AuctionInc's shipping calculator provides a very flexible and easy way to determine shipping charges for auctions. The information necessary for calculating the shipping is embedded in the HTML that is generated by the Calculator HTML Wizard. You will, in turn, embed the Calculator HTML in the description section for each of your auctions as you list them.
You may use the Calculator HTML Wizard for each individual auction but like most users, you will likely want to place the Calculator HTML into a template that can be reused for multiple auctions, or simply reuse it each time you list directly to eBay. However, if you switch between Carrier Rates and Fixed Fee shipping, or if you need for a particular item different carrier special services than you usually use, you will need to use the Wizard to generate the correct values.
The HTML generated from the Calculator HTML Wizard contains various shipping settings which are hidden when viewed by a browser. These settings determine the specifics of how the calculator should determine shipping charges. For each auction that you list, you will probably need to modify one or more of these settings in the Calculator HTML.
Locate the settings by scanning through the HTML generated by the Calculator HTML Wizard and find the following:
(The figures in the Value settings are all examples.)
<!--------------------------------------------------------------><!-- Carrier Rate Shipping Settings -->
<! Shipping Calculator Settings >
<!-------------------------------------------------------------->
<!-- Calc_Method: (C)arrier Rate Shipping or (F)ixed Fee Shipping-->
<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME="calc_method" VALUE="C">
<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME="weight_lbs" VALUE="1">
<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME="weight_oz" VALUE="0">
Just change the values for each item as you list your auctions, being careful to insert the figure between the quotes. Do not delete the quotes, and do not include anything but the numerical value. You can list the weight entirely in lbs as a decimal (such as 3.4) or you can use both the 'lbs' and 'oz' settings, whichever you prefer.
For a more detailed review of all the calculator html settings, continue reading.
The settings are stored in a format known as HTML HIDDEN FORM variables. In order to change the settings you must locate the appropriate property, which is indicated by the NAME="property name" (e.g. INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME="length" VALUE="12"). You can edit the setting by changing the text located within the quotes (") after the VALUE=. Please make certain not to remove the quotes since improperly quoted text can prevent the calculator from working.
The first setting, calc_method, identifies which calculation method the shipping calculator should use. The calculator uses the properties found in the Carrier Rate or Fixed Fee sections to determine the shipping rate. When this setting is set to "C", the shipping calculation will be based on weight (and possibly additional item properties) and customer address and rated for each shipping service you are using. When this setting is set to "F", the calculator will instead base the shipping cost on the fixed fee you indicate.
After the calc_method, The HTML settings contain three sections: Carrier Rate Properties, Fixed Fee Properties, and General Settings. For each item, either Carrier Rate or Fixed Fee properties will be used, depending on your calc_method setting. All items use the properties in the General Settings.
| Property Name | Description | Values | |
|---|---|---|---|
| calc_method |
Indentifies how the calculator will calculate the shipping for the item. The options are C)arrier Rate or F)ixed Fee. | C F | |
Carrier RateThe following properties are used when calc_method is set to C)arrier Rate | |||
| package | When there are multiple items in a shipment, this setting determines if shipping calculations will be based on shipping the items packaged T)ogether or S)eparately. When items are indicated as S)eparate then the calculator will rate the item as an individual package based solely on its weight and dimensions. When the items are identified to be shipped T)ogether, they are grouped together, combining their weights, packaging weight is added (calculated according to your packaging factors) and then the shipping rate is calculated. | T S | |
| weight_lbs | Indicates the weight of the item in pounds. You may enter the pounds and ounces values separately or enter the pound including decimals (e.g. 1.25 lbs). | number | |
| weight_oz | Indicates the weight of the item in ounces. Ounces may be used in conjuction with pounds or entered alone. | number | |
| length | Measurement of the length of the item in inches rounded up to the nearest inch. As a rule of thumb, dimensions should be entered for items when any of the measurements exceed 16" since package size may increase the shipping cost. The shipping calculator will account for oversized packages as long as you specify the dimensions. Please consult the carrier specification for additional information on package dimensions. (optional) | number | |
| width | Measurement of the width of the item in inches rounded up to the nearest inch (optional) | number | |
| height | Height of the item in inches (optional) | number | |
| lot size | Number of units in your item (default 1). Your weight and dimensions should be for one lot. | number | |
| supp_handling_code | Additonal handling fee for this item (based on a predefined code) (optional) | code | |
| supp_handling_fee | Additional handling fee for this item (no code necessary) (optional) | number | |
| on_demand_services | Each service listed (in a string of service codes seperated by commas) enables that service for this item only. You must have configured the service as "on-demand" to use it here. (optional) | comma-delimited text | |
| carrier special services | There may be one or more form variables for this category of values. (The two shown in the HTML above are just examples.) Each form variable defines one type of special service for one carrier. You should use the HTML Wizard to generate the correct form variables for these. If you always use the same special services, you can just generate the html once; however, if you need to add a special service for a particular item, use the Wizard to generate the HTML for it.(optional) | 1 (enabled) 0 (disabled) | |
| insure | Indicates if the item should be insured, in accordance with your configuration settings and insurance threshold. | yes no | |
Fixed FeeThe following properties are used when calc_method is set to F)ixed Fee.Use either a fixed fee code or fixed fee amounts, but not both. | |||
| fixed_fee_code | Predefined code that maps to various fxed fees per carrier service or geographic location. | code | |
| fixed_fee_1 | When using Fixed Fee shipping, this is the shipping cost that will be charged for this item. If a fixed fee item is combined in a shipment with other fixed fee shipping items, the highest fixed_fee_1 value is used for the first item and the remaining items will use the cost indicated in fixed_fee_2 | number | |
| fixed_fee_2 | Used to indicate the fixed fee shipping cost to include when this item is combined with other items. | number | |
General Settings | |||
| taxable | Indicates if the item should be taxed when shipped into a state that you have added to your tax settings. | yes no | |