Re: Obtaining a package shipping rate from FedEx

I implemented something driving Business::Fedex::DirectConnect at my last job.

The Fedex docs document the relevant codes. (No, I don't have them anymore.)

I forget whether it used to be the case that one required a Fedex account # just to download their package, but it was the case that one needed an account # to talk to their server.

Tell your boss to cough up the bucks for the account #. You don't want to try to compute the rates yourself... there are so many rules and exceptions you'd be at it for weeks (even if you could get all the relevant documentation without the account.)

Comment on Re: Obtaining a package shipping rate from FedEx

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Re^2: Obtaining a package shipping rate from FedEx by cfreak (Chaplain) on Aug 26, 2004 at 00:43 UTC
Well the Customer's account number can be used for the actual transaction. The problem was I was having trouble obtaining it since the customer was out of town. I finally did obtain it earlier today ... However I'm kind of back to square one because even having the account number and the documentation they don't give you the connection URIs ... you have to complete their certification which apparently consists of your app running some test scripts ... they also don't tell you how much that costs though they mention there is a fee. The company is definatly not interested in paying an unknown cost and wasting time with that, especially when what you get for it is rather dubious, especially for a small company. It's all very frustrating, you would think that FedEx would be happy to make getting a package rate fairly simple in whatever format you want as someone will probably use that information to charge their own customers and give FedEx more money. But they do not. As for calculating myself ... nah, I'll use WWW::Mechanize to get rates from the form on their website before I calculate myself. Lobster Aliens Are attacking the world!	[reply]

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Re^2: Obtaining a package shipping rate from FedEx
by cfreak (Chaplain) on Aug 26, 2004 at 00:43 UTC

Well the Customer's account number can be used for the actual transaction. The problem was I was having trouble obtaining it since the customer was out of town. I finally did obtain it earlier today ...

However I'm kind of back to square one because even having the account number and the documentation they don't give you the connection URIs ... you have to complete their certification which apparently consists of your app running some test scripts ... they also don't tell you how much that costs though they mention there is a fee. The company is definatly not interested in paying an unknown cost and wasting time with that, especially when what you get for it is rather dubious, especially for a small company.

It's all very frustrating, you would think that FedEx would be happy to make getting a package rate fairly simple in whatever format you want as someone will probably use that information to charge their own customers and give FedEx more money. But they do not.

As for calculating myself ... nah, I'll use WWW::Mechanize to get rates from the form on their website before I calculate myself.

Lobster Aliens Are attacking the world!

[reply]