How to set Flat Rate shipping for small orders in WooCommerce

Small orders can often cost more to ship than they earn in profit.

With Flat Rate shipping for small orders in WooCommerce, you can ensure these orders cover their shipping costs and remain profitable.

Flat Rate shipping for small orders allows you to charge a set shipping fee when an order’s total is below a certain threshold. (Plugin feature: Cart Value-Based Shipping)

For example, you could charge ₹100 for orders under ₹500, while offering free or discounted shipping for larger orders.

Preconditions

Before starting:

• Flat Rate Shipping Plugin is installed and activated.
• You know the minimum order value threshold that qualifies as a “small order.”
• You have admin access to your WordPress dashboard.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Set Up

Step 1 – Access the Flat Rate Shipping Settings

1. In the WordPress admin panel, go to:

   Dotsotre → Flat Rate → Add New Shipping Method

2. Click the “Add New” button to begin creating your rule.

Step 2 – Configure the Small Order Rule

1. Title: Enter something like Small Order Shipping Fee .
2. Fee Type: Select Flat Rate.
3. Fee Amount: Set the desired amount (e.g., $29).
4. Scroll to the Conditions section.
5. Select Order Subtotal from the condition dropdown.
6. Set the condition to less than your threshold (e.g., $500).
7. Save the shipping method.

Step 3 – Optional: Create a Rule for Larger Orders

1. Add another shipping method for orders above the threshold (e.g., free shipping over $500).
2. Title: Free Shipping [for Orders Over $500] .
3. Fee Type: Flat Rate.
4. Fee Amount: ₹0.
5. Condition: Order Subtotal greater than or equal to ₹500.

Step 4 – Test the Setup

1. Add products to your cart with a subtotal less than $500 → Flat Rate fee should appear.
2. Add more products so the subtotal exceeds $500 → The small order fee should disappear, replaced by your other shipping method.

Alternate Uses

• Apply a handling fee for small international orders.
• Encourage upselling by showing a banner like “Add ₹X more to your cart to get free shipping.”
• Combine with product category conditions to target specific items.

Business Benefits

• Protects profit margins by covering shipping costs for low-value orders.
• Encourages larger purchases by incentivizing customers to meet a minimum order value.
• Keeps checkout pricing clear and predictable, reducing cart abandonment.

Expected Outcome

Once configured:

• Customers placing small orders will be charged the Flat Rate fee you set.
• Larger orders will be eligible for lower or no shipping charges, encouraging higher spend.
• Your store will balance customer incentives with cost recovery, improving profitability.