Problem Overview
Customers encounter the error message “Please select shipping method” at checkout—even after making a selection—especially when their customer record lacks a configured default shipping method in NetSuite.
Root Cause
When processing an order, SuiteCommerce Advanced evaluates shipping method preferences in a hierarchical manner:
- Default Shipping Method defined on the item record.
- Customer-specific shipping preferences (via the Shipping Carrier and Shipping Method fields on the customer record).
- Global defaults configured in shipping setup (i.e., default carrier/method for the account or website)
- If none of these levels provide a valid shipping method, the platform triggers a validation error—even if a method is selected during checkout.
Solution
1. Configure Default Shipping Preferences at the Customer Level
- Navigate to the respective Customer Record in NetSuite.
- Access the Preferences subtab.
- Set the Shipping Carrier and Shipping Method to define the customer-level defaults.
- This ensures SuiteCommerce can fallback correctly if the item-level option is missing.
2. Ensure Website-Level Defaults Are in Place
- Go to Commerce > Websites > Web Site List.
- Edit the relevant website and switch to the Shopping subtab.
- Define a Default Website Shipping Method—this populates the shipping choice for new checkouts when other levels are unset.
3. Verify Item-Level Shipping Method Configuration
- For each product, under Lists > Accounting > Items, edit the item record.
- In the Purchasing/Inventory subtab:
- Designate a Carrier and Allowed Shipping Methods.
- Set the Default Shipping Method to be used when the item is added to a sales order.
4. Confirm Global Shipping Setup
- Visit Setup > Accounting > Shipping.
- Ensure that shipping features (e.g., Charge for Shipping) are enabled and that global Default Shipping Carrier and Default Shipping Method are configured.
- This catch-all helps safeguard against missing preferences at the item or customer level.
5. Test to Validate
- Log in as the customer in question and proceed through checkout after making a shipping selection.
- Confirm that SuiteCommerce recognizes the selection without triggering the error.