Set Up Free Shipping on WooCommerce (2024 Guide)
Step 1: Access WooCommerce Shipping Settings
Navigate to WooCommerce Settings
From your WordPress dashboard, locate and click on “WooCommerce” in the left-hand navigation menu. A sub-menu will expand. From this sub-menu, click on “Settings.” This action will bring you to the main WooCommerce settings page.
Select the Shipping Tab
Once on the WooCommerce settings page, you will see several tabs at the top: General, Products, Tax, Shipping, Payments, Accounts & Privacy, Emails, Integration, and Advanced. Click on the “Shipping” tab. This will display all your current shipping zones and options.
Step 2: Add a New Shipping Zone
Define Your Shipping Zone
On the Shipping settings page, you will see a section titled “Shipping zones.” To add a new zone, click on the “Add shipping zone” button. This will open a new page where you can configure the details of your zone. In the “Zone name” field, enter a descriptive name for your zone, such as “Domestic Free Shipping” or “Local Pickup Zone.”
Configure Zone Regions
After naming your zone, you need to define the geographical areas it applies to. In the “Zone regions” field, start typing the names of countries, states, or even specific postcodes you want this shipping zone to cover. WooCommerce will provide suggestions as you type. For example, if you want to offer free shipping within the United States, type “United States” and select it from the dropdown. You can add multiple regions to a single zone. If you leave this field blank, the zone will apply to all unconfigured regions (a “Rest of the World” zone).
Step 3: Add Free Shipping Method
Choose Free Shipping
Within the shipping zone you just created or edited, you will see a section titled “Shipping methods.” Click on the “Add shipping method” button. A pop-up window will appear with a dropdown menu. From this dropdown, select “Free shipping” and then click “Add shipping method.” The “Free shipping” method will now appear in the list for that specific zone.
Set Free Shipping Requirements
Once “Free shipping” is added, hover over it and click on the “Edit” link that appears, or simply click on the “Free shipping” title. This will open the Free Shipping settings. Here, you can define the conditions under which free shipping is offered. The “Free shipping requires…” dropdown offers several options:
- N/A: Free shipping is always available for this zone, regardless of order total.
- A valid free shipping coupon: Customers must apply a specific coupon code at checkout to qualify.
- A minimum order amount: Customers must spend a certain amount to qualify. Enter the minimum amount in the “Minimum order amount” field that appears.
- A minimum order amount OR a coupon: Either a minimum spend or a coupon will grant free shipping.
- A minimum order amount AND a coupon: Both conditions must be met.
Select the option that best suits your business needs. For example, to offer free shipping on orders over $50, select “A minimum order amount” and enter “50” in the subsequent field. Click “Save changes” to apply your chosen requirement.
Step 4: Save and Test Your Settings
Save Changes
After configuring the free shipping method and its requirements, it’s crucial to save all your changes. First, ensure you’ve clicked “Save changes” within the Free Shipping method pop-up (if applicable). Then, on the main shipping zone page, click the “Save changes” button at the bottom of the screen. If you navigate away without saving, your settings will be lost.
Verify Free Shipping Functionality
To ensure everything is working correctly, perform a test order on your storefront. Add products to your cart that meet (and also don’t meet) the free shipping requirements you set. Proceed to the checkout page. Verify that the “Free shipping” option appears when the conditions are met and disappears or is unavailable when they are not. For instance, if you set a $50 minimum, add items totaling $55 and check for free shipping. Then, add items totaling $45 and confirm free shipping is not an option. Also, if you used a coupon requirement, test with and without applying the coupon.
FAQs
Q: Why isn’t my free shipping showing up even after I set it?
A: First, double-check that the “Free shipping” method is enabled within the correct shipping zone. Second, ensure that the customer’s shipping address falls within the regions defined for that zone. Third, verify that all free shipping requirements (e.g., minimum order amount, coupon) are being met by the current cart total or applied coupon. Finally, ensure you’ve saved all your changes both within the free shipping method settings and the main shipping zone page.
Q: Can I offer free shipping only for specific products?
A: Directly from the Free Shipping method settings, no. The free shipping method applies to the entire cart if the zone and requirements are met. However, you can achieve this indirectly by using a “Free shipping” coupon that is restricted to specific products (under the “Usage restriction” tab when creating the coupon) or by using a dedicated shipping plugin that offers more advanced rules based on product categories or individual products.
Q: How do I set up free shipping for local pickup only?
A: Create a new shipping zone (e.g., “Local Pickup Zone”) and define its regions to cover your local area or leave it blank if it’s for anyone. Within this zone, add the “Local pickup” shipping method. Then, also add the “Free shipping” method to the *same* zone and set its requirement to “N/A” (always available) or “A valid free shipping coupon” if you want to control it. This way, customers in that zone will see both “Local pickup” (which is inherently free) and your “Free shipping” option.
Q: What if I have multiple shipping zones – how does free shipping interact?
A: WooCommerce processes shipping zones in the order they appear on your Shipping settings page (you can drag and drop to reorder them). It will use the first zone that matches the customer’s shipping address. If a zone offers free shipping and the conditions are met, that option will be presented. If multiple methods are available within a matching zone (e.g., Free Shipping and Flat Rate), the customer can choose. Ensure your zones are ordered correctly from most specific to least specific (e.g., a state-specific zone before a country-wide zone) to prevent conflicts.
