ProStores integration with USPS may help a merchant satisfy several needs:
 
·         Configure domestic shipping options for your store
·         Display USPS calculated shipping rates and available delivery methods
·         Easily add a shipping mark-up calculated shipping costs.
·         Print shipping labels.
·         Automated calculations for optimal packaging configurations

Before you start setting up USPS in ProStores, confirm that all of your products include shipping weights and dimensions (weights and dimensions of the product in a shipping box). Product weights and dimensions are required for the USPS rate calculation services. USPS rates are not available if an order includes an item without this information. ProStores will use the Merchant-Defined shipping table rates (not USPS tools) if this information is not available.
 
You should also refer to the USPS website for details on weight and dimension limits for each of their various delivery methods. There are two important items to note. First, if the order or shipping container exceeds the limits (weight or dimension) of a particular delivery method, that method is not displayed as an option to the shopper during checkout. Second, no USPS shipping options or rates are displayed if the order includes boxes that exceed 70 lbs. (their maximum capacity). In those situations, ProStores will display shipping rates from the Merchant-Defined shipping tables or other external shipping tools (FedEx or UPS) if enabled and capable of handling the packages.
 
USPS Set-up Steps
 
Basic Configuration - allows you to retrieve shipping rates from USPS and display that information to shoppers:
 

1. Browse to Store Settings > Shipping Prefs. The Shipping Preferences page appears.

2. Click the Configure link next to United States Postal Service in the Available Shippers list. This will open the Untied States Postal Service Configuration page. Proceed with updating the options and settings on the page.

 

3. Pickup Postal Code: Enter the zip code of the post office from where you will be mailing. This does not have be the same as your store's zip code.

 

4. Domestic Delivery Methods: Check all the domestic delivery methods you want to make available to your customers.

 

 
If you choose to offer Bound Printed Material, Library Mail and/or Media Mail delivery methods, customers will see these delivery methods for all purchases. This requires all your shippable products to qualify for these rates. If you have a diverse product catalog, you will probably want to exclude those delivery options for storefront rate calculations. Please refer to the USPS guidelines for more information on restrictions for these classes.

5. Allow Shipments to: Select Canada if you want to use the USPS tools for Canadian orders. Canada is currently the only international destination supported by the USPS shipper tools in ProStores. ProStores uses rates from the Merchant-Defined shipping zones for all other international destinations. Make certain to update your Merchant-Defined shipping zones with international zones if you plan to ship internationally.

 

6. International Delivery Methods: Check all international Shipping Methods your store supports.

 

 
If you do not plan to print shipping labels through ProStores, you can skip the steps below and complete configuration process by clicking the Apply button.
 
Advanced configuration - allows you to print shipping labels for your packages:
 
The following steps (steps 7-14) apply if you want to print shipping labels through ProStores.

Printing Shipping Labels requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or a similar program allowing the display of .PDF files within your browser. The USPS label printing options on the Package Configuration page in ProStores do not include postage. If you have enabled PayPal for your store, you can click the Print USPS label link on the Orders Ready for Shipping page to open the Create Your Shipping Label service on PayPal for printing postage-paid labels.
 

7. Provide customer tracking email: Check this box if you want the USPS to send an email to your customer on your behalf providing shipment and tracking information. This is in addition to the shipping confirmation email the ProStores Advanced and Enterprise store tiers generate.

 

8. Label content options: If you would like only a bar code printed by the label system, select Bar Code Only. The default is Full Addressing, which prints the bar code along with destination and return addresses. Express Mail always prints the full address.

9. Print Express Mail Shipping Labels?: Select Yes if you offer Express Mail shipping and would like to print Shipping Labels for the service.

 
If you don’t plan to print Express Mail labels from ProStores and select No, the USPS configuration process can be completed by clicking the Apply button under the Express Mail label settings section.
 

 

10. If you select Yes, then you'll need to read and accept the USPS agreement regarding Express Mail. To do this, click on the Apply button after selecting Yes. This will open the agreement for review. To accept the agreement, select the Accept option and then click on the Apply button again.

 

11. Once the Terms and Conditions of the USPS Express Mail service are accepted, additional Express Mail label settings are displayed. Select your preferences.

 

12. Allow Express Mail delivery on weekends: Checking this box allows delivery attempts of Express Mail on Saturday and Sunday. This is a default value and can be changed for each package when generating shipping labels.
13. Allow Express Mail delivery on holidays: Checking this box allows delivery attempts of Express Mail on holidays. This is a default value and can be changed for each package when generating shipping labels.

 

14. Delivery Signature Waiver: Checking this box allows the delivery person to verify the delivery without your customer's signature. This is a default value and can be changed for each package when generating shipping labels.

