Geographical zones in PrestaShop play a crucial role in the management of deliveries, taxes, and trade restrictions. They allow for the grouping of countries, states, and regions to apply specific rules based on the location of your customers.
1. What is a geographical zone?
A geographical area is an entity that encompasses several countries or regions under a single designation. For example, the Europe zone may include France, Germany, Spain, etc. This allows for the application of common parameters, such as delivery fees.
Default zones in PrestaShop:
- Europe
- Asia
- North America
- Africa
- Oceania
- South America
- Europe (non-EU)
- Central America / Caribbean
You may edit these areas but also create your own custom areas if necessary.
What are the geographical zones for?
Geographical zones play a role in several key functionalities of PrestaShop:
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Configuration of shipping fees: to define specific fees by carrier and by zone.
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Delivery restrictions: to limit certain shipments to specific zones.
How to create or modify a geographical zone?
Here are the steps to manage geographical zones in PrestaShop:
Create a new zone:
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Log in to your PrestaShop back office.
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Access the International menu > Geographical Areas.
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Click on Add a new area.
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Fill in the fields:
- Name: Provide a clear name (e.g., Eastern Europe).
- Status: Activate or deactivate the area if necessary.
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Click on Save.
Edit an existing area:
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Click on the edit icon next to the relevant area.
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Please make your modifications and save.
4. Associate countries and states with a region.
Once your regions are created, you must associate countries and states with them:
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Go to International > Localization > Countries.
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Click on the relevant country.
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Select the appropriate area in the Area field.
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Save the changes.
For the states:
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Go to International > Localization > States.
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Edit the state and associate it with the desired area.
5. Tips and Best Practices
- Clearly name your areas to facilitate management (e.g.: South America instead of Zone 1).
- Group the areas with common rules to avoid duplicates.
- Regularly check your areas and their associations to prevent errors in the application of fees.
The correct configuration of geographical areas ensures optimal order processing and accurate application of fees related to different regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a country/state be associated with multiple zones?
No, a country/state can only be associated with a single geographical zone.
My carriers do not have the same geographical zones as mine, what should I do?
Unfortunately, given that a country cannot be associated with multiple geographical zones, it is possible that you may need to create a zone for each country in certain cases.
Can we have multiple carriers delivering to the same area?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of carriers per area, but be mindful not to offer too many as it may complicate the purchasing process for the customer.