Setting up the Fedex Shipping Extension in OpenCart 1.5

Shipping products with confidence often plays a part in a customer's choice for delivery.  One of the more popular carriers that has earned a reputation for dependable on-time delivery of recent years is Federal Express.  They cover both domestic and international delivery of packages and letters.  The following tutorial explains how to install and configure the Fedex shipping extensions in OpenCart 1.5.

Installing the Federal Express Shipping Extension in OpenCart 1.5

1. Login to the Administrator Dashboard.
2. Hover over the menu bar where it reads EXTENSIONS and then click on SHIPPING when it appears in the drop-down menu.  You will see the following screenshot (or something similar):
   
   
   
   The FEDEX option is third down from the top of the table listing for the shipping options.  The extension is loaded when OpenCart is installed, but it remainds disabled until you install and configure it.  Click on INSTALL in the right hand column in order to start the installation procedure.
   
   
3. When the installation procedure is complete there will be two new options in the ACTION column:  EDIT and UNINSTALL.  Click on EDIT and you will see the following configuration screen for the FEDEX extension:
   
   
   
   
   You will need to have a FEDEX Account in order to complete the installation for the FEDEX extension.  Please go the Federal Express website in order to register for a new account.
   
   The following table reviews of the configuration options from above:
   
   

   Key	Key obtained from the Fedex account
   Password	Passoword set for the Fedex account
   Account Number	Account number for the Fedex account
   Meter Number	Meter number from Fedex account
   Post code	Postal code/Zip Code
   Test Mode	Sets extension in test mode to test plugin
   Services	List of Available Fedex services based on location
   Drop Off Type	Describes drop off available for packages being shipped
   Packaging Type	Describes the packaging used
   Rate Type	Either List Rate or Account Rate
   Display Delivery Time	Option to show when the package will be delivered
   Display Delivery Weight	Option to show weight of package being delivered
   Weight Class	Option to show the weight as kilograms, grams, pounds or ounces
   Tax Class	Taxable goods or downloadable products
   Geo zone	Geographical zone set as per taxes
   Status	Option to enable or disable FEDEX Shipping extension
   Sort Order	Allows you to determine where the Fedex shipping option is listed

   
   
   Note that a good portion of the beginning information will need to come from your FEDEX account.  Contact Fedex if you have any questions or are having issues with the information for the extension.
   
   
4. Once you have completed the configuration form for the Fedex shipping extension, make sure to click on SAVE in the top right hand corner of the screen in order to save your entries.
   
   

The options for shipping in OpenCart depend upon the extensions that you enable in the Administrator Dashboard.  Federal Express is a reputable carrier that serves both for shipping domestic and international markets, so it is often a carrier that your customers may seek.    Available services are affected by location, as some locations may not have all of the services available from Fedex.  Be sure to clearly indicate this to your customers in your installation by properly making these choices available to them within the configuration options.