How do you configure WC - APG Weight Shipping?

We are going to learn how to configure the WC - APG Weight Shipping plugin starting from a real rate card, in this case from the company Tourline Express, for a company based on the island of Majorca, and which we can see working for real at Herves-Vida.

The first thing we are going to do, if we have not done it already, is to install the plugin. You already know that to do that you have to upload the woocommerce-apg-weight-and-postcodestatecountry-shipping folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory, or upload the complete ZIP file via Plugins -> Add New -> Upload in the administration panel of your WordPress installation, or simply search for WC - APG Weight Shipping in Plugins -> Add New.

Once the plugin has been uploaded to the server, you have to activate it through the Plugins menu in the WordPress administration panel.

Now that we have it installed and activated, we are going to configure it by clicking the Settings button, where we will find ourselves straight away on the APG Shipping Costs tab, or through WooCommerce -> Settings -> Shipping, where we will find ourselves on the Shipping Options tab. It is important that, before configuring the shipping costs, we have configured the taxes beforehand. For that we strongly recommend reading How do you configure VAT for the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla in WooCommerce 2.0?.

In our example we are going to enable the shipping costs for Spain, including the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and the Balearic Islands, and Portugal. And we will do it in three simple steps.

In the first place, and to begin with, we are going to enable the shipping method by ticking the Enable/Disable box. In Method title we are going to put Tourline Express and in Tax status we will select Taxable; let us remember that we had already configured it with VAT at 21%, just as we stated in How do you configure VAT for the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla in WooCommerce 2.0?. In Cost per order we can add a fixed handling and packaging cost, although in our case we have not used it. In Additional cost we can add a second fixed or percentage cost; in our particular example we have an additional cost of 8% per order for transport insurance, so we have added it to this field. For the moment we are going to leave Shipping rates and we state the Number of postcode groups, Number of state groups and Number of country groups. In our example we are going to put 3, 3 and 1 respectively, that is, we are going to use three postcode groups, three state groups and one country group.

From version 0.9 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have set up a system that detects the configuration we have in the Allowed countries and/or Specific countries fields on the General options tab. Depending on the configuration we have, one option or another will appear:

• All countries: if we have selected this option in the Allowed countries field, we will find a field called Add global group.
• Specific countries: if we have selected this option in the Allowed countries field, and we have stated a list of countries in the Specific countries field, we will find a field called Add countries to specific.

In the event that we have the online shop configured to serve all the countries included in WooCommerce and we need to create a global rate to be used in all the countries not included in any of the groups we create, in version 0.8 we have added a new field called Add global group that lets us create the rates we need for those countries grouped into a new group whose code is given to us automatically by WC - APG Weight Shipping.

In Add countries to specific we tick the box so that it automatically updates the Specific countries field on the General options tab. Lastly, before clicking Save changes, we are going to add only the two countries we need, given that we are only going to use a single country group. We will do it in Country group 1 (C1) by selecting Spain and Portugal, and we will leave the Tax class for C1 field at 21%.

After clicking Save changes, we will proceed with the second step. Now we are going to add the postcode and state groups. In the Postcode group 1 (P1) field, as we want it to affect all of the Balearic Islands except Majorca and Formentera, we add all the postcodes that Ibiza and Menorca have, given that Cabrera does not have a postcode. In our particular case we are going to put 07730; 07750; 07760; 07769; 07550; 07559; 07560; 07700-07714; 07740; 07748; 07749; 07710; 07711; 07713; 07720; 07800; 07814; 07819; 07840; 07849; 07850; 07816; 07820; 07828; 07817; 07818; 07829; 07830; 07839; 07810; 07811; 07812; 07815.

Remember that in the postcode fields we can use the wildcard character (*) to state a whole province, for example 07*, and a range, like the one used in this example 07700-07714, which will be converted automatically by the system into all the postcodes that make it up 07700; 07701; 07702; 07703; 07704; 07705; 07706; 07707; 07708; 07709; 07710; 07711; 07712; 07713; 07714. It is also important to remember that you have to put a semicolon (;) between one postcode and the next.

In the Postcode group 2 (P2) field we are going to put the postcodes of Formentera, in this case 07870; 07871; 07872; 07860. And in the Postcode group 3 (P3) field we are going to put 35540, which is the postcode of the island of La Graciosa, which is the only Minor Island of the Canary Islands that is inhabited, and which has, just like the island of Formentera, a special surcharge. In the first two cases we will leave the tax class as it is, at 21%, while in the Tax class for P3 field we will select the Exento VAT class.

Now we only have the State (province) group 1 (S1) field left, where we will put Ceuta and Melilla, State (province) group 2 (S2), where we will put Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and State (province) group 3 (S3), where we will put the Balearic Islands, so that it only affects Majorca, given that we control the rest of the islands by postcode. In the Tax class for S1 and Tax class for S2 fields we will select the Exento VAT class, so that it does not charge the 21% VAT to Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands. And now we can click Save changes to bring the second step to an end.

Now that we have finished configuring the name, the costs, the postcodes, the states, the countries and the tax classes we need, we only have to enter the various Shipping rates for each weight, measurement and group.

Remember that the format proposed to us for entering the rates is: 1000|6.95|P2,S1,C3|10x15x30, which is equivalent to: weight|price|group/s|length, height and width. In the event of using the same rate for more than one group, we must separate them with commas.

