How to add international Flat Rate shipping in WooCommerce

Selling globally means you’ll often need to charge different rates for international customers. With WooCommerce, you can set up an international flat-rate shipping method to ensure your overseas orders are profitable and consistent.

International flat-rate shipping allows you to set a single shipping price for all orders going outside your local country. This is useful for keeping checkout simple while ensuring you cover international shipping costs. (Plugin feature: International Shipping)

For example, you might charge $25 flat rate for all countries outside the USA, regardless of product weight or quantity.

Preconditions

• Flat Rate Shipping Plugin is installed and activated.
• At least one shipping zone has been created for international destinations.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Set Up

1. Go to WooCommerce Shipping Settings

• From your WordPress Dashboard:

  WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping

2. Create an International Shipping Zone

• Click Add Shipping Zone.
• Zone Name: “International Shipping”
• Zone Regions: Select all countries except your local country (you can hold Shift/Ctrl to select multiple).

3. Add a Flat Rate Method for International Orders

• Under your new “International Shipping” zone, click Add Shipping Method.
• Select Flat Rate and click Add Shipping Method.

4. Configure the Flat Rate Settings

• Click Edit next to “Flat Rate”.
• Method Title: International Shipping
• Cost: $25 (or your preferred flat rate).
• Tax Status: Choose Taxable or None.
• Country: China

5. Save Changes

Click Save changes to apply the new international rate.

Alternate Uses

• Add separate international rates for different continents (e.g., Europe $20, Asia $25).
• Combine with weight-based rules for more precise cost control.
• Offer free international shipping for orders above a certain amount.

Business Benefits

• Simplifies checkout for international customers.
• Ensures you don’t lose profit on high-cost overseas deliveries.
• Improves customer trust with clear, predictable rates.

Expected Outcome

• International customers will see one flat shipping price at checkout.
• The system will automatically apply this rate based on their shipping address.