View source for Collection shipping codes and global shipping rates

Shipping codes are used when particular products need special shipping rules that are different from your store's normal weight-based or price-based shipping rates.

For example, you might use a shipping code for fragile products, oversized products, gift vouchers, locally delivered products, or any products that need to be packed and charged separately from the rest of the order.

Spiffy Stores now supports two additional shipping options that make this easier to manage:

* '''Collection shipping codes''' - assign a shipping code to an entire collection, rather than editing each product individually.
* '''Global shipping rates''' - create a shipping rate that applies to the whole cart, regardless of product or collection shipping codes.

These features are designed to work with your existing shipping rates. Your current weight-based, price-based, shipping-code based, and shipping agent rates continue to work as before.

== Before you begin ==

Shipping codes are an advanced shipping option. They are best used for products that require special handling or a separate shipping calculation.

Before using collection shipping codes, you should already understand how to create shipping-code based rates in the '''Preferences > Shipping & handling''' section of your Store Toolbox.

For more information, see [[Setting up custom shipping rates]].

== How shipping codes are applied ==

Shipping codes can now be assigned at more than one level. When the checkout calculates shipping, Spiffy Stores uses the following order of priority:

# '''Product or variation shipping code''' - this has the highest priority. If a product or variation has its own shipping code, that code is used.
# '''Collection shipping code''' - if the product does not have its own shipping code, but it belongs to a collection with a shipping code, the collection shipping code is used.
# '''Standard shipping rates''' - if no shipping code applies, the product uses your normal weight-based or price-based shipping rates.

This means you can use collection shipping codes to manage shipping rules in bulk, while still overriding individual products or variations when required.

== Collection shipping codes ==

A collection shipping code lets you apply a shipping code to every product in a collection.

This is useful when a group of products all need the same special shipping rule. For example:

* fragile products that need additional packing;
* heavy products that need a special handling charge;
* products that need to be sent separately;
* products that should use a special delivery method;
* digital or voucher products that should not use normal parcel shipping.

Instead of editing every product one at a time, you can assign the shipping code to the collection. Products in that collection then inherit the shipping code automatically, unless the product or variation has its own shipping code.

== Assigning a shipping code to a collection ==

To assign a shipping code to a collection:

# Go to the '''Collections''' section of your Store Toolbox.
# Open the collection you want to update.
# Find the shipping code option for the collection.
# Enter the shipping code that matches the shipping-code based rate you have created in '''Preferences > Shipping & handling'''.
# Save the collection.

Any product in that collection will now use the collection shipping code, unless the product or variation has its own shipping code.

== Product and variation shipping codes override collection shipping codes ==

A product or variation shipping code always takes priority over a collection shipping code.

This allows you to apply a general rule to a collection, while still making exceptions for particular products.

For example, you might assign the shipping code '''FRAGILE''' to a Ceramics collection. Most products in the collection will use the '''FRAGILE''' shipping rate. If one product in that collection is unusually large, you can assign a different shipping code to that product or variation, such as '''OVERSIZE'''. The product-level or variation-level code will be used instead of the collection code.

== Multiple shipping codes in one order ==

If a customer's cart contains products with different shipping codes, the checkout groups those products by shipping code.

Each group can show its own shipping options. This is useful when products need to be packed or sent separately.

For example, an order might contain:

* standard products that use normal weight-based shipping;
* fragile products that use a '''FRAGILE''' shipping code;
* oversized products that use an '''OVERSIZE''' shipping code.

The checkout will calculate the appropriate shipping options for each group.

== Global shipping rates ==

A global shipping rate is a shipping option that applies to the whole cart.

Unlike normal weight-based, price-based, or shipping-code based rates, a global rate is not limited to a particular product group. It applies to all items in the cart, regardless of whether the products have shipping codes.

Global shipping rates are useful for simple cart-wide options such as:

* '''Local Pickup'''
* '''Click & Collect'''
* '''Free In-Store Collection'''
* a simple flat-rate option for the whole order

== Using a global rate for Local Pickup or Click & Collect ==

A common use for global shipping rates is local pickup.

For example, you can create a global shipping rate with a price of '''$0.00''' and name it:

* Local Pickup
* Click & Collect
* Free In-Store Collection
* Pick up from our store

When the customer selects this rate, the order is treated as a pickup order and no delivery charge is added.

Because the rate is global, it can apply even when the cart contains products that would otherwise be separated into shipping-code groups.

== How global rates behave in the checkout ==

When a customer selects a global shipping rate, other shipping-code groups are hidden from the checkout.

This keeps the checkout simple. The customer does not need to select separate shipping options for each product group if they have chosen a cart-wide option such as Local Pickup.

If the customer changes back from a global rate to a normal shipping option, the shipping-code groups are shown again.

== Example shipping setup ==

A store sells the following products:

* books and accessories;
* glassware and ceramics;
* gift vouchers;
* products available for local pickup.

The store might use this setup:

* normal books and accessories use standard weight-based shipping rates;
* the Ceramics collection has the shipping code '''FRAGILE''';
* gift vouchers use a shipping code with a free or digital delivery rate;
* Local Pickup is created as a global shipping rate with a price of '''$0.00'''.

At checkout:

* standard products use the normal shipping rates;
* ceramics use the fragile shipping rate;
* gift vouchers use the voucher shipping rate;
* Local Pickup can be selected as a global option for the whole cart.

== Choosing the right shipping option ==

Use this guide when deciding how to set up your rates.

{| class="wikitable"
!<b>Requirement</b>
!<b>Recommended option</b>                                               
|------------------------------------------------------------------ 
|Most products are shipped normally by weight                       
|Use weight-based shipping rates                                    
|-                                                                  
|Shipping should depend on the total cart value                     
|Use price-based shipping rates                                     
|-                                                                  
|A single product or variation needs special shipping               
|Use a product or variation shipping code                           
|-                                                                  
|A whole group of products needs the same special shipping          
|Use a collection shipping code                                     
|-                                                                  
|The whole cart should have one simple option, such as Local Pickup 
|Use a global shipping rate                                         
|}

== Important notes ==

* A product or variation shipping code overrides a collection shipping code.
* A collection shipping code is used only when the product or variation does not already have its own shipping code.
* Products without a shipping code use your normal shipping rates.
* A global shipping rate applies to the whole cart.
* When a global rate is selected, separate shipping-code groups are hidden from the checkout.
* Existing shipping methods continue to work as before.

== Further reference ==

* [[Introduction to shipping & handling]]
* [[Setting up custom shipping rates]]
* [[Adding products to collections]]
* [[Product variations]]