How to Set Up the Shipping Label for MultiVendorX plugin – Using the Admin’s Carrier Account

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If your goal is to use the admin’s carrier account (Shippo, ShipStation, or EasyPost) to show live shipping rates and allow vendors to purchase labels through the admin’s carriers’ account, this guide will walk you through the ideal setup. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step configuration process for our Shipping Labels for MultiVendorX WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace PRO plugin, along with the MultiVendorX plugin to ensure everything works smoothly together.

WooCommerce Shipping plugins’ settings #

If you are using our WooCommerce shipping plugins such as Shippo Shipping Pro, ShipStation Shipping Pro, or EasyPost Shipping Pro plugins (Pro version), follow the steps below to ensure correct configuration.

  • Go to the Shipping plugins Settings → “Multi Vendor” tab
  • Enable the “Use Vendor Address” feature to ensure the plugin calculates shipping rates based on the vendor’s address.

Shipping Labels for MultiVendorX WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace PRO Plugin’s Settings #

  • Enable the “Sitewide Shipping Settings”, “Live Shipping rate” and “Print Shipping label” features, so that the plugin will use the admin’s carrier account and the shipping plugin’s configuration to display live shipping rate in the cart/check out page. Vendors will use the admin’s carriers’ account to purchase shipping labels. 
  • Enable the “Sitewide Shipping Settings”. The shipping cost will be kept in the marketplace. When vendors purchase shipping labels, the plugin will use the shipping cost that is kept by the marketplace. By default, vendors can only purchase shipping labels that cost the same as or less than the amount paid by the customer for shipping, so that the admin will not lose money.
  • Uncheck the option “Vendor Shipping settings”, so the site will use the admin’s shipping configuration.

Vendor Shipping Settings:

  • “Customize carrier settings“. Uncheck this option to prevent vendors from modifying carrier and shipping service settings.
  • “Edit Boxes”. Typically, this feature needs to be enabled, as different vendors usually use different shipping boxes for shipping orders.  
  • “Edit services”. Usually, the admin sets up the shipping services for all vendors. Enable this option if you want to allow vendors to manage and edit their own shipping services.

Purchase Postage workflow

This depends on the admin’s preference. However, it’s recommended to review the shipping rate quote before purchasing a label to ensure the cost aligns with expectations.

Advanced settings:

When using sitewide settings with the admin’s carrier account, it’s best to avoid enabling any advanced settings features unless you fully understand their impact.

Features that require more attention are below, with an explanation

  • Allow multiple shipments

This feature usually does not need to be enabled.  However, in cases where not all order items can be shipped together, vendors may prefer to send the order in multiple shipments. Enabling this option allows for that flexibility.

  • Allow to buy a shipping label without receiving shipping costs

When using sitewide settings, this option should remain disabled. If enabled, vendors will be able to purchase shipping labels without charging the customer for shipping costs, which may result in a loss for the admin. However, in some cases, such as when the admin/vendors offer free shipping across all stores, enabling this option is required. Please note that once enabled, this setting applies to all vendors.

In the MultivendorX plugin – Admin account settings #

In the MultivendorX plugin, please go to Settings → General → Disbursement  → Shipping

When the “Shipping” option is unchecked, the shipping cost collected from the order remains with the marketplace for the admin. When a vendor purchases a shipping label, the cost of the label will then be deducted from that amount.

If this option, “Shipping” is enabled in the “Disbursement” tab, the shipping cost will be passed on to the vendor. Since we want the marketplace/admin to receive the shipping cost, we will leave this option disabled.

In the MultivendorX plugin – Vendor account settings #

In the plugin, go to the “Store Settings” tab → Shippo (The 1TeamSoftware shipping plugin currently in use will be displayed here.)

Ensure that the “Live Shipping Rates” option is enabled in the settings.

When enabled, the shipping plugin uses the admin’s Shippo carrier account to calculate live shipping rates according to the vendor’s ship-from address and display rates in the cart and checkout pages.

Shipping cost distribution #

Please note that the WooCommerce shipping plugin and Shipping Labels for MultivendorX plugin’s sitewide settings apply to all vendors. To avoid confusion or conflicts, ensure that the plugin’s settings align with your MultivendorX’s plugin’s configuration.

If the admin enables the sitewide settings, all shipping costs will be kept by the marketplace. When vendors purchase shipping labels, the cost will be deducted from the amount kept by the marketplace. 

As the plugin’s settings apply globally to all vendors, it isn’t possible to set up different shipping cost distribution rules per vendor, for example, having some vendors’ shipping costs go to the admin while other vendors keep the shipping cost.

MultivendorX does not support separate shipping cost settings for individual vendors, so the plugins have to follow MultivendorX’s configuration rules.

Sandbox mode/test mode

If you are using a shipping plugin such as Shippo Shipping Pro For WooCommerce or EasyPost Shipping Pro for WooCommerce, both offer a sandbox (test) mode. This allows you, the admin, to use test orders and create sample shipping labels without being charged.

For best results, test the setup on a staging site first to confirm that shipping costs and commissions are distributed accurately between the admin and vendors before enabling production mode.

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