USPS quotes

[oadaeh]

Hello!

I have a client who has a site that uses Ubercart and the USPS API. They have attempted to switch to the new API, but are having a problem with rate quotes, and that is that when they have one item in their cart, it does not provide the quote, but if they have two or more different items, it does provide the quote. Also, having multiples of a single type of item does not produce a quote.

They have "All products in one package" selected.

There was a similar discussion in #510, here: #510 (comment), but that was the other way, i.e., succeeding with a single type, and failing with multiple types.

I have not tried selecting "Each product in its own package," as I would expect a single item type to work the same with both selections. (But maybe it doesn't?)

The only errors that show up in the logs are "429 Exceeded quota limit." which should only be there after 60 API calls in an hour, and prior to that, there is nothing.

What can I do to try to resolve this? Is there any other information needed to figure out what is happening?

[bugfolder]

That's puzzling. Can you turn on the debug switch at admin/store/settings/quotes/settings/general and see what it reports?

[bugfolder]

Also, can you try the latest PR on #560?

I'll be out for a little while, but will check back in a few hours.

[bugfolder]

Do try the latest PR on #560. The symptoms you describe sound like an issue with computing machinability in the product packager that was fixed in the 560 PR.

[oadaeh]

Okay, I'll try the PR, but it probably won't be until Monday before they get tested again.

[bugfolder]

OK. I'll explain the change I was referring to. There was a bit in the package processor that set $package->machinable by considering the USPS machinability size limits, which include both minimium and maximum package dimensions. But for our purposes, if the size of the stack of products is below the minimum, we can still put them in a box that meets the minimum requirement (along with some environment-destroying peanuts and bubble-wrap, of course). So we shouldn't set a package as non-machinable based on the product stack not meeting the minimum size requirements.

And how I think that probably bit your client is, with one product, it was likely under the minimum size, but with two or more in quantity, or two different products, it was over the minimum. Now, we don't check the minimum, so it should be OK.

If that does fix the issue for you, I'll do an immediate release with the fix (and other things this issue's PR addresses).

[oadaeh]

Okay, that makes sense. They're a book store, but they also sell small nick-knacks and post cards and various things like that, so it seems reasonable that she was testing with something that might fall below the minimum. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

[bugfolder]

I've added some improvement to the debugging options in #561; there are now options in the uc_usps configuration to turn on and off various bits of debugging information to make it easier to see the relevant bits.

[oadaeh]

Okay, your improvements seem to be helping. They are now getting rate quotes for single items.

However, the rates they are getting are significantly higher than the legacy rates. Is that to be expected? I searched the Internet, but did not find anything that said that was expected. The only thing I can think of is that the labels don't reflect the same quote type, but I didn't find anything else that matched. Is there anything you can recommend?

Legacy:

New API:

[bugfolder]

So, there's a couple questions to answer:

• Was the old rate correct for what you're trying to send?
• Is the new rate correct for what you're trying to send?
• Are the newapi configuration settings appropriately set?

To address the second and third questions, I'll suggest using the newly added direct USPS rate lookup, at Admin > Store > Reports > USPS Lookup. Enter the parameters of the packaged products, price type, etc., and see all the rates returned from USPS. Since this is basically you talking directly to USPS without any intermediate prep, filtering, or markups, it's as close as you can get to what the USPS really is going to charge you. (One thing to check is that you're choosing the correct "Price type," since that's a newapi-specific setting.)

In my own testing, I've found that some rates are exactly the same as the old API (which one would expect) and a few were a little bit higher (like, $12.50 going to $13.00, or thereabouts). This was for Commercial rates (for a store that uses a Pitney Bowes postage meter).

Another thing to take a look at is to turn on "Request data" in debugging to confirm that the right dimensions, weight, and other settings are being sent.

As you've seen, the USPS has changed the names of the rates they send back from legacy to newapi. There's nothing we can do about that, other than guess at what the appropriate equivalents are.

Please keep me posted on how it goes.

[oadaeh]

Okay, I tested creating a new order based on a previous order, so I could compare what was with what is. The rate using the legacy for Priority Mail was the same as the old order of $15.05. This is what I was presented with when calculating shipping in a check out page with the legacy API:

• U.S.P.S. Media Mail Parcel (1 package): $4.74
• U.S.P.S. Priority Mail® (1 package): $15.05

When I put the information for the product in that USPS lookup form, and select "Priority Mail", the rates were off quite a bit. I wasn't sure if the weight field on the lookup form was ounces or pounds, so I tried both 5 for ounces and .25 for pounds.

