# How to Change the Shipping Amount on a WooCommerce Order: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform, but sometimes you need to adjust shipping costs after an order is placed. Maybe you offered a discount you didn’t intend, made a pricing error, or need to reflect a change Learn more about How To Put Items 9N Sale In Woocommerce in shipping carrier fees. This guide will walk you through several methods to change the shipping amount on a WooCommerce order, catering to different levels of technical expertise.
Why Would You Need to Change a WooCommerce Shipping Amount?
Before diving into the “how,” let’s address the “why.” Several legitimate reasons exist for needing to modify a shipping cost after order placement:
- Pricing Errors: A simple typo can lead to incorrect shipping charges.
- Promotional Adjustments: You might offer a post-order discount on shipping.
- Carrier Fee Changes: Unexpected increases in carrier rates may necessitate adjustment.
- Order Fulfillment Changes: Changes in packaging or delivery method might affect the cost.
- Customer Service Issues: Addressing a customer complaint about shipping charges.
- Search for a suitable plugin: Use the WooCommerce plugin directory to find a plugin with order editing capabilities. Look for plugins with high ratings and active support.
- Install and Activate: Once you’ve found a suitable plugin, install and activate it through your WordPress dashboard.
- Edit the Order: The plugin’s interface will provide a way to modify the shipping amount. Usually, it will offer an input field to enter the corrected shipping cost. Many plugins will log the change, creating a record for your accounting needs.
Check out this post: How To Remove A Customer License From Woocommerce
Methods to Change WooCommerce Shipping Amounts
There are several ways to achieve this, ranging from simple manual adjustments to more advanced coding solutions. We’ll cover the easiest and most reliable methods.
Method 1: Manually Adjusting the Order Total (Simplest, but Least Recommended)
This is the quickest method, but it’s not ideal for maintaining accurate accounting and order history. It’s best used only for minor adjustments and only if you completely understand the accounting implications.
1. Go to Orders: In your WooCommerce dashboard, navigate to WooCommerce > Orders.
2. Find the Order: Locate the specific order you need to modify.
3. Edit the Order: Click the order to open it.
4. Adjust the Total: Manually change the order total to reflect the corrected shipping cost. Remember to update the order status appropriately.
Caution: This method directly alters the order total without a record of the adjustment. This can complicate your accounting and reconciliation processes.
Method 2: Using WooCommerce Order Editing Plugins (Recommended)
This approach provides a more organized and auditable way to modify order details. Many plugins allow you to edit various order aspects, including shipping costs, while maintaining a clear record of changes.
Method 3: Custom Coding (Advanced Users Only)
This method requires advanced PHP coding skills and is not recommended for beginners. Incorrectly modifying core WooCommerce files can break your website. If you’re comfortable with coding, you can create a custom function to adjust the shipping cost. This approach is often used to create more complex logic for shipping adjustments based on various criteria.
Example (Use with Extreme Caution!):
add_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'custom_shipping_adjustment' ); function custom_shipping_adjustment( $cart ) { if ( is_admin() && ! defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) ) return;
// Find the specific order you’re targeting using order ID or some criteria
// … your logic to identify the correct order here…
// Change the shipping cost. Replace ’10’ with your desired cost.
foreach ( $cart->get_shipping_methods() as $method ) {
$method->set_cost( 10 );
}
}
Remember: Always back up your website before making any code changes.
Conclusion
Changing the shipping amount on a WooCommerce order requires a careful approach. While manually adjusting the order total is the fastest method, it lacks transparency and can affect your accounting. Using a dedicated plugin is the recommended approach for most users due to its simplicity and audit trail. Custom coding should only be attempted by experienced developers. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and accounting needs. Remember to always prioritize maintaining accurate order records and financial integrity.