robersw

Correction — we are using USPS Priority Mail rates and manually select the most suitable USPS-provided packaging for each order based on its contents.

Thank you for the update! We tested the new plugin today and can see the custom package presets – that’s a great addition. However, they currently require item dimensions for the system to select a package, which isn’t quite what we need.

Our goal was to have the various USPS Flat Rate options available as selectable shipping services (e.g., Small Flat Rate Box, Medium Flat Rate Box, Large Flat Rate Box, Flat Rate Envelope, etc.). We would then assign our own pricing to these – for example, setting our “USPS Priority Mail” service to use the Small Flat Rate Box rate plus our handling adjustment.

From the customer’s perspective, they would simply see our custom service name (e.g., “USPS Priority Mail”) with our adjusted price, while behind the scenes the plugin uses the appropriate USPS Flat Rate option to calculate the base rate.

Does that make sense? Essentially, we’re looking to offer Flat Rate shipping methods under our own branded service names, rather than having the package selection tied to item dimensions.

Let me know if you need any clarification!

Thanks for the quick response. Creating multiple Shipping Methods was a good thought we hadn’t tried. Unfortunately it only returns whichever method is on top. Maybe that would be something to investigate about capturing data from multiple methods per API call???

Thanks for the response.

I’d like to respectfully clarify the statement regarding ShipStation carriers requiring dimensions for accurate rates. In our experience with over 15,000 shipments last year and still growing, they are processed successfully without dimensions entered, and we consistently receive accurate shipping rates from both USPS and UPS through ShipStation. I’ve attached screenshots demonstrating this functionality.

Regarding your comment about adding default, fallback, or global dimensions potentially causing confusion and falling outside the plugin’s scope, I’d appreciate some additional clarification on the intended goals of this plugin.

My understanding was that the plugin’s primary purpose is to enable users to leverage their ShipStation account to display discounted shipping rates on their website, eliminating the need for separate plugins for USPS, UPS, and other carriers. The standalone carrier plugins we’re currently using all include the functionality to calculate rates either by dimensions or by weight, and they offer default dimension and weight options as a safeguard when product data may be incomplete. I’ve attached screenshots showing examples from the USPS and UPS plugins.

Currently, the plugin requires dimensions for all products to return shipping rates. Since ShipStation itself can calculate rates without dimensions (as demonstrated), I’d recommend investigating whether this requirement could be made more flexible. If dimensions remain mandatory without a fallback option, this could create checkout issues when a product inadvertently lacks dimensional data—customers would be unable to complete their purchase due to no shipping options being available.

I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss potential solutions that balance data accuracy with practical usability.

Thank you for your consideration.

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