Handle FedEx Non-Standard Packages on WooCommerce

 Handling FedEx Non-Standard Packaging is essential for shipping products that require special care and cannot be packed conventionally. When running an online store, you’ll often face complex shipping scenarios where certain items need unique packaging solutions, impacting how you prepare and ship your orders. 

The WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin makes it easy to apply non-standard packaging to specific product variations, ensuring only the relevant items are assigned this packaging type while others remain unaffected. Before diving into how the plugin handles this, let’s first understand what FedEx Non-Standard Packaging means.

What is a FedEx Non-Standard Package?

FedEx applies additional fees based on certain packaging characteristics. Packages classified as Non-Standard include:

• Any package longer than 60 inches but not exceeding 108 inches in length
• Packages not fully enclosed in an outer shipping container
• Packages enclosed in an outer shipping container made of wood
• Drums or pails (under 5 gallons) not fully enclosed in a corrugated cardboard container

With this understanding, let’s explore how to apply these Non-Standard packaging surcharges at the product level using the WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin.

What is the WooCommerce Shipping plugin for FedEx?

The WooCommerce Shipping plugin for FedEx is one of the best WooCommerce shipping plugins you can find for your online store. The plugin allows you to get real-time accurate FedEx shipping rates for domestic as well as international shipments.
Moreover, it also helps in printing FedEx shipping labels automatically and tracking the package across the globe. The plugin is one of the few shipping plugins that are capable of automating the whole shipping process for your WooCommerce store.

How to Enable the Non-Standard Option for a Product

The WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx allows you to mark specific products as using Non-Standard packaging.

To get started with the plugin and set up the necessary configurations, follow the detailed guide here: PluginHive FedEx Shipping Guide for WooCommerce.

Once configured, you’ll see a new option on the Edit Product page for each item. By enabling this setting, the product is flagged as Non-Standard, and FedEx real-time shipping rates will automatically include the applicable surcharges.

The images below demonstrate the difference in shipping rates before and after enabling the Non-Standard container option. Once enabled, the updated rates reflect the additional handling fees charged by FedEx.

How to Enable Non-Standard Option for a Product Variation

When it comes to variable products, not all variations may require Non-Standard packaging. Some variations might need special handling, while others can be shipped using standard packaging. To manage this, store owners need a way to apply Non-Standard packaging selectively.

The WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin provides this flexibility. It allows you to enable the Non-Standard packaging option individually for each product variation. As shown in the image below, you can configure this setting directly in the variation settings.

As a result, when a customer selects a variation marked as Non-Standard, the shipping rates on the cart page will include the applicable FedEx surcharges. For variations without this setting enabled, standard shipping rates will be shown instead.

Final thoughts

Handling Non-Standard packaging is a crucial part of ensuring accurate shipping rates and proper order handling. When dealing with oversized or uniquely packed items. With the WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin, store owners gain full control over how these packages are treated, right down to individual product variations. This not only ensures compliance with FedEx guidelines but also helps avoid unexpected surcharges.

If you own a Shopify store and are looking for ways to provide real-time FedEx shipping rates, then check out the Shopify Shipping App for FedEx. 

Need assistance? Feel free to reach out to PluginHive’s support team. We’re here to help!

Happy selling!