THE COURIER GUY

CLIENT PORTAL USER GUIDE

With The Courier Guy’s Client Portal, we’re placing the power into your hands. Our clients are in full control of their shipments with our intuitive and user-friendly interface. This allows you to effortlessly create and manage shipments, request quotes, review your account and billing, and manage additional account users – all without needing any assistance from any support staff. TCG Client Portal also supports guest checkouts – allowing anyone to create shipments without having to register for an account first. This makes it easier than ever for our clients to send a parcel from point A to point B – anytime, anywhere.

Last updated 2024/01/22

Table of contents

GETTING STARTED

Welcome to The Courier Guy’s client portal 

Many processes have been automated and more control has been given to you when it comes to your account and billing.

Start by logging in to discover your new account page.

HOW TO REGISTER A NEW ACCOUNT

Visit the Log in page and click on the blue Register here link or go to https://portal.thecourierguy.co.za/register

Complete the account details and click on continue.

Select a default collection and billing address to complete the new account setup.

This address will autofill the collection point when creating your waybills.

Accept the terms and conditions and then click Create account when done.

 

Visit your inbox to find the registration email

 

Click on the link to continue and complete the verification process.

 

Log in with your email and new password to access your account. 

Get in-touch with the courier to finalise your account set up and start shipping..

HOW TO LOG IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT

Log in to your Client Portal account by visiting the Log in page at https://portal.thecourierguy.co.za/login

Enter your email and password and click on Log in to continue.

Please contact support@thecourierguy.co.za if you have not received any email notifications about your new account.

Welcome to the client portal. 

From here you can manage your account and start booking your shipments.

HOW TO GET A QUICK QUOTE

If you would like to get some quotes before committing to any shipment, then you’ve come to the right place

Click on Quick quote and complete the first step by filling in your address and parcel details. 

Then click on Get quote to get some rates for your booking. 

 

Download a quote directly from the rates screen.

A PDF will download in a new tab on your browser. Please allow the pop-up, so to view and download your quote. 

Once you’ve entered your shipment details, you can click Get quote. This will take you to the rates and service levels.

First, select your liability cover and any other special requests that you might have. Click on Continue to rates and then select your desired service level.

You can download a Quote or Book the shipment once you have found your match. 

HOW TO SEND A PARCEL

There are two ways in which you can create your shipments. 

This option allows you to use the Quick quote feature to speed up your shipment creation process. 

Click on the Quick quote button to get going.

Enter the address and parcel details

Set collection and delivery addresses along with parcel details.

The Parcels section is where you will enter details of the items that will be couriered. There are some requirements needed for parcels before they can be booked. Please select a category for your parcel to declare its content.

Please note that while local rates do not rely on weight or dimensions (see rates guide for conditions), all national and international parcels must have exact dimensions and mass for the quote to generate the correct cost. 

All addresses are automatically added to your address book.

 

This allows you to easily choose addresses for future shipments.

Click on Add from address book to access your address book.

Choose an existing address to save time and to ensure your address is correct.

Click on Get quote to continue.

Select a service type

Choose the relevant service type to determine how fast the shipment should be delivered. Service level rates are determined by the dimensions of the parcel entered in the above Step 1.

Select any special requests, like liability cover if required, and click on Continue to rates .

You can download a Quote or Book the shipment once you have found your match. 

Service levels and rates are set up by the courier and cannot be changed on the client portal

Complete contact details and submit

Fill in the information of the sender and receiver and provide any special instructions if needed.

Click on Complete shipment to continue.

Your account will be billed accordingly and this shipment will be invoiced. 

Download and print your waybill when done.

This option gives you more control over your shipment.

Start by going to your shipments page and click on Create shipment.

A new modal will open where you can start with creating your shipment.

Step 1: Set your Collection and delivery details.

Use your address book if you have the address saved from before.

Change the collection or delivery date and time by clicking on the pencil icon next to the Earliest requested collection/delivery date.

Step 2: Enter the contact details for both your collection and delivery address.

Step 3: Add your parcel details.