The measurements are optional and can be entered or not. WC - APG Weight Shipping will remind us of the weight and measurement units we have configured in the shop, so we must adjust the maximum weights and measurements to these units.

As in our particular case we have the gram configured as the Weight Unit of the online shop, remember that it is configured in WooCommerce -> Settings -> Catalog, we will put the weights in grams in bands of 1000 by 1000 up to 10 kilos (10,000 grams).

We are going to start by entering the cheapest rates:

For Postcode group 1 (P1) we are going to use the rates stated under Servicios Baleares in the Tourline Express rate card:

1000|8.67|P1
2000|10.00|P1
3000|11.38|P1
4000|12.75|P1
5000|16.19|P1
6000|19.63|P1
7000|23.07|P1
8000|26.51|P1
9000|29.95|P1
10000|33.39|P1

For Postcode group 2 (P2) we are going to use the rates stated under Servicios Baleares but with an increase of €8.00 per order and €2.50 per additional kilo:
1000|16.67|P2
2000|20.50|P2
3000|24.38|P2
4000|28.25|P2
5000|34.19|P2
6000|30.13|P2
7000|40.13|P2
8000|46.07|P2
9000|52.01|P2
10000|57.95|P2

For Postcode group 3 (P3) we are going to use the rates stated under Canarias but with an increase of €6.00 per order and €1.50 per additional kilo:
1000|20.79|P3
2000|25.97|P3
3000|33.33|P3
4000|40.70|P3
5000|47.97|P3
6000|55.24|P3
7000|62.51|P3
8000|69.78|P3
9000|77.05|P3
10000|84.32|P3

For State (province) group 1 (S1) we are going to use the rates stated under Gibraltar, Ceuta y Melilla; note that in our case we have not used Gibraltar, but we could have configured it as Country group 2 (C2) and added it as S1,C2:
1000|19.28|S1
2000|23.57|S1
3000|29.07|S1
4000|34.58|S1
5000|42.74|S1
6000|50.90|S1
7000|59.06|S1
8000|67.22|S1
9000|75.38|S1
10000|83.54|S1

For State (province) group 2 (S2) we are going to use the rates stated under Canarias:
1000|14.79|S2
2000|18.47|S2
3000|24.33|S2
4000|30.20|S2
5000|35.97|S2
6000|41.74|S2
7000|47.51|S2
8000|53.28|S2
9000|59.08|S2
10000|64.82|S2

For State (province) group 3 (S3) we are going to use the rates stated under Servicios Mallorca:
5000|6.15|S3
6000|6.72|S3
7000|7.28|S3
8000|7.85|S3
9000|8.42|S3
10000|8.99|S3

And finally for Country group 1 (C1) we are going to use the rates stated under Nacional, Peninsular, Andorra or Portugal, Azores y Madeira, which are the same.
1000|11.37|C1
2000|13.47|C1
3000|16.23|C1
4000|18.16|C1
5000|20.90|C1
6000|23.64|C1
7000|26.38|C1
8000|29.12|C1
9000|31.86|C1
10000|34.60|C1

Before finishing we must configure Weight/dimension excess, which gives us the ability to allow customers to place orders that exceed the maximum weight and/or dimensions established. It is enabled by default, so in the event of excess weight or dimensions, WC - APG Weight Shipping will return the maximum rate established for the affected group. In the event that we disable it, and the order exceeds the weight and/or dimensions established, no rate of any kind will be returned.

Now we click Save changes for the third and last time and we now have all the rates we are going to need completely configured.

In the event that we need to configure more than one transport company, we can add it/them in the Additional shipping costs field, available in WooCommerce -> Settings -> Shipping, and click Save changes. Once we do it, the new shipping cost/s will appear and we will be able to arrange them in the order in which we want them to appear and configure them with the rates each company states to us. From version 1.7 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have changed the interface of this option and we have created a completely new function to manage it.

From version 0.7 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have added two new options:

• No shipping: in this option we can state all the postcode and/or state (province) groups in which we do not want orders from our online shop to be served. Very useful for those who do not want to serve the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, for example.
• Payment gateway: in this option we can link the shipping with a specific payment gateway. Very useful for those of you who use cash on delivery. From version 1.2 onwards more than one payment gateway can be selected simultaneously.

From version 0.9 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have added a new option that will only appear if we have the WC - APG Free Shipping plugin installed and activated:

• Show only APG Free Shipping: which, if it is enabled, will hide the rate we have configured and will show only the free shipping, if it is enabled for the zone, postcode, state (province) or country of the shipping.

From version 1.6 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have added support for shipping classes, so for each postcode, state (province) and/or country group we will be able to select, as well as the VAT class we want to apply, and in the event that we have any configured, the shipping class we want to apply for each group. In the case of the shipping classes, we will be able to select all the available ones, just one or several at a time, just as we can do with the payment gateways. In How do shipping classes work in WC - APG Weight Shipping? you will find more information.

From version 1.8 of WC - APG Weight Shipping onwards we have added the No shipping (Shipping classes) option to state which shipping classes we do not want the shipping costs to be applied to.

As you have been able to see, WC - APG Weight Shipping is very simple to configure and offers us a great many possibilities. If you come across any problem or need any improvement, do not hesitate to get in touch with APG.

Update: given that the configuration screen has been completely redesigned, the screenshots will not be exactly what you will see on your screen. New features added.