Ultimate Guide to Set up WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin- Rates, Label Printing & Tracking Covered

USPS offers Wide Range of Cost effective Shipping solutions, hence it is widely opted in the United States.

Integrating USPS Shipping Plugin with your WooCommerce store can be highly beneficial as it offers wide range of shipping services.

This article works as an ultimate guide for you to gain a clear understanding about how you can set up USPS with your WooCommerce store and take advantage of its services.

ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking

When it comes to making use of USPS as your Shipping Carrier there are many plugins available in the market that help you integrate your WooCommerce Store seamlessly with USPS, click here to know some of the best WooCommerce USPS Plugins.

ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking is one such plugin which provides you with real time USPS Shipping rates, label printing and shipment tracking capabilities and the best part is that it is extremely easy to integrate this plugin with your WooCommerce store.

How does this Plugin work?

How to Setup the ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking’?

Install and activate the Plugin

Go to the ELEXtensions website and purchase the ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking’. You can read this article to get a fine idea to go about the same.

Once you are done purchasing the plugin it’s now time to download and install it, for this you need to,

Login to your ELEX account.
Go to ‘My Account’.
Select ‘Download Products’ and Go to the ‘Premium Downloads’ section to find ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print label and Shipment Tracking and click on ‘Download’.

After you are done downloading the Plugin you need to install it, for this you need to,

Login to your WordPress Website.
Go to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New’ > ‘Upload Plugin’ > ‘Choose File’ (Click on the Downloaded Plugin file) > ‘Install Now’ > ‘Activate Plugin’.

You can find the Plugin in the Activated Plugin list once you are done with the above process.

Configure the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking

General Settings

Go to ‘WooCommerce’ > ‘Settings’ > ‘Shipping’ > ‘USPS’.

Enable the Real-Time Rates to obtain the rates from USPS. By taking into consideration the shipping destination, weight and dimension of the package the plugin fetches the rates.

To continue you need to have a USPS account so that you can access USPS API’s. Go to the USPS Website and register. Once you have registered you will receive a user ID.

Fill in the origin postcode (store address postcode) this will also play a role in calculating real-time rates.

Rates and Services

Here you will need to choose the services you wish to provide your customers such as Priority Mail, First Class Mail etc.

Method Title – Enables you to enter a title for the USPS Shipping Method.
Method Available to – This field allows you to select the countries where they would like to provide USPS shipping methods. The options that are available are All Countries and Specific Countries.
Show Rates – This field allows you to choose when the real time rates should be displayed to the customers.
Shipping Rates – This field allows you to choose the type of shipping rates you want to provide.

Estimated Delivery Date Settings

Estimated Delivery Date – Enabling this option allows you to give an estimated delivery time for each USPS service.
Working Days – This field allows you to enter your regular business days which will be used to estimate the delivery date.
Cut-off time – This field allows you to enter the Cut-off time. This will be used to determine the estimated delivery date.

Shipping Calculator

Display on Product Page – This field allows you to set where on the product page the shipping calculator should be displayed. The available options are ‘None’, ‘After add to cart button’ and ‘Before add to cart button’.
Customize Header Text – This field allows you to enter the Customize header text for your Shipping Calculator.

Rates API Settings

Standard API Services – Enabling this option allows you to use standard services provided by USPS API.
Rates Preference – This field allows you to choose the types of rates of your choice. The available options are Retail rate and Commercial rate.
Fallback – This field allows you to enter a fallback rate, in case the USPS API fails to return the rates this rate will be applied.

Enable the Flat-Rate boxes if you wish to provide Flat-Rate services.

You can also make Price Adjustments.

Packaging

There are four ways in which you can pack your packages they are,

Pack Items Individually – Enables you to pack items into individual boxes.
Pack into boxes with weights and dimensions – Enables you to pack items in custom boxes. That is you can enter the dimensions of the boxes you need.
Weight based – Here the total weight of the items will be sent to the USPS API to get the real time rates but items that are larger than 12 inches in length, width or height are packed individually.
Weight based (improved) – Here the weight of all the cart items is summed up and items are packed with maximum weight limit in the boxes and sent to the USPS API to get the rates. You can also specify the process of packing i.e you can pack heavier items first, lighter items first or pack purely divided by weight.

Unpacked item – Sometimes there are chances where some items may not be packed as the available boxes are not able to accommodate it.

Get a quote for the unpacked item by itself – This option will get the shipping rate for each unpacked item individually.
Ignore the items-do not quote – This option ignores the quotes for unpacked items.
Use the Fallback Price – This option makes use of the fallback price mentioned in the rates and services.
Abort-do not return any quotes for the standard services – This option does not give you any quotes.

Printing Shipping Labels

Firstly, you need to Enable shipping label.

