How to merge multiple Flat Rate shipping rules for a cleaner checkout in WooCommerce

Too many shipping options cluttering your checkout page?

This guide will help you combine multiple flat rate shipping rules into a single, clean option, making your WooCommerce checkout simpler and more customer-friendly — without losing control over your shipping logic. (Plugin feature: Advanced Shipping Rules)

Why You Should Merge Shipping Rules

Every extra shipping method shown at checkout increases friction.

Imagine a customer sees:

• Standard Shipping (Less Items) – $50
• Standard Shipping (Medium Items) – $100
• Express shipping (Multiple Items) – $120
• Free Shipping on Orders Above $999

It’s overwhelming. And it often leads to cart abandonment.

By merging shipping rules, you can:

• Avoid confusing customers
• Display only one shipping method with the correct fee behind the scenes
• Still apply complex logic based on location, cart weight, quantity, date, and more

How to Set It Up in a Plugin

Step 1: Go to Flat Rate Shipping Dashboard

Navigate to:

WooCommerce → Flat Rate Shipping

Click on "Add New Shipping Method"

Step 2: Set the Title

This is the only label the customer will see.

Example: Smart Shipping

Step 3: Set Base Shipping Fee

This will be your default shipping fee — e.g., $0.

Don’t worry about making it perfect now — we’ll override it using conditions.

Step 4: Add Advanced Shipping Price Rules

Now comes the power move.

Click + Add Rule under Cost On Total cart Quantity and start layering logic using plugin conditions, such as the example below:

• Shipping For
  • Country United States
  • Cart below 999
• Advanced Cart Quantity Range
  • If quantity up to 5 → $100
  • If quantity between 6 to 10 → $170
  • If quantity between 11 to 30 → $220
  • If quantity over 30 → Add $300

You can add as many rules as needed — but they’ll all work within one shipping method.

Step 5: Save and Enable the Method

Click “Save Shipping Method” and make sure it’s active.

At checkout, WooCommerce will display only this merged method — and dynamically calculate the fee based on your conditions.

Business Benefits

Merging shipping rules keeps your store:

• Clean – fewer decisions at checkout
• Accurate – correct fee based on logic
• Professional – no technical clutter
• Flexible – still supports complex conditions behind the scenes

Pro Tip

You can use this method to:

• Merge location + weight + order total in one method
• Combine weekend surcharges + coupon exclusions
• Offer custom titles like “Priority Shipping” or “Best Value Delivery” with auto-calculation

Final Outcome

Your checkout screen now shows:

Shipping Method: Smart Shipping – $300

No more:

• 5+ method clutter
• Customer confusion
• Lost conversions

Just one clean, smart option — powered by conditional rules.