 

Please note that while local rates do not rely on weight or dimensions (see rates guide for conditions), all national and international parcels must have exact dimensions and mass for the quote to generate the correct cost.

Click on Continue to go to rates.

Step 4: Select your special requests, choose your preferred service level and click on Book shipment.

Kindly print your waybill and stick it to your parcel for the driver to scan and collect.

 

Your newly created shipment will now be available in your main shipment page.

Access and view your shipment details once it has been created successfully.

HOW TO TRACK YOUR PARCEL

Tracking shows a record of events of a waybill, from submission and collection, to delivery and POD creation.

If you would be liked to be notified of certain tracking events on your shipment, then you can navigate to the settings page on your account and set your email notifications so to always be up to date when a shipment reaches a particular status.

How to track your parcel

Navigate to your side menu and click on Track my parcel

Enter your waybill number and click on Track.

SHIPMENTS

Continuing from the previous section, the Shipments section allows you to create, view, edit, and cancel shipments in one place. These shipments can be sorted or viewed according to various filters that are set at the top of the page and selected in bulk for large-scale edits.

How to capture a new waybill using your existing TCG pre-printed waybills

You might have wondered what to do with paper waybills you still have. This new interface allows you to create new shipments by using the TCG reference number found on your current paper waybill

To start, go to your Search by reference bar in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Type the relevant TCG reference number from your waybill and press enter.

When using the TCG reference from the paper waybill, please ensure that you type it out correctly. 

Read the pop-up warning and click Yes, create new shipment.

This simply allows you to add an additional reference to the generated waybill – see it as a custom reference unique to your shipment and your business.

Use it to easily track your shipment throughout its journey.  

Custom references will be displayed on printed waybills

Copy the info from your printed waybill onto your new ONLINE waybill and click Complete shipment

Download and print your waybill directly from the screen or go to shipments and find the waybill there.

In the meantime, while you still have TCG paper waybills, you can attach them to your parcel once your shipment has been made with the respective custom TCG reference.

How to import shipments in bulk

Open Shipments in the left-hand navigation menu. 

Look for Bulk import on the right-hand side of your shipment table.

Click on Bulk import and download the template from the next page.

Complete the template by filling in the the required shipment information in every column. Save and upload your template to continue.

Complete your shipment info as accurate as possible and ensure that your address and parcel details are captured correctly

Download your templates here and upload them to your client portal

CSV template

Excel template

Drag and drop your file onto the bulk importer page or click in the upload block to open your files from your device.

 

Shipments will be created automatically on the next page after you have uploaded your file

View the status of your imported shipments by scrolling to the right of your import table.

Click on a shipment with an error to open, then view the error and fix where needed.  

Last step will be to download all your waybills in bulk or individually once all your shipments are successfully imported. 

Note that you can remove shipments from the import list if you can’t fix the error

You will now be able to view all these shipments from your shipment page

What to do if your address could not be found

When creating a shipment and you cannot find the collection or delivery address.

A modal will pop up with your requested address and a Google Maps search option. You can use this page to search for your address using the search bar provided. 

Once your address is found and pinned on the map, use the Pin to drag and drop your address into the perfect spot. This will override the original address input and replace it with your newly pinned coordinates to ensure the driver knows where to go

When you are happy with your address then you can click on Get rates to see if you are now getting rates for your shipment.

Note that you might be able to refine your address by making sure you have filled in all the fields correctly and as accurately as possible. Google will always try and find you the best match based on the information you provide.

How to view and access your shipments

Open Shipments in the left-hand navigation menu. 

Search for your shipments in the provided search bar or scroll through the list in the table below.

Click on a shipment to open and view information regarding that shipment OR right click to access the shipment’s Quick menu option. 

Open your shipment settings by clicking on the gear icon to access more features.

How to view notes on your shipments

Open Shipments in the left-hand navigation menu. 

Look for the note icon next to a shipment. Hovering over this icon will indicate the note count.

To view these notes, open your shipment and scroll to the bottom of your screen. There you will see the external notes made by the courier.

