USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISSUE

[whona]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - Broke Our Current Module

Cannot find the other thread; can you post a cross-link?

[Rick Wilson]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS IS

Miva Merchant Production Release 8 Update 10 Point 1 has been released to solved the USPS issue introduced on Sunday the 28th of July, 2013, here are the release notes:

Miva Merchant 5.5 PR 8 Update 10.1 Release Notes

Bugs Fixed

11467: Module: mvusps: USPS_BuildRateRequest_FromBasket modifies the reference package weight
11610: Module: mvusps: Express Mail and Express Mail International are being renamed to Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Express International, respectively
11724: Module: mvusps: No shipping rates are returned after 2013-07-28 USPS API changes

[Rick Wilson]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Whona,

I just searched and there are multiple threads covering it, you should search from the Forums for UPS Rate Shopping.

The long and short of it is this, UPS does not allow people who use their API to simultaneously display rates with competing carriers, specifically FedEx and USPS.

So there are three ways to "legally" get around it, none were ok with us in the long run so we just accepted the terms.

First you can do what we used to do which is use a Rate Table, which we update based on their public information and it never uses their API's. The problem with this is no negotiated rates, no International and no Labels or Return Logistics. So we deprecated our old version (it still works but the data is a couple years old now).

Second you can do what Viking Coders does which is build a unique module for every store where you get a unique developer key for every store (essentially signing up each store as a "Developer" with UPS and using their specific key in the module). There's a bunch of problems with this, it still breaks the rules, but UPS would have to turn stores off one by one, it's not scalable, etc...

Third we could have extended checkout by a page (or added AJAX to the current page) and force you to choose a shipping carrier first and then see rates. There are a number of issues with this approach we didn't like. It would break many Miva checkout flows, it would likely lower conversions, it's confusing, etc...

So in the end we chose the "work with them" route and have a good working relationship with UPS but with this limitation. We are actively working on getting a blanket permission to show USPS side by side (but not FedEx) and I'm optimistic we'll get it, but it's a slow process and there are no guarantees.

[whona]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Great, I appreciate the reply; I switched back to the old system (which we had been using up until USPS broke and we saw "DISCONTINUED" next to the UPS option). The positives outweigh any negatives using the older UPS table-driven option.

[mikey]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

I am trying to pin down our upgrade path with shipping regarding USPS + UPS/FedEx.

Is there a restriction on displaying the Miva Merchant USPS Rates + Viking Coders UPS Rates?

Or does the restriction of rates specific to the usage of the Miva Merchant UPS module?

How about Miva Merchant FedEx + Miva Merchant USPS?

[Rick Wilson]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

It's specific to the Miva Merchant Module and no there are no restrictions with FedEx and USPS.

Email me off forum, I might have another suggestion for you.

[Datagg]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Rick,

Is this update addressing the changes within internal Endicia setup also?

[Rick Wilson]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

No because as far as we know it was only a rating issue and Endicia doesn't pull rates.

What issue are you seeing with Endicia?

[Datagg]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

No issues on the rates, Was thinking more on the name changes. Ill admit I haven't even been in there to look.

Thanks

[coca cola]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Thank you for your fast work yesterday with the USPS Online Rate Calculation!

One issue keeps coming up since we fixed everything yesterday and I can't figure out why. We use the SERT Shipping Estimates in the BASK page to give our customers a peak at the shipping rates before completing their orders. We use USPS Online Rate Calculation and UPS Custom Integration modules to get the rates.

If the customer is not logged into an account and they use the Shipping Estimates - they see only UPS 3 Day, 2nd Day and Next Day rates in the drop down list. If they go to the OSEL page - all the shipping options are available including USPS Priority, UPS Ground and USPS Express Mail. If they come back to the BASK page and click Shipping Estimates again - all the options are there.

If they are logged into an account, it correctly fills in state/zip but about half the time shows only the UPS rates and about half the time shows all the rates.

How do we fix this? Before we used ToolBox ShipCalc but it couldn't give the correct rates based on the Shipping Rules adding a small amount for handling and it showed all the rates, even for shipping methods not allowed based on the Shipping Rules.

Also many times the trademark and registered marks after the USPS shipping method are showing up as

<sup>™</sup> - any way to get rid of those?

[Jim McCormick]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Thank you for your fast work yesterday with the USPS Online Rate Calculation!

One issue keeps coming up since we fixed everything yesterday and I can't figure out why. We use the SERT Shipping Estimates in the BASK page to give our customers a peak at the shipping rates before completing their orders. We use USPS Online Rate Calculation and UPS Custom Integration modules to get the rates.

If the customer is not logged into an account and they use the Shipping Estimates - they see only UPS 3 Day, 2nd Day and Next Day rates in the drop down list. If they go to the OSEL page - all the shipping options are available including USPS Priority, UPS Ground and USPS Express Mail. If they come back to the BASK page and click Shipping Estimates again - all the options are there.

If they are logged into an account, it correctly fills in state/zip but about half the time shows only the UPS rates and about half the time shows all the rates.

How do we fix this? Before we used ToolBox ShipCalc but it couldn't give the correct rates based on the Shipping Rules adding a small amount for handling and it showed all the rates, even for shipping methods not allowed based on the Shipping Rules.

Also many times the trademark and registered marks after the USPS shipping method are showing up as

^™ - any way to get rid of those?

Your configuration worked before USPS changed their API? Are you seeing the code for trademark/registered marks in your admin or on the storefront at checkout? If in the admin you can try setting the charset in your admin (click on the store name and then on Settings) to utf-8.

[coca cola]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Yes the SERT page worked fine before the change. Code for trademark/registered marks are in the admin and sometimes in the storefront at checkout. When we tried the ShipCalc from ToolKit the long code was always there, but switching to SERT to calculate the rates not only got rid of them, but also made the rates the same as on the checkout page. ShipCalc didn't calculate the same rates because some of the shipping methods have other charges in Ship Rules and put all possible methods on the list even if they were not allowed in Ship Rules Yet we have two orders today with the long marks showing in the shipping method. Char set is already set for utf-8.

[elisabeth_hale]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

I still get no rates after applying the patch. Perhaps I messed up our settings by tinkering when this first appeared? Can someone let me know the default settings, urls, etc? Thank you very much.

[elisabeth_hale]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Okay, kept tinkering, and we're back! Thank you!

[coca cola]

Re: USPS API Update July 28 2013 - UPDATE - A PATCH HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX THIS ISS

Please can someone help us with this Shipping Calculation problem? We are totally lost why the SERT Page doesn't generate the same rates as the OSEL Page. SERT only gives UPS 3 day, 2 day, and Next day - while OSEL gives both USPS and UPS rates. We are using USPS Miva module with UPS Custom Integration module to generate the shipping amounts. It worked fine before upgrading the USPS module this week.