Create A Controlled Product Shipping Method

If you ship hazardous materials (HAZMAT), perishable goods, or controlled items, you can use Intuitive Shipping to create a shipping setup that restricts where and how those materials are shipped.

 

How It Works

This guide will show you how to configure Intuitive Shipping to limit controlled products or hazardous goods to ground shipping only within the contigious United States. When there is at least one controlled product in the cart, only the shipping method from this setup will be displayed, even if there are unrestricted items in the same cart.

To complete this setup, you’ll need at least two Scenarios: one for controlled shipping and at least one for standard shipping.

If you have restricted products that cannot ship anywhere in a particular zone, regardless of the carrier or service level, you can adjust your product shipping settings to always block those products from being shipped to certain zones instead of using this setup.

 

 

 

Add A Controlled Product Scenario

1. Click Shipping on the sidebar menu, then select Scenarios from the drop-down list.

 

2. Click the Create scenario button.

 

General Settings

1. Enter a Scenario title like ‘Controlled Products’ or ‘Restricted’.

 

2. If you want the Scenario to be available right away, leave the Scenario status set to 'On'. If you want to test it first before making it public, set it to 'Test'. Remember to set it to 'On' once you've completed testing.

 

Conditions

1. Select Set restrictions.

 

2. Leave Condition match set to 'All conditions'.

 

3. Select the product condition type. For this example, we’re using ‘Product tag’. You can use any product condition that identifies controlled or restricted products.

 

4. Leave the condition logic set to equals.

 

5. Enter the product identifier you assigned to your controlled products as the condition value. For this example, we’re using the product tag ‘controlled’.

 

6. Leave the additional product setting below the condition value set to Any product. As long as at least one item in the cart is tagged with the value entered in Step 5, the shipping method assigned to this Scenario will be displayed at checkout.

 

Save Your Settings

1. Click the Save button to save your highest priority Scenario.

 

Add A Shipping Method

For this example, we’re setting up a ground parcel service with real-time rates from FedEx for the contigious United States. If you’re using a different carrier or zone, you can still follow the steps below.

1. Click the Create shipping method button.

 

Select A Parcel Service 

1. Click the downward arrow beside ‘Parcel services’ to display a list of live rate carriers.

 

2. Select a carrier from the list. For this example, we're selecting FedEx OAuth.

 

3. Click the Next button.

 

4. Select a zone. If you have a lot of zones, type the zone name into the search field to narrow the list.

 

5. Click the Configure shipping button.

 

General

1. Enter a shipping method title like ‘FedEx Ground’ or ‘FedEx Ground Only’. 

 

2. Select the title type. For this example, we're selecting 'Service title provided by carrier'

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Service title provided by carrier - The service title (or titles) returned by the carrier during rate calculation will be the shipping method title(s) displayed at checkout. This is the default setting.
• Use the shipping method title - The shipping method title entered in the previous step will be displayed at checkout. If multiple carrier service options, all of the service titles provided by the carrier are replaced with the shipping method title.

Service title provided by carrier: If the carrier returns multiple titles, such as ‘FedEx Priority Overnight’ and ‘FedEx 2 Day’, each unique title is displayed at checkout as it's provided by the carrier, regardless of the shipping method title entered in the previous step.

Use the shipping method title: If you entered 'FedEx' as the shipping method title in the previous step, both carrier titles - 'FedEx Priority Overnight' and 'FedEx Ground' will be displayed as 'Fed Ex'.

 

3. Set the shipping method status to 'On'. 

 

4. If desired, enter a description like 'Ground shipping required for controlled products'. We recommend limiting your description to 90 characters or less to ensure it displays properly on the checkout page.

Descriptions are displayed below the shipping method title at checkout.

 

Additional Display Settings

Additional display settings are available for custom delivery times, order processing time and service codes.

• Delivery times are displayed at checkout and help manage expectations for customers.
• Order processing time lets you add buffer time to start the fulfillment process, if the products can't be packaged, picked or completed the same day the order is received.
• Service codes are not displayed to customers, but get pushed to your fulfilment service, if applicable, once a checkout is successfully completed.

 

To configure delivery times, order processing times and service codes:

1. Click Show additional display settings, then configure the settings as needed.

 

Packages

You can control how the customer’s order is packaged by choosing a packing algorithm and assigning the packages you want this shipping method to use.

