Delivery calendars enable the customer to select a desired delivery date during checkout. The available dates in the delivery date selector depend on the setup of the delivery calendar of the delivery form. Hence, the shop administrator may control the rules for which delivery dates are available using a delivery calendar.

In the delivery calendar you specify which weekdays are available for delivery as well as which conditions must be met in order for that weekday to be available for delivery – for instance that the customer must place the order at least 2 days in advance at a specific time, in order to have the order delivered at that particular weekday.

Moreover, it is possible to specify exceptions, that is specific dates, that must behave differently than what the delivery calendar specifies, e.g. due to holidays or other special considerations.

Delivery calendars work together with delivery forms, meaning that a delivery form may be assigned to a delivery calendar. (NOTE: delivery forms may only have one delivery calendar assigned). The same delivery calendar may be assigned to many different delivery forms.

In order for the customer to be able to select delivery date, a DeliveryDateSelectDropDown control must exist somewhere in checkout. This is what generates the drop-down list containing the available delivery dates.

If a product has a future expected delivery date specified, this date is also taken into consideration when calculating eligible delivery dates using the delivery calendar. This ensures that the customer is not able to select a delivery date that is earlier than the expected delivery date of the product.

See an example of the behavior further down this article. The products’ “expected delivery date” should be understood as the date that the shop expects the item to be back in stock. It is not the date that the customer may expect the item to be delivered.

Setting up a new delivery calendar

• Calendar ID: Unique ID of the delivery calendar
• Name: Short description of the calendar
• Maximum number of days in calendar: Specify how many dates the delivery date selector must display in the drop-down list.
• Available to all shops: Only relevant when multiple shop groups exist on the account. Determines whether it must be possible to assign the delivery calendar to any delivery form, regardless of which shop group it exists in.
• Checking the box next to a weekday means that the weekday is available for delivery, according to the deadlines set for the weekday. Leaving the box unchecked means that the weekday is not available for delivery (e.g. weekends).
• Deadline days: How many days in advance of the weekday that the order must be placed at the latest in order for the weekday to be an eligible delivery date.
• Deadline at: The time of the day where the order must be placed at the latest in order for the weekday to be an eligible delivery date. Deadline times must be specified in UTC in the format HHmm, e.g. 1145 for 11.45 or 1600 for 16.00.

Exceptions

It is possible to specify exceptions to the general behavior of the delivery calendar. This is useful in situations where holidays or other special dates interfere with the normal delivery calendar rules.

By setting up an exception, you choose a specific date and define the rules that for that particular date must overrule those set in the delivery calendar.

Assigning a delivery calendar to a delivery form

A delivery calendar is easily assigned to a delivery form in the shop administration by accessing the delivery form and selecting the delivery calendar. The rules of a delivery calendar will only apply for delivery forms to which it has been assigned.