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Why is shipping country and postcode taken at the beginning of checkout and cannot be changed on the last page?
Question
Why is it that the shipping postcode is entered at the beginning of the checkout process, but the shipping postcode is not entered until later. Why can't the customer change the shipping postcode on the last page of the checkout process?
Answer
The shipping destination and postcode needs to be entered prior to shipping and tax being calculated, hence the requirement to enter these on the first page of the checkout. If these could be changed on the last page of the checkout, the tax due may change and there may be alternative shipping options available. Consequently to change these, the customer will need to use the 'change' link to return to the first step of the checkout process.
Customers do often enter postcodes wrongly it seems, which is often used as the basis for a request to move these fields (which is not possible for the above reasons). But there is no logical reason to believe they are more likely to enter it accurately on the last stage of checkout than on the first stage. Ultimately it's up to customers to ensure the accuracy of the information they enter whatever page they happen to be on, and there is no way for the store to second guess the details they give.