How can I set up my store to use Royal Mail and ParcelForce shipping methods?

For our merchants who's business presence is in the UK, Shift4Shop is compatible with real-time shipping calculation provided through both Royal Mail and ParcelForce. This article will detail how to set up your store for Royal Mail and ParcelForce shipping calculations as well as special considerations that need to be made when using these particular carriers.

Size and Weight Restrictions

Please be aware of the following restrictions which Royal Mail and ParcelForce have in place for sending packages:

• Royal Mail
  • Maximum weight: 20kg
  • Maximum Length: 61cm
  • Maximum Width: 46cm
  • Maximum Thickness: 46cm

• ParcelForce
  • Maximum weight: 30kg
  • Maximum Length: 1.5m
  • Maximum combined length and girth: 3m

More information on these restrictions can be found here for Royal Mail and here for ParcelForce.

Setting up your Shift4Shop Product Weights and Dimensions

Weight

As mentioned in a previous article, Shift4Shop's software uses neither metric or standard measurement units. Instead, the numbers listed in your product weights and dimensions are simply numbers. Ultimately, it is up to the real-time shipping carrier to determine what the denomination will be for the order (i.e. U.S. based carriers will calculate "2" as 2lbs whereas European carriers may calculate "2" as 2kg). This is something you'll want to keep in mind when setting up your store for these UK shipping carriers.

Both Royal Mail and ParcelForce expect and calculate based on kilogram weigh increments, so be sure to specify your item weights in kg format. (i.e. an item weighing 3 kg is specified in your store as 3)

If an item you're selling is weighed in grams, you will need to specify its weight as the kilogram equivalent. In other words, something that weighs 500 grams will need to be configured in your store as weighing 0.5, since kg is the base increment used for these two carriers.

Dimensions

Product dimension measurments will need to be specified in mm increments.

As an example, the following image will illustrate the proper set up of a product with the appropriate weights and measurements set in the Shift4Shop Online Store Manager.

Adding Royal Mail and ParcelForce Methods to your Store

Once you've configured your products to use kilograms and millimeters for weight and dimensions, the next steps will be to add the Royal Mail & ParcelForce Shipping Methods to your store. To do this, please use the following steps:

1. Log into your Shift4Shop Online Store Manager
2. Using the left hand navigation menu, go to Settings >Shipping
3. Once there, click on the "Enter Settings" button located under Shipping Settings
4. Look for the field labeled "Max Box Weight (Lbs)" and enter your maximum box weight in kilograms*

Once this step is complete, we will set up the actual shipping methods. To continue, while still in the Shipping Settings page:

5. Click on the "+Real Time Shipping Location" link
6. Enter your country and Postal Code information for the Real Time Shipping Information
7. Click "Update" to set the Real Time Shipping Information fields

After setting up your Real Time Shipping Information section, continue these steps to add your shipping methods:

1. Using the left hand navigation menu, go to Settings >Shipping
2. Once there, click on the "Select Methods" button located under Shipping Methods
3. Click "+Add Methods " under RoyalMail.
4. Select the Shipping Country and Shipping State that these methods will be applicable to
5. Place a mark in each checkbox for the Shipping Methods that you would like to add
6. When ready, click "+Add" to proceed.

The methods will be added all at once.

Repeat the same steps for ParcelForce if you will be using that service as well.

After the shipping methods are added, you will have additional configuration options available to each one separately.

7. Look to the far right of the Shipping Methods you just added and click on each method's "Settings" link

Here, you'll have the ability to edit the following aspects of the Shipping Method

• Caption
  The display label that the method will use when shown on the store. Typically, this will be the actual name of the method (as listed by the carrier), but you may wish to change the label to meet your needs
• Markup
  Here, you can add a pricing markup to the shipping method if you'd like to add a certain amount to each calculated rate. Markups can be entered as a flat monetary amount or a percentage markup.
• Advanced Settings
  Clicking this link will let you then edit the following
  • Min.Weight & Max.Weight
    The weight ranges to which the shipping method will apply. If the order does not fall within these ranges, then the shipping method will not display
  • Customer Group
    The Customer Pricing Group that this method will apply to. For example, if you'd like it to apply to all of your customers, you would select "All." 
    (Setting it to "None" will merely limit the method to your regular, retail customers who do not yet belong to a customer group.)
  • Country/State Exclude List 
    Clicking on the "Exclude List" link will allow you to specify states and locations (In the already configured country/state designations for the Shipping Method) that you would like to exclude from using the shipping method. For example, if your shipping method applies to all US States, but you'd like to exclude Alaska and/or Hawaii.

IMPORTANT: Remember to set the "Max. Weight:" limit to kilogram measurements!

Congratulations! Your store is now set up to use Royal Mail and ParcelForce Real Time Shipping Calculations.