How to set up WooCommerce shipping for members only

Sometimes you may want to offer special shipping options only to registered members of your WooCommerce store. This could mean:

Free shipping for members.
Discounted shipping rates for members.
Restricting certain shipping methods so only logged-in members can see them.

With the help of the Flat Rate Shipping Plugin or WooCommerce’s built-in settings, you can create membership-based shipping rules easily.

Why Use Members-Only Shipping?

Reward loyal customers by offering perks like free or cheaper shipping.
Encourage sign-ups for your membership or loyalty program.
Control costs by limiting special shipping rates to only eligible customers.
Personalized experience by showing different shipping methods for members and non-members.

Configuration Steps

Let’s go step by step through the setup:

1. Install & Activate a Shipping Rules Plugin

Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New.
Install and activate the Flat Rate Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce.
This plugin allows you to set conditional shipping rules based on user roles, products, locations, and more.

2. Create a New Shipping Method

Go to Dotstore → Flat Rate Shipping.
Click Add Shipping Method.
Name it something like “Members-Only Shipping”.

3. Add a Conditional Rule for Members

Inside the method, click Add New Rule.
From the Condition dropdown, select User Role.
Choose your member role (e.g., Customer, Subscriber, Premium Member, or a role created by your membership plugin).

4. Save and Test

Click Save Changes.
Log in with a member account to test.
At checkout, you should see the members-only shipping method appear.
Non-members won’t see this option.

Two Real Examples

Example 1: Free Shipping for Premium Members (USA Customers)

Rule: If User Role = Premium Member and Country = United States, Shipping = Free.
Result: Premium members in the US see Free Shipping at checkout. Non-members see regular rates.

Example 2: Discounted Flat Rate for Subscribers

Product: Fitness Supplements
Base Price: $60
Rule: If User Role = Subscriber, Shipping = $5 Flat Rate.
Result:
- Subscriber checkout total = $65 ($60 + $5).
- Guest checkout total = $70 ($60 + $10 standard shipping).

Expected Outcome

Once set up, WooCommerce will check the customer’s user role at checkout. If they’re a member, they’ll see the special shipping method you’ve created. Non-members won’t see it, keeping your member perks exclusive.