Please Note: There is a possibility that these notes have been sent to you via email. You can contact the courier for more information if you did not receive these note updates.

How to download notes on your shipments

Open Shipments in the left-hand navigation menu. 

Click on download CSV and choose the notes. A file will be downloaded or emailed to you containing data on the shipments with notes. 

Look for the CSV file in your inbox and open it to get all the notes on your shipments

Where to print your waybill

Either download and print your waybill directly after you have created your shipment or go to Shipments in the navigation menu and open the relevant shipment there.

By clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner, you can open settings and then click on Download Waybill.

PDF file containing the shipment waybill and barcode for scanning will download to your computer.

You can Print the waybill once it has been downloaded. 

Allow any pop-up warning that you might get once and then redownload the waybill  

How to download multiple waybills in bulk

If you need to download and print waybills from multiple shipments.

Go to your shipment page and select the relevant shipments by ticking the boxes next to them 

Click on Bulk actions on the right and select download waybills.

Your files will be downloaded in a zip folder where you can access them individually.

How to view a POD and keep track of individual shipments

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

  1. Open the gear icon  in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Click on View tracking events.

Switch between shipment and parcel tracking by clicking on the different tabs.

POD images and digital signatures will be visible and can be downloaded directly from the tracking page.

Additionally, you can also click on the menu option called Track this shipment.

This will take you to the shipment tracking page where you can track waybills and share tracking links.

PODs will be sent to you as attachments via your delivery email.

How to get a digital POD

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

  1. Open the gear icon  in the top right corner of the screen and click on View tracking events.
  2. Scroll down to the delivered tracking event and click to download the digital POD

A new tab will open with the POD where you can either download or print the file directly from your browser. Additionally, the digital POD will also be sent via email to the sender and receiver upon delivery.

Please note that a digital POD will only be available once the shipment has been delivered by a driver 

How to search and filter for shipments with a POD

Go to the shipments page and open the advanced filters.

Search for POD and select All

Open a shipment and go to the tracking events to view and download the attached POD.

How to view communication logs for your shipment

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

  1. Open the gear icon  in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Click on View communication log.

All communication sent out regarding this shipment will be saved in the communication logs.

Communication logs are proof that emails and/or SMSes went out successfully

How to duplicate a shipment

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

  1. Open the gear icon  in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Click on Duplicate shipment
  3. Create a new shipment with the same shipping details

How to return a shipment

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

  1. Open the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Click on Return this shipment.
  3. A new shipment is created where the collection and delivery details are swapped, ready to be returned to the sender.
  4. Note the new waybill number assigned to the returned shipment.

Note the new waybill number assigned to the returned shipment.

How to cancel a shipment

Select the relevant waybill and open to view the shipment details.

Go to Shipment settings by clicking on the gear icon and then Click on Cancel shipment.

Read the pop-up carefully and select a reason for your cancellation.

Either cancel or keep the shipment to complete the action.

Please note: A shipment can only be cancelled if it hasn’t been collected yet.

How to cancel shipments in bulk

If you need to cancel multiple shipments at a time

Go to your shipment page and select the relevant shipments you wish to cancel.

Click on Bulk actions and select Cancel uncollected shipments

Note that you can only cancel uncollected shipments. This action will reverse the shipping charges on the selected shipments 

How to navigate and filter on your shipment page

Your shipment page provides you with all the info you’ll need regarding your shipments with The Courier Guy.

Navigate to this page by clicking on the Shipments tab in your left-hand menu.

You’ll see that you can use this page to search for your waybills and to set some custom filters which you can save to use every day.

You can also simplify your daily check-ups by saving these custom filters for those shipments that are usually hard to find.

Additionally, you can create shipments directly from this page and also download a list of all shipments made thus far.

How will your parcel be delivered using a One-Time-Pin

As part of the new system, The Courier Guy will be using OTP pins to confirm delivery

Delivery will take place as normal but drivers won’t have physical waybills to sign anymore. 

When creating your shipment, ensure that you complete the receiver contact details successfully. Once your shipment goes “Out for delivery“, your receiver contact will receive their unique OTP pin via SMS and/or email.  