Priority Mail for weight of .25:

• PMFRE — Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $10.40
• PMPFRE — Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $11.20
• PMLFRE — Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $10.90
• PMMMFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Medium Flat Rate Box: $19.20
• PMMLFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box: $28.35
• PMMLFRBA — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box APO/FPO/DPO: $27.10
• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $12.26
• PMMCNPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMMCSPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65

Priority Mail for weight of 5:

• PMFRE — Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $10.40
• PMPFRE — Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $11.20
• PMLFRE — Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $10.90
• PMMMFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Medium Flat Rate Box: $19.20
• PMMLFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box: $28.35
• PMMLFRBA — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box APO/FPO/DPO: $27.10
• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $24.23
• PMMCNPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMMCSPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65

The only difference between .25 and 5 was:

• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $12.26 and $24.23

Here's is what the lookup form shows for all rates:
All rates for weight of .25:

• PMFRE — Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $10.40
• PMPFRE — Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $11.20
• PMLFRE — Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $10.90
• PMMMFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Medium Flat Rate Box: $19.20
• PMMLFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box: $28.35
• PMMLFRBA — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box APO/FPO/DPO: $27.10
• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $12.26
• PMMCNPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMMCSPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMEFRE — Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope: $28.95
• PMEPFRE — Priority Mail Express Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $29.45
• PMELFRE — Priority Mail Express Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $29.25
• PMELFREHD — Priority Mail Express Legal Flat Rate Envelope Holiday Delivery: $29.25
• PMEMS — Priority Mail Express Machinable Single-piece: $37.60
• UGAMS — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Single-piece: $4.92
• UGAMCNPT1 — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $8.93
• UGAMCSPT1 — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $8.93
• BPMMP — Bound Printed Matter Machinable Presorted: $2.55
• BPMNP — Bound Printed Matter Nonstandard Presorted: $2.55
• LMMS — Library Mail Machinable Single-piece: $4.25
• LMNS — Library Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $4.25
• MMMS — Media Mail Machinable Single-piece: $4.47
• MMNS — Media Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $4.47

All rates for weight of 5:

• PMFRE — Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $10.40
• PMPFRE — Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $11.20
• PMLFRE — Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $10.90
• PMMMFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Medium Flat Rate Box: $19.20
• PMMLFRB — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box: $28.35
• PMMLFRBA — Priority Mail Machinable Large Flat Rate Box APO/FPO/DPO: $27.10
• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $24.23
• PMMCNPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMMCSPT1 — Priority Mail Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $12.65
• PMEFRE — Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope: $28.95
• PMEPFRE — Priority Mail Express Padded Flat Rate Envelope: $29.45
• PMELFRE — Priority Mail Express Legal Flat Rate Envelope: $29.25
• PMELFREHD — Priority Mail Express Legal Flat Rate Envelope Holiday Delivery: $29.25
• PMEMS — Priority Mail Express Machinable Single-piece: $73.75
• UGAMS — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Single-piece: $13.96
• UGAMCNPT1 — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Cubic Non-Soft Pack Tier 1: $8.93
• UGAMCSPT1 — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Cubic Soft Pack Tier 1: $8.93
• BPMMP — Bound Printed Matter Machinable Presorted: $3.84
• BPMNP — Bound Printed Matter Nonstandard Presorted: $3.84
• LMMS — Library Mail Machinable Single-piece: $7.10
• LMNS — Library Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $7.10
• MMMS — Media Mail Machinable Single-piece: $7.47
• MMNS — Media Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $7.47

The are more differences between .25 and 5 here:

• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $12.26 and $24.23
• PMEMS — Priority Mail Express Machinable Single-piece: $37.60 and $73.75
• UGAMS — USPS Ground Advantage Machinable Single-piece: $4.92 and $13.96
• BPMMP — Bound Printed Matter Machinable Presorted: $2.55 and $3.84
• BPMNP — Bound Printed Matter Nonstandard Presorted: $2.55 and $3.84
• LMMS — Library Mail Machinable Single-piece: $4.25 and $7.10
• LMNS — Library Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $4.25 and $7.10
• MMMS — Media Mail Machinable Single-piece: $4.47 and $7.47
• MMNS — Media Mail Nonstandard Single-piece: $4.47 and $7.47

None of the rates are really very close to the old rate, and I'm not 100% sure which class matches more closely. I am waiting for them to get back to me on which class they are testing with.

[bugfolder]

Package weights are in pounds. Of course, the flat rate envelopes and boxes prices won't depend on that. The non-flat rates do vary with weight (as you are seeing).

I'm seeing that they're close, but not exact, when you use 0.25 lb as the weight:

Media mail:

• U.S.P.S. Media Mail Parcel (1 package): $4.74 (legacy)
• MMMS — Media Mail Machinable Single-piece: $4.47 (newapi-direct)

Priority mail:

• U.S.P.S. Priority Mail® (1 package): $15.05 (legacy)
• PMMS — Priority Mail Machinable Single-piece: $12.26 (newapi-direct)

What are the product dimensions? And of course, the rate type (retail, commercial, contract).

Also, since the legacy rates are showing as higher than the direct USPS lookup, does the client have any markups added in the settings?

[oadaeh]

Okay, it seems that the price difference was from using ounces when the calculations were in pounds. When they went through and made those adjustments, the prices were more in line with what they were expecting.

Would it be possible to add some sort of indication in the title or description of the field (or somewhere else appropriate) that makes it clear that the weight is in pounds and not ounces, and not just for the test form, as I can imagine that might be overlooked or ignored when dealing with this? I can create a PR for that, if it would be helpful.

[bugfolder]

I can create a PR for that, if it would be helpful.

Sounds great, please do!