Customer Rate Cards

Customer Rate Cards

Customer Rate Cards

Overview

Rate cards control how consignments are priced. They use service levels, freight items, and zones to calculate charges based on quantity, weight, distance, time, or flat rates.
This article covers:
  • Creating and editing rate cards
  • Setting up standard and advanced pricing
  • Managing rate increases
  • Using shadow rates and overrides

Prerequisites

Before creating a rate card, confirm you have:
  • At least one service level configured
  • Freight items defined (e.g. Cartons, Pallets, Items)
  • A zone listing that separates areas by suburb or postcode
  • Appropriate user permissions (Finance access)
Note: Agent rate cards follow the same process but are created under Finance > Configuration and Setup > Rate Card (not Rate Cards).

Create a Rate Card

Navigate to Finance > Configuration and Setup > Rate Cards.
  1. Click New Rate
  2. Select the customer from the dropdown
  3. Click Create
  4. Set the Zone Listing for this rate card
  5. Click Update
  6. Click the Effective Date hyperlink to begin rate setup
Note: The expiry date is automatically set as +20 years from today. You can configure a custom expiry date, but it must be 12 calendar months or more from today's date. If it is less than that, the default remains.

Configure Rate Settings (4 Steps)

Step 1: Service Levels
  • Click the + icon
  • Select the applicable service level
  • Click Add
Step 2: Freight Items
  • Click the + icon
  • Select the applicable freight item (e.g. Pallet, Carton)
  • Click Add
Step 3: Routes
  • Select the Source Zone (where freight originates)
  • Select the Destination Zone(s) from the dropdown
  • Repeat for additional routes
Note: Different rates can be set for each zone combination.
Step 4: Set Rates
Available rate types:
Rate TypeDescriptionUse Case
Flat RateApplies once per consignmentBasic charge per connote
Quantity RatePer item based on quantityCharging per carton/pallet
Weight RateBased on total weightUsed with flat or basic rate
Distance RatePer kilometreCalculated between sender/receiver addresses
Time RatePer minuteCalculated travel time between addresses
Min/Max ChargeApplies to total consignmentEnsures minimum revenue or caps maximum
Adding multiple rate tiers:
  • Click the + icon to add price breaks
  • Example: 1-5 items at $5.00 each, 6-10 items at $2.00 each
Progressive rates:
  • Enable the Progressive Rate toggle
  • First 4 items charge $20.00, 5th item charges $10.00 (cumulative)

Export Rates

  1. Select the rate card from the list
  2. Click the Effective Date to open rate details
  3. Click Export Rates (downloads an Excel file)
Important: Standard export limits to 5 price breaks per category. Use Advanced Export Rates if you have more than 5 tiers.

Advanced Pricing

Cubic Weight vs Dead Weight
The system automatically charges the greater of cubic weight or dead weight.
Setup:
  1. Use Weight Rates in Step 4
  2. Add a Cubic Multiplier in Step 2 (common values: 250 or 333)
Formula: (Length × Width × Height) × Cubic Qty × Cubic Multiplier × Weight Rate
Example:
  • Weight rate: $20/kg (Adelaide to Adelaide)
  • Item dimensions create cubic value of 4
  • Cubic multiplier: 250
  • Result: Higher charge than dead weight alone
Test using the Customer Price Calculator (Finance menu).
If there was no Cubic Multiplier setup in this example, the price would be the below:
Pro-rata Rates
Charge extra when items exceed a specified threshold (weight, height, or area).
Common use case: Charge extra for pallets exceeding standard weight.
Setup:
  1. Use Quantity Rates in Step 4
  2. In Step 2, enter the threshold in the Pro-rata Weight field
  3. Click Update
Formula: (Dead Weight ÷ Item Qty) ÷ Pro-rata Value × Quantity Rate
Example:
  • Standard rate: $10/pallet
  • Pro-rata weight: 1000kg
  • Single pallet weighing 1500kg = $15 (extra charge applied)
Example:
  • Two pallets totalling 1500kg = $10/pallet (each pallet ~750kg, under threshold)
Note: Pro-rata applies per item, not total consignment weight.
Note: Pro-rata height and area setups can be implemented in a similar fashion to the above, though these are less commonly used in TransVirtual.

Edit a Rate Card

  1. Select the rate card from the list
  2. Click the Effective Date to open rate details
  3. Update any of the 4 steps (Service Levels, Freight Items, Routes, Rates)
  4. Click Update to save changes
For instructions on editing each section, see the Create a Rate Card section above.

Importing Rates

For information on how to import rates, see the Rate Card Imports article.

Copy Rate Schedules

Use this to duplicate rates between customers with similar pricing structures.
Important: Confirm the new customer rate card has the same Zone Listing configured before copying rates. Mismatched zone listings will cause pricing errors.
Navigate to Finance > Configuration and Setup > Rate Cards.
  1. Select the rate card you want to copy from
  2. Click the + icon in the Rate Schedules section
  3. Select an effective date for the new schedule
  4. Select the source rate card from the dropdown
  5. Click Create
The new schedule will populate with all rate details from the source card.

