Charges by Rates and Zones

Introduction

Mailware can calculate UPS, FedEx and other rates from your area. You will need your Zone chart from each shipper’s web site before entering data. Mailware uses the shipping address Zip code during order entry to determine the recipient’s zone, then looks up the rate and enters shipping charges for the order.

1. You will first need to enter weights for each of your products.  To do this, open the Inventory screen and add the weight in the weight field under the product tab.
   1. To access the Products feature click on the Inventory icon on the Mailware Explorer.
   2. To search for an existing product click on the icon or press Ctrl-F this will open the product search screen.
      1. You can search for a product by keying in text into the Product Number, Description,  or Long Description fields and click on the button.
      2. If  you check on the Real-Time Incremental Search check box the product search will happen real time.  NOTE: You can also set this feature to be the default behavior by selecting the check box in Tools->Preferences under the Orders tab.
      3. The Full Text Search feature searches the Product Number, Description and Long Description fields for the text that you enter in that field and click on the button next to the full text search field.  NOTE: You can also set this field to be the default field when the search screen is opened by selecting the check box in Tools->Preferences under the Orders tab.
      4. You can also filter the records in the grid by selecting the Supplier or the Product Type from the drop downs.
      5. Once you have found the product you are looking for,  you can either click on it in the grid view and click on the OK button or double click on the product.
      6. You can click on the button and the software will create a new record in the Products table and close the search screen.
      7. Clicking on the will open up the selected product in a new products screen.
   3. Enter a weight for this item in pounds. Do not round weights to the nearest pound. You can use the weight calculator to convert ounces to pounds.
2. To access the Shipping  feature click on the Setup Tab on the Mailware Explorer
3. Then select the Shipping icon form the Mailware Explorer. NOTE: You can also access the shipping screen from the Setup option in the top navigation bar.
4. This will open the Shipping Company screen
5. Select the shipper that you want.  Then click the button to open the Shipping Company dialog.
6. Click on the By Zone tab
7. Two grids are available for entry. You will need your Zone and Rate charts from your shipper (the Zone chart is based on your Zip code). At the time of this writing U.S. UPS charts were available online at: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/cost/zones/continental_us.html?srch_pos=2&srch_phr=rates+and+zones.  U.S. FedEx charts are available at http://www.fedex.com/ratetools/RateToolsMain.do.  You can search shipper’s sites for additional charts.
8. Begin by entering the Zone information in the upper grid. Select a Country from the pulldown in the first field. The country name you select will be replaced by its number and will be entered automatically on subsequent lines.
9. Next, enter a From Zip code or its prefix. For example, 32211 or 322.
10. In the next column enter a To Zip code or its prefix. IMPORTANT: Even if the entry is identical to the From Zip be sure to enter it (e.g., From Zip = 322 and To Zip = 322). There must be no blank fields in the chart.
11. Enter the Zone number from your chart. This is based on the distance from your shipping Zip code to the recipients Zip code as entered in the From Zip and To Zip fields.
12. Double-click the Unavailable checkbox if you do not ship to the Zip code in that line.  In most cases you will leave this blank.
13. Press the Tab or down arrow key to continue to the next line until you have entered all Zones.
14. In the next two fields enter the beginning (From Weight) and ending weight (To Weight) from your chart. Note: Most shippers use whole pounds only. The upper limit or To Weight will take precedence over the From Weight of the next line. For example if you enter 0 to 1 in the first line and 1 to 2 in the second line, the amount in the first line will be charged for items weighing exactly 1 pound. Therefore, you may enter weights as:1  to  2
    2  to  3
    3  to  4 etc
15. In the Cost field enter the amount from your Rate chart. This is the actual cost to you to ship.
16. In the Charge field enter the amount you wish to charge your customer. This can be the actual cost amount as entered previously or any amount you wish. Note: You must enter a Charge amount even if it is the same as the Cost amount.
17. Enter additional lines by pressing the Tab or down arrow key to move to a new line. When you are done click the button to save your changes and exit the dialog.  Note: Changes are saved for each line as you enter them so you do not need to save periodically. Also, you can use the mini navigator buttons above each grid to move between lines. To change the value of a field, double-click it.
18. Repeat the above steps for each shipper and ship method you wish to set up. When you take an order you can select a method and the shipping charge will be automatically entered for you.