This guide shows you how to set up shipping costs based on quantity for individual products in WooCommerce.

Plugin: Flexible Shipping Rules for WooCommerce

Step 1: Access Product Settings

1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Products → All Products
3. Find the product you want to set up quantity-based shipping for
4. Click “Edit” on that product

Step 2: Enable Custom Shipping

1. Scroll down to “Product Data” section
2. Click on the “Shipping” tab
3. Look for “Flexible Shipping Settings”
4. Check the box for “Enable Custom Shipping”

Step 3: Set Shipping Cost Per Unit

1. Find “Shipping Cost Per Unit” field
2. Enter the cost per unit (e.g., $2.00)
3. This is the cost charged for each unit of the product

Step 4: Set Shipping Cost Quantity

1. Find “Shipping Cost Quantity” field
2. Enter the quantity threshold (e.g., 3)
3. This means: $2 per unit when quantity ≥ 3
4. Set to 0 for no threshold (applies to all quantities)

Step 5: Configure Free Shipping (Optional)

1. Find “Free Shipping Quantity” field
2. Enter the quantity for free shipping (e.g., 10)
3. When customer buys 10+ of this product, shipping is free
4. Set to 0 for no free shipping

Step 6: Save Settings

1. Click “Update” to save the product settings
2. Test by adding different quantities to your cart

How It Works

With Quantity Threshold:

• Cost Per Unit: $2.00
• Cost Quantity: 3
• Result: $2 per unit when buying 3 or more

Without Quantity Threshold:

• Cost Per Unit: $2.00
• Cost Quantity: 0
• Result: $2 per unit for any quantity

With Free Shipping:

• Cost Per Unit: $2.00
• Cost Quantity: 3
• Free Quantity: 10
• Result: $2 per unit for 3-9 items, free for 10+

Example Setups

Example 1: Basic Per-Unit Pricing

• Enable: Yes
• Cost Per Unit: $1.50
• Cost Quantity: 0
• Result: $1.50 per unit for any quantity

Example 2: Quantity Threshold

• Enable: Yes
• Cost Per Unit: $2.00
• Cost Quantity: 5
• Result: $2 per unit when buying 5 or more

Example 3: Free Shipping Threshold

• Enable: Yes
• Cost Per Unit: $1.00
• Cost Quantity: 2
• Free Quantity: 10
• Result: $1 per unit for 2-9 items, free for 10+

Example 4: High-Value Product

• Enable: Yes
• Cost Per Unit: $5.00
• Cost Quantity: 1
• Free Quantity: 20
• Result: $5 per unit for 1-19 items, free for 20+

Example 5: Bulk Discount

• Enable: Yes
• Cost Per Unit: $3.00
• Cost Quantity: 1
• Free Quantity: 50
• Result: $3 per unit for 1-49 items, free for 50+

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
5. Per-Product Shipping (this guide)
6. Global Flat Rate
7. Default Shipping (lowest priority)

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Small Items

• Cost Per Unit: $0.50
• Cost Quantity: 0
• Free Quantity: 100
• Result: $0.50 per unit, free for 100+

Scenario 2: Medium Items

• Cost Per Unit: $2.00
• Cost Quantity: 2
• Free Quantity: 25
• Result: $2 per unit for 2+ items, free for 25+

Scenario 3: Large Items

• Cost Per Unit: $8.00
• Cost Quantity: 1
• Free Quantity: 5
• Result: $8 per unit, free for 5+

Scenario 4: No Free Shipping

• Cost Per Unit: $1.00
• Cost Quantity: 0
• Free Quantity: 0
• Result: $1 per unit for all quantities

Troubleshooting

Per-unit pricing not working:

• Check that “Enable Custom Shipping” is checked
• Make sure “Shipping Cost Per Unit” has a value
• Verify “Shipping Cost Quantity” is set correctly
• Clear cart and test again

Free shipping not applying:

• Check “Free Shipping Quantity” is set higher than “Cost Quantity”
• Verify the quantity threshold is met
• Clear cart and refresh page

Cost calculation wrong:

• Cost Per Unit × Quantity = Total Cost
• Check if quantity threshold is met
• Verify no other rules are overriding

Settings not saving:

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

Quick Test

1. Add your product to cart with different quantities
2. Check shipping cost for each quantity
3. Verify the calculation: Cost Per Unit × Quantity
4. Test free shipping threshold if set
5. If costs match your settings, setup is working!

Need Help?

For support with this plugin:

• Email: brad@wpsites.net