With the default installation of WooCommerce, you are getting quite a lot of Shipping Methods predefined in the Shipping Options page. In the next few lines of this tutorial, we will review the configuration process for each one of those so you can be absolutely aware of which one you should use and how to configure it.
How to configure the Shipping Methods
To be able to configure the Shipping Methods of your Store, you need to complete the following steps:
Step 1: Configuring the Flat Rate Shipping Method
Step 2: Adding a new Category of CMS contents
Step 3: Configuring the Local Delivery Shipping Method
Step 1 Configuring the Flat Rate Shipping Method
This shipping method will allow you to define certain Flat Rate per item or per order. On this page, you will be able to edit the “Flat Rate” settings. And as the name suggests it is used for the main configuration options for the Flat Rate Shipping Method. In this section you will be able to find the following settings:
Method Title – The title of the Method you would be adding. Keep in mind that this will be visible to the customer.
Availability – Here you can define the specific country this Flat Rate will be applied.
Tax Status – Here you can define if the Flat Rate should be taxable.
Cost per order – The flat cost without any tax applied to the same.
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Step 2 Configuring the Free Shipping Method
“Free Shipping” is a method which will allow you to grant a free shipping option to the products you are selling. The options available for this Shipping Method on its dedicated page are:
Method Title – The title of the method which will be visible to the customer.
Method availability – Here you can define for which countries this method should be available.
Free Shipping Requires – Here you can define the condition which will be required for the Free Shipping to be applied.
Minimum Order Amount – Here you should define the minimum order amount which will be needed for the free shipping to be applied.
Once you are done editing these changes please click on the “Save Changes” button so all of the changes can be indeed saved.
Step 3 Configuring the Local Delivery Shipping Method
This shipping method is used to delivering products from your Store to the customers locally. This means that the customer’s Billing address should be within the country defined as default, for your Online Store.
The available options you will be able to find on this page are:
Title – The title of the Shipping Method. This will be displayed to the customers.
Fee Type – Here you can define what should be the Fee Type
Delivery Fee – Here you can set the fee you would like to charge the customers for a local delivery.
Allowed Zip/Post Codes – The allowed ZIP/Post Codes which can benefit from this shipping method.
Method Availability – Here you can define the concrete countries this method will be available along with the default country of your Store.
When you are done with the configurations of these options please click on the “Save Changes” button.
The final method is called “Local Pickup” and there you will need to configure few options which will allow the customers the option to pick the product on themselves from your physical Store.
Configuring Shipping Options
In order for your products to reach the customers purchasing those you will need to think for the best Shipping method which will be both affordable and fast in terms of time required for the delivery of the product. WooCommerce provide you with the option to fully manage the shipping methods on your website and in the next few lines of this tutorial we will show you how this should be achieved.
To configure the Shipping Options of your Store, you need to:
Step 1: Access the Shipping Options page
Step 2: Configure the Shipping Options
Step 1 Access the Shipping Options page
In order to reach the Shipping Option page you will need to login into the admin area of your Wordpress installation. Then from the WooCommerce menu you should access the Settings link which will take you to the default page for the settings of your Store.
Then please click on the Shipping tab from the tabbed menu and you will see all the available shipping options you should configure.
Step 2 Configure the Shipping Options
Now that you have accessed the page for the configuration of the Shipping option it is time to proceed with their configuration. On the page you will be able to find the following options:
Shipping Calculations – Here you will be able to enable/disable the shipping calculator and also to hide/show the shipping costs before a valid address is entered
Shipping Display Mode – Here you can define how all of the shipping methods should be displayed
Shipping Destination – Here you can configure the default shipping address that will be used
Restrict shipping to Location(s) – Here you can restrict for the shipping to be worldwide or for concrete countries only
Shipping Methods – Here you will be able to find a complete list for all of the supported Shipping methods of your Store
Once you are done configuring the Shipping option you should simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and use the Save Changes button in order for all the shipping options to be saved.