FAQs

ShipRush SDK - Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

What's the difference between ShipRush for FedEx, ShipRush for UPS Basic, ShipRush for UPS Pro, ShipRush Server, and ShipRush SDK?
View the ShipRush Family Competetive Matrix.

I heard QuickBooks has ShipRush in it. What is the story?
Intuit licensed ShipRush technology to power the ship button in QuickBooks. Read the press release for more information. The shipping functionality in QuickBooks is a subset of the ShipRush SDK.

How long will it take to integrate the ShipRush SDK into my application?
Initial bi-directional integration usually takes just a day. Additional time may be needed to fully integrated it into your workflow.

I use Microsoft Access. Can I use the ShipRush SDK?
Yes, one of two ways. To put a shipping button in your application (like QuickBooks, etc.), the ShipRush visual control is perfect. For batch processing, you will need to write a routine that goes through your list of pending shipments and invokes the ShipRush non-visual tool for each one (this is straightforward). Straight VBA can be used in both scenarios, and any version of Access from 97 forward.

While the ShipRush SDK does not talk directly to your database, ShipRush ADO lets you write simple database queries to read and write to your database.

I have a / Cold Fusion / ASP / ASP.NET / PHP / Java / web application. Can I use ShipRush to automate my shipping?
Yes. You can use either the ShipRush SDK (via its Web Service) or the ShipRush Server product. ShipRush Server is perfect for batch processing, and has also been used to render labels in the web browser. The ShipRush SDK allows both rendering in the browser and printing the label directly.

What is the difference between the visual and the non-visual tool?
Using the ShipRush visual tool means that your code will have a ship button, that pops up the ShipRush UI. You have programatic control over all the elements of the UI. This allows the user to select all advanced shipping options. ShipRush code handles the label printing, and we return back to your code the track #, cost, etc. Benefits of using the visual tools include:

--You do not need to code a whole shipping UI yourself
--Users have access to all shipment properties
--Z-Firm code handles all printing
--The ShipRush UI supports electronic scales
--Usually zero changes to your code as the carriers add new shipping services and options
--Minimum code for you to write (often less than 150 lines).
--Fastest possible implementation

The downsides of the visual approach include:

--Not appropriate for running large batches of shipments (since the user has to click through the ShipRush GUI for every shipment)
--Your code loses control while the ShipRush form is up. The user must press Ship or Cancel on the form to return to your code.

Examples of the visual tools:

--Look at the ShipRush videos at www.zfirm.com For example, look at the ShipRush with QuickBooks or with ACT videos. You will see ShipRush invoked from the Windows System Tray. Imagine a shipping button in your application--where you want it-- in place of the System Tray menu.

--Take a look at QuickBooks 2003 or later. The Pro and higher editions of QuickBooks have a 'Ship' button built in (that is based on ShipRush technology, by the way).
You can do the same to your application.

Using the non visual tool means that your code 'knows' everything about the shipment (weight, service, COD amount, insurance amount, etc.). Benefits of the non-visual approach include:

--Perfect for batches small and large
--You can handle printing, or let ShipRush do the printing
--You have full control of everything, including visual elements
--Advanced features, including:
--Shipment batch support (on UPS)
--Pick-n-pack support (e.g. scale-later) (on UPS)
--Advanced label options, including combined pack list & label (on UPS)

The downsides of the non-visual approach include:

--More code for you to write (control has its price...)
--If a customer needs some obscure shipping option, you must surface that in your app, in your GUI

I am a software developer, and expect to deploy my solution that uses the ShipRush SDK to 20 / 50 / 100 / 1000 + desktops. What is the story with that?
Z-Firm offers heavily discounted bulk licenses on a prepaid basis. Please contact Z-Firm sales.

My system needs to process 1000 shipping labels every afternoon. Can the ShipRush SDK do that?
Yes. Both the ShipRush SDK and the ShipRush Server can do this and more.

I need a multi-carrier system, since we ship with both FedEx and UPS.
The ShipRush SDK offers visual and non-visual tools for shipping with both FedEx & UPS. ShipRush Server is a non visual tool for USA domestic shipping via DHL, FedEx, and UPS.

I need a multi-carrier system that can do rate shopping.
Z-Firm does not offer rate shopping features in any of our shipping solutions.

If I use the ShipRush SDK, will I get my contract discount with FedEx / UPS?
Yes.