Customizing ProductCart - insurance fees on usps shipping

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insurance fees on usps shipping

Printed From: ProductCart E-Commerce Solutions
Category: ProductCart
Forum Name: Customizing ProductCart
Forum Description: Exchange messages with other users that are customizing ProductCart.
URL: https://forum.productcart.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2543
Printed Date: 19-July-2025 at 8:37am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: insurance fees on usps shipping

Posted By: JWL
Subject: insurance fees on usps shipping
Date Posted: 09-March-2009 at 6:20pm

Our usps calculator isn't coming back with insurance added like the ups does - is there a way for the usps to add in the insurance cost to the shipping? thanks.

Replies:

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 09-March-2009 at 6:38pm

EI would need to respond if this is no longer applicable, but here is a link to which they referred me a couple years ago:

http://www.earlyimpact.com/faqs/afmviewfaq.asp?faqid=418&source=KB - http://www.earlyimpact.com/faqs/afmviewfaq.asp?faqid=418&source=KB

-------------
GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code |

Posted By: JWL
Date Posted: 11-March-2009 at 9:50pm

No, that is another edit I had to make for UPS insurance to total the value of the order - and it works great... I'm talking about USPS shipping rates - it only returns the rates without insurance added... I need the USPS to return rates with insurance added in like UPS does.

Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 19-March-2009 at 3:46pm

Any updates on this Postal request. I would love to be able to set mandatory insurance on international shipments, and orders over 100 dollars for USPS. Don't need it for UPS.
Katharina

Posted By: Polly
Date Posted: 01-May-2009 at 2:54pm

For USPS, the link above only applies to international shipments:

'U.S.P.S. OPTIONAL VARIABLES
'******************************************************************
'// USPS Value of Content for International Rates Only
'// If specified, it is used to compute Insurance fee
'// (if insurance is available for service and destination) and
'// indemnity coverage.
'// To turn this variable on, change the value to "1"
'//
'// For Example:
'// pcv_UseValueOfContents=1

'******************************************************************
pcv_UseValueOfContents=1
'******************************************************************

We need to add insurance to domestic USPS also. If the Post Office can't supply it, can you create an option in the Shipping Settings, allowing us to add insurance? There is a spot to add a flat handling charge, but insurance varies depending on the price of the order.
The rates we need to add are the "USPS 1st Class/Priority" column here:
http://www.rings-things.com/misc/shipping_insurance.htm

(The insurance values returned by UPS & FedEx work fine -- it is only USPS that doesn't return any, so we'd like to go ahead and add them on our own.)

-------------
~~ R&T systems director

Posted By: Russ Nobbs
Date Posted: 01-June-2009 at 8:53pm

Today we were told by EarlyImpact:
After your receiving your message, our developer remembered that this sounded familiar.... so we just re downloaded the latest documentation for USPS Web Tools V3, and unfortunately it turns out that there is NOT a variable for insurance listed under the Domestic Rates API (only for the International Rates API). You can see the USPS API here:

http://www.usps.com/webtools/_pdf/Rate-Calculators-v2-1.pdf

So, strange as it may seem -- it appears that there is currently no way to add insurance automatically with Domestic Rates, so we have updated the FAQ to reflect this.

Anyone worked out a workaround for this?
Seems like we can code in a tiered rate or use the available single flat rate charge to put in an insurance rate we can live with. (Too expensive for some, too cheap for expensive shipments.)
OTOH, anyone have an in at the Post Office and know who to ask to modify the API that doesn't do the whole job?

There is nothing in the PC Wiki on this yet. The FAQ is
http://www.earlyimpact.com/faqs/afmmain.asp?topicid=&faqid=

Posted By: Russ Nobbs
Date Posted: 03-June-2009 at 11:39am

The USPS pdf link posted above goes to a DRAFT version of the API for rate calculations. In conversations with regional USPS personal we are told that it is wrong and out of date.
(You've never had that experience with the PO before, have you?)

We were told that the USPS site should return domestic insurance rates. The other user interfaces do include domestic insurance. I'll keep this forum informed if and when we learn more.

Posted By: Russ Nobbs
Date Posted: 22-November-2009 at 1:21am

The USPS API Reference guide has been updated at http://www.usps.com/webtools/_pdf/Rate-Calculators-v2-3.pdf - http://www.usps.com/webtools/_pdf/Rate-Calculators-v2-3.pdf

Insurance is only mentioned in the international section making it appear that the domestic API still does not return any insurance information.

Posted By: Russ Nobbs
Date Posted: 20-February-2010 at 12:33am

Version 2.3a is now available for 2010 (Document Version 2.3a (01/04/10)) but still only references insurance in the international section.