WooCommerce Distance Rate Shipping

Description

The Distance Rate Shipping addon calculates shipping rates at WooCommerce checkout based on the distance between the store address and the customer’s delivery address, using the Google Maps API to measure the route in kilometers or miles. It is designed for businesses that deliver orders locally (restaurants, flower shops, neighborhood markets) and need to charge shipping proportionally to the route, combining a fixed fee, a distance-based rate, and a minimum charge.

Key Features of Distance Rate Shipping

• Calculation via Google Maps
  Measures the actual route between the store address and the provided delivery address.
• Rate per distance unit
  Defines an amount charged per kilometer or mile traveled to the customer.
• Fixed base plus variable rate
  Combines a starting fee with the amount calculated according to the order’s delivery distance.
• Configurable minimum charge
  Establishes a minimum shipping fee that applies even to deliveries near the store.
• Multiple methods per zone
  Allows you to create multiple distance-based shipping options within WooCommerce zones.

Benefits of Distance Rate Shipping

• Shipping proportional to the route
  The customer pays an amount consistent with the actual distance, without a generic ZIP code table.
• Fewer losses on distant deliveries
  Fuel and delivery driver time costs are covered for orders farther away.
• Centralized configuration
  The rules remain within the WooCommerce Shipping settings, without a separate dashboard.
• Transparency at checkout
  The amount appears already calculated as soon as the customer enters the delivery address.

Who Is Distance Rate Shipping For?

• Businesses that sell meals, boxed lunches, beverages, or sweets and deliver throughout the area using their own motorcycles.
• Flower shops, produce markets, bakeries, and neighborhood grocery stores with a dedicated delivery fleet.
• Those who rent equipment or furniture, or provide services that require travel, and need to charge for the route to the customer.
• Businesses that serve a city or fixed radius and want to stop using a manual neighborhood-based shipping table.

How to Download Distance Rate Shipping

Distance Rate Shipping is available for download here at Ultrapack. After downloading the .zip file, install it under Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, select the file, and activate it. After activation, the new distance-based shipping method appears under WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping, within each configured shipping zone.

For local delivery operations with their own fleet, distance-based calculations eliminate the juggling between ZIP code tables, fuel spreadsheets, and fixed fees, keeping the shipping amount consistent with the route to the destination. It is a good fit for WooCommerce stores selling perishable or heavy items, or items requiring urgent pickup, where every kilometer traveled has a direct impact on the order’s operating cost.

Frequently asked questions