Shipping Fee Management

Overview

The Shipping Fee feature allows Business Central to automatically calculate shipping fees on Waybills when posting Warehouse Shipments. The system generates Shipping Fee Lines on the Sales Order that will be invoiced together with the rest of the order.

Key Capabilities:

• Calculate fees by Flat Rate or Per Package

• Set minimum amount for free shipping on the Customer

• Automatically or manually assign fees to sales orders

Important: This feature only works if you are using Warehouse Shipments.

Setup

1. Sales & Receivables Setup

Navigation: Search for "Sales & Receivables Setup"

Required Configuration:

Screenshot Reference: [Insert screenshot showing the field set to "All"]

2. Shipping Manager Setup

Navigation: Search for "Shipping Manager Setup"

Optional Configuration:

Access Shipping Fee Price List:

• Click on the "Shipping Fee" field to open and manage the Shipping Fee Prices page

3. Shipping Fee Prices (Per Package Method)

Navigation: Search for "Shipping Fee Prices"

Use this setup when calculating fees per package type. The system will search for matching price records based on the waybill details.

Fields:

Matching Logic:

When calculating fees "Per Package", the system searches for matching Shipping Fee Price records in this order:

1. First: Exact match on Country Code, Currency Code, Package Type, Shipping Agent, and Shipping Agent Service

2. Second (Fallback): Same criteria but with blank Package Type (acts as a default for any package type)

Important: If no matching price record is found, the system will generate an error. Make sure you have appropriate price records set up for your combinations.

Example Setup:

Note: The last row with blank Country, Currency, and Package Type acts as a fallback default.

Customer Setup

Shipping Fee Configuration per Customer

Navigation: Open Customer Card → Scroll to "Shipment Method" section

Fields:

Shipping Fee Calculation Method

Default: None

Shipping Fee Item (Flat Rate Only)

• Used when: Calculation Method = "Flat Rate"

• Description: The Item No. that will be added to the Sales Order as the shipping fee line

• Required: Yes (when using Flat Rate)

• Error if blank: System will show error: "In order to use Flat Rate, both Shipping Fee Item and Shipping Fee must be specified"

Shipping Fee (Flat Rate Only)

• Used when: Calculation Method = "Flat Rate"

• Description: The fixed price amount (in the customer's currency) for shipping

• Required: Yes (when using Flat Rate)

• Currency: Displayed in the customer's currency code

• Error if blank: System will show error: "In order to use Flat Rate, both Shipping Fee Item and Shipping Fee must be specified"

Example: If customer currency is EUR and you enter 50.00, a 50 EUR shipping fee line will be added to all warehouse shipments.

Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY

• Description: Minimum order amount (in Local Currency - LCY) required for free shipping

• Behavior:

  • If the shipment amount (LCY) is greater than or equal to this value, NO shipping fee is calculated

  • This check applies to BOTH "Flat Rate" and "Per Package" methods

• Required: Yes - This field MUST be greater than 0 for the shipping fee feature to work

• Error if zero: System will show error: "Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY is zero for Customer: [Customer No.]"

Important Notes:

• Always calculated in LCY (Local Currency), even if the customer uses a foreign currency

• System converts the sales order amount to LCY before comparing

• Set this to a very high value (e.g., 999999.99) if you want to ensure fees are always calculated

Example:

• Customer has Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY = 1000

• Order amount = 1200 (LCY) → No shipping fee calculated

• Order amount = 800 (LCY) → Shipping fee IS calculated

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Flat Rate Customer (Always Charges Shipping)

Shipping Fee Calculation Method: Flat Rate
Shipping Fee Item: SHIP-FEE-STD
Shipping Fee: 75.00 (in customer currency)
Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY: 999999.00 (effectively disabled)

Example 2: Per Package Customer (Free Shipping over 5000)

Shipping Fee Calculation Method: Per Package
Shipping Fee Item: (leave blank - comes from price setup)
Shipping Fee: (leave blank - comes from price setup)
Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY: 5000.00

Example 3: No Shipping Fees

Shipping Fee Calculation Method: None
Shipping Fee Item: (leave blank)
Shipping Fee: (leave blank)
Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY: (leave blank or any value)

Daily Use

Sales Order

When a new sales order is created, the Shipping Fee information from the Customer Card is automatically transferred to the sales order.

