Magento - Create a minimum shipping charge.

We use USPS API for international shipping. The API returns a shipping cost and we add % Handling charge. We want to set a minimum charge, e.g., if shipping + handling is less than $5 we want to set the shipping price to $5. Would this require writing a full shipping module or just adapt the USPS module?

From stackoverflow

• You can accomplish this by overriding just a portion of the USPS module. The method that applies handling is in Mage_Shipping_Model_Carrier_Abstract:

  public function getFinalPriceWithHandlingFee($cost) 
  

  To override this method for US, create a new model override on Mage_Usa_Model_Shipping_Carrier_Usps (see elsewhere for how to set up this override):

  class Namespace_Module_Model_Shipping_Carrier_Usps extends Mage_Usa_Model_Shipping_Carrier_Usps {
  
      function getFinalPriceWithHandlingFee($cost) {
          $parentValue = parent::getFinalPriceWithHandlingFee($cost);
          return max($parentValue,5);
      }
  }
  

  This will implement a "floor" for shipping prices. Keep in mind that this may in some cases lead to results that users notice as being odd. For contrived example:

  • First Class - $5.00
  • Media Mail - $5.00
  • Priority Mail - $5.33

  Keep it aboveboard and let them know that you're doing this.

  Hope that helps!

  Thanks, Joe