How to add quantity-based flat rate shipping in WooCommerce

Charge shipping based on how many items are in the cart. You can keep a base fee and add a small amount per item. You can also build tiers for different quantity ranges. This keeps costs fair and easy to understand.

What is quantity-based flat rate shipping?

A rule that sets shipping by the number of items in the cart.

Examples:

• $4 base plus $1.50 per item
• $10 per item
• $5 for 1–3 items, $10 for 4–10 items, then $0.50 per item above 10

Why is it required?

• Covers packing and handling for larger orders
• Keeps checkout clear with simple math
• Encourages bigger carts with logical tiers
• Works well with tags, categories, ZIPs, dates, and coupons when you need more control

Ways to configure quantity-based flat rate shipping

1) Dotstore Flat Rate Shipping — simple “per item” setup

Use when you want a single base fee and a per-item add-on.

Steps

1. Go to Dashboard → Dotstore → Flat Rate Shipping
2. Add a new shipping method
3. Set title and shipping cost.
4. Enable Apply per quantity (optional) and enter the per-item amount.

5. Optional settings: Tooltip, Default selected, Logged-in only, Start/End date, Days/Time.

   

6. Save. Test with different quantities.

   

2) Dotstore Flat Rate Shipping — advanced tiered rules

Use when you need different fees for quantity ranges.

Steps

1. In your Flat Rate method, open each quantity rule.

   Add rows such as:

   • 1 to 3 items → $5
   • 4 to 10 items → $10

   • 11+ items → $20

     

2. Save.

3) Dynamic formula method in Dotstore (optional)

Use a formula to calculate shipping exactly from cart quantity.

Common formulas

• 10 * [qty] → $10 per item
• 4 + 1.5 * [qty] → $4 base plus $1.50 per item

• 8 + 0.5 * [qty] only on weekends by adding a Day/Time condition

  

Real example use case 1

Goal: $4 base plus $1.50 per item for the whole US.

Dotstore setup

1. Zone: United States.
2. Method: Flat rate.
3. Base cost = $4.00.
4. Apply per quantity = $1.50.
5. Label: “Standard Shipping”. Tooltip: “$4 base plus $1.50 per item”.
6. Save and test.

Expected

• Qty 1 → $5.50
• Qty 3 → $8.50
• Qty 6 → $13.00

Real example use case 2

Goal: Tiered gym apparel shipping.

• 1–3 items → $5
• 4–10 items → $10
• 11+ items → $0.50 per item

Dotstore setup

1. Method: Flat rate.
2. Open Each Quantity Rule. Add three rows with the ranges above.
3. Optional: Add Category = Apparel so it applies only to that category.
4. Save and test.

Expected

• Qty 2 → $5
• Qty 8 → $10
• Qty 14 → $7.00

Expected outcome

• Shipping fee scales with the number of items.
• Customers see clear pricing at checkout.
• You control cost while keeping the experience simple.

FAQs

1) Can I cap the shipping after a certain quantity

Yes. Add a final tier with a fixed price for large quantities. Example: 20+ items → $15 flat.

2) Can I apply quantity rules only to certain products

Yes. Add Product Tag, Category, or Shipping class conditions to limit the rule.

3) What if the cart has mixed products

Create a method for the group that needs quantity pricing and add conditions so standard items use a different method.

4) Does per-item pricing work with coupons

Yes. The shipping fee is calculated first, then coupons apply as normal. Test with and without coupons.

5) How do I show an estimate like 3–5 days

Use the method’s Estimated delivery time field and a short Tooltip.