Kryptronic Software Support Forum

If you've set up your USPS correctly, you have to change the delivery method to USPS for each product. 

The USPS API is very easy to set up if you have a USPS username and password and the directions in the User's Guide are very clear and easy to follow.

I have the same problem with no 1st class - only Priority Mail.  Most of what we sell ships in boxes (and ships UPS) so it doesn't apply.  We do mail free samples and I got around that problem by setting up a custom shipping method for samples charging 0.50 each to ship them.  Since you sell cards, that may be an option for you too. It was easy to do by cloning the default shipping method and changing the rate to 0.50 instead of 10.00.  Of course, I gave it a unique name.

I went through usps.php and ECOM_Ship.php and can't find the problem.  Maybe someone can help us both with that.

I set up a trial account with Intershipper and they do return 1st class rates, Unfortunately, they return 1st class rates on things that are too large for 1st class.   Intershipper would have been very expensive for us so I canceled our account.  I just wanted to see what they returned.

Dave, I'm using fractional pounds such as .15.  Are you saying they need to be in whole once fractions such as 0.0625, 0.125, 0.1875, etc.?

I just set up a test product that weighs 0.0625 with dims of 5 x 5 x 0.0625 and no joy on 1st class.  Is this a bug?

Last edited by susan2go (06-01-2010 16:46:16)

Oh, I see that now!  It was set for "false."  How did I miss those 2 paragraphs on page 122 of the manual... .)

Yep, it works, but it is charging $1.22 to mail a sample that fits in an envelope.  I wonder why?

Last edited by susan2go (06-01-2010 17:54:41)

According to the API documentation, there are 3 types of 1st class:

<Service/> <FirstCl.../> <Size/> <Container/> <Machinable/> Dimensions <Girth/> <ShipDate/> Max. Weight
First Class Letter Ignored Ignored Required Ignored Ignored Ignored 3.5 oz.
First Class Flat Ignored Ignored Required Ignored Ignored Ignored 13 oz.
First Class Parcel Ignored Ignored Ignored Ignored Ignored Ignored 13 oz.

Machinable is a required field for a 1st class letter rate it seems.  I haven't tried turning on debug to see what is going on.

This is the xml required for a 1st class letter:

<RateV3Request USERID="xxx">
<Package ID="1ST">
<Service>FIRST CLASS</Service>
<FirstClassMailType>LETTER</FirstClassMailType>
<ZipOrigination>44106</ZipOrigination>
<ZipDestination>20770</ZipDestination>
<Pounds>0</Pounds>
<Ounces>3.5</Ounces>
<Size>REGULAR</Size>
<Machinable>true</Machinable>
</Package>

It may be easier to crate a custom shipping method for 1st class letters.

Last edited by susan2go (06-01-2010 18:22:39)

jensme wrote:

You are all so much smarter than me.  I don't even know what you're talking about!!!  Though it looks like it might be XML.

Honey, I've been doing this stuff forever it seems.  You're a relative newb. Being a webmonkey is only impressive in places like this.

I couldn't see the xml output in the debugger, but I feel sure that the cart has no way to discern if you are sending a machinable letter so I imagine USPS is returning 1st class parcel rate, the only first class rate that does not require the machinable field.  I could be wrong, but this is the logical conclusion.

I found this in usps.php

$machinable = 'True';

I tried changing it to
$machineable = 'true';

I even hardcoded "LETTER" into the code and still got the same result:

if ($service == 'First Class') {
                    $xml .= '<FirstClassMailType>' . 'LETTER' . '</FirstClassMailType>';
               }

So I have not a clue why this is happening.

I went to the USPS site and tried mailing the same item in all the different 1st class envelope sizes and none of them came to what the cart calculated: $1.22.

Eureka: I tried mailing a package weighing 1 oz and the result:

First-Class Mail® Package [More info about First-Class Mail® Package]
    1 day    $1.22

So, in my case, the script is returning the value for a First-Class Mail package and obviously the script is not coding the package as a letter.

Last edited by susan2go (06-01-2010 20:25:03)