Google Checkout - UPS Residential vs Commercial Rates

[gfxinternetservices]

It appears that upon using Google Checkout, customers are given UPS commercial rates instead of residential rates, even if an AC7 store is setup for using residential rates.

Has anyone modified their Google Checkout functionality to pull residential rates instead?

[AbleMods]

It appears that upon using Google Checkout, customers are given UPS commercial rates instead of residential rates, even if an AC7 store is setup for using residential rates.

Has anyone modified their Google Checkout functionality to pull residential rates instead?

I'm lucky to get the correct rate at all in GC

About half the time, GC will receive ALL available shipping methods, even if that method isn't valid within AC7. Then I'm stuck with a frustrated customer who chose a shipping method that wasn't actually valid for the items they purchased.

Other times, GC will simply timeout (a GC issue, not AC7) and all shipping methods will return the default value. Customers get confused and leave.

So far as Residential versus Commercial with rates that DO go to GC, this is the first I've heard of it. Perhaps you're the first to actually confirm those rates - I know in my case that I just assumed whatever rates calculated in an AC7 order would simply be the same if GC is used.

Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't be making that assumption

[afm]

It appears that upon using Google Checkout, customers are given UPS commercial rates instead of residential rates, even if an AC7 store is setup for using residential rates.

Has anyone modified their Google Checkout functionality to pull residential rates instead?

Are you certain the addresses your customers enter into Google Checkout are residential? If UPS recognizes the address (which is most of the time), they will ignore the residential/business hint from you and return the appropriate rates.

[gfxinternetservices]

I tested this with my home address and it reported reduced rates, which I assume are commercial rates.

[draneb]

Yes, I noticed this today on some Google Checkout orders. UPS Ground to a residence, unfortunately, doesn't cost $5 and some change anymore.

It is returning commercial rates for residential addresses for me as well.

[Katie]

I opened a bug report on this about a year ago and found out that it is something that can't be fixed.

Here is the response from our developer:

In Google Checkout there is no way to differentiate between commercial and
residence address.

When Google checkout sends you shipping address information to calculate the
shipping charges, it sends the address as anonymous address. i.e; it only sends
you City, CountryCode, PostalCode, and Province/State. This is all the
information we can use for calculating shipping charges on google callbacks.
This can possibly be the reason we get a different list of shipping methods when
we checkout via Google compared to AC.

Katie

[AbleMods]

Then hard-code it to respond with higher residential rate so we're not losing money.

Or better still make an option in Google Checkout gateway configuration to set a flag that determines whether returned rates are residential or commercial.