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How To Set Up WooCommerce Shipping? Easy Step-by-Step Guide [2024]

How To Set Up WooCommerce Shipping? Easy Step-by-Step Guide [2024]

WooCommerce is the biggest WordPress e-commerce plugin that influenced significant success for over 30% of all online stores (according to Wikipedia) on the web.

Though the plugin is easy to use and has tons of useful features to help you succeed online, it often feels complicated when setting up for the first time.

For example, setting up WooCommerce Shipping settings is often confusing.

In this article, you will get to know about what WooCommerce Shipping is, and will find a complete step by step guide on the following:

  1. How To Create Shipping Zones
  2. How To Create A New Shipping Class
  3. Adding Products To Your Shipping Class
  4. How To Set Up Your Shipping Method

Simply follow all the steps properly and your WooCommerce shipping settings will be ready.

So let us begin.

What Is WooCommerce Shipping?

woocommerce shipping

WooCommerce Shipping is a feature that allows you to control shipping options, where you can set different shipping rates for different shipping locations, and set fixed shipping rates for similar types of products.

In general, WooCommerce Shipping consists of three terms:

  • Shipping Zone
  • Verzendklasse
  • Shipping Method

I will provide you with a complete step-by-step guide on how to set up these options.

For now, let’s get a better idea through an example.
(Or click here and skip examples to the step-by-step guide.)

Example:

Suppose you want to assign WooCommerce shipping options for products weighing more than 5 lbs, when shipping to California, and assign a fixed shipping cost to it.

Set Up Shipping Zone:
First, you need to decide the locations you want to sell your products to and divide them into zones. Each of these zones is referred to as a ‘Shipping Zone’.

Let’s say you set a shipping zone ‘West USA’ and included California within this zone.

Create Shipping Class:
Next, you will need to create a ‘Shipping Class.’ This is just to assign specific products in groups that you want to set similar shipping options for.

Let’s say you named it ‘Heavy’. You can then assign products that weigh above 5lbs under this shipping class.

Assign Shipping Method:
Now, under every shipping zone, you can choose ‘Shipping Methods’. Shipping methods allow you to set types of shipping costs to the shipping classes you create.

WooCommerce provides 3 shipping methods in general:

  • Flat Rate – to set a fixed cost per zone
  • Free Shipping – to allow no extra cost
  • Local Pickup – to pay shipping fee after delivery

Let’s say you set a $5 Flat Rate for any orders under the zone ‘West USA‘.

Customize the Shipping Method:
You can also further edit the Flat Rate option to add specific shipping costs for different individual shipping classes. This will be added on top of this Flat Rate.

Let’s say you set the cost of $5 as the shipping cost for your shipping class, ‘Heavy‘.

Result:
According to the example, for any orders made in the zone ‘West USA’, the minimum shipping cost will be $5. If the orders include any products within the assigned shipping class, ‘Heavy’, it will add up another $5 to the shipping cost, thus adding up to a total of $10 as the shipping cost.

Shipping cost

**If the example seems confusing, no problem. It will all be clear once you read the step-by-step guide later on in this article.

If you have more shipping classes with extra costs assigned, and if the order includes products from multiple shipping classes, then the extra cost for each class will add up on top of the fixed rate.

However, WooCommerce also provides options to set only a single shipping class cost to be added, even though the order includes products for multiple shipping classes.

For example, let’s assume you have 3 classes, ‘Heavy’, ‘Thin’, and ‘Light’ and you set the added cost to be $5, $7, and $9 respectively.

If someone orders products that include a product from each of the classes, then you can set the option so that only the highest shipping class fee will be added and not the other two.

In the case of this example, the shipping fee will only add $9 on top of the fixed rate.

P.S: Before getting into WooCommerce Shipping, make sure you have properly filled out all the information needed in the ‘General’ and ‘Product’ sections of WooComerce. Such as your address, regional zip code, shipping/selling location, enable tax options, etc for General information.

