WooCommerce: How to Assign Free Shipping (The Ultimate Guide)
Introduction:
Offering free shipping is a powerful incentive for customers, leading to increased sales and improved customer satisfaction. In the competitive e-commerce landscape, it can be the deciding factor between a purchase and an abandoned cart. WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, provides several ways to configure free shipping. This article will guide you through various methods to assign free shipping in WooCommerce, from basic setup to more advanced conditions. Whether you want to offer free shipping based on order value, location, or specific products, this guide has you covered.
Main Part:
Let’s dive into the different ways you can configure free shipping in WooCommerce:
1. Basic Free Shipping Setup (Minimum Order Amount)
This is the most common and straightforward method. You offer free shipping when the customer’s order reaches a certain amount.
Steps:
1. Navigate to WooCommerce Settings: In your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce > Settings.
2. Go to the Shipping Tab: Click on the “Shipping” tab.
3. Choose a Shipping Zone: Select the shipping zone you want to configure. If you haven’t created any, you’ll need to add one first. A shipping zone allows you to define which countries/regions the shipping rules apply to.
4. Add Shipping Method: In the chosen zone, click “Add shipping method”.
5. Select “Free Shipping”: Choose “Free Shipping” from the dropdown menu and click “Add shipping method”.
6. Edit Free Shipping: Click on the “Edit” button next to the newly added “Free Shipping” method.
7. Configure the Requirements:
- A valid free shipping coupon: Free shipping will only be available if a valid coupon is used.
- A minimum order amount: Free shipping requires a minimum order amount before taxes.
- A minimum order amount AND a coupon: Free shipping requires both a coupon and a minimum order amount.
- No minimum order amount required: Free shipping is always available (not recommended for general use).
8. Set Minimum Order Amount: If you chose “A minimum order amount” or “A minimum order amount AND a coupon,” enter the minimum order amount in the “Minimum order amount” field. Make sure to exclude taxes by selecting the correct option.
Example: Let’s say you want to offer free shipping on orders over $50. You would select “A minimum order amount,” and enter “50” in the “Minimum order amount” field.
2. Free Shipping with Coupons
Coupons provide flexibility and control over who receives free shipping. You can create coupons that grant free shipping to specific customers or for promotional periods.
Steps:
1. Create a Coupon: Go to WooCommerce > Coupons > Add Coupon.
2. Enter Coupon Code: Give your coupon a unique code (e.g., FREESHIP15).
3. Set Discount Type: Choose “Fixed cart discount”. Even though you’re offering free shipping and not a monetary discount, this is the correct setting for enabling the Free Shipping option.
4. Enable Free Shipping: Check the “Allow free shipping” box.
5. Usage Restrictions (Optional): You can set minimum and maximum spend limits, exclude sale items, or restrict usage to specific products or categories. This gives you granular control over who can use the coupon.
6. Usage Limits (Optional): Set limits on how many times the coupon can be used.
7. Publish Coupon: Click “Publish” to activate the coupon.
How to Integrate with the Basic Free Shipping Setup:
You can combine this method with the Basic Free Shipping setup. In the free shipping method’s settings (WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping Zone > Free Shipping > Edit), select either “A valid free shipping coupon” or “A minimum order amount AND a coupon”.
3. Free Shipping for Specific Products
While WooCommerce doesn’t offer a built-in feature for free shipping on specific products, you can achieve this using plugins or custom code. Here’s how to do it with a plugin:
Using a Plugin (Example: “Conditional Free Shipping”):
1. Install and Activate a Plugin: Install and activate a plugin like “Conditional Free Shipping” from the WordPress plugin repository.
2. Configure the Plugin: Navigate to the plugin’s settings (usually under WooCommerce or Settings).
3. Create a Rule: Create a new rule to offer free shipping based on product conditions.
4. Set Conditions: Specify the products or categories that qualify for free shipping. For example, you can choose “Product” and then select the specific product.
5. Enable Free Shipping: Enable the “Free Shipping” option for this rule.
6. Save Changes: Save the rule.
Using Custom Code (More Advanced):
This involves adding PHP code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippets plugin. Important: Always back up your website before making code changes.
add_filter( 'woocommerce_package_rates', 'conditional_free_shipping', 10, 2 );
function conditional_free_shipping( $rates, $package ) {
$free_shipping_id = ‘free_shipping:1’; // Change ‘free_shipping:1’ to the correct ID of your Free Shipping Method
$product_ids_for_free_shipping = array( 123, 456, 789 ); // Replace with your product IDs
$has_free_shipping_product = false;
foreach ( $package[‘contents’] as $item ) {
if ( in_array( $item[‘product_id’], $product_ids_for_free_shipping ) ) {
$has_free_shipping_product = true;
break; // Stop looping as soon as a matching product is found
}
}
if ( $has_free_shipping_product ) {
// Unset other shipping rates
foreach ( $rates as $rate_id => $rate ) {
if ( $free_shipping_id !== $rate->method_id ) {
unset( $rates[ $rate_id ] );
}
}
} else {
// Remove free shipping if no qualifying products are in cart
if ( isset( $rates[ $free_shipping_id ] ) ) {
unset( $rates[ $free_shipping_id ] );
}
}
return $rates;
}
Explanation:
- Replace `’free_shipping:1’` with the actual ID of your Free Shipping method. You can find this in your WooCommerce shipping settings by inspecting the HTML element for your shipping method.
- Replace `array( 123, 456, 789 )` with an array of the product IDs that should qualify for free shipping.
- The code iterates through the items in the cart and checks if any of them are in the `product_ids_for_free_shipping` array.
- If a matching product is found, it removes all other shipping methods and only shows free shipping.
Caution: Custom code can be complex. Thoroughly test your code before deploying it to a live website. Also, if your WooCommerce settings or theme is updated, you may need to update the code.
4. Free Shipping to Specific Locations
You can create shipping zones to offer free shipping only to certain countries, states, or even postcodes.
Steps:
1. Create or Edit a Shipping Zone: Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping Zones. Create a new zone or edit an existing one.
2. Add Location(s): Add the specific countries, states, or postcodes where you want to offer free shipping.
3. Add Free Shipping Method: Within the shipping zone, add the “Free Shipping” method.
4. Configure Requirements: Set the requirements for free shipping (minimum order amount, coupon, etc.) as described in the Basic Free Shipping Setup section.
Example: If you want to offer free shipping only to customers in California, you would create a shipping zone for California and add the “Free Shipping” method to that zone.
Conclusion:
Configuring free shipping in WooCommerce is a crucial step in optimizing your online store for conversions. By understanding the various methods available, from basic minimum order amounts to more advanced conditional logic, you can create a shipping strategy that benefits both your customers and your business. Remember to carefully consider your target audience, profit margins, and overall marketing goals when deciding on your free shipping policies. Thoroughly test your setup after implementing any changes to ensure everything functions as expected. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be well on your way to increasing sales and building customer loyalty.
