Offering free shipping in your WooCommerce store can increase conversions, reduce cart abandonment, and encourage higher average order values. However, when free shipping is available, showing other shipping options can confuse customers and lead them to choose a more expensive option. In this article, I’ll explain why you should hide other WooCommerce shipping methods when free shipping is available and how to implement this in your store.
By default, WooCommerce does not allow store owners to hide other shipping options when free shipping is available. This means that customers might see options like flat-rate shipping or express delivery alongside free shipping, which can be confusing and lead them to choose an option that increases their checkout cost.
To avoid this, you should hide other shipping methods automatically when free shipping is applicable. You can use custom code or plugin for doing so. And, as using a plugin is a much simpler solution, in this article I will show you how to achieve that with two different plugins, depending on your needs.
The first of these, Flexible Shipping, is completely free and allows you to create shipping methods that will have a free shipping threshold in them, after which the shipping method turns into a free shipping method. This is a great and simple solution if you have a small number of shipping methods or are just starting out with WooCommerce. You can then set up all your shipping with Flexible Shipping and use this WooCommerce shipping plugin to set the full shipping cost based on weight, basket value along with setting up free shipping.
However, if you already have a more developed shop and don’t want to move all shipping methods, I will show you how to hide the default or shipping methods created with other solutions using the Conditional Shipping Methods plugin.
In my opinion, the best solution to WooCommerce hide shipping methods when free shipping is available is by using one of the best free WooCommerce shipping plugins available on the market, Flexible Shipping.
The best Table Rate Shipping for WooCommerce. Period. Create shipping rules based on weight, order totals or item count.
Go to WordPress.org or Download for freeFlexible Shipping is the most advanced shipping plugin for WooCommerce stores, allowing you to calculate the shipping costs based on weight and/or cart total. It’s a free WooCommerce table rate shipping plugin that’s used daily by over 100,000 stores worldwide. This plugin lets you create conditional shipping in your WooCommerce store, and it’s much more powerful than the regular flat rate shipping method. What’s most relevant to you, since you’re reading this guide, is its option to offer free shipping inside its methods, making it easy to hide these methods once the relevant cart values are exceeded.
You can do everything in a two simple steps:
Step 1. Add a Flexible Shipping method to your WooCommerce Shipping Zone
Step 2. Configure the free shipping threshold
Yes, it really is that simple!
First, go to WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping. There, edit the shipping zone in which you want to free shipping bar. Next, click on Add shipping method button.
Then, select the type of your shipping method. Pick the Flexible Shipping.
Having the added, it’s time to .
In General Settings section, you can set Title and Description. Below you can also change the tax settings for and .
In the Free Shipping Threshold field, enter the amount that will automatically change the shipping cost of this method to free. Here you can also set up more advanced free shipping elements such as the free shipping progress bar display, which is great for conversion rates.
What remains to be done is to configure the usual shipping cost. You can do it in the Shipping Cost Calculation Rules table. You’ll find it on the bottom of the configuration page:
There, you can set the cost for your shipping method. You can use different conditions to determine shipping cost, but if you want to set flat rate, just use Always. For example, if you intend to charge $10 for shipping, set it like that:
Save changes, and everything is ready. When the value of the basket reaches the treshold you have set, the method will be changed to free, with no cost displayed for the method.
As I mentioned earlier, if you already have your shipping methods and don’t want to configure them again you can use the Conditional Shipping Methods plugin to manage the display of shipping methods in your WooCommerce shop. One of the main features of the plugin is just hiding the shipping methods when the free shipping option appears on the checkout page. The configuration itself is simple and I will show you how to do it step by step
Conditionally display and hide the shipping methods in your WooCommerce store. Define the rules when the specific shipping methods should be available to pick and when not to.
View Details or Add to cartFirst, make sure that all the shipping methods have their costs configured properly. After that, go to the Conditional Shipping Methods plugin configuration screen at WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping → Conditional Shipping Methods.
Then click on the Add ruleset button to configure a new set of rules on how your shipping methods are to be displayed.
You will be redirected to a new window where you can configure all aspects of the dispatch display.
Start by entering a name in the Ruleset name field. It is useful that it clearly describes what its purpose is. In this case, I suggest something like “Hide Other WooCommerce Shipping Methods When Free Shipping is Available”.
Now, it’s time to configure Conditions. It’s very simple, just click on the Add condition button to create a new condition. Then, pick the Zero-cost shipping method in the When field. It should look like this:
Now that you have the conditions set up, it’s time to add a new action, which is hiding the paid shipping methods. To do so, click on the Add action button and choose Hide all paid shipping methods.
Lastly, go back to the plugin’s settings and tick the Turn on/off conditional displaying or hiding the shipping methods checkbox to enable all the rules that you configured.
And that’s all. In this way, when a free shipping option appears (configured in Conditions), all paid shipping methods will be hidden (configured in Actions). To complete the configuration, save the changes.
Hiding other shipping methods when free shipping is available offers several key benefits for both store owners and customers.
Customers can become confused when presented with multiple shipping options, especially if free shipping is available but not the default selection. By automatically hiding paid options when free shipping applies, you ensure customers select the best option without second-guessing themselves.
Research from the Baymard Institute shows that unexpected shipping costs are a major cause of cart abandonment. By only showing free shipping when it’s available, you reduce the risk of customers abandoning their carts due to confusion or unexpected shipping fees.
Offering free shipping, particularly on orders above a certain value, can encourage customers to spend more. By simplifying the checkout process and removing other shipping options, you increase the likelihood that customers will complete their purchase. According to a study by Invesp, 93% of shoppers are encouraged to buy more products if free shipping is included.
By implementing this strategy, you also build trust with customers, who appreciate the transparency and clarity of your shipping policies.
Offering multiple shipping methods can lead to higher operational costs if customers mistakenly choose expensive options. By hiding these options, you can better control shipping expenses while still offering free shipping as an incentive.
For instance, shipping providers like UPS and FedEx often charge premium rates for express services. By ensuring customers only see free shipping when applicable, you reduce the risk of high shipping costs eating into your profit margins.
A clean and easy-to-understand checkout process leads to a smoother shopping experience. When customers see only the relevant shipping options (such as free shipping), the decision-making process becomes easier, resulting in fewer abandoned carts and higher satisfaction rates.
Incorporating free shipping rules also provides opportunities for marketing strategies, such as setting minimum purchase thresholds to qualify for free shipping. This encourages customers to add more items to their cart to meet the free shipping requirement.
Hiding other shipping methods when free shipping is available in WooCommerce is a simple yet effective way to improve the customer experience, streamline the checkout process, and optimize your store’s shipping costs. Hopefully one of the two ways shown in this article will work for your WooCommerce shop and positively impact your business. Good luck!
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