Create a delivery method
What this does
Defines the delivery options your salespeople can pick from — flat rate, price by weight, free above a threshold, own lorry or a carrier.
Steps
The Delivery Methods setting adds the option of calculating the cost of shipping on sales orders and e-commerce shopping carts. The shipping cost can then be added to a sales order as a delivery product, and the shipping details can be added to the delivery order.
Configuration
To configure delivery methods, go to Inventory › Configuration › Delivery Methods.
Note
If the Delivery Methods option is not available from the Configuration drop-down menu, verify whether the feature is enabled by following these steps:
- Go to Inventory › Configuration › Settings.
- Scroll to the Shipping section and enable the Delivery Methods feature by checking the corresponding checkbox.
On the Delivery Methods page, add a method by clicking New. Doing so opens a form to provide details about the shipping provider, including:
- Delivery Method (Required field): the name of the delivery method (e.g.
flat-rate shipping,same day delivery, etc.). - Website: configure shipping methods for an e-commerce page. Select the applicable website from the drop-down menu, or leave it blank to apply the method to all web pages. This field only appears when the eCommerce app is enabled.
- Provider (Required field): choose the delivery service, like FedEx, if using a third-party carrier. Ensure the integration with the shipping carrier is properly installed and select the provider from the drop-down menu. For more details on configuring custom shipping methods, such as fixed price or based on rules options, refer to their respective sections below.
- Cash on Delivery: allow customers to choose the Cash on Delivery payment method when selecting this delivery option on the ecommerce website.
- Company: If the shipping method should apply to a specific company, select it from the drop-down menu. Leave the field blank to apply the method to all companies. This field only appears in multi-company databases.
- Routes: select the applicable routes to define different delivery methods, such as standard or express shipping, based on varying lead times. This field only appears when you have enabled multi-step routes in your inventory configuration settings. For more information, refer to the Set routes on shipping method section.
- Delivery Product (Required field): the product listed on the sales order line as the delivery charge.
- Free if order amount is above: checking this box enables free shipping if the customer spends above the specified amount.
- Tracking Link: This option adds a link to the portal so the customer can track their delivery. When a custom carrier is added in a delivery order, the tracking button is enabled, and the link directs to the tracking portal with that URL.
Example
To set up $200 flate-rate shipping, fill in the following fields:
- Delivery Method:
Furniture Delivery (Manual) - Provider: Fixed Price
- Fixed Price:
200 - Delivery Product: Furniture Delivery (manual)
Use the Availability tab to define conditions for the delivery method based on the order's content or destination:
- Countries: Specify one or more countries where the method is available.
- Max Weight: Set a maximum weight; the method is only available for orders below this limit.
- Max Volume: Set a maximum volume; the method is only available for orders below this limit.
- Must Have Tags: The method is available only if at least one product in the order has one of these tags.
- Excluded Tags: The method is unavailable if at least one product in the order has one of these tags.
For examples on how to configure specific shipping methods, refer to the sections below.
Fixed price
To configure a shipping price that is the same for all orders, go to Inventory › Configuration › Delivery Methods. Then, click New, and on the shipping method form, set the Provider to the Fixed Price option. Selecting this option makes the Fixed Price field become available, which is where the fixed rate shipping amount is defined.
To enable free shipping if the amount of the order exceeds a specified amount, check the box Free if order amount is above and fill in the amount.
Example
To set up $20 flat-rate shipping that becomes free if the customer spends over $100, fill in the following fields:
- Delivery Method:
Flat-rate shipping - Provider: Fixed Price
- Fixed Price:
$20.00 - Free if order amount is above:
$100.00 - Delivery Product:
[SHIP] Flat
Based on rules
To calculate the price of shipping based on pricing rules, set the Provider field to the Based on Rules option. Optionally, adjust Margin on Rate and Additional margin to include additional shipping costs.
Create pricing rules
Navigate to the Pricing tab and click Add a line. Doing so opens the Create Pricing Rules window, where the Condition related to the product weight, volume, price, or quantity is compared to a defined amount to calculate the Delivery Cost.
Once finished, click either Save & New to add another rule, or Save & Close.
Example
To charge customers $20 in shipping for orders with five or fewer products, set the Condition to Quantity <= 5.00, and the Delivery Cost to $20.
To restrict shipping to specific destinations on the eCommerce website, in the shipping method form, navigate to the Destination Availability tab and define the Countries, States, and Zip Prefixes. Leave these fields empty if all locations apply.
Calculate delivery cost
Shipping cost is the Delivery cost specified in the rule that satisfies the Condition, plus any extra charges from the Margin on rate and Additional margin.
Total = Rule's~Delivery~Cost + (Margin~on~rate \times Rule's~Delivery~Cost) + Additional~margin
Example
With the two following rules set up:
- If the order contains five or fewer products, shipping is $20
- If the order contains more than five products, shipping is $50.
Margin on Rate is 10% and Additional margin is $9.00.
When the first rule is applied, the delivery cost is $31 (20 + (0.1 20) + 9). When the second rule is applied, the delivery cost is $64 (50 + (0.1 50) + 9).
Route on shipping method
Optionally, set different warehouse delivery processes for a shipping method by configuring different routes for it.
Example
Configuring multiple routes per shipping method is helpful for adjusting warehouse delivery processes based on:
- speed (e.g., use one-step delivery for express shipping, or two-step for standard shipping).
- international shipping (e.g. use three-step delivery to prepare documents for customs)
- in-store pickup or home delivery: ship from the central warehouse, or pick from the store's stock, depending on customer selection.
To set up routes, go to Inventory › Configuration › Routes. Click New, or select the desired route.
On the route form, in the Applicable On section, tick the Shipping Methods checkbox.
Routes form with the Shipping Method checkbox ticked.
Then, go to Inventory › Configuration › Delivery Methods, and select the desired shipping method.
On the shipping method form, in the Routes field, select the available fulfillment routes from the drop-down menu.
Note
If the desired route is not selectable, check that the Shipping Methods option is enabled in the route's Applicable On section.
-
01
Go to Inventory › Configuration › Settings, enable Delivery Methods in the Shipping section, and save.
-
02
Open Inventory › Configuration › Delivery Methods and click New.
-
03
Name it the way a salesperson would say it — Site delivery, Doha, Customer collection.
-
04
Choose the Provider: Fixed Price, Based on Rules, or a carrier integration if one is installed.
-
05
Set the Delivery Product — the product that carries the charge onto the order line and into the accounts.
-
06
Optionally tick Free if order amount is above and give the threshold.
-
07
Save.
Price by rules
With Based on Rules, add lines on the Pricing tab: a condition on weight, volume, price or quantity, and the charge that applies. Rules are evaluated in order, so put the specific ones first.
Limit where it can be used
- Countries, Max Weight and Max Volume — the method is offered only within those limits.
- Must Have Tags and Excluded Tags — offer or hide the method depending on what is on the order. Useful for oversized glass that your own lorry cannot carry.
- Routes — tie a method to a route so express and standard have different lead times.
- Tracking Link — the URL the customer follows from the portal.
Common mistakes
- A delivery method with no delivery product — the charge has nowhere to land.
- Rules in the wrong order, so the catch-all line answers before the specific one.
- Free-shipping thresholds set once and never revisited after transport costs rose.
Was this article helpful?
Thanks — your feedback helps.
Running a window or door factory?
Ask for a demo