Shipping Calculation Proposal for Tati & Tita Collectibles

Prepared for Armandina — please review the options below and answer the questions at the end.

Background

Today, each product has two manual shipping fields: a shipping cost (for the first item) and an additional shipping cost (for each extra item of the same category). This works, but it means Armandina has to decide and type in those two numbers for every single item. The goal of this proposal is to make that easier by letting the weight of an item drive the shipping cost automatically.

Option A — Weight field with a weight-based formula (fully automatic)

We add a weight (ounces) field to each product. At checkout, shipping is calculated from the total weight using a single formula that we agree on once (for example: a base rate for the first ounce, plus a small per-ounce rate after that). The two manual shipping fields go away entirely.

Best for: If Armandina is willing to weigh each item one time when adding it to the store. After that, she never has to think about shipping math again — the system figures it out from the weight.

Option B — Weight field alongside the current manual fields (hybrid)

We keep the current shipping cost and additional shipping cost fields exactly as they are, and simply add a weight (ounces) field next to them. The weight is stored for reference and shown on the admin screen, but the checkout math does not change at all.

Best for: The safest option — nothing about the checkout changes. But it also does not automate anything; it just records the weight for future use.

Option C — Weight tiers (simple, no per-ounce math)

We add a weight (ounces) field, then group items into weight tiers — for example: under 2 oz, 2 to 8 oz, and over 8 oz. Each tier has a fixed first-item and additional-item shipping cost that we set up once. When Armandina enters an item's weight, the system automatically picks the right tier and shipping cost.

Best for: A "set it and forget it" feel without precise per-ounce pricing. Armandina just types the weight, and the correct shipping cost is chosen automatically. The checkout logic already in the store keeps working.

Option D — Keep it per-product, but auto-suggest from weight

We add a weight (ounces) field. In the inventory screen, when Armandina types in a weight, the two shipping fields auto-fill with suggested values based on a rate table we approve. She can still change them by hand if she wants. The checkout logic stays exactly as it is now.

Best for: Keeping full control over each item's shipping, while saving Armandina from doing the math herself.

Recommendation

For Armandina's situation, Option C is recommended. She enters an item's weight once, the tier and shipping cost are picked automatically, and the existing checkout logic keeps working. It is the simplest to use day-to-day while still being accurate.

Questions for Armandina

1. Do you want the checkout math itself to change (Options A or C), or keep the current per-category combined-shipping logic and just make data entry easier (Options B or D)?
2. Should weight-based rates be per category (for example, pens have different rates than diecast), or one flat rate table for the whole store?
3. Which option do you prefer — A, B, C, or D?