Creating Flat Rate Shipping in WooCommerce

This guide will help you set up flexible and powerful flat rate shipping methods using the Flat Rate Shipping Plugin. Whether you're starting a new WooCommerce store or customizing shipping for an existing one, these steps are easy to follow for both technical and non-technical users.

Step 1: Access Flat Rate Settings

To get started:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Flat Rate Shipping.
3. Here, you’ll see the list of shipping methods you’ve already created (if any) and a button to add a new one.

Step 2: Create Flat Rate Shipping

Now, let’s create a new flat rate shipping method:

1. Click on "Add New Shipping Method".
2. You’ll be taken to the shipping configuration screen.

Step 3: Add a Flat Rate Shipping Rule

On this screen, you'll define basic details about your shipping method:

• Status: Enable or disable the shipping rule.
• Shipping Title: This is what your customers will see at checkout.
• Internal Title: For your own reference in the admin area.
• Shipping Charge: Set a fixed amount like $10, $20, etc.
• Apply Per Quantity: If checked, the fee increases based on product quantity.
• Free Shipping Option: Enable this if you want to give free shipping for specific products or cart values.
• Tooltip Description: Short note shown to customers when they hover over the shipping title.

Step 4: Shipping Configuration

You can set up additional options to control how this shipping method behaves:

• Is Amount Taxable?: Decide if tax applies to this shipping fee.
• Estimated Delivery Time: Let customers know when to expect delivery.
• Start and End Date: Schedule when this method should be active.
• Days of the Week: Make this method available on specific days.
• Time Range: Apply this shipping option only during a set time window (e.g., 9 AM to 6 PM).

Step 5: Conditional Shipping Rules

This is where the plugin becomes powerful. You can set conditions for when this shipping method should appear. Conditions can be based on:

• Cart total
• Product category or tags
• Customer location
• User role
• Specific product or variation

You can add multiple rules using AND/OR logic.

For example:

• Show $20 shipping only if the cart total is less than $50
• OR apply this method only when the customer is from California

Step 6: Advanced Shipping Price Rules

You can create dynamic shipping prices using formulas like:

• Fixed rate: 10 (adds a flat $10)
• Per quantity: 10 * [qty] (charges $10 per item in cart)
• Percentage of subtotal: [fee percent=10 min_fee=20] (10% of subtotal, minimum $20)

These help you build pricing that fits your business logic, especially when dealing with bulk orders or variable product values.