Delivery Methods: Creating, Settings and Using Delivery Methods

Creating a Delivery Method

To get started:

1. Click on your name in the top-right corner → go to Account Settings.
2. Scroll down to Delivery Methods.
3. Just below the header, click Add New Delivery Method.

Delivery Method Setup – At a Glance

On the next screen, you'll go through the following steps (keep reading below for best practices on each one):

1. Name

Give your delivery method a name that's clear and easy to recognize (e.g., USPS, Local Pickup, FedEx Ground).

2. Delivery Type

Choose how the order will be fulfilled:

• Pick Up – For customers collecting their order directly.
• Hand Delivered – For local drop-offs you’re managing yourself.
• Shipped via Carrier – For shipments sent using services like USPS, FedEx, or UPS.

3. Price / Cost Structure

Decide how you want to handle the shipping charges:

• Flat Rate – One set price, no matter the order.
• Custom Price / Cost – You’ll enter the cost manually per order.
• Calculated by Shipping Service – Pulls live rates (when integrated).

4. ShipStation Integration

If the method is Shipped via Carrier and you want it synced with ShipStation:

• Toggle "Create Shipping Label in ShipStation?" to Yes.

Naming Your Delivery Method

Often this is straightforward, but a few things are good to think about in the naming.

1. It’s Customer-Facing

The name you choose will appear in your customer portal and on invoices. Keep it short but descriptive to clearly communicate the delivery method (see section below on How Delivery Methods display on Invoices and Emails).

2. Consider Delivery Routes

If you deliver more than once per week, many roasters create multiple delivery methods to reflect routes or delivery days.

Examples:

• Monday Delivery
• North Route Delivery
• West Side Drop-off

3. Keep It Under 24 Characters

Delivery method names must be 24 characters or fewer to avoid QuickBooks sync errors.

Pricing and Cost Structure

When setting up a delivery method, you’ll choose how prices and costs are handled. Here’s what each option means:

1. Custom Shipping Price / Custom Shipping Cost

You’ll manually enter the shipping price and cost for each invoice.

2. Flat Shipping Price / Flat Shipping Cost

Set a fixed rate and/or cost for this delivery method. Every customer assigned to this method will be charged the same flat amount.

3. Flat Shipping Price / Live Shipping Cost

Use a flat rate for the customer, but your cost will pull live rates from ShipStation. Great when you want consistent charges for customers, but still track actual shipping costs.

4. Live Shipping Price / Live Shipping Cost

Pull live shipping rates directly from ShipStation for both price and cost. Ideal for FedEx, USPS, UPS, or other carriers where real-time rates ensure accuracy.

Assigning a Default Delivery Method to a Customer

Now that you have the methods created, you are ready to assign a method to each customer. You can do this per customer or via a CSV file update.

Option 1: Assign Per Customer

1. Go to Sales > Customers.
2. Click Edit next to the customer.
3. Scroll to Delivery Methods.
4. Select the desired method.
5. Click Save Delivery Method

Option 2: Assign in Bulk via CSV

This is the fastest way to update delivery methods for multiple customers. Just follow these steps carefully:

1. Go to Name > Settings > Import & Export.
2. In the menu, choose Customers.
3. Click Download CSV

4. Open the CSV using Google Sheets (recommended).
5. Locate the column labeled "Default Delivery" and enter the delivery method for each customer.

6. In Google Sheets, go to File > Download > CSV.

7. Return to RoasterTools:

   Settings > Import & Export > Customers → upload your updated CSV.

8. You’ll receive a confirmation email once the upload is processed.
9. Spot check a few customers to confirm the delivery method was applied correctly.

How Delivery Methods are included in Invoice Emails

If you assign a delivery type to your Delivery Method, your invoice emails will reference how the delivery will occur.

To assign a Type, visit Settings > Delivery > Delivery Methods

Once assigned, your Invoice emails' delivery section will be customized for each delivery method:

Pickup 👇

Hand delivered 👇

Shipped via carrier 👇

Allow Customers to Choose from Multiple Delivery Options

Sometime you may want customers to be able to choose between delivery methods when they are checking out in the portal.

1. Update Delivery Method Setting Type:
   1. Name > settings > delivery > delivery method > select the one you want to edit

2. Once your Delivery Methods are fully set up, follow these steps to update each customer's settings:
   1. Go to Customers → click Edit next to the customer you want to update.
   2. Scroll to Delivery Methods.
   3. Select one of the delivery methods you want them to have access to.

3. Once selected, a new field will appear allowing you to add more delivery method options for that customer to choose from during checkout.(See video below for a walkthrough.)

   If that field doesn’t appear, double-check your Delivery Method settings to ensure they have the correct Delivery Type.

How to Reset A Delivery Method with new Price/Cost Structure

Once you've created a Delivery Method, you are not able to edit the Price/Cost Structure. You'll need to delete the unwanted Delivery Method and create a new one with the desired Price/Cost Structure.

1. Go to your Name > Settings > Delivery > Delivery Methods 
2. Click the Delete button for your existing method you no longer want. It will ask if you're sure and you can click OK.
3. Select Add New Delivery Method button on that same page and create your new Delivery Method.
4. Name it, choose Delivery Type, and desired Price/Cost Structure, then click Create Delivery Method button.

USPS Split Box Shipments

RoasterTools does not automatically pull in both label costs when using the split shipment feature. You’ll need to manually add the correct shipping charges to the order by following these steps:

Step 1: Set Up a Custom Rate Delivery Method

• Delivery Type → Shipped by Carrier
• Price / Cost Structure → Custom Shipping Price / Custom Shipping Cost

Step 2: Updating Orders with Multiple Boxes

Here’s how to add the shipping cost for both boxes to an order:

1. Open the order that has multiple boxes.
2. Click Edit → choose Split Box Delivery Method → hit Update Order.
3. Click Edit again → add the cost (a field will appear below the delivery method).
4. Add an External Note with the tracking information → click Update.

Now your order accurately reflects the full shipping cost across both boxes.