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Questions about best practices when it comes to setting up shopping carts, calculating postage and choosing shipping methods are some of our most frequent, so we decided to share a few of our best tips here to help you – and your customer – get the best results.

How to set up shopping carts

Q: What shopping cart works best with Vervante?

A: We work with any shopping cart, so your choice is always the right one!

Q: How do you know when I get an order through my shopping cart?

A: To process orders from the shopping cart you use, we just need ONE of the following:

• A copy of the order email generated from your shopping cart, OR
• A shipping/fulfillment report, usually a csv file, generated from your shopping cart, OR
• An email with the order information

VERY IMPORTANT: All orders MUST include our Vervante part number. Most shopping carts have a field for part number or SKU.  Or the part number can be added in parenthesis after the title. For example, “My Book Title Here” (V123456).

For a download that specifies how to set an order email up, click HERE. This will work with any shopping cart and we recommend that you supply your technical support team with this info when adding new items to your shopping cart.

Q: Do you have instructions for integrating specific shopping carts like PayPal or Woo Commerce?

A: On our website HERE we also have specific instructions for integration with our system for some of the most-used shopping carts including 1ShoppingCart, Big Commerce, Click Bank, Infusion Soft, PayPal, E-Junkie, Woo Commerce, Thrive Cart and Premium Web Cart. We accept orders from ANY shopping cart, so even if you don’t see your cart logo on our order processing page we accept all orders.

Q: Do I need to worry about taxes when setting up products in my shopping cart?

A: We do not handle calculating or gathering sales tax for our customers. We recommend that you check with your accountant regarding sales tax collections and liabilities.

Shipping Methods

Q: Where do you ship?

A: We ship anywhere in the world using USPS and UPS services.

Q: How do I know which shipping method to use?

A: We automatically ship all books and products using the least expensive shipping method based on the weight and zip/postal code used. However, you can always select a different shipping method that best fits your needs. NOTE: We do not default automatically to Media Mail even if this is the least expensive option. If you’d like your orders shipped via Media Mail you need to select this as your default. (For more details about Media Mail, and why we don’t use this as our default, please refer to “The Pros and Cons of Using Media Mail” on our blog.

To designate a default shipping method for any of your products, click on the link for “Select Specific Shipping Methods” under the My Profile section on your Author Dashboard. There you will see a list of your products and a place to designate what shipping method you would like to use. If you make any changes, be sure to click on the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.  

Q: How do I know what my product weighs?

A: When we first set up a new item, we estimate the weight. That’s the number you’ll see in the “Est Ship Weight” column on the shipping methods page we referenced in the previous question. Once the item is in production, the final shipping weight can be viewed on the “Calculate Postage” page found on your Author Dashboard.

Q: How do I know when you’ve shipped my orders?

A: Here's how we keep you up-to-date on the status of orders:

1. We receive notifications from your shopping carts for orders placed.
2. Orders are completed and prepped for shipping, the package is scanned, and shipping labels are applied.
3. Products are mailed according to your preferred shipping method.
4. Shipping confirmation emails are sent to recipients with tracking information.
5. Order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your account online via the “View Orders and Status” link on your Author Dashboard.

Q: Can packing slips be customized?

A: Every package we send includes a packing slip inside and you have the option of customizing it however you’d like. Think of this as valuable real estate perfect for sharing information like:

• A greeting or message that makes a personal connection
• Your logo for brand awareness
• Return policies that eliminate confusion about timeframes or refunds
• Business address and contact information

(NOTE: Prices are NOT included on packing slips.)

To add personalized content for your packing slip, click on “Customize My Packing Slip” on your Author Dashboard.

**If you’d like more information about using packing slips, handling returns, and suggested content you can adapt and use for your packing slip, click HERE to read more on our blog.

Returns

Q: How does Vervante handle returns?

A: We highly recommend that you share your return policy on your packing slip to direct your customers what to do if they want to send a product back. We will accept returns, but all returns sent to us will incur a $4.00 charge to your account. For instance, if you would like returns sent back to your office so you can use them for prizes, promotions, display or to sell to other customers, please include instructions and address information on the packing slip for customers to send the products directly to you. 

Here are some of the ways we handle returns in more detail:

• If an order has an insufficient address or other address issues, it will be returned to our office. We will notify you when we receive it, and the reason for the return.
• If we receive a return for insufficient address or address problems, and you are able to provide us with an updated correct address, we will reship the order at no additional charge except for the postage.
• If a product has NOT been opened, used or is not damaged, we will re-use the product.
• If the product HAS been opened, we do not re-use returns. These products are discarded.

Calculating Postage

Q: How do I calculate shipping costs?

A: We’ve provided a postage calculator to help determine shipping costs. From your author dashboard click on the “Calculate Postage” link under the Support section. Your items and their weights are listed there for easy referral. All you need to do is use the official USPS calculator on that page to determine shipping costs.

Q: How do I make sure I’m using the best shipping method?

A: Using the shipping calculator to find the best rates is usually the best way to do. However, for some of our customers who ship internationally, it’s good to review your accounts from time to time to verify the costs. 

Q: Do you also charge “handling” fees?