Importers Reference Number – This field enables you to enter your tax registration number.
Importers telephone Number – This field enables you to enter your phone number.
Default Service for print label – This field enables you to set default Print label service. The available options are Automatic, Priority, Standard Post, Media Mail and Library Mail.
Default International Service – This field enables you to select default international service. The available options are Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International, First-Class Mail International and Global Express Guaranteed.
Print Label Size – This field enables you to set the size to print labels. The available options are default and compact.
Print Label Type – This field enables you to select a format for printing the labels. The available options are PDF and TIF.
Extra Services – This field shows you the additional services offered by the plugin. The additional services are USPS tracking, Insurance, Signature Confirmation, Signature Confirmation with Insurance, Signature Requested, Certified Mail, Certified Mail RRE, Signature Waived, 10:30 AM Delivery.
Hold for Manifest – This field gives you Y(YES) or N(NO) for holding the manifest record for possible inclusion in SCAN requests.
Sender Details – This field enables you to enter sender details like Sender Name, Sender Company Name, Sender Address 1, Sender Address 2, Sender City, Sender State, Sender Email, Sender Phone Number etc.

Advanced Options

Large Flat Rate Box – Enable this field if you want to make use of Large Flat Rate Box.
Customs Content Type – This field enables you to select the content type present in your package. The available options are Merchandise, Gift, Sample, Return, Humanitarian and Dangerous goods.

Shipment Tracking

Shipment Tracking – Customers can use it to learn about the path taken by an item as well as the estimated day and time of delivery. The available options are Enable, Disable and Disable for Customer.
Mode to Enter Tracking ID – This field enables the user to enter the Tracking ID Automatically or Manually when given to packages when they are shipped.
Custom Shipment Message – This field enables the user to enter a Custom Shipment Message.

Advanced Features and Customizations

Along with Rates, Label Printing, Tracking the ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking’ provides additional features,

Price Adjustments

You can add a handling fee or offer discounts on the shipping rates.

Box Packaging

Configure custom box sizes for more accurate shipping rates.

Insurance

Enable shipping insurance for your packages to protect your packages incase there is a damage during transit.

Debug Mode

Use the debug mode to troubleshoot any issues with the plugin.

Demonstration

Once the plugin is set up, navigating it becomes effortless. When your customers place an order and add items to their cart, they can view the available USPS services. By selecting their preferred service and clicking ‘Proceed to Checkout,’ they can proceed to the Checkout Page.

On the Checkout Page, customers need to enter their contact information, shipping address, and choose their shipping (They can change the Shipping option which they have already chosen in the cart page if they wish) and payment options. Finally, by clicking ‘Place Order,’ they can complete their purchase seamlessly.

Once the order is placed the customer will be able to see their Order details.

Simply go to your WooCommerce site, navigate to ‘Orders,’ and select the order you want to process for shipment and label generation.
You’ll be redirected to the ‘Edit Order’ page, where you just need to click ‘Generate Package.’ It’s that easy!

If your customer has selected USPS Ground Advantage as their shipping option, you can easily change it. Go to ‘USPS Shipment Label,’ select ‘Preferred Service,’ and choose from the available USPS options. In this case, we’ve changed the service to Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box. Then, simply click ‘Create Shipment Label.’

Then you have to click on ‘Print Label’.

The generated shipping label will appear as follows.

For Tracking the order,
You can enter the tracking ID in the box (you can add multiple tracking IDs but make sure you use comma as a separator) or click on the automatically generated live link.

Clicking on the link will redirect you to the USPS website where you can track your Shipments.

Customers can view their shipment tracking information directly from their My Account page. To access this, go to the “Orders” section, click on the relevant order number, and the tracking details will be displayed as shown in the screenshot below.

This streamlined process simplifies order management and fulfillment. With just a few clicks, you can efficiently handle shipments. Enjoy a more seamless and effective workflow for your orders.

Last Shot

Setting up the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label & Shipment Tracking is a straightforward process that significantly enhances your WooCommerce store’s shipping capabilities. By following this guide, you can efficiently configure real-time shipping rates, print labels, and provide shipment tracking information to your customers. This not only improves your operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction by providing transparent and reliable shipping options.

For more detailed information and to purchase the plugin, visit the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin page.

FAQs

Which USPS services are supported by ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label and Shipment Tracking’?
The Plugin supports a variety of USPS services including Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, Media Mail and more. You can choose which services you wish to offer your customers during the setup process.
Do I need a USPS account to use ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin’?
Yes, you need a USPS Web Tools User ID to use this Plugin. You can register for a user ID on the USPS website if you don’t already have one. Click here to visit the USPS website.
Can I adjust the Shipping rates displayed to the Customers?
Yes, the plugin allows you to adjust shipping rates by adding handling fees or offering discounts. This can be configured in the plugin settings.
What should I do if I encounter issues with the ‘ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping’ Plugin ?
If you encounter any issues, you can enable the debug mode in the plugin settings to troubleshoot. Additionally, the ELEX support team is available to assist with any problems you may face.
Does this Plugin support shipping insurance?
Yes, you can enable shipping insurance for your packages through the plugin settings.