How to Exclude Product Categories from Free Shipping in WooCommerce

Not every product should qualify for free shipping. Some categories, such as Gift Cards, Heavy Products, or Clearance Items, may need to be excluded from free shipping calculations.

The Dotstore Flat Rate Shipping Plugin allows you to exclude selected product categories while still offering free shipping on eligible products.

In The Article

  1. Why exclude product categories?
  2. Configuration steps
  3. Two real examples
    1. Example 1: Excluding Gift Cards
    2. Example 2: Excluding Heavy Products
  4. Expected outcome

Why exclude product categories?

  • Prevent loss on low-margin products.
  • Exclude bulky or heavy items.
  • Create more flexible shipping rules.
  • Apply free shipping only to eligible products.

Configuration steps

  1. Edit your shipping method.
  2. Enable Allow Free Shipping.
  3. Configure the free shipping condition.
  4. Select Exclude Product Categories.
  5. Choose the categories to exclude.

  1. Save the shipping method.
  2. Test with products from both eligible and excluded categories.

Two real examples

Example 1

Free Shipping Threshold: $100

Excluded Category: Gift Cards

Cart:  Electronics: $80 and Gift Cards: $40

Result: Eligible Total: $80

Shipping: Charged


Example 2

Free Shipping Threshold: $150

Excluded Category: Heavy Furniture

Cart: Accessories: $160 and Furniture: $300

Only the Accessories total counts toward the free shipping calculation.

Expected outcome

Only eligible product categories are considered when calculating free shipping, giving you greater control over your shipping strategy.

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