Actually the problem I have, and the concern that has me scratching my head, is not the origination location. Almost all the online orders originate from a place in California, and I can use that ZIP code for shipping purposes -- the few others would be close enough with their calculations.
The problem is the ability, rather the inability, to ship via USPS for small items, UPS for most products in the US, and USPS for international. The only "Zone" arguments I see are within Florida vs. outside Florida. This is fine for sales tax but not shipping.
With UPS and USPS modules working, I figure I should be somewhat close. If the software picks the cheaper of the two it's most likely correct. But the only UPS module I've found is written by a third party, and is a beta version, and is giving me all sorts of errors. Is it me? When setting this up, I'm asked to input my "XML Access Key" provided by UPS. My WHAT? I haven't the foggiest. For lack of anything better I put in my account number, but I guess it's not right. I spent some 45 minutes on the phone with UPS, and finally they told me they have no idea. So I've given up on the UPS calculation, which is not OS-Commerce anyway. BUT -- out of the OTHER modules which come with the program, how do I configure it so the shipping is something close to accurate, for UPS domestic and USPS international? Forget my own specific products, let's just talk big boxes and little boxes that EVERY online business ships out. How do I set it up? I've already tried the flat rate; it charged a customer $8.50 to send a HUGE box to Germany! No can do.
I could live with a "table rate" for domestic, and USPS for international, but I see no way of disabling the table rates for international shipping. Answers?