Note:
This documentation assumes that you already know how WooCommerce Shipping Zones works, if not, please read this article first: Setting up Shipping Zones
Briefly, in a nutshell
Fish and Ships is a plugin to calculate shipping costs easily and flexibly for stores that run under WooCommerce.
Rule based, they are analyzed consecutively, from up to down.
Each rule is divided into three sections: Selection Conditions, Shipping Costs, and Special Actions. If the selection conditions are met, the costs of the selection will be applied and the special actions, if any, will be triggered.
Whether a rule applies or not, the following rules will be analyzed:
A video introduction
There is a 7 minutes introductory video on YouTube, it will give you a general idea of how Fish and Ships works:
A simple example
Let's imagine a clothing store. We want to set the shipping costs based on the overall weight and volume of the cart. These are the conditions for the calculations:
| Maximum weight: | Maximum volume: | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Up to 4 lbs | Any volume | $5 |
| #2 | 4 lbs or more | Up to 1000 in3 | $10 |
| #3 | 4 lbs or more | Between 1000 and 2500 in3 | $15 |
| #4 | Any weight | More than 2500 in3 | $30. This carrier becomes too expensive, and we don't want to offer this shipping method. |
Each exposed condition can be transformed into a rule. Rules #2 and #3 need two conditions: one for weight and another one for volume (note that they have a WHERE and an AND):
Let's imagine this shopping cart:
| Product | Quantity | Weight | Volume | Total weight: | Total volume: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 2 | 0.5 lbs | 150 in3 | 3 lbs | 975 in3 |
| Trousers | 1 | 2 lbs | 675 in3 |
Weighing less than 4 lbs, only the rule #1 meets:
| Product | Total weight: | Total volume: | Rule #1 | Rule #2 | Rule #3 | Rule #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 3 lbs | 975 in3 |
max. 4 lbs: |
min. 4 lbs: max. 1000 in3: |
min. 4 lbs: min. 1000 in3: |
min. 2500 in3 |
| Trousers | ||||||
| Shipping Costs: | $5 | (not applicable) | (not applicable) | (not applicable) | ||
Total cost: $5
Let's add a second pants
| Product | Quantity | Weight | Volume | Total weight: | Total volume: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 2 | 0.5 lbs | 150 in3 | 5 lbs | 1650 in3 |
| Trousers | 2 | 2 lbs | 675 in3 |
The new weight prevents meet Rule #1, and the new volume, prevents meet Rule #2:
| Product | Total weight: | Total volume: | Rule #1 | Rule #2 | Rule #3 | Rule #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 5 lbs | 1650 in3 |
max. 4 lbs: |
min. 4 lbs: max. 1000 in3: |
min. 4 lbs: min. 1000 in3: |
min. 2500 in3: |
| Trousers | ||||||
| Shipping Costs: | (not applicable) | (not applicable) | $15 | (not applicable) | ||
Total cost: $15
Let's add a bulky product
| Product | Quantity | Weight | Volume | Total weight: | Total volume: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 2 | 0.5 lbs | 150 in3 | 8 lbs | 3650 in3 |
| Trousers | 2 | 2 lbs | 675 in3 | ||
| Coat | 1 | 3 lbs | 2000 in3 |
The new volume, will make rule #4 fulfill:
| Product | Total weight: | Total volume: | Rule #1 | Rule #2 | Rule #3 | Rule #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 8 lbs | 3650 in3 |
max. 4 lbs: |
min. 4 lbs: max. 1000 in3: |
min. 4 lbs: min. 1000 in3: |
min. 2500 in3: |
| Trousers | ||||||
| Coat | ||||||
| Shipping Costs: | (not applicable) | (not applicable) | $15 | [ABORT] | ||
Despite Rule #3 still being fulfilled, Rule #4 take the Special Action Abort shipping method, voiding any other rules. This shipping method will not be offered to the customer.
So far... easy?
We hope yes ... at wp-centrics we have been working hard to develop a simple yet powerful tool ... Maybe it not seem enough yet ... please read the next section about selection methods, to start seeing its full potential: