When fulfilling an order, choosing the right shipping rate is an important step in balancing cost, delivery speed, and customer expectations.
Manually Selecting a Rate
From the Orders page, you can select a rate by adjusting the shipping service under the Rates dropdown menu. This allows you to:
- Compare available carriers and services.
- Switch to a faster or more affordable option depending on customer needs.
- Override an automatically assigned service if necessary.
Tip: If your customer has requested expedited shipping, make sure you select the correct upgraded service before purchasing the label.
Automation Rules for Rate Selection
If you have Automation Rules set up, the system will automatically assign a shipping service based on the conditions you’ve defined (e.g., weight, destination, or order value). This helps eliminate manual work and ensures consistency.
For example:
- All orders over 10 lbs can automatically default to UPS Ground.
- Lightweight packages under 1 lb can automatically default to USPS First-Class.
Automation reduces errors and saves time, especially when processing large volumes.
Rate Shopping: Finding the Best Option
Rate Shopping helps you choose the most cost-effective or fastest shipping service from multiple carriers.
- Manual Rate Shopping: From the Orders page, review the available services and compare delivery times, costs, and carriers before selecting the best fit.
- Automated Rate Shopping: Instead of manually reviewing, you can set rules that automatically select the cheapest or fastest option available. This ensures that each order gets the best rate without requiring you to manually compare services.
Learn more about rate shopping here: Rate Shopping with VESYL
Batch Shipping: Selecting Rates for Multiple Orders
If you’re processing a high volume of orders, Batch Shipping allows you to select and apply rates to multiple orders at once. This streamlines fulfillment and ensures efficiency.
- Bulk Rate Selection: Choose a carrier service for a group of orders in one step.
- Smart Batch Processing: Combine batch processing with rate shopping or automation rules to automatically assign the best rates across all orders in the batch.
- Time Savings: Instead of clicking into each individual order, you can process hundreds of shipments in just a few steps.
Learn more about batch shipping here: Batch Shipping with VESYL
Best Practices
- Use Automation Rules to eliminate repetitive decisions.
- Enable Automated Rate Shopping to always get the lowest or fastest option without manual effort.
- For large volumes, use Batch Shipping to quickly process orders at scale.
- Always double-check rates for expedited or international shipments where accuracy is critical.