As for your Product information, don’t forget to add your relevant product and stock data. And checkmark on “Downloadable products” if the selling platform of your product is completely virtual.

Setting Up WooCommerce Shipping ⁠— Step By Step

Setting up WooCommerce shipping options can get pretty confusing for beginners because there are plenty of options in the WooCommerce Dashboard.

Hence, this article is focused on making things as simple as possible for you when setting up the WooCommerce Shipping features.

We will focus on providing proper directions with every step to follow and use several pictures to let you visualize and compare the steps with your dashboard.

You will get an organized guide on how to create and use Shipping Zones, Shipping Classes, and Shipping Methods properly.

1. How To Create Shipping Zones

Your shipping zone specifies the set of regions you are willing to ship your products to.

You can set multiple shipping regions based on the name, country/province, postal codes, etc.

You can also set different shipping rates for different regions based on the shipping methods available within this option.

P.S: When you set regions, users only from those regions will see your shipping options.

Now let’s learn how to create a new shipping zone step by step.

Stap 1

On your dashboard go to WooCommerce > Settings and on the page, click on Shipping (Located at the top).

Shipping Dashboard

Stap 2

Under Shipping, you will get 3 options. Click on Shipping Zones from there.

Shipping Method List

Stap 3

As you can see, I already have a zone created. To create another one, click on Add shipping zone.

Shipping Zone

Step 4

Fill up the given box with the required information. And Select Add Shipping Method to Flat Rate (Which will be discussed elaborately in the next section).

When you select a Zone name, all the regions under that zone will be previewed in the list. And You will be able to select multiple regions among them. In my case, the box looks like this.

Create Shipping Zone

Click on Save Changes to save your newly created shipping zone.

We are done with creating a Shipping Zone. Now let’s learn to create a Shipping Class.

2. How To Create A New Shipping Class

WooCommerce Shipping Class is a combination of multiple products under the same name that you want to use for different ‘Shipment Methods’ for different zones.

In this section, we will learn how to create shipping classes and assign products to them.

So let’s dive into it step by step.

Stap 1

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping classes.

Shipping Method List

Stap 2

After clicking on Shipping Classes, you will see a page as follows.

Create Shipping Class

Here, there are no shipping classes created yet. Let’s create one.

To create a shipping class, click on Add Shipping Class.

Add Shipping Class

You will need to enter the following details:

  • Shipping Class: The name for your group of similar products. (This is mandatory.)
  • Slug: A slug is created based on your shipping classes in your database. In most cases, you won’t be needing them unless you are working with several shipping classes. If you don’t provide a slug name, it will be created automatically.
  • Description: It is a good practice to provide a brief description of your shipping classes; the specific nature of products that put them under the same class and etc. This is completely optional.

Step 4

Once you provide the information, click on Save Shipping Classes.
In my case, the shipping class looks like this:

Making a shipping class

You can create as many shipping classes as you want.

Next, it is time to assign products to your shipping classes.

3. Adding Products To Your Shipping Class

You can assign products to your shipping class in two ways:

  • One by one
  • Multiple products at once

i. Add a single product to a shipping class

Stap 1

Go to Products > All Products from your dashboard.

Select the Product you want to assign to a particular shipping class, and click on the Edit option just below the product name.

Product to edit
Stap 2

On the Edit page, scroll down till you reach the section Product data.

Here, click on the Shipping tab on the left side and you will find the option to assign a shipping class.

Find Shipping Class
Stap 3

Then on the right side, choose the shipping class you wish to assign it to.

I added this product to the new shipping class that I created, ‘Heavy’.

Product Shipping Class

Then scroll up and on the right side, click on update.

And that’s it, you have successfully assigned a product to a shipping class.

ii. Add multiple products to a shipping class

Stap 1

Go to Products > All Products from your dashboard. Select all the products (tick the box beside them) you want to assign to any shipping class.

Then alter the Bulk Actions and change it to Edit from the upper left menu above the product list.

