How to add Fedex

How to add FedEx as an integrated carrier in Auctiva Commerce

Auctiva Commerce will integrate with FedEx to provide its shipping services with accurate shipping charges for your customers at checkout. This tutorial will show you how to configure FedEx in Auctiva Commerce.

How to add FedEx

It's important to consider the shipping parameters (i.e., warehouses, shipping zones and user groups) associated with this shipping method in advance to adding the integrated carrier. As soon as shipping services are added from this integrated carrier, it becomes instantly available to all warehouses, all shipping zones and all user groups by default. You will need to quickly edit each shipping service to define these parameters. Otherwise, an order could be made that is not intended to be shipped by this method. The safest way to add a new integrated carrier is to enable the Suspend Purchasing mode (Store> Configure> Store Settings). Enabling this mode will hide all the "Add to Cart" buttons. Once you edit the shipping methods so that they have the correct parameters, you can disable the Suspend Purchasing mode to resume ordering on your store.

If an order is eligible for an integrated shipping service, the integrated carrier checks the customer's order information (i.e., shipment weight, shipment dimensions and origin/destination addresses) to assess an estimated shipping charge. Most often, the carrier uses only the Zip Code and not the entire address to compute the estimated charge. The actual shipping charge may slightly vary due to fuel surcharges and other fees when you create the actual delivery using the exact origin and destination addresses that the carrier requires to make the shipment. If this becomes a problem, you can consider adding a small handling fee to each integrated shipping method to help cover the spread between estimated shipping charges and actual shipping charges.

Step 1. Create a FedEx account.

• Go to the FedEx website. Choose the type of account desired. Make sure you read the terms of agreement and be aware of any fees associated with the service.
• Login using your FedEx.com user ID and password.
• Fill out the registration form. Note: You will need a credit card for billing purposes.

Make note of your account and meter numbers. You will need these values to set up FedEx shipping services for your Auctiva Commerce store.

Step 2. Register with FedEx.

• Go to Store> Shipping> Integrated Carriers.
• Click the Add a Carrier button.
• Click the FedEx link.
• Click the Next button.
• Complete the following form with your contact information from your FedEx account. The "R" next to a field means that this information is required.
• FedEx Account Number: Type in your FedEx account number. You will find this number in your FedEx Profile.
• Click the Finish button. This will take you to the Configure FedEx page. Here you will find two tabs: "Configuration Settings" and the "Services (Shipping Methods)." The tab displayed will be the "Configuration Settings."

Step 3. Configure FedEx.

This is an important step, as the settings you enter here can affect the rates FedEx returns after you enter the shipping weights and dimensions of your products.

• Account Number: Type in your FedEx account number.
• Meter Number: Enter your meter number.
• Select Packaging Type. This is how you will package items. You can choose from:
• YourPackaging: uses product sizes (length x weight x height) to calculate the most accurate rates.
• FedExEnvelope, FedExPac, FedExBox, FedExTube, FedEx10KGBox, FedEx25KGBox: Product dimensions are not used. Instead, services and rates are based on the FedEx's packaging.
• Select your drop off type. You can choose from:
• RegularPickup, RequestCourier, DropBox, BusinessServiceCenter, Station: The rates will vary slightly depending on the type of service selected.
• Enable Package Breakup: Enable Package Breakup if desired. Enabling it means that you will allow the carrier to divide a shipment into smaller packages if the shipment exceeds the weight maximum. It does not create additional shipments for you. It only divides the total shipping weight by the necessary amount so that an acceptable shipping weight can be calculated by the integrated carrier for this particular order. In the end, the calculation will only return one rate based on the individual shipping weights that were calculated by the carrier. The customer will only see one shipping charge.
• Include declared value if desired. You will want to enable this if you plan to offer your customers insurance. When enabled, Auctiva Commerce sends the item's value to the service provider.
• Don't edit Live Mode, Test Mode and Tracking URLs. These come pre-configured when you create a shipping account through Auctiva Commerce.
• Debug Mode: When debug mode is enabled, all messages sent to and received from FedEx are logged. This should only be enabled at the direction of qualified support personnel.
• Click the Update button.

Step 4. Configure shipping services.

It's highly recommended that you enable the Suspend Purchasing mode if you haven't done so already. This next step will add services to your store. By default, it will make the shipping services available to all warehouses, shipping zones, and user groups. This means you could get an order that uses a shipping service not intended for that type of order in the time it takes to edit each service.

• Click on the "Services (Shipping Methods)" tab to go to the Provider Shipping Methods menu. On this page, you'll see "Provider Services Configured" box on the top. The services that you have not yet configured are in the "Provider Services Not Configured" box at the bottom. Services in the bottom section are not yet available to your customers.
• Check the boxes next to the shipping services you want to offer. Be sure to review the service details.
• Click the Default Configuration button. Selected methods will now appear on the top portion of this page and will be available to your customers.

Step 5. Customize your shipping service.

Now you're ready to customize each of the shipping services.

• Click on the Edit icon for a shipping service you just added. Each shipping service you added in Step 4 will need to be individually edited.
• Name: Enter in the name of the shipping method. This name will appear on your store at checkout.
• Service: Do not change this option. By default the service selected in Step 4 is automatically assigned to this shipping method.
• Handling Fee: Enter in any handling fees to be added to the shipping charges. Choose whether the handling fee is a Fixed Amount or Percent. The Fixed Amount will be the value you enter into this field and the Percent amount will take that percentage from the order amount to create the handling fee charge.
• Choose how you want the handling fee to show if there is a handling fee.
• Warehouses: Choose which warehouses that will be assigned to this shipping method. Choosing the All Warehouses option will apply this shipping method to every product in your store.
• Zones: Choose which shipping zones will be assigned to this shipping method. Choosing the All Zones option will allow customers in every shipping zone that you've created to receive shipments by this shipping method.
• Groups: Choose which user groups will be assigned to this shipping method. Choosing the All Groups option will allow all customers with eligible orders and shipping addresses to use this shipping method.
• Minimum Purchase: Enter in the minimum purchase value that a customer needs to spend on their order to be eligible for this method. Leave this field blank if there is no minimum purchase required.
• Tax Code: Choose a tax code option if you wish to assess taxes on the shipping charge. Don't choose a tax code if no taxes should be assessed on the shipping charge.
• Click the Save button. This will take you to the Configure Shipping Methods page, where all your shipping methods are displayed. Continue to repeat Step 5 for all the services you've added until each is properly set up.

Remember to disable the Suspend Purchasing mode if you're ready to start taking orders. Otherwise, keep it enabled as you set up additional critical store features.

This completes the task of integrating FedEx into Auctiva Commerce. It's a good idea to check your storefront to make sure the FedEx shipping methods do appear where you expect to find them.