I think I've hit a brick wall. Just got the list of shipping charges from my shopping cart client and I don't see any way to add all this info.
The Shipping Options only has 3 additional boxes to enter info into.

Would it be too weird to have the same item shown several times so all the different rates could be added? Or should I show each set of products under different sub-categories for their shipping rates?
Something like this:

Category 1:
Standard Rate - Contiguous United States
" - Alaska & Hawaii
" - APO/FPO
" - US Protectorates
" - Canada (also separate rates for Europe & Asia)

Then all of these need to be repeated for expedited shipping, plus there are different rates when ordering more than one item, based on the total cost category ($18 - $26 for example) and standard/expedited rate.

Any ideas? I'm really stuck here

Is this the same client who only has 4 products by any chance ?

Categorie one :: clients from :: Contiguous United States all 4 products

Categorie 2 :: Clients from :: Alaska & Hawaii all 4 products

Yes – over a dozen different rates for 4 items

I've gone from needing no categories to this mess
I'll also need separate categories for expedited shipping, since there's not one percentage/increase that fits all, I can't set that in the shipping options
Then there's different amounts depending upon the price of the total order......

I'm going to suggest she not list Europe, Asia, etc. for now (new product, it's just starting to sell here in the mid-west). If some one is willing to pay 5x the price of the item to have it sent to China - they can use the contact form to request that deal!
Shipping to Canada starts at $30 which seems really extreme for an item that I could send in a post office box for $11.80.
Do you think it would be OK to have customers outside the US request a shipping quote? – rather than have yet more categories for a market that's just not there at this time?

Thanks for your input, Viv! Any advice about how you would deal with this is much appreciated

How about going completely around the houses

Set up home pages in HTML editor or VSD

and have a separate tab for each country region whatever

Send each tab to its own copy of the complete 1 page 4 item shop, with its own shipping rates.

Then make vsd site yourdomain.com

America yourdomain.com/america

china yourdomain.com/china

England yourdomain.com/england

even better still have a separate url for each (google friedly or what)

ie product is a shoe box

www.chinashoebox.(what is china ie .ch) pointed at yourdomain.com/china, and set the domain up so it is aimed specifically at china as well.

Very interesting

I was just looking at the PayPal site and came across this:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?c … ax-outside
(shipping options)

Is it possible to have no shipping within the cart and have it added by PayPal at check out?

I don't have international shipping on my site, as I'm not sending much OS atm anyway.

So, the customers do email me & ask if they want to purchase, and I just adjust the total price to include international shipping - then change it back after they've ordered. It doesn't happen often, damn it.

I don't know how many orders your customer will get to OS destinations in time though, so that may not be a good solution.

If you want to do it that way, just add some info in your FAQ, or similar page - which is what I've done.

Hope you're getting paid for this job paintbrush.

Edit:
I just saw your added Paypal question. I've not gone into that, as I said, don't have enough demand to warrant the time, but you could easily do a small button (with dropdowns) on the Paypal site, and paste the html code onto a page for international shipping. It would require 2 orders from the customer, which could irritate some, but an option.

It's not just the international rates that need to be figured in. For each item, there's the standard US rate, Alaska & Hawaii, Canada, and APO/FPO/PO Box, and US Protectorates. Then there's the Expedited rate for all of the above. As if that's not enough, there's also rates based on total cost of the order – so one item gets the basic rate for all of the above, 2 items gets another rate, 3 comes in at yet a different rate, some items have free shipping after a certain dollar amount is reached.

I've been looking at some different Shopping Carts, and I haven't come across anything that can handle this sort of mess (more than 15 price/shipping options per item!). The PayPal check out has a good amount of options, so that's a possibility if I can skip the shipping within CCSCC and let customers add their shipping at checkout.

How do most people set this stuff up?

I've been thinking about Viv's idea – maybe creating a separate store just for international orders. That would help cut down on the options offered for the US.

Thanks for your help, Bren and Viv!

Hmm, yeah a mess with the shipping.

Would the new form builder be of any help - as it does mention 'pay for it'.

Maybe VSD, with the new form builder on the 4 products with as many dropdowns as you need for the shipping.

Can't set it up now, but soon, or in CC spirit, soonish.

But you could set it up now with something, then put "international shipping coming soon" or enquire??

I know I keep editing, but I'm messing about with something else, and having an ADD moment.

Maybe you need to explain to the client that there are limitations. Honestly, the shipping matrix that they are asking for would be outside the norm, so they'd be paying a web developer an hourly rate to hand code a very diverse range there. It would cost them quite a bit, so they may have to accept a loss on shipping to certain locations, or add shipping costs to another so they can slim their list down.

Why not just add all of your various shipping options as items in the shopping cart?

Category - Please choose your shipping preference

Contiguous United States
.. Sub Category 0.01 to 29.99
......UPS..........................9.95
......USPS......................10.45
......Fed-Ex Standard.....11.95
......Overnight................21.95
...Sub Category 30.00 to 49.99
......UPS..........................4.95
......USPS.......................5.45
......Fed-Ex Standard......6.95
......Overnight...............16.95
Alaska
.. Sub Category 0.01 to 29.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited
...... Dog Sled
...Sub Category 30.00 to 49.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited
Hawaii
.. Sub Category 0.01 to 29.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited
...Sub Category 30.00 to 49.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited
Over Seas
.. Sub Category 0.01 to 29.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited
...Sub Category 30.00 to 49.99
......UPS
......USPS
......Fed-Ex Standard
......Expedited

You could either set up another category for insurance, or just offer 2 'items' in the one category named insured and uninsured.

This does require the customer to make a proper choice but you can have a message in the parent category instructing them to choose carefully. Something like this.

We offer a number of shipping options for you to choose from. Look them over and pick teh one that best suits your needs. Just make sure you don't choose one that does NOT apply to your order. If you do it can result in a delay in shipping while we contact you and await the balance of the shipping charges. If you over pay will will promptly refund the excess and use the same option chosen at the correct cost. This will not result in a shipping delay.

If you choose to cancel your order instead of correct the shipping total we will be sorry to lose your purchase but will promptly issue your refund minus the 15% restocking charge.

We appreciate your continued business and thank you for choosing us.

Your store name