Customer-Level Settings Copied to Order:

• Shipping Fee Calculation Method

• Shipping Fee Item (if Flat Rate)

• Shipping Fee amount (if Flat Rate)

• Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY

Flexibility: You can modify the shipping fee settings individually on each sales order if needed, even if they differ from the customer's default settings.

Important: Changes made to the customer card after the sales order is created do NOT update existing orders.

Warehouse Shipment

Navigation: Open Warehouse Shipment

Adding Waybill Lines

1. Add Waybill Lines automatically as normal

2. Ensure packages are assigned with correct Package Types

Critical Requirements for "Per Package" Method:

Before shipping fees can be calculated, verify you have set up:

✅ Package Type (on waybill lines)
✅ Shipping Agent (on warehouse shipment/sales order)
✅ Shipping Agent Service Code (on warehouse shipment/sales order)
✅ Currency Code (on sales order)
✅ Country Code (on ship-to address)

All of these must match an existing Shipping Fee Price record.

Shipping Fee Calculation Process

There are two ways shipping fees can be calculated:

Option 1: Automatic (Recommended)

Prerequisites:

• "Auto Calc And Assign Ship. Fee" is enabled in Shipping Manager Setup

• Waybill is linked to the warehouse shipment

Process:

1. Create and release the warehouse shipment

2. Add waybill lines with packages

3. Post the warehouse shipment

4. System automatically:

   • Calculates shipping fees based on packages

   • Creates Shipping Fee Lines on the waybill

   • Assigns them to the related Sales Order

   • Posts the fees along with the shipment

User Action: None required - fully automatic

Option 2: Manual

Prerequisites:

• "Auto Calc And Assign Ship. Fee" is disabled (or you want manual control)

Process:

1. Open the Warehouse Shipment

2. Navigate to Waybill Shipping Fee Lines

   • Location: Waybill → Lines → Shipping Fee subfolder

3. Calculate Shipping Fee

   • Click the "Calculate Shipping Fee" button

   • System analyzes packages and creates fee lines

   • Fee lines are calculated but NOT yet assigned to the sales order

4. Review the Fee Lines

   • Check Package Type, Quantity, Unit Price

   • Verify the fees are correct

   • Modify if needed (before assignment)

5. Assign Shipping Fee

   • Click the "Assign Shipping Fee" button

   • System creates sales lines on the related sales order

   • These lines will be posted and invoiced with the shipment

6. Post the Warehouse Shipment

   • Shipping fees are now included in the shipment posting

Workflow Summary:

Calculate → Review → Assign → Post → Invoice

Shipping Fee Lines (Waybill Subform)

Fields on Shipping Fee Lines:

Manual Actions Available:

Troubleshooting

Common Errors and Solutions

Diagnostic Checklist

If shipping fees are not calculating:

• Is "Auto Post Non-Invt. via Whse." set to "All" in Sales & Receivables Setup?

• Is "Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY" > 0 on the Customer?

• Is the shipment amount LESS than the "Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY"?

• Is Shipping Fee Calculation Method set to "Flat Rate" or "Per Package" (not "None")?

For Flat Rate:

• Is "Shipping Fee Item" filled in?

• Is "Shipping Fee" amount > 0?

For Per Package:

• Do you have Shipping Fee Price records set up?

• Do the price records match your:

  • Country Code

  • Currency Code

  • Package Type

  • Shipping Agent

  • Shipping Agent Service

• Have you assigned packages to the waybill lines?

• Do the packages have a Package Type specified?

Best Practices

Setup Best Practices

1. Always set Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY

   • Never leave it at 0

   • Use 999999.00 if you want to always charge shipping

2. Create Default Price Records

   • For "Per Package" method, create records with blank Country/Currency/Package Type as fallbacks

   • This prevents errors when exact matches aren't found

3. Use Consistent Item Numbers

   • Use the same "Shipping Fee Item" across all setups for easier reporting

   • Example: "SHIP-FEE" for all shipping fees

4. Test Before Go-Live

   • Create test orders for each customer type (Flat Rate, Per Package, Free Shipping)

