View & Select Rates with the Universal Rate Selector
How to view and select rates with the Universal Rate Selector
In This Article
Postale's Universal Rate Selector enables you to quickly select the best shipping carrier/service/rate option for your shipments from a list of available services. Use the Universal Rate Selector to:
- View the rate for the currently selected shipping carrier and service
- Select from a list of available carriers/services/rates based on the order's shipment details
- View rates and services by the fastest shipping method or by the most economical
In this article, we will explore how to quickly view the rate for the currently selected carrier and service and how to use the Universal Rate Selector to select from a list of available services.
Before We Begin
The rate selector displays rates and available services based on an order's shipment details. If shipment details are incorrect or missing, an error will notify you that rates could not be displayed for one or more carriers. Click the error to view more details.
Required shipment details include:
- A valid Ship To address
- Package weight
- Package dimensions (Length, Width, and Height)
This article assumes that you have at least one order in Postsale with valid shipment details. Learn how to import orders into Postsale.
View & Select Rates
Access the Rate Selector
The Universal Rate Selector can be accessed:
- From the Orders Grid.
- The Rate column displays the rate for the currently configured shipment. Click the arrow to open the Universal Rate Selector.
- The rate selector in the Orders Grid is used to select from a list of available carriers/services/rates. If you need to modify the shipment further, such as adding a delivery confirmation, selecting residential vs. commercial, or adding insurance, use the Dock to configure the shipment.
- In the Dock
-
Learn how to view rates in the Shipments Grid. This saves time by being able to quickly view the current rate for each shipment.
-
Learn how to view rates in the Shipments Grid. This saves time by being able to quickly view the current rate for each shipment.
- When adding or editing a shipment in the Shipments section of the Order Details screen.
Information in the Rate Selector
To assist you with selecting the best carrier and service for your shipments, the rate selector displays the the following details for each of the available carrier/service/rate combinations:
1 - The shipping carrier
2 - The shipping service
3 - The package type
4 - The expected delivery date (days in transit)
5 - Whether the rate is user selected, the most economical rate, or the fastest service
(only shows for the currently selected carrier/service)
6 - The rate for the configured shipment (rate reflects all additional charges such as delivery confirmation, insurance, Saturday delivery, etc.)
Select a Carrier/Service/Rate
The Universal Rate Selector provides three options to help you select the best carrier/service/rate combination for your shipments. Let's take a look at each option:
Fastest
Select Fastest when you want Postsale to select a carrier and service combination that will get the shipment to your customer the fastest, regardless of the rate.
With Fastest selected, all of the available carrier/service/rate combinations are displayed and Postsale selects a suggested, fastest carrier/service. However, we suggest that you review all of the listed carrier/service/rates and select the best option for your specific situation.
Economical
Select Economical when you want Postsale to automatically select the carrier and service combination that will get the shipment to your customer using the service with the lowest rate, regardless of the number of days in transit.
With Economical selected, all of the available carrier/service/rate combinations are displayed in order by rate (lowest to highest rate) with the most economical method highlighted for you.
User Selected
Select User Selected when you want to manually configure the shipment and select the carrier/service/rate combination from the full list of available options.
Real World Example
Our customer has asked that we send the shipment via FedEx Hold at Location so that they can pick up their package at a time that is more convenient for them. We need to configure the shipment to ship with FedEx Ground and to include the Send to Hold at Location option.
All Options Are Available
Notice in the GIF below that even after the FedEx Send to Hold at Location option is enabled, the Universal Rate Selector still shows options for USPS and for UPS. Why?
Postsale displays all available carrier/service/rate combinations based upon the package weight and dimensions so that you can make the best possible decision on how to ship your package.
For example, even with Send to Hold at Location enabled, you could still decide to ship with other services and options if desired.
With User Selected all of the available carrier/service/rate combinations are displayed in order by rate (lowest to highest rate).
