Overview
- With live rates at checkout, you can display a range of shipping options to customers at the point of purchase.
- This feature allows you to customise how, when and what rates display based on your business and carrier requirements.
Configuring rates at checkout
1. Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Settings
2. From the Weight and Dimensions section, select how you would like your rates to be calculated:
- Single Package using sum of integration item weights: The rate will be based on the total weight of all the items in the cart being sent in a single package
- Single Package using sum of integration item weights and dimensions*: The rate will be based on a singular package with the added dimensions and weight of all items in the cart
* Only supported for WooCommerce, Magento 1 and Magento 2 - Single Package using default package weight and default dimensions: The rate will use the weight and dimensions of the package you have selected as your default
- Unique Package for each item using integration item weight and item dimensions*: The rate will be calculated with one package per item in the cart using both the item’s weight and dimensions.
*Only supported for WooCommerce and Magento2
3. Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Courier Configuration > Tick Enable advanced configuration
4. Enable the services that you would like to display on checkout by ticking the checkbox on the row
5. Click Save
These rates will now be available on checkout.
Further configuration options
Set the Rates at Checkout Unit of Measure
To correctly calculate the shipping price, the unit of measure set in your store needs to be defined in DHL Express Commerce.
- Make note of the weight unit of measure used in your store - Kilogram / Gram / Pound
- In DHL Express Commerce, navigate to Settings > Options > Rates at Checkout Weight Unit
- Set the correct weight unit noted from step 1.
- Save.
Add a margin to your contract rates
You can add or subtract a set margin to your contract rates. It can be a flat rate (e.g., contract rates + $5.00 fee), or a percentage of contract rate (e.g., contract rate + 5% of the contract rate).
- Go to Settings > Checkout Rates> Courier Configuration
- Under Margin Type, select Add Amount or Add Percentage.
- Add the margin value.
- Click Save.
Rename display methods
By default, DHL Express Commerce will display the name of the service provided by DHL as the freight option at checkout, for example “DHL Express Shipping”. You may want to rename your services to simplify things for your customers, for example “Express Shipping”.
Rename by the service by:
- Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Courier Configuration
- Enter the text you would like to display on checkout in the Display Name fields.
- Click Save.
How do I enable domestic and international couriers?
You can set specific couriers to show at checkout depending on where they place their order from.
- Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Courier Configuration > Tick Enable advanced configuration
- Courier products are split into two sections: Domestic Rates and International Rates. Click the checkbox next to each product you wish to show at checkout.
Enabling fail over rates
A Fail Over rate is a flat rate that you can enable which will be displayed on checkout in the case that DHL does not return a rate for the address. This can be helpful when the customer enters an invalid address that DHL does not recognise.
- Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Courier Configuration
- Tick the checkbox for the service with the product code FAIL-OVER
- Complete the Display Name for what you would like to be shown on checkout
- Set the Margin Value to the value you would like to be used in the case of no rates being displayed
Set up table rates
Table rate shipping allows you to set shipping rates based on price, weight or the number of items in an order. This is a good way to offer your customers free shipping or charge different shipping rates for different products.
You can create table rates in DHL Express Commerce which works as a matrix of location and weight.
- For more information on how to configure table rates, see here.
Testing your Live Rate configuration
Once you have configured your live rates you may want to test how the rates would display on checkout. DHL Express Commerce supplies a Checkout Rates tool where you can check what rates are returned based on a test address and specified item weight. To use this tool:
- Go to Settings > Checkout Rates > Tools
- From the toggle, select which eCommerce platform you are using
- Enter the Country you would like to test
- The rest of the address can be auto-completed when using the Street field
- Enter in the Weight of the cart taking note of the unit needed.
- Click Get Rates
- You will what rates are returned based on the criteria provided. You can from here tweak your configuration as needed.