This unique OTP pin cannot be accessed or viewed by the Courier or anyone else, ONLY by the receiver of your parcel

The courier driver will have the option to resend the pin should your receiver not have the pin. 

This pin will act as proof of delivery, no signature required. Using the pin is a safer way to confirm delivery for both your receiver and the courier

The courier driver will require the OTP pin at first but will also have other options for delivery should your receiver not have the pin for any reason. 

Your shipment will be updated with the latest tracking message after delivery has been successful.

ADDRESS BOOK

For ease of access, commonly used addresses can be saved in the Address book.

These can then be edited or deleted whenever necessary. Your address book can be accessed while creating shipments to speed up the process. Manage all your addresses from one central point. 

How to add a new address to your address book

Add new addresses to your list of saved addresses in a few easy steps.

Start by clicking on Add address in the top right-hand corner and then completing the new address information below.

Please add enough information to make the address complete.

Click on Save and verify to continue.

We require that you at least have a street address, province and suburb.

This is to ensure accurate collection and delivery by the courier. Your address will be geocoded and submitted to the courier for rates. If you do not get any rates, retry you address or contact the our support for assistance. 

If you struggle with your address, try searching for it on Google maps first and then fill in the fields accordingly.

You can move the pin to the correct location OR search for the correct address in the Google search bar.

Lastly, you have to option to set an address as your default collection address.

Click on the toggle to change the selection.

All new addresses are automatically added to your address book. This allows you to easily choose addresses for future shipments. You can disable this setting by going to your settings page

How to import addresses in bulk

Using a template, you can import a bunch of addresses all at once. These addresses will be added to your existing address book and can then be used when booking shipments. 

Start by going to your address book and clicking on the dropdown settings found in the right-hand corner of the screen 

On the next screen, click to download the template that you’ll be required to complete and upload when done.  

Use the example found in line one and complete the rest of the sheet. Be sure to remove line one when done. 

Please ensure that you have correctly added your address info to the sheet. Grammar plays an important role. Your address info will be sent to Google Maps for Geocoding so make sure your info is accurate enough to be successfully geocoded. 

Save your template when done. You can then use this saved template and upload it to your account. Go back to Import addresses and click on Upload file.

Once uploaded, you’ll get a preview page to confirm your submission. Take note of the failed addresses that will not be imported. These invalid addresses will not be geocoded and will have to be fixed in the template to ensure successful uploading.

Click on Import addresses to complete the upload.

Your import will now be processed. This step might take a few minutes depending on the amount of addresses that you are importing.

Tip: Refresh your page to monitor the status of your upload. It should change from Pending to Success

Your addresses will now be imported and saved to your address book for future use. 

Note that you can also view your previous imports by going back to your address book settings and clicking on View imported addresses   

How to edit an existing address

Navigate to the side menu and select Address book.

Search for your address in the provided search bar or select the relevant address from the list and then click on the address you wish to change.

Change the address where needed and click on Save and verify to save your changes.

How to delete an address

Search for your address in the provided search bar or select the relevant address from the list.

Select the address you wish to remove. 

Click on the Delete button to remove the address from your book.

MY PROFILE

The My profile section contains your individual user information.

This information can be edited at any time.

How to change your personal contact details

Go to My profile in the left-hand navigation menu.

Click on the blue pencil icon   next to Contact details to edit.

Edit the relevant details and click on Save to save your changes.

How to change your password

Go to My profile in the left-hand navigation menu.

Open your profile settings in the right-hand corner of the page and click on Change password

Confirm your current password and then enter your new password.

Click on Change password to save.

 

Your new password will be required next time you log in

ACCOUNT

The Account section contains information about your company account. This includes billing information, certain transactions, and the details of each of your associated users.

TOP UP ACCOUNT

How to Top up your account using EFT

Log in to your account and look for the Top up button below your balance.

Alternatively, go to your account page and click on Top up account and choose between instant or manual EFT

Instant EFT

Select your desired amount and then click on Pay now.

