Shipping can be the difference between success and failure for many new eCommerce businesses. In order to avoid scaring off potential consumers, you cannot afford to charge excessively for shipping, but you also don’t want to lose out on profits.
One of the most significant concerns for eCommerce business owners that sell physical products is determining how to get their products to their customers. Trying to set up WooCommerce shipping can involve striking a careful balance that will work for the specific needs of your business.
The most crucial decision you must make is which shipping service you will choose to deliver your products. Most choose between USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx, the leading four.
While there are advantages and disadvantages to each service, USPS is the best choice if you want to deliver your shipment in the most cost-effective manner.
In this article, we’ll go over all the various methods of setting up the WooCommerce USPS shipping method extension, and all of its advantages. Let’s get started!
A Brief Introduction to the WooCommerce USPS Shipping Method
Most of the nation’s shipping services are managed by the United States Postal Service (USPS). It is a fantastic choice for eCommerce businesses based in the US due to its wide range of vehicles, capacity to deliver items quickly and efficiently nationwide, and a variety of other capabilities.
The ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label enables eCommerce stores to display real-time shipping costs from the USPS shipping network on their website. Presenting shipping costs on the Cart and Checkout pages will enable you to automate USPS shipments. It displays real-time shipping costs based on the delivery address and the contents of the cart.
Your customers are shown the shipping options and costs during checkout depending on the shipping address and items in their shopping cart. The customer can proceed with payment by selecting the ideal option that best suits his or her needs.
In addition to estimated delivery dates, the plugin shows retail or account-specific online and offline prices on the WooCommerce cart and checkout page.
Regardless of the receiving country, the USPS plugin can compute shipping costs for all. Your customers can also pick whether to pack products individually or collectively.
Additionally, you may use this extension to enable or disable, change the names of, and add handling fees and charges to the various USPS services.
The various domestic shipping services offered by the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin include:
- First-Class Mail® Parcel
- First-Class™ Postcard Stamped
- First-Class™ Large Postcards
- First-Class™ Keys and IDs
- First-Class™ Package Service
- First-Class Mail® Metered Letter
- First-Class™ Package Service Hold For Pickup
- Priority Mail Express™ Hold for Pickup
- Priority Mail Express™
- Priority Mail Express™ Sunday/Holiday
- USPS Retail Ground ( Standard Post™ )
- Media Mail
- Library Mail
- Priority Mail®
- Priority Mail® Keys and IDs
- Priority Mail® Hold For Pickup
- Priority Mail® Regional Rate Box A
- Priority Mail® Regional Rate Box B
The various international shipping services offered by the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin include:
- Priority Mail Express International™
- Priority Mail International®
- Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)
- Global Express Guaranteed® Envelope
- Global Express Guaranteed® Non-Document Rectangular
- Global Express Guaranteed® Non-Document Non-Rectangular
- USPS GXG™ Envelope
- First Class Package Service™ International Letters
- First Class Package Service™ International Large Envelope
- First Class Package International Service™
- International Postcards
Methods to Set up WooCommerce USPS Shipping Method Extension
Let’s go through the various methods of adding USPS shipping method extensions to your WooCommerce store.
Method 1 – ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label (Free)
The following are some advantages of the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label (Free) plugin:
- Obtain real-time USPS prices.
- Pick between the Click-N-Ship (online pricing) or the Post Office charges (Offline rates).
- Media mail restrictions
- Configure fallback rates.
Please make sure you have a USPS ID on hand before we begin.
As soon as you start the process of generating a USPS user ID, you will be asked to enter your name, shipping address, email, website link, and other relevant information. Remember to agree to the terms and conditions before proceeding. Once you have finished the account creation process, you will receive your user ID and password by email.
You can download the plugin from the ELEXtensions website.
Navigate to WooCommerce Dashboard > Plugins > Add New and upload the plugin there to begin the installation process. Clicking Activate Plugin will enable the plugin once it has been installed. Access the plugin by heading to Dashboard > WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > USPS when it has been installed and activated.
Under the general tab, enable the Realtime Rates checkbox, enter your USPS User ID and Origin Postcode, choose your integration mode(testing, production, or live) and choose if you want to add insurance and allow or restrict media mail.
Next under the Rates and Services tab, enter the method title that you would like to display, choose the countries you would like to cater to, and choose when to show shipping rates and the shipping rates type.
Under Rates API Settings, enable Standard API Services, select the rates preferences between commercial and retail rates, and set fallback rates if needed. Next, you can configure flat rate settings if needed.
Finally, under Services, you can enable or disable the USPS shipping methods you want to activate for your WooComerce store, and add price adjustments if needed.
Since this is the free version of the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin, the Packaging, Label Generation, and Tracking facilities are not available. You can download the premium ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Shipment Tracking & Print Label plugin to access the packaging, tracking, and label generation settings, which brings us to method 2.
Method 2 – ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Shipment Tracking & Print Label
This method enables you to consistently maintain an up-to-date and error-free shipping process, and create and print the shipping labels automatically. By adjusting the plugin parameters, you can alter the cost of certain services, and adding money to your account is easy with the Stamps.com account manager, taking advantage of USPS postage discounts, and a lot more.