   • Verify fees calculate correctly and post to the general ledger

Operational Best Practices

1. Manual Process Users:

   • Always click "Calculate" before "Assign"

   • Review fee lines for accuracy before assignment

   • Once assigned, fees cannot be automatically recalculated

2. Automatic Process Users:

   • Verify package types are correctly assigned before posting

   • Check the sales order after posting to confirm fee lines were added

3. Multi-Currency Customers:

   • Ensure Shipping Fee Price records exist for each currency you use

   • Or create a blank currency record as a default

4. Monitoring:

   • Regularly review Shipping Fee Price records for accuracy

   • Update prices when shipping carriers change rates

   • Check that the correct "Shipping Fee Item" is used across all records

Process Flow Diagrams

Automatic Calculation Flow

[Create Sales Order] 
    ↓ (Shipping Fee info copied from Customer)
[Create Warehouse Shipment]
    ↓
[Add Waybill Lines with Packages]
    ↓
[Post Warehouse Shipment]
    ↓
[System Checks: Free Shipping Minimum]
    ↓
[IF Order < Minimum]
    ↓
[System Calculates Fees (Flat Rate or Per Package)]
    ↓
[System Creates Shipping Fee Lines]
    ↓
[System Assigns Fees to Sales Order]
    ↓
[System Posts Sales Order with Fees]
    ↓
[Invoice Includes Shipping Fees]

Manual Calculation Flow

[Create Sales Order]
    ↓
[Create Warehouse Shipment]
    ↓
[Add Waybill Lines with Packages]
    ↓
[Click "Calculate Shipping Fee"]
    ↓
[Review Shipping Fee Lines]
    ↓
[Adjust if Needed]
    ↓
[Click "Assign Shipping Fee"]
    ↓
[Post Warehouse Shipment]
    ↓
[Invoice Includes Shipping Fees]

FAQ

Q: Can I use this feature without Warehouse Management?
A: No. The Shipping Fee feature only works with Warehouse Shipments. Direct posting from Sales Orders is not supported.

Q: Can I manually change the shipping fee after it's calculated?
A: Yes, before assignment. Once you click "Calculate Shipping Fee", you can modify the Quantity, Unit Price, or Item before clicking "Assign Shipping Fee". After assignment, you must edit the sales order line directly.

Q: What happens if I change the Customer's settings after creating a sales order?
A: Changes to the customer card do NOT affect existing sales orders. The shipping fee settings are copied to the order at creation time and remain independent.

Q: Can I override the free shipping minimum on a specific order?
A: Yes. The Free Shipping Min. Amt LCY is copied to the Sales Order, and you can edit it directly on the order before creating the warehouse shipment.

Q: Do shipping fees apply to credit memos or returns?
A: No. The feature is designed for outbound shipments only (Sales Orders via Warehouse Shipments).

Q: Can I have different fees for the same package type depending on country?
A: Yes. Set up multiple Shipping Fee Price records with different Country Codes and the same Package Type. The system will match based on the Ship-To Country.

Q: What if my customer has multiple currencies?
A: You need to set up Shipping Fee Price records for each currency, OR leave the Currency Code blank on the price record to apply it to all currencies.

Q: Can I calculate fees based on weight instead of package count?
A: No. The current feature calculates fees based on package quantity. Each package (of a specific type) generates one fee line.

Technical Notes

Tables Involved

• Customer: Stores default shipping fee settings

• Sales Header: Inherits shipping fee settings from customer

• Warehouse Shipment Header: Links to waybill

• SCB Waybill Header: Contains waybill information

• SCB Waybill Line: Contains package information

• SCB Waybill Shipping Fee Line: Stores calculated fees before assignment

• SCB Shipping Fee Price: Master data for per-package pricing

• SCB Shipping Manager Setup: Global settings

Key Functions

• CalcShippingFee(): Main calculation function

• AssignAllWayBillShippingFeeLinesToSalesOrder(): Assigns fees to sales order

• ValidSalesSetup(): Validates Sales & Receivables Setup

Integration Points

• Sales Order posting

• Warehouse Shipment posting

• Waybill creation and transmission

Version History

Support

For additional support or questions about this feature, please contact your Business Central administrator or implementation partner.

Related Documentation:

• Warehouse Management Setup

• Sales Order Processing

• Waybill Management