Shipment Zones Setup
Shipment zones let you control exactly which ZIP codes you deliver to from each pickup location.
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What Are Shipment Zones?
Simple Explanation:
Think of shipment zones as your delivery area. You're telling Shaloz: "From my downtown store, I deliver to these ZIP codes."
Why Set Zones:
- Control where you deliver
- Limit delivery distance
- Organize by region
- Prevent deliveries to areas that are too far
Example:
- Main Warehouse serves ZIP codes: 02101, 02102, 02103 (downtown Boston)
- North Store serves ZIP codes: 01001, 01002 (Springfield area)
- Each location has its own zone
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How to Access Shipment Zones
Simple Steps:
- Log into portal.shaloz.com
- Click "Shipment Zones" in sidebar
- You're there!
What You See:
- List of your pickup locations
- Zones for each center
- ZIP codes in each zone
- Active/Inactive status
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Adding a New Shipment Zone
Step-by-Step:
1. Choose Your Pickup Location:
- Click "Add Shipment Zone" button
- Select which pickup location this zone is for
- Example: "Main Warehouse"
2. Name Your Zone:
- Give it a memorable name
- Examples:
- "Downtown Boston"
- "North Side Deliveries"
- "Nearby ZIP Codes"
- "Premium Service Area"
3. Add ZIP Codes:
Option A - One Per Line:
02101
02102
02103
02104
Option B - Comma-Separated:
02101, 02102, 02103, 02104
Tips:
- No spaces needed
- Both 5-digit formats work
- Can add as many as you want
- Can edit later if needed
4. Set Radius (Optional):
- Enter number of miles (like 10, 20, 30)
- Zone covers all ZIP codes within that distance
- Leave blank to use only the specific ZIP codes you listed
5. Save the Zone:
- Click "Save" or "Create Zone"
- Zone is now active!
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Editing a Shipment Zone
Need to Add or Remove ZIP Codes?
Steps:
- Find the zone in your list
- Click "Edit" button
- Add new ZIP codes or remove old ones
- Click "Save"
- Changes take effect immediately
Example:
You started serving a new neighborhood:
- Edit your zone
- Add the new ZIP codes: 02105, 02106
- Save
- Now those areas can order from you!
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Activating & Deactivating Zones
Why Deactivate:
- Temporarily stop serving an area
- Seasonal service (only summer deliveries to beach towns)
- Testing new areas
- Warehouse closed for maintenance
How to Deactivate:
- Find zone in list
- Toggle switch or click "Deactivate"
- Zone turns off - those ZIP codes can't order
How to Reactivate:
- Toggle switch back on
- Or click "Activate"
- ZIP codes can order again
Important: Deactivating a zone doesn't delete it - just turns it off temporarily.
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Deleting a Shipment Zone
When to Delete:
- Permanently closing a pickup location
- No longer serving that area at all
- Consolidating zones
How to Delete:
- Click "Delete" button on zone
- Confirm deletion
- Zone is removed permanently
Warning: Can't undo deletion! Consider deactivating instead if you might use it again.
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Best Practices for Zones
Start Small, Grow Later:
- Begin with ZIP codes you definitely serve well
- Test deliveries to those areas first
- Add more ZIP codes as you build confidence
- Easier to expand than to overpromise and disappoint
Organize by Distance:
- Close Zone: ZIP codes within 5 miles - fast delivery
- Medium Zone: 5-15 miles - standard delivery
- Far Zone: 15-30 miles - longer delivery (charge more if you can)
Avoid Overlaps:
- Don't put same ZIP code in multiple zones for one center
- System will use nearest center anyway
- Keep zones clean and simple
Test with Rate Calculator:
- After adding zones, test ZIP codes with Rate Calculator
- Verify "Service available" appears
- Check delivery costs are reasonable
Name Zones Clearly:
- Good: "Downtown Boston - Within 5 Miles"
- Good: "North Shore Suburbs"
- Bad: "Zone 1", "Area A"
- Clear names help you manage zones later
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Multiple Pickup Locations
If You Have Multiple Locations:
Each center can have its own zones:
- Downtown Store: Zones for downtown ZIP codes
- Airport Location: Zones for suburbs near airport
- West Side Warehouse: Zones for west side of city
System Automatically:
- Uses closest pickup location
- Shows best rate to customer
- Assigns order to right location
Your Job:
- Set up zones for each center
- Make sure no gaps in coverage
- Test with Rate Calculator
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Understanding Coverage
How Shaloz Decides "Yes" or "No":
Customer enters ZIP code at checkout:
- Shaloz checks: "Is this ZIP in any shipment zone?"