15. Click on the Apply button to save your settings.

 

16. Enable USPS as a shipping option on your storefront. Browse to the Shipping Preferences page, Store Settings > Shipping Prefs.

17. Select the Show on Store Front option for USPS and click the Apply button. The Preferred option allows the merchant to control which Shipper a shopper sees first as the default shipper when placing an order. The option to change this is only available if using UPS and/or FedEx services along with USPS.

 

 
Congratulations! You have configured the USPS shipper to calculate domestic shipping rates for your shoppers and you can print USPS shipping labels for their orders. Continue reading if you want to learn how to use more advanced features.
 
Advanced USPS Shipping Tools options:
 
The following sections outline two additional features available with the USPS shipping tools. It includes details on setting up shipping mark-ups and the package consolidation and rate tool.
 
Shipping Mark-Up Options
 
You may use the Shipping Mark-Up option to apply additional shipping and handling fees. The mark-up fee is added to the rate provided by the USPS service before presenting it to the shopper on the storefront. It is invisible to the shopper and is bundled with the shipping rate displayed.
 
To configure the Shipping Markup Options:
 

1. Browse to Store Settings > Shipping Prefs. The Shipping Preferences page appears.

 

2. Click on Configure next to USPS.

 

3. Scroll down to Options near the bottom of the page.

 

4. Select a mark-up type (None, Percentage of actual shipping cost, or flat dollar Amount per order)

 

5. Specify mark-up value (% or $)

 

6. Click Apply.

 
 
Optimize Packaging and Rate Calculations
 
ProStores and the USPS shipping tools can be set-up to consolidate orders with multiple items into one or fewer shipping containers and calculate shipping rates based upon a consolidated shipment. Consolidating orders with multiple items into fewer shipping boxes may reduce the shipping costs.
 
The default shipping rate calculation method is based on the assumption that each item in an order is shipped in a separate box. The weight and size of that box is based on the weight and size defined for each product.
 
If you want ProStores and USPS to calculate shipping rates based upon consolidated shipments, you will need to perform two additional steps. You need to add USPS shipping containers to ProStores and update the Container setting for the applicable products.
 
If both items are not updated and configured, ProStores will continue to use the default rate calculation methodology – calculate USPS shipping as though each item is shipped individually.

To add USPS Shipping Containers:
 

1. Browse to Store Settings > Shipping Prefs. The Shipping Preferences page appears.

 

2. Click the Configure link next to United States Postal Service in the Available Shipper list.

 

3. Click the Shipping Containers link at the bottom of the page. The United States Postal Service Shipping Containers page appears.

4. Click Add Container. The Shipping Container page appears.

5. Select the Container type you wish to add from the list.

Box shipping containers will be packed with as many products as will fit when using a shipping algorithm.
 
Tube shipping containers allow only one product per tube and fit is determined by length of product vs. length of tube.
 
Envelope shipping containers only allow one product per envelope and fit is determined by length and width of product vs. envelope.
 
Product dimensions are rounded up to the nearest whole number.
 

6. Name: Enter a name for the container that will help you recognize this container when reviewing and selecting it from a list of other containers.

 

7. Enter the container dimensions (Length, Width, and Height) and weight capacity (Maximum Weight) of the shipping container.

 
For compliance with USPS shipping calculation algorithms, be sure to enter the length of the longest side of the package in the Length field. Failure to do so could result in inaccurate shipping fee calculations. If this is a Tube, enter "0" as the height.
 

 

8. Click Submit

 

9. Repeat the process for each of your shipping containers used for USPS shipments.

 

 
 
To update product container information to use a defined shipping container:

1. From Store Administration, browse to Product > List. The Product Manager page appears.

 

2. Locate the product in the list and click its link. The Product Information page appears

 

3. Click the Update button

 

4. Navigate to the Container setting option. Select from the list the type of shipping Container (Self, Box, Envelope, Tube) you wish to use when shipping this product.

 
Only container types previously defined appear in the drop-down list.
 
Self is the default setting. With this setting, ProStores will always calculate shipping as though the product is shipped individually (not packaged with other items in box). You may have some fragile or large items in your catalog where this setting may be appropriate.
 
Box container setting will indicate to ProStores that this product is eligible for packing algorithm consolidation and rate calculation processing. ProStores will combine this product with other items into a larger box. Select Box to enable the packing algorithm logic.
 
Tube shipping containers allow one product per tube and fit is determined by length of product vs. length of tube.
 
Envelope shipping containers allow one product per envelope and fit is determined by length and width of product vs. envelope. USPS returns “First-Class Mail Package” rates for Envelope containers.
 
Product dimensions are rounded up to the nearest whole number
 

 

5. Click Submit to save your work.

 

6. Repeat this process for each of your items you want to ship using the packing algorithm logic. One can also utilize the bulk catalog import process to update the Container settings for products.