Freight Item Overrides

Force items to price differently based on specific criteria (e.g. oversized pallets).
Common use case: Charge double for pallets exceeding 1.2m × 1.2m.
Setup:
  1. In Step 2, expand the freight item
  2. Click Override
  3. Set your criteria using the data filter wizard
  4. Select the Alternate Freight Item to use for pricing
Example 1: Weight-based override
  • Rule: Average weight of single item > 50kg
  • Action: Price as "Skid (Express)" instead
You will now have your logic as shown below.
You can now select which Alternate Freight Item to price with, using the dropdown button shown below.
Example 2: Dimension-based override
  • Rule: Length > 1.2m AND Width > 1.2m
  • Action: Price as "Pallet - Oversize"
  • Multiplier: 2× (charges double the standard pallet rate)
In this example there are 2 parameters: length and width, as shown above.
The result is shown in the examples below.
Note: Change "AND" to "OR" if only one dimension needs to exceed the threshold.
  1. Select the alternate freight item using the dropdown button and click Save.
  1. Move to the override under the Pallet - Oversize freight item, then click the Override button as shown below.
  1. In this case there is no need to set any further parameters. Click the Use Rate from Alternate Step 2 tab as shown below.
  1. Select which alternate freight item's price to use. In this example, set the prices against the Pallet freight item. To charge double the quantity, manually enter 2 in the Multiply Qty field. Be cautious when using weight and qty breaks, as multiplying the qty could force the price into an alternate qty break depending on your desired result.
  1. Once you set the overrides, Step 3 will display a message that no rates have to be set, as shown below.

Rate Increases

Navigate to Finance > Configuration and Setup > Rate Cards > Customer Transport Rates (or Supplier Transport Rates).
  1. Use search filters to find the rate card
  2. Click the + icon in the Rate Schedules section
  3. Select the new Effective Date
  4. Enter the Percentage Increase/Decrease
  5. Click Create
The new schedule will appear under Effective Rate Schedules and apply from the specified date.
Note: You can also increase the rate via the rate card and click the Uprate button. To learn more about uprate, see the Rate Increases article.

Distance and Time Charging

Prerequisites:
  • Enable the Optimal Route (ETA) Module
  • Navigate to Configuration > Operational Task > Global Setup > Add-on Modules
Setup:
  1. Ensure the Optimal Route Module is enabled. To enable it, go to Configuration > Operational Task > Global Setup, scroll down to the Add-on Modules section, and enable the Optimal Route Module with the toggle button.
  2. Enter Distance Rates and/or Time Rates in Step 4
  3. Save changes
Note: The above screenshot gives an overview of distance rates only, but the same applies to time rates.
Note: The blue/white question marks next to the fields are clickable and explain what these fields are used for.
Manual distance/time entry:
  • Enable the Manual Entry toggle in Step 4
  • The system applies $0 initially
  • Update manually after delivery when actual figures are known
Note: Re-price existing consignments to apply new distance/time rates.
View pricing details in the Finance tab of each consignment.

Price Each Line Independently

When enabled, cubic weight for each consignment line is calculated separately (not combined).
Navigate to Finance > Configuration and Setup > Rate Cards > Expand Rate Card.
Effect:
  • Disabled: All line cubic weights combine before pricing
  • Enabled: Each line cubic weight prices independently
Example:
  • Line 1: 15kg weight charges separately
  • Line 2: 5kg weight charges separately
  • Result: Two separate charges vs one combined 20kg weight charge
With Price Each Line Independent turned off, the cubic weight is multiplied and calculated together.
Use case: Large consignments where line-by-line pricing provides better accuracy.
Important: Monitor regularly to confirm desired pricing outcomes.

Additional Services

Add charges for services provided alongside consignments (e.g. tailgate, after-hours delivery).
Account-wide charges
Configure default charges under Configuration > Finance > Additional Services.
Customer-specific overrides
In the rate card:
  1. Open the rate schedule
  2. In Step 1, expand the service level
  3. Click Additional Services
  4. Override system prices with customer-specific rates
  5. Enter -1 for no charge
  6. Click Save
Route-specific pricing:
  • Set different additional service prices per route in Step 4

Shadow Rates

Shadow rates provide fallback pricing when detailed rates don't exist for a customer.
Use cases:
  • Customer obtains rates from agent rate cards (with markup)
  • Customer has agreed rates for some items but needs fallback for others
Important: Shadow rates only apply when detailed rates are not configured. If detailed rates exist, they take priority.
Setup:
  1. Create your agent rate cards or primary rates
  2. Select the customer rate card
  3. Click the Shadow Rates tab
  4. Click the + icon
  5. Select the rate card to shadow
  6. Click Create
  7. Apply any margin/markup required
  8. Click Update
Shadow rates are now available when customers create consignments.
Note: The "No rate card found" error indicates that the customer is not currently linked to an existing rate card. To resolve this, either associate the customer with an existing rate card or create a customised rate card specific to their requirements.

Import Rates

For bulk rate imports, see the separate Import Rates article.

Common Issues

Issue: "No rate card found" error
Cause: Customer not linked to a rate card
Resolution:
  • Link the customer to an existing rate card, or
  • Create a new rate card for the customer
Issue: Rates not applying to consignments
Cause: Effective date is in the future or zone listing mismatch
Resolution:
  • Check the effective date is today or earlier
  • Verify zone listing matches between rate card and consignment locations
Issue: Copied rates not working
Cause: Zone listing mismatch between source and destination rate cards
Resolution:
  • Set the same zone listing on the new rate card before copying rates