- If YES → Shows Shaloz shipping option with rate
- If NO → Shaloz option doesn't appear
Example:
- Customer ZIP: 02101
- Your zone includes: 02101, 02102, 02103
- Result: Shaloz shows as option
Example:
- Customer ZIP: 90210
- Your zones: 02101-02103 (Boston area only)
- Result: Shaloz doesn't show (no service there)
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Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Expanding to New Area
Situation: You want to start delivering to a new neighborhood
Steps:
- Get ZIP codes for that neighborhood
- Edit your closest pickup location's zone
- Add those ZIP codes
- Save
- Test with Rate Calculator
- Start accepting orders from there!
Scenario 2: Too Many Distant Orders
Situation: Getting orders from far ZIP codes, delivery costs too high
Steps:
- Review your zones
- Remove distant ZIP codes
- Keep only reasonable delivery distance
- Or create new pickup location closer to those areas
Scenario 3: Different Rates for Different Areas
Situation: Want to charge more for farther ZIP codes
Current Limitation: Shaloz calculates rates automatically by distance. Farther = higher cost automatically.
If That's Not Enough:
- Consider adding pickup location in that area
- Or removing very distant ZIP codes from zones
- Contact help.shaloz.com for custom pricing options
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Troubleshooting
Problem: Customer Says "Shaloz Doesn't Show as Option"
Check:
- Is their ZIP code in one of your zones?
- Go to Shipment Zones → Check your ZIP code lists
- If missing, add it and save
- Customer should try again
Problem: I Added ZIP Codes but Rate Calculator Says "Not Available"
Fixes:
- Make sure you saved the zone after adding ZIP codes
- Check you're testing in the right environment (Sandbox vs Production)
- Verify the zone is Activated (not deactivated)
- Refresh the Rate Calculator page
Problem: "Service Not Available" Even Though ZIP Is in Zone
Check:
- Pickup location address is correct
- Zone is active (not deactivated)
- You're testing in correct environment
- Try refreshing page
Still not working? Contact help.shaloz.com with:
- ZIP code you're testing
- Which zone it should be in
- Screenshot of your zones
Problem: Too Many ZIP Codes to Enter Manually
Solution:
- Enter a sampling of ZIP codes in the area
- Use radius setting (like 10 miles) to cover surrounding areas
- Or contact help.shaloz.com for bulk ZIP import assistance
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Tips & Tricks
Quick Zone Setup:
- Google "[your city] ZIP codes" for a list
- Copy/paste into zone
- Save and test
Managing Many Zones:
- Name them clearly by area
- Document which areas each zone covers
- Review quarterly - remove inactive ZIP codes
Testing Coverage:
- After setup, test 5-10 random ZIP codes in your area
- Use Rate Calculator
- Make sure expected ones work, distant ones don't
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Need Help?
Can't Add ZIP Codes?
- Check format (5 digits, no dashes)
- Try one per line instead of comma-separated
- Contact help.shaloz.com
Coverage Questions?
- Want to know if you can serve a specific area?
- Use Rate Calculator to test
- Contact help.shaloz.com for expansion help
Technical Issues?
- help.shaloz.com
- We're here to help!
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