Bulk edit products

Then click on Apply.

Stap 2

After clicking on Apply, You will go to a page like this below form where you can edit for this group of selected products.

Bulk Edit for Shipping Class

Set the Shipping option to your desired shipping class.

Select Class

In my case, it is Heavy.

Then click on the Update button below.

Thus, you have successfully enlisted a group of products under a single shipping class.

So far we have learned how to create a Shipping Zone, how to create a Shipping Class, and how to assign products to a Shipping Class.

Now let’s learn about the Shipping Methods.

4. How To Set Up Your Shipping Method

As we said earlier, WooCommerce gives you three methods to set up your shipping rates by default (in WooCommerce shipping).

Among the three of them, most store owners find the Flate Rate Shipping Method ideal for their shipping because it’s easy and allows you to set a fixed rate of the shipping cost for different shipping classes.

First I will guide you with on Flat Rate. Then I will give you an overview of the other two WooCommerce shipping methods.

So let’s go ahead step by step.

i. Flat Rate Shipping Method

Stap 1

To access Flat Rate Settings, Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping Zones.

Shipping Method List

Click on Edit below the shipping zone you created earlier.

Shipping Edit
Stap 2

It will take you to the Shipping zone settings

Shipping zone edit

Hover the mouse at a Flat rate and you should get the option to Edit or Delete.

Edit Flat Rate

Click on Edit below Flat Rate and it will take you to the flat rate settings.

Stap 3

In the Flat rate Settings, you have to enter your estimated cost, shipping class cost, and some other relevant information.

Flat Rate Edit

Terms you need to know here are:

  • Method Title: This is the name of your shipping method. The name you set here is what users will see while checking out. You can set the title from Flat Rate to anything you want (for example, ‘Flat shipping fee’) but the method of shipment will remain the same.
  • Tax status: Choose whether shipping products are taxable or not.
  • Cost: It is the base cost you set, that adds up as the initial flat rate cost. It is charged for all the products even if they don’t fall in any specific class.
  • Shipping Class Cost: Set an additional cost you want to imply on your products that fall under certain shipping classes.
    For example, I have set my shipping class cost to 5 for the class ‘Heavy’. Anyone who is buying an item that falls under the class ‘Heavy’, will be charged with an additional $5, along with the flat rate cost.
  • No Shipping Class Cost: Set up your shipping rates for the products that fall under no specific classes. I set it up as 2. Anyone who is buying an item that falls into no shipping classes, he/she will get an extra charge of $2 along with the flat rate cost.
  • Calculation Type: When you have multiple shipping classes, you can choose the types of calculation you want to imply with your shipping classes cost. In Flat rate method you will have two ways to do that:
    • Per Class
    • Per Order
Flat Rate Calculation

**Two Calculation Types:

  • Per Class
    Any order that will include products in multiple classes, the shipping class cost for each of those classes will be added on top of the flat rates.

    Also if the order includes products with no particular class, then the cost for no shipping class will be present as well.

    For instance, let’s assume that I have another shipping class named ‘Light’ and I assigned a shipping class cost of $3 to it. Now, let’s say a buyer ordered 4 products, out of which two products fall under the class ‘Heavy’, one product falls under the class ‘Light’ and another falls under no shipping class.

    Then the total shipping cost will include a $2 charge for no shipping class cost, $5 charge for shipping class cost of ‘Heavy’ and $3 charge for shipping class cost of ‘Light’, on top of the flat rate cost of $5.

    So the total shipping cost will add up to $15.
  • Per Order
    In this case, any orders that will include products from multiple classes, the shipping class cost that is the highest among these classes will be added on top of the flat rate cost.

    Let’s suppose, I have another shipping class named as ‘Light’ and I assigned a shipping class cost of $3 to it. Now, let’s say a buyer ordered 4 products, out of which two products fall under the class ‘Heavy’, one product falls under the class ‘Light’ and another falls under no shipping class.

