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How to Resolve Shipping Rate Discrepancies in ShipperHQ

Identify and fix causes of mismatched shipping rates in ShipperHQ settings

Overview

Experiencing discrepancies between the shipping rates displayed in ShipperHQ and those expected from your carriers can often be resolved by reviewing and adjusting your account settings. In this article, we’ll provide you with some basic information on why rates might differ and steps you can take to review your settings and ensure accurate shipping rates are quoted at checkout. 😊

Table of Contents

Common Causes for Rate Differences

Shipping rate differences in ShipperHQ can stem from several factors:

  • Incorrect carrier settings
  • Handling fees
  • Practical rate calculation differences

For example, mismatches in carrier account settings or incorrect shipping rules or packing configurations can cause variations in rates. Other considerations, like residential delivery surcharges or different rate types (negotiated versus retail), may also influence rate differences.

It's crucial to align comparisons between ShipperHQ and the carrier's rates on criteria such as service level, weight, packing dimensions, and destination to resolve rate differences.

Steps to Resolve Rate Differences

Test Your Rates in ShipperHQ

If the rates shown at checkout don't match your carrier’s expected shipping costs, begin with this essential step. Use ShipperHQ's "Test Your Rates" feature to simulate shipping scenarios and compare them with expectations. This tool helps identify the shipping rates received by ShipperHQ and passed to your site.

Test Your Rates

Verify Carrier Settings

  • Rate Types: Ensure the rate types (e.g., negotiated rates, retail rates) match those in your carrier accounts. Navigate to Carriers > select the carrier > Account Settings on the “Basic” tab to check and adjust as needed.

    Carrier Account Settings

  • Handling Fees: Check for handling fees in ShipperHQ that might increase costs. Look under the “Fees” tab for carrier-level fees that override shipping rules.

    Handling Fees

  • Declared Value: Decide if declared value information is sent to carriers. This setting affects rates and can be adjusted under the “Account Settings” in the Carrier’s “Basic” tab.

    Declared Value

  • Residential vs. Commercial Rates: Confirm the address type (residential or commercial) as this classification affects rates. Use Google Maps for verification or consider ShipperHQ’s Address Validation Advanced Feature for automatic detection.

    Address Validation

Boxes & Packing Settings

Dimensional Packing

If not using the Dimensional Packing feature, rates are calculated based solely on weight, which can lead to inaccuracies. We encourage enabling this feature to consider both weight and dimensions.

Dimensional Packing Enabled

  • Packing Boxes: Verify selected boxes are accurate. Incorrect selections can skew rate calculations. Utilize the Rates calculator to review box choices.

    Dimensional Packing

  • Oversized Items: Ensure configured boxes can fit all items. Oversized items default to incorrect dimensions, impacting rates. If this occurs, boxes will be listed as “SHQ_Custom.”

    Oversized Items

Troubleshooting Boxes

Refer to this article to view store logs and determine selected boxes. For issues with incorrect box selection, see this document.

Box Surcharges

Check for surcharges linked to specific boxes. To view, click the box, navigate to the Advanced tab, and locate the Per Box Surcharge Price field.

Box Surcharges

Check Shipping Rules

Box-Based Shipping Rules

Review any box-based surcharges or discounts under the Shipping Rules tab:

  1. Go to Shipping Rules > edit the box-based Carrier Rule
  2. Open the Advanced panel
  3. Check the Boxes Include dropdown to ensure appropriate boxes are included

Shipping Rules

Surcharges and Discounts

Evaluate shipping rules for unintended surcharges or discounts. Adjust them as needed. Please see here for guidance on configuring and testing shipping rules.

Confirm Unit Consistency

  • Weight Units: Ensure consistency between ShipperHQ and your eCommerce platform. Check global settings for weights and measures in the Global Settings section.

    Global Settings

Analyze Store Logs

Examine store logs for rate calculation insights. Logs can reveal discrepancies and configuration issues. Find steps to locate your store logs here.

Contact Support if Needed

If issues persist after following these steps, collect the following and contact ShipperHQ support:

  1. Transaction ID/Quote ID: Found in your store's logs.
  2. Carrier Rate Comparison: Replicate the carrier's quote online and screenshot the results.
    • Include shipping information, origin and destination addresses, number of packages, and dimensions.
  3. ShipperHQ Test Results: Use the Test Your Rates feature and capture full address, cart details, and transaction ID.

Providing this information helps support efficiently diagnose and resolve issues.

By covering these areas, you can often correct common causes of shipping rate discrepancies and ensure reliable shipping calculations for your customers. 😊✅