A: For print on demand products, we do not charge handling fees. Here’s how we calculate charges: “Cost of printing book + Cost of shipping/postage = what we charge.” There are no other hidden costs. For products printed or produced in bulk, there is an order fee plus a pick fee to pull the item from inventory, plus postage. Order and pick fees only apply to individual drop ship orders pulled from inventory and shipped on demand.

Inventory & Warehousing

Q: Are there charges for using your warehouse to store products and ship them later?

A: We can print books and products, hold them in our warehouse, and ship on demand when you need them. There are no storage fees for products we print or produce. There may be storage fees for products that we store but didn’t print.

If you have any questions we haven’t covered here about shopping carts, postage rates, shipping and fulfillment be sure to check our website for more details or reach out to use at [email protected].

We're happy to share that we've added another new free expert guide to our Resource Library that's all about creating certificates. Click on either image in this email, or go to our Expert Guides section of the website, and you can download it right away.

Custom-designed certificates are great for everything from course certifications to the successful completion of coaching or training programs. Plus they are a great way to add value and increase satisfaction with visible reminders of good work and great accomplishments.

Certificates can be printed any size, in full color, and feature any design or message. We also can use variable data printing to customize each certificate with individual information such as names, titles, and completion dates.

Vervante can print and ship certificates directly to you, include them in shipments as part of other products you provide, or individually print and ship to your customers. We are also able to package certificates in attractive folders or frames before shipping.

Here are some ways Vervante customers are using certificates:

• Course completion or accreditation
• Endorsements
• Sponsor recognition
• Training completion
• Awards
• Achievements
• Milestones
• Special offers

How Variable Data Printing Works
Variable data printing is a way to create a product that has the same general design, but with elements that can be changed from one piece to the next, such as names, titles, or dates. It provides you with a way to individualize products without having to update the design for each one.

Variable data printing eliminates the need for massive print runs and makes it more economical to print truly individualized products. Here at Vervante, we offer variable data services for digital on-demand printing, so you can make it look like each product has been expressly designed and printed for a single person.

Here are some ideas where variable printing can be used:

• Offer a membership package that includes a personalized letter or a membership card.
• A monthly newsletter personalized with the customer's name.
• A personalized letter that accompanies a coaching product.
• A learning course that includes unique access information for the user.
• Postcards or mailers that creatively feature the recipient's first or last name
• Announcements and invitations that recognize the readers' loyalty by calling them by name and mentioning previous products or programs they invested in.
• Personalized thank you cards, tickets, bookmarks, journals, etc.

Adding Fields on a Certificate or PDF
If you want to personalize your certificates, or any document, with elements such as names or dates, we need a PDF with fields added to allow for the customization. Here are the steps to add fields to a PDF:

• Create a PDF of the certificate complete with bleed and crop marks
• Open the certificate in Adobe Acrobat, click on File > Create Form > From Existing PDFs
• Click Add New Field > Text Field
• Double-click on each of the fields to customize appearance of font, size and placement. We recommend selecting font size “auto.” What this means is that the text entered in this field will be sized automatically according to the size of the field. So, if you have a customer who has a long name vs. another with a short name, the text will be sized accordingly and will look professional.
• Be sure to SAVE your changes once the fields have been added. 

How to Change the Font on a Variable Data Field

1. Open the certificate with Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Click open TOOLS field
3. Open the FORMS section
4. Click on EDIT
5. Hover over the area of the certificate you want to edit and double-click that editable area.
6. Click on the APPEARANCE tab: From here you can change the font type and font size
7. Select the CLOSE button

To Send Your Print Files to Vervante

• Log in to your Vervante author account and click on UPLOAD FILES from your author dashboard.
• Complete the specification document and send us your print-ready PDF.
• When you send orders for your certificates, include the variable data in separate fields/columns on a spreadsheet or with your order information.   

If you have any questions about creating certificates or using variable data printing, our team can help at [email protected].

You've probably seen us talk about POD often enough, but what about MOQ? When it comes to the print and publishing world, becoming familiar with printing terms like these is a great way to minimize confusion and help you make the right decisions for budgeting, printing and sales down the line. Here's what you need to know:

What is MOQ?
“MOQ”, or minimum order quantity, refers to the fewest number of units required to be purchased at one time in order to place an order. The main reason for minimum order quantity is due to the upfront fixed costs associated with setting up a custom print job. Minimum order amounts can vary as well, depending on the product. To find out what the minimum order amount is for a specific product, please reach out to us either using the "Get a Quote" link on our website, or by emailing [email protected].

What is POD?
Print on Demand, "POD", uses digital printing methods to print books and other products only in the amount needed. This means you can order 1 book or you can order 100, whatever you need. (More details here: "How Vervante Print On Demand works")

POD vs MOQ
The deciding factor on whether printing will be POD or MOQ depends on the type and complexity of product. We've created a graphic you can see here that lists many of the products we provide and whether they are POD or MOQ. For example:

• POD: Card decks, paperback books, notepads, and saddle-stitch booklets
• MOQ: Hardcover planners and books, kiss-cut or die-cut stickers, and anything with foil stamping or wire-o binding

To access this graphic anytime, or download it for free, visit our Expert Guides page on the Vervante website.