There are many reasons why you might want to get a quote for an order. You could be speaking to a customer and need to give them an idea of costs before you book, you could be testing your shipping processes and need to make sure things are working properly, or you could just be curious. Shippit has a couple of different methods for obtaining quotes, and which one you choose can depend on what you need to do. This article discusses the different methods, and the differences between them.
Quoting options
The main two ways of getting a quote in your Shippit account are:
Using the New Orders page
Using the Send page
Generally, you would use the New Orders page to get a quote if you intend to ship the order at a later point, are using your regular pickup address, and you want to check and adjust the details before you book. You can use the Send page to get a quote if you are testing your system, need a really quick idea of costs, or are preparing a manual one-off order.
When you get a quote using either of these methods, Shippit uses smart carrier allocation to recommend either the fastest or the cheapest option, depending on your settings. If you want to go beyond fastest or cheapest, you can use the Shippit rules engine to get finer control over how Shippit allocates carriers to your orders.
For more information about carrier allocation, see the carrier allocation article.
For more information about rules engine, see the rules engine article.
Get a quote from the New Orders page
Get a quote from the New Orders page if you intend to ship the order at a later point.
Getting a quote from the New Orders page
Log in to your Shippit account, and navigate to the New Orders screen.
Click Add standard order to create a new standard order, or click the dropdown arrow next to the button and click Add priority order to add a new priority order.
Use the Add an order (Book later) tab to obtain a quote and start preparing an order without booking it immediately.
Select the pickup details for the products you want to ship, and complete your customer details for the order.
Click Create → New Orders to save the order details and return to the New Orders screen.
Locate the order in the New Orders screen, and click the order reference to open the details. In the Carriers section, click the dropdown arrow to see all your carrier options, and their quoted prices.
You can close this screen if you are done, or use the Confirm button to go ahead with the booking. You can also return to this screen at any time from the New Orders page.
💡Note: This method creates an order for you. Remember to delete the order if you don't intend to go ahead and book it.
Get a quote from the Send page
Use the Send page to get a quote if you are testing your system, need a really quick idea of costs, or are preparing a manual one-off order.
Getting a quote from the Send page
Log in to your Shippit account, and navigate to the Send screen.
In the Enter Pickup Address section, select an account to send the order from, or enter a new pickup location.
In the Enter Delivery Address section, type in a recipient address, or select an address from your address book.
In the Enter Package Details section, select a pre-defined package type, and enter the weight and dimensions. If you have multiple packages for the order, click Add package to enter details for the next package.
Optional: Check I give Authority to Leave if you want the carrier to leave the package at the recipient's address without a signature.
Click Next to move on to the Booking & payment tab.
In the Select your Delivery Service Type section, select the carrier service you want to use. If you want additional shipping options, click Show more quotes. For same day orders, you can also select a three hour delivery window. The Billing Details section updates automatically as you select different options.
You can close this screen if you are done, or use the Book now button to go ahead with the booking.
