This guide shows you how to set up flat rate shipping for specific product categories in WooCommerce.

Plugin: Flexible Shipping Rules for WooCommerce

Step 1: Access Category Settings

1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Products → Categories
3. Find the category you want to set up flat rate shipping for
4. Click “Edit” on that category

Step 2: Enable Category Shipping Cost

1. Scroll down to find “Flexible Shipping” settings
2. Look for “Enable Category Shipping Cost”
3. Change from “No” to “Yes”

Step 3: Set Category Shipping Cost

1. Find “Category Shipping Cost” field
2. Enter the flat rate amount (e.g., $5.00)
3. This cost applies once per category regardless of quantity
4. All products in this category will use this shipping cost

Step 4: Configure Override Settings

Override Global Settings for Cost:

• Set to “Yes” if category cost should override global shipping rules
• Set to “No” if global rules should take priority

Override Per-Product Settings for Cost:

• Set to “Yes” if category cost should override individual product shipping
• Set to “No” if product rules should take priority

Step 5: Save Settings

1. Click “Update” to save the category settings
2. Test by adding products from this category to your cart

How It Works

Single Cost Per Category:

• The shipping cost applies once per category
• If you have 3 products from the same category, you pay the cost once
• If you have products from 2 different categories, you pay both costs

Example:

• Electronics category: $8.00 shipping cost
• Books category: $3.00 shipping cost
• Cart with 2 electronics + 1 book = $11.00 total shipping

Example Setups

Example 1: Electronics Category

• Enable: Yes
• Cost: $10.00
• Override Global: Yes
• Override Products: Yes
• Result: $10 shipping for any electronics in cart

Example 2: Books Category

• Enable: Yes
• Cost: $2.50
• Override Global: No
• Override Products: No
• Result: $2.50 shipping for books (if no product rules apply)

Example 3: Premium Category

• Enable: Yes
• Cost: $15.00
• Override Global: Yes
• Override Products: Yes
• Result: $15 shipping for premium items regardless of other rules

Example 4: Free Category

• Enable: Yes
• Cost: $0.00
• Override Global: Yes
• Override Products: Yes
• Result: Free shipping for this category

Priority Order

1. Product Override All (highest priority)
2. Global Free Shipping (when override enabled)
3. Category Free Shipping (when override enabled)
4. Category Shipping Cost (this guide)
5. Per-Product Shipping
6. Global Flat Rate
7. Default Shipping (lowest priority)

Combining with Free Shipping

You can set up both category shipping cost AND category free shipping:

1. Enable Category Free Shipping = Yes
2. Enable Category Shipping Cost = Yes
3. Category Free Shipping takes priority when conditions are met
4. Category Shipping Cost applies when free shipping conditions are not met

Example:

• Category: Electronics
• Free Shipping: $100+ cart value
• Shipping Cost: $8.00
• Result: Free shipping on $100+ orders, $8 shipping on smaller orders

Troubleshooting

Category cost not applying:

• Check that “Enable Category Shipping Cost” is set to “Yes”
• Verify products are assigned to the correct category
• Clear cart and refresh page
• Check priority order (higher rules override)

Multiple shipping costs showing:

• Category costs are additive (each category adds its cost)
• Check if you have products from multiple categories
• Ensure only one rule applies per category

Settings not saving:

• Make sure to click “Update” after changes
• Check for JavaScript errors
• Try refreshing the page

Cost not showing correctly:

• Category cost applies once per category, not per product
• If you have 5 products from same category, you pay the cost once
• If you have products from 3 different categories, you pay 3 costs

Quick Test

1. Add products from your category to cart
2. Check shipping cost shown
3. Try products from different categories
4. If cost matches your settings, setup is working!

Need Help?

For support with this plugin:

• Email: brad@wpsites.net