Troubleshooting WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin

Struggling to get accurate shipping rates or print labels with your WooCommerce USPS plugin? Shipping issues can quickly turn a smooth running online store into a customer service nightmare. Let’s dive into this article and learn more about troubleshooting WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin!

Even a small oversight can prevent shipping rates from appearing or correct rates from being displayed when creating plugins for WooCommerce. Customer loyalty can be negatively impacted by issues like incorrect shipping costs or the absence of free shipping options. These common problems will be explored in this article. In any such case, you may end up losing your valuable customers.

Check out this article to ensure smooth shipping operations in your store by troubleshooting ELEX WooCoommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label Plugin!

Troubleshooting WooCommerce for not Getting Rates at All

If you’re not receiving any shipping rates, there could be several reasons why the USPS API isn’t fetching real-time rates. Here’s a list of common issues and how to resolve them:

1. Enable Shipping
   It might seem basic, but sometimes the “Enable Shipping” checkbox isn’t selected. By default, shipping is disabled, so make sure you enable it in two places:
   • WooCommerce Settings
     Navigate to the WooCommerce settings and enable the shipping calculator.
   • USPS Plugin Settings
     Similarly, ensure that shipping is enabled in the USPS plugin settings.
2. Weight and Dimensions
   USPS calculates shipping costs based on the weight and dimensions (Length, Width, & Height) of your products, in addition to the origin and destination addresses. Ensure that these details are accurately entered in the product settings.
3. Fallback Field Check
   The Fallback field should either contain a numeric value or be left empty. Text entries in this field can cause issues, so double-check that it’s correctly filled out.
   
   
4. Enable Flat Rate or API Rates
   To get shipping options on the cart or checkout page, you need to enable either Flat Rates or API rates in the plugin settings.
5. Core WooCommerce Shipping Options
   • Shipping Zones
     Ensure that the correct countries are specified in the shipping zones. If you’re shipping to specific districts, make sure the corresponding Zip Codes are entered.
   • Shipping Methods
     Make sure that the necessary shipping methods are enabled. These options will only appear on the cart/checkout page if activated here.

As soon as you execute these settings, you have all chances to get a shipping rate. Still, if no shipping rates are returned, it’s time to enable Debug mode. Debug mode helps you to find the exact reason for not getting a shipping rate or getting a specific shipping rate.

If you have done the above basic checks and still not getting rates, then you must enable debug mode to get the exact reason for not getting rates.

Debug Mode

If you’re not receiving accurate rates, missing some shipping options, or encountering issues with print labels, enabling Debug Mode can help you pinpoint the problem. The Debug Mode logs errors and warnings from the USPS Shipping Plugin, making it easier to identify issues.

• Enabling Debug Mode
  • Go to the USPS plugin settings and enable the Debug checkbox to activate Debug Mode.
  • Add a product to your cart and proceed to the checkout page to view debugging information. Make sure the shipping address is correctly entered.
    
• Sender Address Error
  If the Origin Zipcode isn’t entered, no shipping rates will be shown, and the customer will see an error message on the cart page. The debug log will indicate this as a “Sender Address Error.”
• Shipping Address Error
  When a customer enters an incorrect destination Zipcode, no rates will appear. If you have the option “Show Rates when Destination Zip is Available” selected, you might want to switch to “Show rates wherever available” to allow the customer to checkout, as you can always correct the address later.
  
  
• Debug Error Message
  Upon entering the shipping details on the checkout page, the error message appears in the search console’s debug log.
• Authentication Error
  An incorrect User ID in the USPS settings will result in an authentication error, preventing rates from being displayed. Ensure that the User ID is correct.
  
  
  From this response, you can clearly make out that authorization is a problem. So you can enter the correct User ID on the USPS Settings page as shown below:

  
  

Troubleshooting WooCommerce for Correct Rates

When the USPS plugin sends a request, it includes the origin and destination Zip codes along with the product’s weight and dimensions. The Request is sent to USPS by the plugin with a Zip code for the origin, destination, and dimensions of the product. The sample Request to USPS is as shown below:

You can see this XML code in a formatted way so that you can easily analyze information sent to USPS. In the code, you can see the information sent to USPS as explained below:

If the rates returned by USPS don’t match your expectations, follow these steps:

1. Recheck Origin and Destination Zip Codes
   • Ensure the origin Zip code is correctly entered in the USPS plugin settings.
   • Verify the destination Zip code at checkout.
     
2. Product Weight and Dimensions
   • Double-check the weight of the product in the product settings.
   • Confirm the box weight and dimensions in the USPS plugin’s shipping settings.
3. USPS Response
   You get the Response sent by USPS with rates for different services. You can see the response(XML code) in a formatted way so that you can easily analyze information sent from USPS. The formatted Response looks like as shown below:
    

   If the information sent to USPS is accurate and the issue persists, consider contacting USPS or using their online calculator to compare the rates.

Troubleshooting WooCommerce for Print Labels

If you’re unable to print labels, it could be due to various reasons. Here’s how to resolve them:

1. Product Availability
   Verify that the product you’re trying to print a label for still exists in your shop.
2. Weight and Dimensions
   Ensure that the product’s weight and dimensions are set correctly, as USPS requires these for calculating shipping costs.
3. Service Eligibility
   Choose a valid service for your shipment. For instance, if the product weighs 15 lbs, select Priority Mail instead of First Class, as the latter has a weight limit of 13 ounces.
   
   For example, consider the weight of the product to be 15 lbs. Then Admin should select Priority as the preferred service and not First Class because the weight limit for sending the package with First Class is 13 ounces.
4. Authentication Error
   If the User ID entered is incorrect, you’ll encounter an authorization error. Correct the User ID in the USPS settings.

Last Shot

Troubleshooting your WordPress and WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin is crucial to maintaining a smooth and efficient online business. Enabling Debug Mode can save you a lot of time by helping you resolve minor issues as they arise. If you’re still facing challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for further assistance. We’re here to help you ensure that your customers receive accurate shipping rates and labels, keeping your business running smoothly.

And if you are still struggling to get your settings right, you can contact our Online Support Team!

We will be happy to help you out!