How to Set Up Free Shipping and Flat Rate Shipping in WooCommerce

Sep 11, 2025 |

8 minutes read

WooCommerce Shipping Setup: Free vs Flat Rate

Shipping plays a crucial role in a customer’s overall experience. A confusing or costly shipping setup can lead to cart abandonment, while a transparent and customer-friendly model builds trust and encourages conversions. WooCommerce makes it easy for store owners to offer various shipping methods that suit their business goals and customer expectations.

Two of the most commonly used methods are Free Shipping and Flat Rate Shipping. Let’s break down what they are and how you can configure them effectively in WooCommerce.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how to configure these shipping methods, explain when and why to use each, and offer best practices to help you boost conversions and customer satisfaction.

What is Free Shipping? +

Free Shipping is exactly what it sounds like: customers don’t pay any additional fee for shipping. It’s a strong marketing tactic to increase conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.

When to Use Free Shipping:

On orders above a certain threshold (e.g., free shipping on orders over $50

As part of a promotion (e.g., free shipping during holidays or sale periods

For specific products or categories

What Is Flat Rate Shipping?

Flat Rate Shipping allows you to charge a fixed fee for shipping, regardless of the quantity, weight, or price of the products in the order. This method is ideal if you want to keep your shipping costs predictable and easy for customers to understand. It’s especially useful for stores selling products of similar sizes or weights.

When to Use Flat Rate Shipping:

For domestic shipping, where costs don’t vary much.

When selling products of similar size and weight.

When you want to maintain a simple pricing structure.

How to Set Up Free Shipping in WooCommerce :

Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping
Select an existing Shipping Zone or create a new one
Click “Add Shipping Method” and choose Free Shipping from the dropdown
After adding it, click Edit to define the conditions under which free shipping applies

A valid free shipping coupon
A minimum order amount
A combination of both
Save the changes, and your free shipping method is live.

How to Set Up Flat Rate Shipping in WooCommerce

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping
Pick an existing Shipping Zone or set up a new one based on region
Click “Add Shipping Method” and choose Flat Rate
Once added, click Edit next to Flat Rate.
Set the fixed shipping cost (e.g., $5 or $10).

You can also use advanced cost rules using shortcodes like [qty], [cost], or [fee] if needed
6. Save the settings to apply the flat rate.

Master WooCommerce Shipping with Easy Setup Tips

The Way Forward

Offering the right shipping options is crucial for improving the customer journey and driving sales. With WooCommerce, configuring Free Shipping and Flat Rate Shipping is straightforward, giving you the flexibility to create smart, sales-boosting strategies. Whether you’re looking to attract more buyers with free shipping incentives or keep things simple with flat-rate pricing, WooCommerce makes it easy to strike the perfect balance between cost and convenience.

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Jignesh Jadav

Sep 11 2025

Jignesh is a recognized Assistant Project Manager at iFlair Web Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Jignesh has over 9 years of industry experience, and in his career, he has managed many web development projects that have been delivered on time with high customer satisfaction. His skills include JS expertise including Angular, React, Vue.js, Mean.js, Next.js, Nuxt.js, and Full-stack tech expertise also in project planning, client communication, and team management, which are a great addition to the company's continuous development and success in the technology industry.