Shopify App - Quick Set Up Guide

Shopify App - Quick Set Up Guide

Quick Set Up Summary

This article will guide you through a quick setup with simple customisation. 

In order to set up the app you are required to complete the following steps:
  1. Search and install the Big Post Shipping app.
  2. Create a Big Post Custom Integration System (CIS) account or log in with an existing account. 
    If registering for the first time, your account will need to be approved.
  3. Connect the CIS to your Big Post account by adding your API token within the settings.
  4. Set the Default Shipping Rate. 
  5. Add your warehouse location or use your existing Shopify location(s). 
  6. Add SKUs to your products and save their respective dimensions, weight, and package types to the CIS. 
  7. Make both email address and phone number required at checkout.
  8. Lastly, add Big Post Shipping as a shipping method in your Shipping Profiles to activate the rates on your website. 

Important

While Shopify allow us to integrate with their systems and make this integration available for you to use, there are some non-negotiable limitations you should be aware of.

The ‘Third-party calculated shipping rates’ feature is only available for ‘Advanced’ Shopify plans or yearly-billed Standard ‘Shopify’ plans. Because of this, ‘Basic’ accounts cannot be integrated with our plugin. More information here: https://www.shopify.com/au/pricing , under ‘Compare Plan Features’.

To ensure the shipping cost is displayed on checkout within a reasonable time, a default message and price will be displayed if no Big Post prices have been retrieved within 10 seconds. If a default rate has been offered to your customer, it will be your responsibility to contact the customer and ensure the correct shipping amount has been received before despatching your goods to the buyer (this will require a manual quote and job creation within the Big Post system).

For a faster quote, we recommend having only one warehouse/pickup location enabled; having less carriers and/or job types enabled on your Big Post account can also result in faster quotes which in turn lowers the likelihood of the default price and message from being displayed and manual job creations/quotes and provides a better customer experience.

Depending on your previous settings, Shopify may automatically add new apps to your Shipping Profiles upon installation. To avoid incorrect shipping quotes being provided to your customers, please monitor your Shipping Profiles after installing the app.''

Please note that the Big Post rates will not be correct until your product dimensions are imported. 

1. Install the Big Post Shipping App 


Simply search for "Big Post Shipping" in the Shopify app store and click 'Install'. Alternatively, the app is linked here: Big Post Shipping - Live competitive shipping rates and auto consignment creations | Shopify App Store

2. Register to the CIS 


Navigation: Shopify Admin > Apps > Big Post Shipping

If it is your first time installing the app, you will be prompted to register for a new 'Big Post Shipping' App account.
Notes
Please note that the app account is separate from your Big Post account. 

3. Generate and Add Big Post API Token



You can generate your unique API token from the Big Post System by navigating to Admin > My API Tokens > Create API token. 
Alert
Please be sure to save the API token somewhere safe as it will only be displayed once. 
Info

Navigation: Big Post CIS > Settings > Big Post

Once generated please enter the API token on the App/CIS settings, under the Big Post tab in the "Production - Big Post API Token" field.

4. Set Default Shipping Rate

Navigation: Big Post CIS > Settings > Shopify

To ensure your customer is always able to submit their order, the Default Shipping Rate should be set to provide the customer with a 'shipping option' to submit the order. You can use the Default Shipping Rate to communicate a shipping calculation error and let the customer know to contact you for a shipping quote. 
Info
Idea
For example:
Rate Title: Contact Us For a Shipping Quote
Rate Description: An error occurred while calculating your shipping rate, please try again in a few minutes or contact us on 0301234567.
Rate Price: 0.00

5. Warehouse Locations

In order for the app to provide a quote, you must declare the shipping information, including the pickup location for each product. 

'Warehouse Locations' are used within to CIS to signify the pickup address. You may choose to use your existing Shopify locations or you can declare them separately in the CIS. 
Notes
If you would like the Big Post Shipping app to consider your Shopify inventory or Order Routing rules, please use your existing Shopify Locations rather than the CIS Warehouses. 

CIS Warehouses


Navigation: Big Post CIS > Settings > Warehouses
When adding a warehouse/pickup location within the CIS, please add the correct Company Name as this will be added to the Big Post job and sent to the carrier. 

Shopify Locations


Navigation: Big Post CIS > Settings > Shopify

Should you wish to use these existing Shopify locations, you will need to tick this box under the Shopify settings and click 'Update' to save your change. Then, head to the 'Warehouses' tab within the settings and click 'Sync Locations'.


Navigation: Big Post CIS > Settings > Warehouses
Alert
You must sync your Shopify locations every time you make any changes regarding locations or shipping zones.

6. Product Information


Navigation: Big Post CIS > Products

You must declare and regularly update your product information for the app to calculate the shipping costs. Within the products tab you can add, view and import your products, declare package dimensions and change individual settings for each product.

Navigation: Big Post CIS > Products > Add Product

You can manually add a product by simply clicking the ‘Add Product’ button. All of the fields will need to be entered in, shipping types and warehouses selected and the correct ‘package type’ selected.

Enable Widget: If you do not wish to offer a shipping quote for this product you can untick this box. For example, your freight might be extremely large and the cost of shipping is Price on Application only.

Name: Name of the product. This is not required to match the product name within your Shopify store for quoting or job bookings to work correctly.

SKU: Ensure that a product's SKU is the same between the CIS and within your Shopify store. Can be letters or numbers or both.

Shipping Types: Turn the services you wish to offer your customers on or off. “Use Admin Setting” uses your default shipping setting that has been selected within Settings > Shipping Types.

Authority To Leave (ATL): Customise this setting to allow or restrict ATL deliveries for each product or use your default setting.

Available in Warehouses: Select the warehouses this product is stocked in. 

Packages: You have the option to have multiple packages for the single product. You can add or remove packages by clicking the "Add" button and entering in the package details. For example, your customer may purchase one portable basketball ring but it is delivered in two cartons (one carton contains the ring and the second carton contain the stand). Therefore, two sets of package details are required.

Dimensions & Package Type: Every product requires the dimensions for each respective carton or pallet (single or multiple packages). Choose the correct Package Type for this product otherwise the shipping quote will be incorrect.
Info
Any items/packages over 30-40kg will need to be palletised with the ‘package type’ set to: pallet, skid, crate or stillage. Although 40kg is the limit for cartons, only a select few services allow for these heavy items so it is recommended to palletise all items over 30kg.

7. Shopify Checkout Settings

Navigation: Shopify Admin > Settings > Checkout

Big Post requires both an email address and a phone number for the receiver to create a job, but as these fields can be made optional at checkout, you must make them both required, as shown in the screenshot above.

8. Activate Big Post Shipping rates 


Navigation: Shopify Admin > Settings > Shipping and delivery > General

To activate your rates, you will need to add the ‘Bigpost Shipping’ app to your Shopify Shipping Profile. This should be done by either managing your existing Shipping Profiles or by creating a new shipping profile where you can add all the products you want to ship via Big Post.
Warning
Please complete this step after all your product information has been added/updated to avoid incorrect shipping quotes being offered to your customer.
Congratulations, you're all done! 

Feel free to email us if you have any questions or require any assistance with setup. 

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