Advanced Shipping Price Rules - Shipping Cost on Total Cart Weight

The Advanced Shipping Price Rules section in the Dotstore Flat Rate Shipping Plugin also allows you to set shipping costs based on the total cart weight.

The Cost on Total Cart Weight option gives you the flexibility to define rules where shipping fees are calculated according to the combined weight of all items in the cart. Unlike product-specific rules, here you only work with weight ranges instead of individual products.

Why use cost on total cart weight rules?

• Fair pricing: Ensure shipping fees reflect the actual weight of the order.
• Efficiency: Manage heavy or light orders more accurately than flat rates.
• Scalability: Support bulk orders by adding different weight brackets.
• Flexibility: Add multiple rules covering different weight ranges.

Configuration steps

1. Access advanced shipping rules

• Go to Dashboard → Dotstore → Flat Rate Shipping (Dotstore).
• Add a new shipping method.
• Scroll down to the section Advanced Shipping Price Rules.

2. Add cost to the total cart weight rules

• Find the Cost on Total Cart Weight section.
• Click Add New Rule.

3. Define rule conditions

Each rule can be customized with:

• Minimum weight → Enter the minimum cart weight for the rule.
• Maximum weight → Enter the maximum cart weight for the rule.
• Shipping amount → Enter the shipping cost for that weight range.

4. Add multiple rules

• Create several rules to cover different weight brackets.

• Example: 0–5kg, 6–10kg, 11–20kg.

  

5. Save and test

• Click Save Changes.

• Add products to the cart with different weights to confirm the correct rule applies.

  

Two real examples (United States customers)

Example 1: Tiered shipping by cart weight

• Rule 1: 0–5kg → $8 shipping

• Rule 2: 6–10kg → $15 shipping

  Rule 3: 11–20kg → $25 shipping

  Checkout result:

  • Cart weight = 4kg → $8 shipping
  • Cart weight = 12kg → $25 shipping

Example 2: Free shipping for lightweight orders

• Rule 1: 0–2kg → Free shipping ($0)

• Rule 2: 3–10kg → $12 shipping

  Rule 3: 11+kg → $20 shipping

  Checkout result:

  • Cart weight = 1.5kg → Free shipping
  • Cart weight = 8kg → $12 shipping

Expected outcome

Using Advanced Shipping Price Rules → Cost on Total Cart Weight, WooCommerce will automatically calculate shipping fees based on the total cart weight. This ensures your shipping charges are fair, scalable, and customer-friendly.