I run a webstore and need to calculate shipping for my products. However, I have quite a few different suppliers who drop ship for me and each is unique in how they charge shipping. I'm thinking it would be better if I charged a set percentage of the order total. Any ideas?
2007-09-21 05:19:30 · 5 answers · asked by pax5377 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
The U.S. Postal System has a website, www.usps.com where you can enter the weight, dimensions of the box, and where the package is being sent from and to, and it will tell you exactly how much it cost.
I would suggest entering a few of your standard items, size boxes, shipments, what-have-you, and price shipping based on the median cost of various large city zips. This is what I do... In some cases a lose a little money, on others I gain a little, but it all evens out in the end.
God bless!
2007-09-21 05:27:36 · answer #1 · answered by Mel W 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the first question you have to ask yourself is how your customers evaluate shipping charges in their purchase... if you think its a factor, invest the money into creating a shipment calculator on your website. You will have to get all the rates from your drop shippers to various destinations and tie each product to a shipping rate table... and example of a simple way is here, where they have rates for 223 countries.
http://www.bongous.com/shipping_cost_calculator.php or you can have it auto calculate at check out.
Both those options will cost some money from a development perspective.
Another, and popular choice, is to offer a standard shipping rate.... "$Y.00 shipping anywhere in the US". Set Y to something that allows you to break even. This may not work given the margin and wieght variation of your products.
The carriers also offer API's for rate calcs... but again a more extensive implementation.
2007-09-25 01:43:23 · answer #2 · answered by craig 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably want to monitor the charges over a month or so and see if there is a pattern that would allow you to avoid loosing money on this.
Some people charge in bands based on number of items or value of items.
Some people have a fixed charge for the first item and then a smaller amount for further items.
You could also have a large postage charge but then if people spend over a specified limit you waive that charge.
Amazon also do a special charge for particularly large or heavy items.
2007-09-21 05:28:31 · answer #3 · answered by fleacircusdirector 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most small businesses figure their inbound shipping cost at 10% of the product cost.
2007-09-21 05:29:00 · answer #4 · answered by Sophie B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
shall we are saying weight has the wight of the equipment and distance is the gap in miles, and value the cost you cost him. What you probably did not specify is what if its like 3 kg and 7-hundred miles, how might you cost, is it one million.10$ or extra as in line with distance. observe that value is a decide for the flow variable If its as in line with distance if(weight <= 2) { value = (decide for the flow) distance * one million.10; } else { value = (decide for the flow) distance * (another value); } in case you cost basically like for 500 miles like if its 1200 miles and you cost for under 1000 miles and depart something, then if(weight <= 2) { value = (decide for the flow) (((int) (distance/500)) * one million.10); } else { value = (decide for the flow) (((int) (distance/500)) * (another value)); } right here typecasting to int takes away the decimal and you get an integer. like 1200/500 = 2. desire this helps
2016-10-19 07:43:51 · answer #5 · answered by jeremie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