How to set a percentage flat rate shipping with a maximum limit in woocommerce

Sometimes you may want to charge shipping as a percentage of the cart subtotal instead of a fixed fee. But you also want to ensure customers don’t overpay, so you can set a maximum limit.

For example:

• 10% of the cart subtotal, but no more than $20.

Why use percentage-based shipping with a maximum limit?

• Fair pricing: Small orders pay lower shipping, and large orders are capped at a reasonable cost.
• Customer-friendly: Prevents overcharging on bulk orders.
• Flexible promotions: Combine with discounts or free shipping for high-value carts.
• Professional setup: Looks transparent and trustworthy at checkout.

Configuration steps

1. Add a new shipping method

• Go to Dashboard → Dotstore → Flat Rate Shipping (Dotstore).
• Click Add New Shipping Method.
• Name it something like “10% Shipping with Max Cap”.

2. Add an advanced fee formula

• In the shipping method settings, locate the charge field.
• Enter the advanced parameter for the percentage fee with a maximum limit:

Explanation:

• percent=10 → charges 10% of cart subtotal.
• max_fee=20 → maximum fee capped at $20.

3. Save and test

• Click Save Changes.
• Go to your store and add items to the cart.

• The shipping fee will be calculated automatically.

  Shipping charge with actual amount:

  

Shipping charge stopped at max cap:

Two real examples

Example 1: Cart subtotal $100

• Rule: [fee percent=10 max_fee=20]
• 10% of $100 = $10 → Applied shipping = $10

Example 2: Cart subtotal $500

• Rule: [fee percent=10 max_fee=20]
• 10% of $500 = $50, but max cap = $20 → Applied shipping = $20

Expected outcome

WooCommerce will calculate shipping as a percentage of the cart subtotal, but never exceed the maximum fee you set. This gives customers fair shipping rates while ensuring you don’t lose money on small orders.