You may now use USPS postal services on your WooCommerce website thanks to Stamps.com’s integration. You can use this plugin as opposed to the previous one to print USPS shipping labels even if you do not have an eVS account. It also has a variety of extra features in addition to displaying USPS costs and services, tracking shipments, and package packaging. Probably one of the best products in its industry, Stamps.com, has ELEX as an approved integration partner.
The following are some of the key benefits of the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin:
- There is a wide selection of services available, such as Priority Mail Express, USPS Critical Mail, Priority Mail Express International, etc.
- Built-in shipping calculator on the product page.
- Create and print shipping labels automatically upon purchasing postage from your Stamps.com account.
- Order notes now include a shipping tracking number for seamless shipment tracking.
- An integrated box packer that makes packing simple.
- You can quickly change the price of a certain service from the plugin’s settings.
You have two options for accessing plugin settings after the plugin has been installed and activated:
USPS WooCommerce Shipping > Settings under Dashboard > WooCommerce > Shipping (or) Dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins > USPS WooCommerce Shipping
Let’s get started configuring the plugin now that we are aware of what it offers and that we have installed it.
Under the general tab, enable the Realtime Rates checkbox, enter your USPS User ID and Origin Postcode, choose your integration mode(testing, production, or live) and choose if you want to add insurance and allow or restrict media mail.
Next under the Rates and Services tab, enter the method title that you would like to display, choose the countries you would like to cater to, and choose when to show shipping rates and the shipping rates type.
Under Estimated Delivery Dates Settings, choose if you would like to display the estimated delivery dates to your customers on the cart and checkout pages and if yes, enter your store’s working days and set a cut-off time to determine the date of delivery.
If you want to display the built-in shipping rate calculator on the product pages of your website, you can do so by enabling and customizing it under the shipping calculator settings.
Next Under Rates API Settings, enable Standard API Services, select the rates preferences between commercial and retail rates, and set fallback rates if needed. Next, you can configure flat rate settings if needed.
Under Services, you can enable or disable the USPS shipping methods you want to activate for your WooComerce store, and add price adjustments if needed.
Moving on to the next tab, packaging, you can choose if you want to pack items individually or pack them together in boxes based on weight and dimensions.
Under the Label Generation tab, you can enable or disable the label generation option, enter the import reference number and contact number, choose the default domestic and international services, label size and type, and enter the address and contact information of the sender.
You can enable or disable shipment tracking, select the mode to enter tracking ID, enter a custom shipment message, and click Save Changes.
This will enable you to activate USPS shipping on your website.
For step-by-step instructions on setting up the plugin, you can go through the detailed plugin documentation.
Method 3 – ELEX EasyPost Shipping & Label Printing Plugin for WooCommerce
Our third method enables you to not only add USPS shipping into your store but also UPS, FedEx, UPS DAP, UPS SurePost, and Canada Post. All the shipping carriers are integrated via the EasyPost shipping APIs.
It allows you to print shipping labels, show expected delivery dates, track shipments, set up USPS Flat rate boxes, and design customized shipping box packing options.
The following are some of the key benefits of the ELEX EasyPost Shipping & Label Printing Plugin:
- Display real-time shipping rates for USPS, UPS, FedEx, UPS DAP, UPS SurePost, and Canada Post.
- Create shipping labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, UPS DAP, UPS SurePost, and Canada Post.
- Showcase estimated delivery dates.
- Tracking of shipments.
- Flat-rate USPS boxes
- Price modifications.
- choices for parcel packaging.
- option to select various services for various packages.
- Add shipping insurance.
Following the plugin’s download and installation, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > EasyPost > General.
Turn on Realtime Rates in the general settings. By doing this, the plugin will be granted permission to show the real-time rates on the checkout and cart pages. By checking the box labeled “Disable rates on cart,” you can choose to limit the rates’ visibility to the checkout page only.
Next, enter your API Key and select the API mode between Test or Live under Generic API settings. Your API key will be sent to you once you’ve registered with EasyPost. Click Save Changes when finished.
Under the Rates and Services settings, enter the method title, set the method availability, select the countries that you want to service to, and enter the sender’s zip code and country. Next, choose if you want to offer flat-rate services.
You can set up a fallback rate, rate type, and handling fees, and set up the carriers you want to activate under carrier and rate settings.
Under the label generation tab, you set the label sizes and formats and enter the origin and return addresses.
Moving on to the next tab, packaging, you can choose if you want to pack items individually or pack them together in boxes based on weight and dimensions.
This will enable you to activate USPS shipping on your website.
For step-by-step instructions on setting up the plugin, you can go through the detailed plugin documentation.
To Wrap Up
There isn’t a universal shipping approach that works for everyone. Your specific requirements and the scale of your company will be the primary determinants of the best shipping option for you. However, to be successful, you’ll typically need to mix various plugins and shipping alternatives.
If you are looking for a multi-carrier shipping solution for your business, we recommend the ELEX EasyPost Shipping & Label Printing Plugin for WooCommerce which integrates USPS and UPS, FedEx, UPS DAP, UPS SurePost, and Canada Post into your store.
If you only require USPS shipping integration, the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Shipment Tracking & Print Label or the ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping plugin are great options.
We hope this article has helped you figure out how to set up the USPS Shipping Method Extension and the various benefits of doing so. If you have any questions regarding the WooCommerce USPS Shipping Method Extension, please let us know in the comments section below.
