This guide shows you how to set up flat rate shipping per product and free shipping based on quantity using the Flexible Shipping Rules plugin.

STEP 1: BASIC WOOCOMMERCE SETUP

1. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping
2. Add a shipping zone (e.g., “United States”)
3. Add “Flat Rate” shipping method
4. Set the cost to $0 (plugin will override this)

STEP 2: SET UP FLAT RATE SHIPPING PER PRODUCT

For a product that always costs $5 to ship:

1. Go to Products → All Products
2. Click “Edit” on your product
3. Scroll down to “Product Data” section
4. Click the “Shipping” tab
5. Check “Enable Custom Shipping”
6. Enter “Fixed Shipping Price”: $5.00
7. Leave other fields empty
8. Click “Update”

Result: This product will always cost $5 to ship, regardless of quantity.

STEP 3: SET UP FREE SHIPPING BY QUANTITY

For a product that’s free to ship when buying 3 or more:

1. Go to Products → All Products
2. Click “Edit” on your product
3. Scroll down to “Product Data” section
4. Click the “Shipping” tab
5. Check “Enable Custom Shipping”
6. Enter “Free Shipping Quantity”: 3
7. Leave other fields empty
8. Click “Update”

Result:

• Buy 1-2 items = pay shipping
• Buy 3+ items = free shipping

STEP 4: SET UP PER-UNIT SHIPPING

For a product that costs $2 per unit when buying 2 or more:

1. Go to Products → All Products
2. Click “Edit” on your product
3. Scroll down to “Product Data” section
4. Click the “Shipping” tab
5. Check “Enable Custom Shipping”
6. Enter “Shipping Cost Per Unit”: $2.00
7. Enter “Shipping Cost Quantity”: 2
8. Click “Update”

Result:

• Buy 1 item = no shipping cost
• Buy 2+ items = $2 per unit

COMMON EXAMPLES

Example 1: Heavy Product

• Product: Large Box
• Fixed Shipping Price: $10.00
• Result: Always $10 shipping

Example 2: Bulk Discount

• Product: Small Items
• Free Shipping Quantity: 5
• Result: Free shipping when buying 5+

Example 3: Per-Unit Pricing

• Product: Books
• Cost Per Unit: $1.50
• Cost Quantity: 3
• Result: $1.50 per book when buying 3+

Example 4: Mixed Rules

• Product: Electronics
• Fixed Shipping Price: $5.00
• Free Shipping Quantity: 10
• Result: $5 shipping, free when buying 10+

QUICK REFERENCE

Fixed Price Shipping:

• Use “Fixed Shipping Price” field
• Applies to all quantities

Free Shipping by Quantity:

• Use “Free Shipping Quantity” field
• Free when quantity ≥ this number

Per-Unit Pricing:

• Use “Shipping Cost Per Unit” + “Shipping Cost Quantity”
• Cost per unit when quantity ≥ threshold

No Custom Shipping:

• Leave “Enable Custom Shipping” unchecked
• Uses default $5 shipping

TROUBLESHOOTING

Shipping not updating:

• Clear cart and refresh page
• Check that “Enable Custom Shipping” is checked
• Verify settings are saved

Free shipping not working:

• Check that quantity meets the minimum
• Ensure “Free Shipping Quantity” is set correctly

Multiple shipping methods showing:

• The plugin should show only one method
• Check for conflicting settings

NEED HELP?

Email: brad@wpsites.net