You will be redirected to the PayFast payment portal to complete the top up. Once successful, return to your account page to view your new balance and start shipping immediately. 

Manual EFT

Use the information to EFT the top-up amount and then email the proof of payment with references to the provided email address.

Please note that EFTs may take up to 48hours to reflect. Consult your bank to find out more.

The Courier Guy will allocate payment once received.

Account top-ups and other transactions are recorded in the Billing transactions tab and will also reflect in the relevant statements.

ACCOUNT DETAILS

How to edit your billing address and contact

Navigate to the side menu and click on Account.

Click on the pencil icon next to Account details, Billing address, and Billing contact to edit each respective field.

Enter the relevant details into each of the fields and click Save at the bottom of the page.

How to add a new user to your account

Open your account, scroll to Account users and click on Create new user.

Fill in the relevant role, name, and email address of the new user.

Account User: This role is limited to only Shipments and Address book

Account SuperUser: This role can also access accounts and settings.

Account User (No billing): This role has the same rights as a normal account user with the exception of not seeing ANY rate information e.g no account balance or rates on service levels.

Click Create user to finalise this user’s creation. 

Check the user’s email for the log in details. Ask them to follow the instructions and complete the sign-in. 

Only an Account Super User can edit user details.

How to remove a user from your account

Open your account, scroll to Account users

Find the user you are looking to remove and then click on the profile to open.

To completely remove the user from your account, click on the Delete this user button in the right-hand corner of your profile page. This will remove the user and their contact details from the system. 

Tip: The username cannot be used again as it is saved in historical shipment data. We recommend adding a numerical number to the new username should you need to re-create the same user e.g admin1

Please note: You cannot delete your own user. 

BILLING

How to view your account’s billing information

Navigate to the side menu, click on Accounts and open the relevant Account.

Click on the Billing tab at the top of the page. Here you’ll be able to see all billing transactions, invoices and credit notes related to the account.

Billing details cannot be changed by an account user.

Please contact your courier to discuss the terms and changing this information 

How to download your invoices and credit notes

Click on the Billing tab at the top of your account page.

Scroll down and click on the Invoices and Credit notes tabs

Use the search function to find invoices or credit notes and filter by date to narrow your search.

Click on an Invoice or Credit note to open. Look for the Download PDF option and then click to download.

How to get a statement for your account

Go to your account and click on Get statement in the top right corner of the page, next to your active balance.

Enter the relevant dates in the pop-up and click on Get statement.

A PDF document will download to your computer.

BILLING TRANSACTION TYPES

An explanation of the different types of billing transactions available.

The initial charge on a shipment during the parcel sending process based on the dimensions, weight, and service level. 

This action occurs when a parcel has gone through a SWAD machine and either different dimensions or weight were recorded, compared to what was entered by the person who created the shipment, thus resulting in a different shipment charge. The shipping charge reversal is then applied to the initial shipping charge so that the adjusted shipping charge can take effect.

This is the new charge that is applied to the shipment after going through the SWAD machine. 

A payment that was made by the client to the courier company. 

A payment reversal is applied when a mistake was made with the original payment.

A refund transaction is added when paying out credits to a customer. 

A refund reversal is applied to reverse a refund transaction if a mistake was made. 

When a client’s account balance is increased for any reason. 

When a client’s account balance is reduced due to possible mistakes when credit was applied.

When credit is applied to a client’s account for promotional reasons.

A promotional debit is applied when a mistake was made with the provided promotional credit. 

This transaction type is used to correct mistakes to balances if none of the other transaction types suffices.

This transaction type is used to correct mistakes to balances if none of the other transaction types suffices.

When outstanding debt cannot be recovered and needs to be written off.

This transaction is applied when a mistake has been made with the original debt write-off.

SETTINGS

GENERAL

How to change your company logo

Navigate to your Settings page and click on general.

In the Company logo section, click on Choose file to select the logo from your computer.

Once the file is selected, click on Upload and set your new logo.

Company logos will appear in shipment waybills and in emails sent by the system.

How to set your addresses to add automatically

Navigate to Settings under general and scroll to the Address book section.

