In this guide we explain how to integrate your Portmoni online store with Bob Go. This enables getting shipping rates automatically at checkout on your online store, based on your customer address.
Through Bob Go, you will have access to the following delivery options:
- The Courier Guy
- Fastway
- Pargo
- RAM
- Internet Express
- SkyNet
- Bob Box
- WumDrop
In this guide, we’re going to cover the following:
- How to set up your Bob Go account
- How to configure Bob Go on your online store
- Testing the Bob Go integration
- Bob Go fees
- Step-by-step video guide
Let’s dive into it!
Note: this setup is based on the shipping supplier Bob Go in South Africa. This is only available for South African businesses.
Setting up your Bob Go account
We first introduce how Bob Go works. Then, we see how to create and/or configure your Bob Go account, to get free access to the Bob Go API. Finally, we see how to get your API keys to configure the integration between your online store and Bob Go.
How does Bob Go work
Bob Go is an online platform that makes shipping easier. They integrate with multiple delivery partners, such as The Courier Guy, Pargo or Fastway, and give you access to all of them at the same time.
Through the Bob Go platform, you can define the shipping options that you want to offer. Based on your preferences and the customer address, Bob Go then provides dynamic shipping rates that will be displayed to your clients at checkout.
Bob Go offers a free package that you can use for the integration with your online store. The delivery fees are the same or cheaper as when you go directly through the delivery partners. They also offer paid packages if you want to get discounts on your delivery fees when you reach some volume.
Create and/or configure your Bob Go account
To use the Bob Go shipping options on your online store, you first need to create a free Bob Go account. Thanks to our Portmoni’s partnership with Bob Go, you also have access for free to the Bob Go API (usually part of the Bob Go Advanced package).
The API allows integrating your online store with Bob Go.
If you do not have a Bob Go account:
- Create your Bob Go account using the following link, which will enable the API access: https://my.bobgo.co.za/register?kfl_ln=portmoni
- Once your account is created, the Bob Go team will enable the API feature in your account within 24 hours.
- Once the API is activated on your account, you can continue with this guide.
If you already have a Bob Go account:
If you already have a Bob Go account, or if you did not use the link to create your account, you just need to contact the Bob Go support directly at [email protected] to ask that they enable the API for your account.
To do that, you can use the following template email:
Dear Bob Go Support,
I have an online store with Portmoni (https://portmoni.com) and I would like to integrate my online store with Bob Go. Based on your partnership, could you please enable the API on my Bob Go account? I understand that this will take approximately 24 hours.
Here is my Bob Go username: <enter your username here>
Thanks a lot in advance, best regards,
<Your name>
Once the API is activated on your account, you can continue with this guide.
Get your Bob Go API keys (required for the integration)
Once your Bob Go account is created and the API has been enabled, you need to get your API keys from your Bob Go account. These API keys will be used to link your online store to your Bob Go account.
Live API key
Here is how to get your “Live API key”, which you will use on your online store:
1. Log into your Bob Go account at https://my.bobgo.co.za/
2. Click on “Settings”
3. Then, click on the “API keys” tab, and then on “Create API key”
4. Copy the created key and save it somewhere safe. You will need it in the next step, when you configure the Bob Go integration in your Portmoni site editor.
Test API key
Before going live, we recommend doing a test using the Bob Go Sandbox to make sure everything works as expected. To do that, you will need your “Test API key”.
Here is how to get it:
- Visit to the Bob Go Sandbox page at https://sandbox.bobgo.co.za/ , and create an account.
- Log into your sandbox account.
- Navigate to the “Settings” page.
- In the “API keys” tab, click on “Create API key”
- Copy the created key and save it somewhere safe. You will need it in the next step when you configure the Bob Go integration in your Portmoni site editor.
You now have your live and test API keys. In the next steps, you will use them to link your Portmoni online store with your Bob Go account.
How to configure Bob Go on your online store
To configure Bob Go on your website and online store, here are the steps to follow:
1. In your site editor at https://builder.portmoni.com, go to “Edit your site” > “Products and online store options”, and click on “Edit / add shipping options”
2. Click on “Configure shipping integrations”
3. In the “Bob Go” section, click on “Configure”
4. The check box “Activate this shipping integration for your online store” should be checked
5. Paste the “Live API key” that you created previously in the “API key for live mode” in your site editor (click here to create your live API key, if not yet done)
Important: it is strongly recommend to copy and paste the key to avoid any mistake. Retyping the key often leads to errors as the key is sensitive to the case, and characters can be easily mistyped or forgotten.
6. Paste the “Test API key” that you created previously in the “API key for test / sandbox mode” in your site editor (click here to create your test API key, if not yet done).
Important: it is strongly recommend to copy and paste the key to avoid any mistake. Retyping the key often leads to errors as the key is sensitive to the case, and characters can be easily mistyped or forgotten.
7. (recommended) If you want to make a test first, check the box “Is the test / sandbox mode active”.
Note: when you want to go live, just come back to this screen and uncheck the box. Your Bob Go integration will then be live and use your real Bob Go account data.
8. Enter a default value for the handling time (in hours). The handling time is the time you need to prepare an order before it can be picked up by the delivery partner. This time is used by Bob Go to calculate the estimated delivery date shown to your clients.
9. Enter the default collection address and contact details. The collection address is used by Bob Go to dynamically calculate the shipping cost. The cost provided by Bob Go is calculated between this collection address, and the address entered by the client at checkout.
10. Save your Bob Go shipping integration configuration.
11. You’re done!
Testing the integration
To test the integration, you can check the box “Is the test / sandbox mode active” in the configuration of your Bob Go shipping integration in your Portmoni site editor.
When this box is ticked, the platform will automatically use your test API key at checkout. This will allow you to place test orders using the test data from your Bob Go sandbox account.
Once you are ready to go live, uncheck the box and you will start use the data from your live Bob Go account.
Bob Go Fees
Bob Go offers a free package with no fixed cost, which you can use to integrate your online store with them. With this package, you are only charged the delivery fees and you get the standard rates from the delivery partners like The Courier Guy, Fastway or Pargo. There is no extra cost to you for the delivery, and you get unlimited shipments.
As part of Portmoni’s partnership with Bob Go, you also gain access for free to the Bob Go API to integrate Bob Go with your online store.
Bob Go also offers paid packages where you get access to discounted rates as well as extra features. These packages can become very interesting when you start scaling and have more orders and deliveries.
Step-by-step video guide
You can also find a summary of this article on our step by step video guide available at https://youtu.be/Av-rviNfiUQ
Conclusion
I hope this helps, and please do not hesitate to contact us if needed!
Extra Tip: Configure your shipping methods in your Bob Go account
Once you have created your Bob Go account, you can configure your shipping options in the “Rates at Checkout” screen of your Bob Go account.
You can find guides on how to configure this in the Bob Go help center , and more specifically in the Rates at Checkout section.
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