1. Select a packing algorithm. For consistency, we recommend selecting the same packing algorithm you use for your general shipping method. However, if your controlled products require a different packing algorithm, you have the option to select another one.

 

Shipping Origin

Carrier rates can be calculated using the primary location set up in your eCommerce platform or a custom location saved in Intuitive Shipping. This is useful if you ship products from different retail or warehouse locations.

1. Select the ship from location for the controlled shipping method. For consistency, we recommend selecting the same ship from location used in your standard shipping method. However, if your restricted product shipping is done through a different store or warehouse, you have the option to select the most appropriate location.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

• Dynamic origin location - carrier rates for the shipping method will be calculated based on the distance between the customer’s address and your primary eCommerce platform address. This is the default setting.
• Specify origin location - carrier rates for the shipping method will be calculated based on the saved address selected.

If you need a location that isn't listed, you can add it directly from the shipping method. 

 

Account

If you have an account with the carrier you selected for your parcel service shipping method, you can use it to access your discounted or negotiated rates. If you’ve already connected your carrier account to Intuitive Shipping, it will appear under 'Carrier accounts' as a selectable option.

Some carriers also offer standard retail rates, which are available to anyone without needing an account. If the selected carrier provides retail rates, a ‘Standard retail rates’ option will appear under 'Carrier accounts' and be selected by default. If the carrier doesn’t offer retail rates, no option will be shown.

 

1. Select a carrier account or use standard retail rates, if available. For this example, we're selecting our FedEx account. 

Because our example uses a FedEx OAuth shipping method, only FedEx accounts that have been added to Intuitive Shipping will be displayed as selectable options - there is no 'standard retail rates' option. If no account is displayed, you can add your account details directly from the shipping method.

 

Services

1. Select the appropriate carrier service for your controlled products. For this example, we’re selecting Ground in Domestic services.

If a customer lives at an address where Ground is not offered by FedEx, no shipping method will be displayed at checkout.

 

Additional service settings are available to filter services.

 

Optional Settings

Optional settings for carrier settings, fallback rating, cost adjustments, free shipping, custom shipping blending and rate blending give you further control of your custom shipping rates at checkout. These settings are not required for this setup, but can be adjusted if needed.

• Carrier settings provide additional controls, such as address type (residential or commercial) and package insurance, allowing you to match the settings used at the fulfillment stage. 
• Carrier service fallback rating can be enabled to ensure your customers receives a shipping rate at checkout even when rate request times out.
• Cost adjustments let you fully customize the final cost presented at checkout, regardless of the original rate calculation.
• Free shipping allows you to set a threshold for when free shipping is applicable on carts that would otherwise be charged for shipping.
• Custom shipping blending gives you the option to blend rates from the shipping method with product-specific shipping costs.
• Rate blending lets you combine rates from one shipping method with other shipping methods using simple or advanced blending. 

 

1. Click Show optional settings, then configure the optional settings as needed. 

 

Save Your Settings

1. Click the Save button to save your FedEx Ground shipping method.

 

 

Exclude Controlled Products From Other Shipping Methods

Now that you have a shipping method that only displays when at least one restricted product is in the cart, you’ll need to ensure that all other shipping methods are set to display only when no restricted products are in the cart.

1. Click Shipping on the sidebar menu, then select Scenarios from the drop-down list.

 

2. Click Edit beside your general Scenario. 

 

3. Select set restrictions. If your general Scenario already has conditions, this is already set correctly.

 

4. Leave Condition match set to All conditions.

 

If your general Scenario already has conditions, you'll need to 'Add another condition' before completing the next steps. 

5. Select the product condition type. For this example, we’re using ‘Product tag’. You can use any product condition that identifies controlled or restricted products.

 

6. Change the condition logic to does not equal.

 

7. Enter the product identifier you assigned to your controlled products as the condition value. For this example, we’re using the product tag ‘controlled’.

 

8. Change the additional product setting to All products. This means there can be no products in the cart tagged with the value entered in Step 7.

 

Save Your Settings

1. Click the Save button to update your general Scenario.

 

You don’t need to edit the shipping methods assigned to your general Scenario. They will continue to display as usual as long as there are no restricted items in the cart.

2. Repeat all the steps above for each Scenario that currently includes a shipping option for the restricted area.

 

 

Learn more:

• Common setups
• Additional setups
• How-to guides
• Connect a carrier
• General info
• FAQ