How to apply weekend or holiday Flat Rate shipping in WooCommerce

This business use case shows how a WooCommerce store owner applied special weekend or holiday shipping rates to cover increased operational and staffing costs.

By implementing targeted flat-rate shipping for peak days, they generated an additional $4,000 in peak-season revenue without impacting weekday competitiveness.

Overview

Charge extra for weekend or holiday orders to cover higher labor costs, limited courier availability, and rush handling. (Plugin feature: Scheduled Flat Rate Shipping)

Revenue/Business Impact Example: A WooCommerce store sets a $7 flat rate shipping for all orders placed on weekends or holidays using the Flat Rate Shipping Plugin.

This approach generates $4,000 in extra seasonal revenue while maintaining customer trust through clear pricing.

Preconditions

• Flat Rate Shipping Plugin is installed and activated.
• You know which days (weekends, holidays) require higher rates.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Go to Admin Dashboard → Flat Rate Shipping Plugin → Manage Shipping Methods.

   Click the “Add New” button.

   Enter Shipping Method Details:

   • Method Name: Weekend/Holiday Shipping

   • Base Shipping Fee: $7

     Apply Date & Day Conditions:

   • In the Conditions section, set rules for Days of the Week (Saturday, Sunday).
   • For holidays, choose Specific Dates from the date picker.

5. Save the Shipping Method.

   Test the Flow:

   • Go to the checkout page on a weekend or holiday date.
   • The $7 flat rate shipping should appear automatically.

Alternate Flows

• Use different rates for weekends and holidays (e.g., $5 for weekends, $10 for major holidays).
• Combine with location-based rules for more precise charges.

Expected Outcome

• Customers ordering during weekends or holidays are charged a tailored flat rate.
• The store recovers peak operational costs and generates additional seasonal revenue.