How to add payment method-based Flat Rate shipping in WooCommerce
Sometimes your shipping cost shouldn’t be the same for every payment method.
With payment method-based Flat Rate shipping in WooCommerce, you can charge differently for COD, prepaid, or other methods to manage costs and customer behavior.
Payment method-based Flat Rate shipping allows you to charge different shipping fees depending on the payment method selected by the customer during checkout. (Plugin feature: Payment Method Shipping).
For example, you might want to charge a higher shipping fee for Cash on Delivery (COD) to cover risks, or offer free shipping for prepaid methods like UPI, bank transfer, or credit card.
This helps you control costs, encourage preferred payment methods, and make checkout pricing transparent for your customers.
Preconditions
Before setting up, make sure:
- Flat Rate Shipping Plugin is installed and activated.
- At least one payment method (e.g., COD, bank transfer, credit card) is enabled in WooCommerce settings.
- You have admin access to your WordPress dashboard.
“Payment method” here refers to the customer’s chosen mode of payment during checkout, as configured under WooCommerce → Settings → Payments.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Set Up
Step 1 – Access Flat Rate Shipping Settings
In your WordPress dashboard, go to:
Dashboard → Flat Rate Shipping → Add New
- Click “Add New Shipping Method” to start creating your rule.
Step 2 – Create a Rule for COD Orders
- Title: Enter
Standard Shipping (COD). - Fee Type: Flat Rate.
- Fee Amount: Set the fee you want to charge for COD orders (e.g., $100).
- Scroll to Conditions → Choose Payment Method.
- Select
Cash on Deliveryfrom the dropdown. - Save the shipping method.
Step 3 – Test Your Setup
- Go to your store’s checkout page.
- Select Cash on Delivery → Shipping fee should match the COD rule (e.g., $100).
- Select a prepaid method (e.g., UPI) → Shipping should be $0.
Ready to See All Features in Actions?
Access our complete advanced features instance, allowing you to configure every feature with real checkout scenarios.
Alternate Uses
- Add a handling fee for international card payments.
- Offer reduced shipping rates for store credit or loyalty program payments.
- Combine payment method + location rules for advanced scenarios (e.g., COD extra fee only for certain regions).
Combining conditions works through the plugin’s multi-condition feature, which evaluates all selected criteria before applying the fee.
Business Benefits
Using payment method-based shipping rules:
- Improves profit control by adjusting fees for riskier payment methods.
- Encourages faster, lower-cost payments by offering discounts or free shipping for prepaid methods.
- Reduces COD-related losses such as failed deliveries or returns.
- Enhances customer trust with transparent, predictable checkout pricing.
Expected Outcome
Once configured:
- Customers see shipping fees that change automatically based on their chosen payment method.
- COD orders incur the additional fee you set, while prepaid orders can enjoy lower or zero shipping costs.