    Here, among the three, the highest shipping class cost is $5. Hence, only $5 will be added on top of the flat rate cost, the other two shipping class cost will be ignored. Therefore, the total shipping cost will add up to $10.

Once these are inputted, click on the Save changes button, and your Flat rate shipping method is set up.

Now let’s look at the Free shipping method.

ii. Free Shipping Method

Stap 1

If you have added the free shipping method, you will be able to edit it in the same place you found the edit option for the Flat rate shipping method.

Free Shipping

Click on Edit below Free shipping and it will take you to the free shipping settings.

Stap 2

This is what the Free shipping Settings look like:

Free shipping settings

You have to enter the following information:

  • Title: This is the name of your shipping method. The name you set here is what users will see while checking out. You can set the title from Free shipping to anything you want (for example, ‘No shipping fee’) but the method of shipment will remain the same.
  • Free shipping requires…: Here, you can either choose to give free shipping without any condition, or you can choose from 4 conditions to make free shipping applicable:
    • A valid free shipping coupon
      -The customer has to have a coupon to get free shipping
    • A minimum order amount
      -The customer has to order that’s worth a certain amount or more to get free shipping
    • A minimum order amount or a coupon
      -Customer can have either a free shipping coupon or a certain target amount worth of order; any one of them will avail free shipping
    • A minimum order amount AND a coupon
      -Customer needs to have a free shipping coupon and order a certain amount worth of order; both has to be achieved in order to avail the free shipping option
Free Shipping Conditions
  • Minimum order amount: In case you set the condition above to have a minimum order amount (i.e. you chose one of the last three options for “Free shipping requires“), then you have to specify the target amount worth of order a customer has to make to avail free shipping.

Once these are inputted, click on the Save changes button, and your Free shipping method is set up.

Now let’s look at the Local pickup shipping method.

iii. Local Pickup Shipping Method

Stap 1

If you have added a local pickup shipping method, you will be able to edit it in the same place you found the edit option for the Flat rate shipping method.

Local Pickup

Click on Edit below Local pickup and it will take you to the local pickup settings.

Stap 2

This is what the Local pickup Settings look like.

Local pickup settings

You have to enter the following information:

  • Title: This is the name of your shipping method. The name you set here is what users will see while checking out. You can set the title from Local pickup to anything you want (for example, ‘Pickup and pay’) but the method of shipment will remain the same.
  • Tax status: Here, you have the option to choose among Taxable or None. It is by default assigned as Taxable, which means when using local pickup, store base taxes will apply regardless of customer address. This is the ideal choice by most store owners, however, you can choose not to charge for taxes and select None instead.
  • Cost: You can charge an extra fee for local pickup which you can assign here. Usually, store owners do not charge anything extra, but it is an option you can use.

Once these are inputted, click on the Save changes button, and your Local pickup shipping method is set up.

Once you have set up Shipping Methods properly, the process is complete.

You have successfully set up your WooCommerce Shipping features.

Conclusie

WooCommerce Shipping is a mandatory stage if you are willing to have an organized product shipping procedure.

For more complex shipping calculations you can make use of a WooCommerce table rate shipping plugin.

Hopefully, this article explained every detail you need. And now that you followed every step, you now have full knowledge of using WooCommerce shipping options.

You can go ahead and work on the rest of the WooCommerce settings.

If you are looking for a shipping plugin to automate the end-to-end shipping process including displaying live rates at checkout, printing shipping labels in a single click, and live tracking for the top carriers like UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, and many more, you can go for WooCommerce Shipping Services.

Since you have a WooCommerce store, you can also check out the following articles which will help boost your sales:

If you have any confusion or wish to share your ideas, feel free to leave a comment. Cheers.

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Over de auteur

C Sultan

C Sultan

Een professional in digitale marketing met een passie voor WordPress. Houdt van discussies over marketingtactieken en geavanceerde bedrijfsstrategieën. Volg hem op twitter @SultanRoyal1

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