In this tutorial on how to manage payments and shipping in OpenCart we will cover the following:
How to setup Geo Locations and Tax Rates
How to configure Shipping Methods
How to configure Payment Methods
How to setup Geo Locations and Tax Rates
In this tutorial we will show you how to create different Geo Zones and apply tax rates per geo location. This is useful when you plan to reach customers from different geo locations and would like to apply custom tax rates for each location.
When you complete this tutorial, you will know how to:
Further Reading:
How to install OpenCart on a live server
How to install an Opencart template
How to manage extensions and themes in OpenCart
How to Manage Products and Categories in OpenCart
OpenCart 2 Marketing and Affiliate Program
Important Steps After an OpenCart Installation
OpenCart Configuration Tutorial
OpenCart installation tutorial
Create Geo Zones
First, let's create a geo zone. For the purpose of this tutorial we will create a Geo Zone for US. To begin, please login into your OpenCart admin dashboard and navigate to the System ? Localization ? Geo Zones.
On the next page you will see all existing geo zones. To add a new one click on the Insert button. Fill in the name Geo Zone name and Description on the next page and click on the Add Geo Zone button.
In the Country settings, select the desired country and the zone or leave it to all zones if you would like to create a country-wide geo location.
When you are ready with your settings save your zone by clicking on the Save button. Now you should see your new Geo Zone in the list.
Create Tax Rates
Now when we have a Geo Zone created, let's create a custom tax rate for the newly added zone. To do this, please refer to the System ? Localisation ? Taxes ? Tax Rates.
On the Tax Rates page click on the Insert button to begin creating your new tax class. The next step is to configure the tax rate. First, we need to input the name and the actual rate. For the purpose of this tutorial we will use the Percentage type but if you prefer a flat fee to be applied you may choose this option from the drop down menu.
Additionally, you should select the customer group and the geo location we have just created. When you are satisfied with your settings, please click on the Save option to create the new Tax Rate.
You should see your newly created Tax Rate now in the list. You may proceed and add different geo locations and tax rates for your store.
How to configure Shipping Methods
In this tutorial we will show you how to enable and configure different shipping methods in OpenCart. Shipping methods are useful when you have physical products that need to be shipped to your customer after order. As usually order deliveries involve transportation taxes configuring your shipping methods is important for both your customers and you as a store owner.
For the purpose of this tutorial we will show you how to configure your OpenCart with three different shipping options - Free Shipping, Flat Rate Shipping and Pickup From Store. Before we begin let's quickly review these options.
The Free Shipping method is useful if you would like to provide free shipping for your products which can be used for promotions, add value to your customers or for purely marketing purposes. Additionally, you may set the Free Shipping option to be available only if the order is over certain amount.
The Flat Rate Shipping is used when you would like to charge an additional flat fee for products delivery to your customers. For example, if you have a local store and ship your products only in a certain geographical region you might go for this option as most probably the shipping fee will be flat for all your customers.
The Pickup From Store option can be used if you have a store with a physical address from where customers can come by and pick their orders after purchase.
To provide a new shipping method for your store, you need to:
Install a Shipping Method
To enable any of the Shipping Methods available, please login into your OpenCart admin dashboard and navigate to the Extensions ? Shipping menu from the top navigation.
To install the desired shipping method simply click on the Install link next to the name of the desired option.
When the page reloads you should see your module enabled. You may proceed and install all the shipping methods you intend to use. After the installation process is completed you will need to configure each individual method depending on your needs.
Configure the Shipping Method
Let's configure the Flat Rate Shipping Method first. To do this, please click on the Edit button located on the method line. This will direct you to the shipping method configuration page.
First, we will need to set the flat fee that we will charge customers for delivery if this shipping method is enabled/active for the products they order. If you have configured different Tax Classes and Geo Zones, please select the appropriate options for your store.
For example, downloadable products in Downloadable products Tax group do not need shipping method as they are directly downloaded after the order is submitted and paid, so Downloadable Product tax group is not suitable option. On the other hand, you may need to set the flat rate shipping to be available only to US or UK customers. In this case you should select the appropriate Geo Zone.
Geo Zones and Tax Groups
Different Geo Zones and Tax Groups can be added via your store admin panel by navigating to System ? Localization ? Taxes/Geo Zones.
When you have the desired settings applied, please make sure that the status of the shipping method is Enabled and save your settings by hitting the Save button at the upper right corner of your screen.
Now that we have configured the Flat rate method let's configure the Free Shipping option. To do this, please click on the Edit button from the Shipping Methods page list.
Here you can configure a few cases and groups for which the free Shipping method will be available. For example, if you would like to have the Free Shipping method available only for orders over 100 pounds in case your customers are from UK you should set the Total value to 100 and select the UK geo zone.
Please remember to change the status of this shipping method to Enabled if you would like to make it available for your customers. When you are ready, please click on the Save button to apply your settings and make this option available.
The Pickup From Store configuration is pretty straight forward. Basically you need to simply set the method to Enabled after the installation. However, we highly recommend to consider applying a Geo Zone for this option so you can limit this option only to customers from a Geo Zone(s) near to your physical store.
In addition to the above methods you may review the rest of the available shipping methods to find the one that most suits your needs. OpenCart comes with several different shipping methods in case you plan to use postal companies such as UPS or Royal Mail for example.
Further Reading:
How to install OpenCart on a live server
How to install an Opencart template
How to manage extensions and themes in OpenCart
How to Manage Products and Categories in OpenCart
OpenCart 2 Marketing and Affiliate Program
Important Steps After an OpenCart Installation
How to configure Payment Methods
In this tutorial we will show you how to enable and configure different payment methods for your online store. Payment methods determine how your customers will pay for the purchased products.
OpenCart has a wide range of payment options available by default. In order to activate any of them you should first install and configure the payment module. This can be easily done via the OpenCart admin panel.
To start, please login into your OpenCart admin panel and refer to the Extensions ? Payments menu.
On the Payments page you will see a list of all supported payment options. By default you might have 2 payment options already enabled - Cache on Delivery and Free Checkout.
In case your customers will pay on delivery the Cache on Delivery will perfectly suits you. On the other hand, if you provide any free products, samples or similar you may use the Free Checkout option.
For the purpose of this tutorial we will activate the PayPal option which allows you to accept PayPal payments. You can easily create a PayPal account if you do not have such via the PayPal website.
To activate the PayPal payment option click on the Install link on the PayPal Payments Standard line.
When the page is reloaded you should see the Edit option next to the module we just activated.
Click on the Edit button in order to configure the newly installed Payment method. On the next page we have a few options to set. First, please input your PayPal account email address and make sure that the Sandbox is disabled.
Next, you may configure the minimum amount for which this payment option will be available. For example, if you set this value to 100 this payment option will not be available for any orders under 100 units of your store currency.
When you are ready with the configuration, scroll to the bottom of the page and change the status of this payment method to Enabled.
Once all settings are configured to your liking, please click on the Save button at the upper right corner of your screen. Now you should see your new payment method activated on the OpenCart Payments page.
You may review the other payment methods as well and check the official websites of the payment processors for their terms and rates to choose the one that best suits your needs.
