How to Offer Free Delivery Over a Certain Amount in WooCommerce

Ecommerce Feb 3, 2025 22 Add to Reading List

In eCommerce, shipping costs often influence customer purchasing decisions. Many customers abandon their shopping carts due to high delivery charges, making free shipping a powerful incentive to encourage sales. One of the most effective ways to offer free shipping without cutting into profits is to set a minimum order amount that customers must reach to qualify for free delivery.

WooCommerce, a leading eCommerce platform, allows store owners to set up free shipping thresholds based on the total cart amount. This strategy increases the average order value, improves conversion rates, and enhances customer satisfaction.

In this guide, we will explore the benefits of offering free delivery over a certain amount, how to set it up in WooCommerce, and best practices for implementing this strategy effectively.

Why Offer Free Delivery Over a Certain Amount?

Providing free shipping above a set order value has several advantages:

1. Increases Average Order Value

By requiring customers to spend a minimum amount to qualify for free shipping, store owners can encourage larger purchases. Customers who are close to the threshold are more likely to add extra products to their cart to avoid shipping fees.

2. Reduces Cart Abandonment

Shipping costs are one of the main reasons for cart abandonment. By offering free shipping beyond a certain amount, customers feel they are getting more value, which can boost checkout completion rates.

3. Enhances Customer Satisfaction

Free shipping is seen as a customer-friendly policy. When customers know they can get free delivery by spending a little more, they feel they are getting a good deal, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Provides a Competitive Advantage

Many eCommerce businesses offer free shipping incentives, and customers often compare stores before making a purchase. Offering free shipping above a certain amount makes a WooCommerce store more attractive than competitors that charge standard delivery fees.

5. Helps Move Slow-Moving Stock

If there are slow-moving products or excess inventory, offering free shipping over a minimum order amount encourages customers to buy more, indirectly boosting the sales of less popular products.

How to Set Up Free Delivery Over a Certain Amount in WooCommerce

WooCommerce makes it easy to configure free shipping rules based on the cart total. Here are the steps to set it up:

Step 1: Access the Shipping Settings

Go to the WordPress Dashboard.
Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings.
Click on the Shipping tab.
Choose the shipping zone where you want to offer free shipping.

Step 2: Add a Free Shipping Method

Click on the existing shipping zone or create a new one.
Click Add Shipping Method.
Select Free Shipping from the options.
Click Add Shipping Method again to save the changes.

Step 3: Set the Minimum Order Requirement

Click Edit under the newly added Free Shipping method.
Under Free Shipping Requires…, choose A Minimum Order Amount.
Enter the required cart total customers must reach to qualify for free shipping.
Save the changes.

Step 4: Test the Free Shipping Rule

After setting up the free shipping rule, it is important to test it to ensure it works correctly. Add products to the cart and check if free shipping is applied when the total meets the required amount.

Enhancing Free Shipping With Conditional Logic

1. Free Shipping Based on User Role

If a store has different customer types, such as retail and wholesale buyers, setting role-based free shipping rules can help manage different pricing and delivery policies.

For example:

Regular customers get free shipping for orders over fifty dollars.
Wholesale buyers get free shipping for orders over two hundred dollars.

A plugin like WooCommerce Role-Based Shipping can help apply different shipping rules for different user roles.

2. Free Shipping Based on Product Category

Some stores may want to offer free shipping only for certain products or categories. This is useful if certain items are lightweight and affordable to ship, while others are bulky and costly.

For example, a store selling books and electronics may offer free shipping only on books if the cart total reaches the threshold. A plugin like Table Rate Shipping for WooCommerce can help implement category-based shipping rules.

3. Free Shipping Coupons

Instead of setting fixed cart total requirements, WooCommerce allows store owners to create discount coupons that apply free shipping.

To create a free shipping coupon:

Go to WooCommerce > Coupons.
Click Add New and enter a coupon name.
Under Discount Type, select Free Shipping.
Set a minimum order value for eligibility.
Save the coupon and promote it to customers.

This method works well for marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and promotional events.

Best Practices for Implementing Free Shipping Over a Certain Amount

1. Display Free Shipping Offers Prominently

Customers are more likely to take advantage of free shipping if they are aware of it. Display the offer on:

The homepage with a banner
The cart and checkout pages
Product pages near the price section

2. Use a Free Shipping Bar

A progress bar that shows customers how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping can be a great motivator. Several WooCommerce plugins, such as Free Shipping Bar for WooCommerce, can help implement this feature.

3. Combine Free Shipping With Discounts

Offering discounts alongside free shipping can further encourage higher spending. For example:

Spend seventy-five dollars and get free shipping plus a five-dollar discount.
Buy two or more items and get free shipping.

4. Optimize Shipping Costs

Before offering free shipping, store owners should analyze shipping expenses to ensure that profit margins are not negatively impacted. Using a flat-rate shipping model or negotiating better rates with shipping carriers can help maintain profitability.

5. Set Free Shipping Rules Based on Location

For businesses selling internationally, free shipping may only be feasible for certain regions. WooCommerce allows store owners to restrict free shipping by country, state, or zip code to control costs effectively.

Conclusion

Offering WooCommerce Free Delivery Over a Certain Amount is a powerful way to increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce cart abandonment. By setting a minimum cart total for free shipping, store owners can boost average order values and enhance the overall shopping experience.

WooCommerce provides an easy-to-use interface to configure free shipping thresholds, and additional plugins can enhance conditional free shipping based on user roles, product categories, or specific promotions.