Points in shipping rules
With the Points System add-on, each product can carry a number of points. Shipping rules can use points to decide whether they apply and what they charge. This article explains how points are counted, which is where most surprises come from.
Before you begin
How points work for packing is covered in Box mapping (points system).
Where points appear in a rule
| Place | Field | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| When this rule applies | Points (min to max) | The cart's total points |
| How it's priced → Percentage or flat | Flat rate per point | Each box's points |
| How it's priced → Table | Basis Points | Each box's points |
| Products and customers | Ignore product 'Item-Points' | Ignores product points for this rule |
The Points range uses the whole cart
The Points range compares the cart's total points: each product's points × its quantity, added up. It's not points per item, and not points per box.
Example. A product has 5,400 points. A shopper orders 4.
- Cart total: 5,400 × 4 = 21,600 points.
- A rule with Points up to
20,000does not apply, even though each item is far below 20,000.
On some stores, product points are set to the product's volume (for example in cubic inches). Large items then add up to big totals quickly.
If every rule of every method has a maximum points cap, one large order can exceed them all. The shopper then sees no shipping methods at all. Leave at least one method without a cap (for example a freight method) to catch large orders.
Prices use each box's points
Flat rate per point and a Points table work per packed box, then the boxes are added up.
Example. Table, Basis Points: 0 → 10.00, 500 → 20.00. A cart packed into two boxes of 300 and 600 points pays $10.00 + $20.00 = $30.00.
Check that it works
In the Shipping Estimator, test the largest cart you expect, at full quantity. If a method disappears, check its Points range first. See Test your rates with the Shipping Estimator.