Automated Calculation Of Shipping Cost

[Johnny2]

I have a client who wants his website to sell products from many different warehouses (which also use different combinations of shipping companies). I can collect information about shipping-dimensions and shipping-weight for each product, but how do I calculate what the shipping will/should be so the customer will know before checkout?

 

I assume it will have to be calculated with each warehouse's zip-code and the customer's zip-code, but don't know how to get the information in an automated way.

 

I assume that many other online companies do this very thing, but I guess I'm missing the basics of how to get the information.

 

I mean... does UPS, FedEx, and USPS have a URL that my script can POST the zipcodes and shipping-weight to, then sends information back to my script?

 

Thank you e-commerce Gurus!

[falkencreative]

I can collect information about shipping-dimensions and shipping-weight for each product, but how do I calculate what the shipping will/should be so the customer will know before checkout?

You can get shipping quotes from UPS, FexEx, etc -- most will have a program you sign up for that will give you access to that API. Each company will be a little different, so you'll have to figure it out. As far as your site goes, you'll probably need to associate each product with a specific warehouse, then calculate shipping based on the shipping options related to that warehouse.

[Johnny2]

You can get shipping quotes from UPS, FexEx, etc -- most will have a program you sign up for that will give you access to that API. Each company will be a little different, so you'll have to figure it out. As far as your site goes, you'll probably need to associate each product with a specific warehouse, then calculate shipping based on the shipping options related to that warehouse.

 

 

Thanks Ben! You're the best!