Version 9.8 Update Guide Annex Brands Locations

Version 9.8 Update Guide Annex Brands locations

About This Update

The primary features in this update are:

 UPS rate change, effective Monday, Dec. 29, 2014  LSO rate change, effective Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015  OnTrac rate change, effective Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015  DHL rate change, effective Friday, Jan.2, 2015  FedEx rate change, effective Monday, Jan. 5, 2015  New dimensional weight rules for UPS, FedEx and LSO ...... 6  Additional setting for dimensions entry requirement ...... 6  Auto-detection of FedEx SmartPost drop-offs ...... 7

Instructions

1 Run the Update

If you’ve already run the update, you can skip this step.

Your system must be on Version 9.6* or higher to run this update. PostalMate network users: Every station must be updated one at a time, starting with the Master. You don’t have to do anything to get the update file—it will automatically download to your computer when it’s available, and a notification like this will appear:

1. Close PostalMate on all workstations. When prompted, do a PostalMate backup. 2. Click on the notification message. An update screen will display. 3. Click on the “Update now” button. 4. Follow the steps in the install wizard until complete.

* If you’re updating directly from Version 9.6, be sure to read the Version 9.7 Update Guide, which explains features introduced in that update.

2 L oad and set new rates

1. After running the update, new Published rates need to be loaded for each carrier. Your options will depend on when you run the update.

You can load the new rates ahead of time...

One or two days before the effective date for

each carrier, a notification like this will appear on ...or the rate load will start the main screen. Just click on it to load rates. automatically on the effective dates

You can also load rates at any time from: If you didn't load rates early, the rate loading File > Carrier Activities > Load 2015 rates process will begin automatically when you start your PostalMate on the effective date of the change for each carrier (see page 1).

2. When prompted, click OK to load the published rates. After the rates load, the Quick Rate Setting Utility will pop up, as shown below. Select the carrier(s) for which you want to set new retail rates, then click Next.

Using the Quick Rate Setting Utility

Which carriers appear here depends on the date, because each rate change takes effect on a different date.

3. The next screen, shown below, is for setting your wholesale shipping rates.

Generally PostalMate will already know what discount plan you’re on with each of the carriers, and will set your rates accordingly. Choose the desired option and click Next.

Wholesale rates are those you pay to the carriers

This is the most common choice

4. Next you’ll set your retail rates. You can either use the Annex Brands recommended rates, or you can set your own. Make your selection on the screen below and click Finish (if you chose to use corporate rates) or Next (if you chose to set custom rates).

Retail rates are those you charge to your customers

If you choose this option, click Finish and you’re done.

5. (You’ll see the following screens only if you chose not to use the AnnexBRands

recommended rates.) The screen below gives you options for setting retail rates. Make the desired selections and clickNext .

6. Now set your new retail rates for surcharges, choosing from the options on the screen. After setting your rates, clickNext .

7. The Add-on Rates screen below is next. It looks and works just like the previous screen. Set your new retail rates and click Next.

8. The final screen is for Insurance.

At any time you can run the utility again by choosing Edit > Shipping Rates > Quick Rate- Setting Utilityfrom PostalMate’s main menu. You can also fine tune your rates using the regular rate- setting features found in PostalMate Settings. 9. After setting your new rates, clickFinish . All of the rates you’ve set in the wizard will be applied and the Quick Rate-Setting Utility will close.

What’s New in Version 9.8

This section contains a summary of the major changes and enhancements included in Version 9.8.

 Rate and dimensional weight changes New rates All rates for the carriers listed on the first page are updated with the new 2015 rates. See page 2 for Information about how and when rates are loaded. New dim weight rules for ground services In addition, FedEx and UPS are introducing new rules for dimensional weight (dim weight) rating for ground services, effective on the same dates as the new rates. Dim weight rating will now apply to all FedEx and UPS Ground packages; there is no longer a minimum size threshold. Previously for ground services, dim weight rating has been applied only for packages with a volume of thee cubic feet or greater. This affects the following services:  FedEx Ground  FedEx Home Delivery  FedEx International Ground  UPS Ground  UPS Standard Canada

This will take effect in PostalMate for each carrier upon loading the new rates, regardless of whether you load them early or let them load automatically on the effective date.

LSO Ground: Dim weight rating now begins at one cubic foot; previously it was three cubic feet.

 Additional setting for dimensions entry requirement Added in Version 9.8.3 Now that dim weight will be factored into the rating of many more shipments, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t get stung by forgetting to enter dimensions. As before you can set PostalMate to make dimensions mandatory. But of course you may not want (Continued on page 7)

(Continued from page 6)

to be burdened with having to enter dimensions when it won’t affect rating. So a new setting has been added that makes dimensions mandatory only for services that have dim weight rating (previously, you could make dimensions mandatory, but the dimensions entry requirement applied to all services). Here’s how to enable the new setting: 1. From the main menu, go to PostalMate Settings. 2. Select Shipping Settings on the left, then click on the Other tab. 3. Under “Dimensions,” select “Require dims for services with dim rating,” Click Save, then Close. From now on, when processing a parcel shipment, if you select a service on the Rate Comparison that uses dim weight rating, you won’t be allowed to proceed without entering dimensions. Note: You’ll also be required to enter dimensions for USPS Parcel Select and Standard Post, because balloon rating may apply.

 Auto-detection of FedEx SmartPost drop-offs Added in Version 9.8.3 Normally when a customer brings in a drop-off package, all you have to do is scan the bar code on the label, and PostalMate can detect which carrier it belongs to. However, FedEx Smart Post drop-offs have always been tricky because they have a USPS tracking number without any distinguishing characteristics, so the only way you could identify one was to look for “SmartPost” printed on the label in small text. You also had to click the “Special” button on the drop-off screen to get the pertinent information (that button, which is no longer necessary, is now gone). PostalMate now uses a new FedEx online service that can automatically determine if the a scanned or entered USPS tracking number is a valid SmartPost drop-off. If so, it will be logged in PostalMate as a FedEx SmartPost drop-off; otherwise it will be logged as USPS. In rare cases a SmartPost tracking number may be expired or reserved, in which you case you shouldn’t accept the package—and if so, PostalMate will not allow you to accept it. Note: FedEx no longer allows FASC locations to generate RMA labels for drop-offs, so access to that functionality—which was also via the old “Special” button—has been removed.