You can disable this setting by clicking on the toggle and saving your changes

SHIPMENTS

How to add a Unique tracking prefix to your shipment

Navigate to Settings under shipments and go to the Tracking section.

Add characters to your waybill number to identify your shipments.

This prefix is used at the beginning of all waybill numbers and needs to be three characters long.

How to add a Webhook tracking URL to your account

Navigate to Settings and scroll to the Webhook tracking section under the shipment tab.

Webhooks are typically used to connect two different applications with each other. The Courier Guy uses webhooks for automated messages which are sent (as an HTTP POST request) to the specified URL when a shipment’s tracking status changes.

The payload of the message is the shipment that changed.

Enter your Webhook tracking URL in the space provided and click Save to complete the set up.

You can add multiple webhooks to your account by clicking on “Add webhook tracking URL

How to set your own default collection time

Navigate to Settings and go to the shipments tab.

Set your default collection time and save. This will change the collection time on each new shipment you create.

How to set custom package sizes for your account

Easily set up predefined package types with specified dimensions and weights to make it easier and quicker to book your shipments.

Choose these package types from a dropdown list when booking a shipment.

Navigate to Settings and scroll down to the Package types section under the shipments tab.

Click on Add packaging to add a new type. Enter each parcel’s dimensions and weight and click Save.

Optionally, choose a default Package size and Package category to use upon creating your shipments.  

Click Save when done.

NOTIFICATIONS

How to manage tracking emails sent from your account

Navigate to Settings and click on to the notifications tab. 

Select all the relevant status updates that you and your client wish to receive via email.

Click save when done.

How to hide details on your waybill

Navigate to your Settings page and click on to the notifications tab. 

Scroll down to Notification settings and click on the toggle to enable the feature.

Hiding your collection address will effectively hide all your collection address details from clients by removing the address information from all waybills and email communication sent to your delivery contact.

Click save at the bottom to finalise your changes.

How to disable your billing emails

Navigate to your Settings page and click on to the notifications tab. 

Scroll down to Notification settings and click on the toggle to enable the feature.

Disabling your billing emails will result in no billing-related emails being sent to the billing contact. Statements, invoices and credit notes will have to be downloaded manually by logging into the account.

How to manage your support email contact settings

Navigate to your Settings page and click on to the notifications tab. 

These emails are sent to the support contact listed on the account. Please contact your courier to find out more about your support contact listed and how to change it.

Click Save when done. 

API KEYS

How to use the API Keys

Use access keys to make programmatic calls to our API.

To navigate to this page, go to Settings in the left navigation panel and then go to the API Keys section to view the page.

Create new API keys for your account by clicking on the blue Create API key button in the top-right corner of the screen. 

A new API key will be generated, containing a Bearer tokenCopy this key using the “copy to clipboard” icon.

For your protection, you should never share your API key with anyone. If you lose or forget your key, you cannot retrieve it. Instead, create a new access key and make the old key inactive.

For more information, see our API documentation at https://api-docs.bob.co.za/shiplogic

MY INBOX

Access all courier related emails in one place by using the Client portal inbox feature. Open your shipment emails, view tracking and download files more efficiently. 

How to use My inbox

Navigate to My inbox from your menu and click on the email you wish to open.

You can search for emails using the search bar. 

My inbox will only show emails sent to your logged in email address

Click on any link within an email to open it in a new tab or to download the file from your browser.

Download links have an expiry period of 7 days and will therefore not be shown after it has expired

BRANCH CONTACT DETAILS

Queries regarding online services can be sent to: online@thecourierguy.co.za

Sharecall for our nearest branch: 086 120 3203

Branch numbers

010 222 2300

031 701 1904

021 934 8986

083 320 8929 / 082 879 5790

Email addresses for collections

jhbcollections@thecourierguy.co.za

kzncollections@thecourierguy.co.za

plzcollections@thecourierguy.co.za

Email addresses for Online clients

onlinejhb@thecourierguy.co.za

onlinedbn@thecourierguy.co.za

onlinecpt@thecourierguy.co.za