Setting Up Shipping/Handling

This article explains how to set up and manage shipping and handling charges for supporters who cannot pick up their purchases. It outlines how to create a hidden “Shipping/Handling” item in the catalog with specific settings to ensure fees are applied correctly and not marked as tax-deductible. 

For in-person or phone payments, staff can manually add this item to an order and adjust the price as needed before completing payment. 

For online payments, the article describes how to guide supporters by adding a Custom Field and payment option that allows them to request shipping during checkout. 

Orders requesting shipping are flagged for follow-up, allowing administrators to review the order, add the appropriate shipping charge, and then invite the supporter to complete payment through Self Check-Out.

Add New Item in Catalog for Shipping/Handling Charges:

Only the fields outlined in red are relevant:

  1. Name:  Shipping/Handling
  2. Qty:  enough to cover the orders that may require shipping
  3. Type:  Sellable
  4. FMV:  leave blank (when saved, this will display as N/A which forces FMV to equal Price on each order so Shipping fees won't display as "tax deductible")  Note: blank FMV will only work on initial save of fixed price items. If you miss this step, you must delete the item and start over to save as FMV = none.
  5. Price:  Enter a placeholder value > 0. Will be edited to reflect correct amount for individual orders.  
  6. Display in Public Catalog:  No

If Supporters are Paying in Person or Over the Phone:

To add a shipping or handling item to an order, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to either the Gala Check-Out screen (Auction Night screen > Check-Out button) or the Manage Order screen (Orders page).
  2. Click the Add Item button.
  3. Enter the item number or item name for the shipping item, then select the appropriate Shipping/Handling item.
  4. Enter the correct price.
  5. Click Add Item to include it in the order.
  6. Proceed to add payment as you normally would.

If Supporters Will be Paying via Cart or Self Check-Out:

You can customize your Online Cart form to provide instructions and an option to arrange shipment prior to payment:

  1. Plain Text Custom Field for Buyers.
  2. Custom Payment Name.
  3. Custom Payment Instructions.

Create Custom Field for Buyers:

Go to Site Settings > Customize Your Site > Look & Feel > Custom Fields:

Add New Field Group (not shown):

  1. Name = Shipping Option
  2. Hide Name on Forms = Yes
  3. Apply to: Buyers > Check-out/Cart Screens

Add New Field:

  1. Name = Shipping Option
  2. HIde Name on Forms = Yes
  3. Field Type = Plain Text
  4. Text example: If you need your items shipped to you, please choose "Arrange Shipping" from the Payment method dropdown menu.  

Setup Custom Payment Option:

Go to Site Settings > Customize Your Site > Payments/Credit Card > Online Payment Options:

Add Custom to Accepted Payment Methods for Online Transactions. 

Go to Site Settings > Customize Your Site > Payments/Credit Card > Custom/External Payments

Edit Custom Payment Name and Provide Instructions.

To Process Online Orders Requesting Shipping:

Orders requesting shipping will display as Status = Waiting for Payment.

  1. Click on Common Filters > Online Orders Waiting for Custom Payment to filter Order list
  2. Click edit icon to review order and add Shipping Charge (as shown above)
  3. Once order is ready for payment, Send Invitation to Self-Check-out from the orders page.