Defining shipping codes

Shipping codes are used to group shipping charges together. For example, all oversized items could be assigned the same shipping code, Oversized. All fragile items could be assigned the shipping code Fragile. All perishable items could be assigned the shipping code Perishable.

A shipping code indicates which shipping charges are applied to products in the order. Shipping codes are assigned to products or categories. When a customer purchases a product, the shipping code that is assigned to it determines the shipping charges that are added to the order.

In order to calculate shipping charges on the order item, you must assign shipping calculation codes to either a product or category.

Before you begin

  1. Before you define shipping codes in WebSphere Commerce Accelerator, determine a strategy for all of the shipping codes you create.
    • For example, you can create an oversize shipping code that applies to all oversized items in the catalog. You can also create shipping codes for each type of category in your catalog (clothing, electronics, food)?
    • You can create multiple types of shipping codes, and associate more than one code with a product. For example, you can assign the shipping codes "oversize" and "electronics" to all televisions in your catalog. The effects of the shipping codes are cumulative. In the example, the total shipping charge of each television is the sum of the charges from both shipping codes, plus the shipping charge of any shipping code that is associated with all products.
  2. See, defining shipping codes, and an example, see Defining shipping data.

Procedure

  1. Open WebSphere Commerce Accelerator
  2. Click Store > Change Shipping. The Shipping Overview page is displayed.
  3. Click Shipping codes. The Shipping Codes page is displayed.
  4. To define a new shipping code, click New. The Define Shipping Code Details page is displayed.
  5. In the Name field, type the name of the shipping code.
  6. In the Description field, type a description of the new shipping code.
  7. Click Next. The Assign Shipping Codes to Products or Categories page is displayed.
  8. Select the products or categories that are associated with this shipping code:
    • If you select All products, all products in the catalog are associated with this code.
    • If you select Specific product(s), the Selected products field displays the following options to find a product:
      Option Description
      Find products
      Note: If you select Find products you need to know the SKU, name or short description of the product.
      1. Click Find products to find the products you want to select. The Find Products page is displayed.
      2. Define at least one of the following items:
        1. SKU
          1. Type the product SKU. The SKU is the reference number for the product.
          2. From the list, select the search method.
        2. Name
          1. Type the name of the product.
          2. From the list, select the search method.
        3. Short description
          1. Type the short description of the product.
          2. From the list, select the search method.
      3. Click Find. The Search Results page is displayed, listing the results of your search.
      4. Select the product or items you want to associate with the shipping code, and click Add. The products or items are displayed in the Selected products field on the Assign Shipping Codes to Products or Categories page.
      Browse catalog
      1. Click Browse catalog to view the catalog and find the products that you want to select. The Browse catalog page is displayed, listing the catalog in a tree structure. Each category or subcategory that has child subcategories or products is displayed beside a collapsible node.
      2. Click the node to expand the category and display its child constituents. To hide the category's subcategories, click the node a second time.
      3. Select the product or items you want to associate with the shipping code, and click Add. The products or items are displayed in the Selected products field on the Assign Shipping Codes to Products or Categories page.
    • If you select Categories, the Category fields is displayed.
      1. Click List to view the categories in the catalog. The Category List page is displayed.
      2. Select the category that you want to associate with the shipping code, and click Add. The category is displayed in the Category field on the Assign Shipping Codes to Products or Categories page.
  9. Click Finish to save your settings and return to the Shipping Codes page. A confirmation dialog is displayed. Click OK. The new shipping code is displayed in the list. A second dialog box is displayed, informing you to create shipping charges that are associated with this shipping code. Click OK.
  10. Define shipping charges.