the table rate shipping option. This value, relative to other shipping methods, determines the displayed order of shipping options in checkout.

Now, after filling the fields, change the Current Configuration Scope  from the top left side of the page to Main Website.

OB 2.25.2

Values used are the default values, but by deselecting the check boxes you can edit the values for the website.

The table rates are entered by importing a CSV file.

• Export the file by selecting the Export CSV button. Save the file to your computer and open it in Excel.
• Open the CSV file you saved and enter your values.

OB 2.25.3

Note: If we don’t want to specify a rate for each individual region/state we enter ” * ” in the field.

• You then save the file and upload it back to the site by clicking on the “Choose file” button of the import field.

Following all previous steps, you have created the table rate shipping method.

Outcome

At the end of this article, you should be able to know what it table rate, and to configure table rate in your back-end.