Summary

Shipstore picks services through rate shops and business rules, so a specialty service such as Bound Printed Matter (BPM) can be included only when an order qualifies. This only works if something in the order data marks which shipments qualify.

Before you start

  • The specialty service (for example Bound Printed Matter) enabled on your account.
  • Something in the order that identifies a qualifying shipment, such as a keyword in the item description or a flag from your host.

Steps

  1. Confirm the specialty service is enabled and can be added to a rate shop.
  2. Business-rule approach: create a rule that triggers on an item-description keyword (for example "Book" or "Printed Matter"), add the specialty service to the rate shop, and, if you want it used only when appropriate, error out the specialty service when it is not the cheapest.
  3. Dedicated rate-shop approach: build a custom rate shop (for example named "BPM") that includes the specialty service, and have your host send that rate shop's service code for qualifying orders. Other services can stay in that rate shop too.
  4. If nothing in the order marks the qualifying contents, add an identifier (a keyword in the description or a flag from the host) first.

What you should see

A qualifying test order shops or selects the specialty service, and non-qualifying orders keep rating normally.

If something goes wrong

Not sure how to build the rule or rate shop: email support@shipstore.com and include the service, the keyword or flag that marks a qualifying order, and an example order.

Related articles

See also: "Keep one customer off a carrier using a rate shop rule" and "Rateshopping."