This article covers troubleshooting real-time shipping quotes generated using our Basic Shipping integrations (like USPS by Endicia, UPS®, FedEx).
Common real-time shipping quote issues/symptoms include:
- A particular service is not showing up / being offered at checkout.
- The returned real-time quote is much higher or lower than expected.
- Quotes are returned for some products, but not for others.
You can view a history of shipping quotes generated in your store, as well as error messages for any failed quotes, in your Store Logs.
Resources and Tools
Before you can begin troubleshooting inaccurate real-time shipping quotes, you need to understand how the store packs orders. See Understanding the Shipping Calculator for more information.
You should also be aware of the size and weight limits imposed by different providers. See our related articles below for this and other resources for each provider, or you can find the information directly from their sites.
- Setting up USPS
- Setting Up UPS®
- Setting up FedEx
- Setting Up Royal Mail
- Setting Up Canada Post
- Setting Up Australia Post
- Setting up Zoom2u
Once you understand how the store calculates packages, you can use each providers' quote finder tools to test and confirm how much a particular shipment will cost.
Limits
Exceeded limits are the most common cause of missing or higher-than-expected quotes. Note that weight limits are actual weight limits, not dimensional weight limits (also known as cubic weight or volumetric weight).
For example, let's say a 30” x 30” x 30” package has a dimensional weight of 163 lbs. It will still return a FedEx Home Delivery Quote with an additional oversize charge, as long as the actual weight remains under 70 lbs.
Some services have their own specific limits. For example, FedEx Ground (commercial) and FedEx Home Delivery (residential) have a max length of 108”, but FedEx’s expedited services (Next Day, 2-Day) have a max length of 119”.
Fees and Additional Charges
If a shipment has one of the following surcharges or fees applied to it, it will be factored into the quote without alerting the shopper. There is also no control panel alert to make the store owner aware of the additional shipping cost. A symptom of this situation would be that quotes are successfully returned, but are much higher than expected.
Recreate the shipment at the provider’s own calculator to confirm if it’s subject to additional fees, charges, or penalties. You can click or hover over the shipping cost to see line item fees or charges.
UPS and FedEx also allow you to use your specific account numbers with their calculators. This will provide the most accurate quotes if you have an account number connected to your setup.
Note that to check account number level quotes with FedEx’s calculator, you will have to log in to fedex.com with a username and password.
Additional Handling
For FedEx and UPS, the longest side of the shipment must be less than 48”, and the second longest side of the shipment must be less than 30”, or the quote will include an “Additional handling surcharge - dimension” fee.
Example of an additional handling surcharge in FedEx.
Example of an additional handling surcharge in UPS.
Oversize / Large Package
The longest side + girth must be less than 130” or the quote will include an “Oversize 3 (OS3)” or “Large Package” fee.
In the example below, the package dimensions are 31" length + (25" width x 2) + (25" height x 2), which comes out to 131” and prompts the additional charge.
Example of an oversize surcharge in FedEx.
Example of an oversize surcharge in UPS.
