A customer, eagerly anticipating their recent purchase, refreshes their inbox, tracking the parcel’s journey across cities, continents, and time zones. The thrill of unboxing hinges on timely delivery and lies the magic of efficient shipping. It is not about moving goods from point A to B; it is about building trust and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Efficient shipping impacts every facet of an e-commerce business and enhances the overall shopping experience. E-commerce stores can nudge hesitant shoppers toward the “Checkout” button by offering seamless delivery options. A missed delivery deadline can tarnish even the most impeccable brand. Conversely, timely deliveries reinforce reliability and credibility.
While there are many aspects to improving your eCommerce deliveries, in this article we will focus on WooCommerce shipping extensions. Our ninjas will give you some recommendations to help you best manage and monitor your shipments, from real-time rates to customizable rules.
Why Use WooCommerce Shipping Extensions?
The top-rated e-commerce platform, WooCommerce, offers a solid foundation for your online store. It is basic – the default WooCommerce shipping configurations are standard, but the standard is not always enough. Here is why:
Extended Functionalities
- Shipping extensions expand WooCommerce’s capabilities, allowing you to tailor shipping rates and rules to your needs.
- WooCommerce shipping extensions allow you to set up complex shipping scenarios based on weight, location, or product type.
- These tools help you offer real-time shipping quotes from carriers such as USPS or FedEx.
Automation
- A reliable shipping plugin automates shipping cost calculations, saving time and reducing errors.
- No more manual rate calculations; let the plugin handle it seamlessly.
Enhanced Customer Experience
- Customers expect various shipping options, from standard to expedited.
- Real-time tracking information builds trust and encourages repeat business.
- Seamless integration with carriers provides transparency and keeps customers informed.
Top 5 WooCommerce Shipping Plugins
Here are some of the top-trending WooCommerce Shipping extensions with their features and pricing that you can go for:
Table Rate Shipping
The WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping plugin empowers you to create intricate shipping rules for your products spanning the globe. It offers a robust, user-friendly, and flexible shipping solution for customized product deliveries.
Whether shipping locally or internationally, this plugin enables you to tailor strategies precisely. Here are the key features:
Features
- Define multiple shipping rates based on various parameters, such as location, weight, item count, and class. Wildcards allow you to effortlessly match multiple regions.
- Create multiple tables of rates per shipping zone.
- Calculate rates using different methods, including per order, item, line, and class.
- Set conditions based on weight, item count, and price.
- Managing complex data becomes straightforward: duplicate, remove, and manage rates.
- Specify costs per row, item, or as a percentage, or based on weighing units.
Pricing
You can buy the plugin for $9.92 monthly, or $119 annually, from the WooCommerce official website.
ShipStation
The ShipStation for WooCommerce integration streamlines the order fulfillment process for online retailers. You can easily connect your online store to the extension and automate shipping processes.
ShipStation supports businesses of all sizes and enables global shipping success through its intuitive user interface. WooCommerce store owners can also use its app (available on iOS and Android) to create orders, print labels, and manage shipments on the go.
Features
- Save up to 84% off with top carriers such as UPS, USPS, and DHL Express.
- Bring your account from major US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Germany carriers.
- Sync orders from WooCommerce and other channels like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Etsy in one platform.
- Instantly updates tracking info to the selling channel and notifies customers.
- Customize shipping confirmation emails and SMS.
- Create a branded returns portal for customer-initiated returns.
- Generate custom declarations and forms automatically for international shipments.
- Verify international addresses.
- Add GlobalPost for fast and affordable international parcels.
Pricing
ShipStation offers a free version with only 25 monthly shipments under the control of a single user. However, here are several premium plans of the plugin:
- Starter plan for $9.99/month with up to 50 shipments
- Bronze plan at $29.99/month with up to 500 shipments
- Silver plan at $59.99/month with up to 1,000 shipments
- Gold plan at $99.99/month with up to 2,000 shipments
- Platinum plan at $149.99/month with up to 5,000 shipments
- Enterprise plan at $229.99/month with up to 7,500 shipments
For unlimited shipments, you can quickly get a quote from ShipStation.
ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label
The ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label streamlines USPS shipping integration for WooCommerce-based stores. It displays accurate shipping rates on the Cart and Checkout pages based on the shipping address and cart content. It also provides detailed USPS shipment tracking information within the Order Page (both Customer and Admin sides).
Users can generate USPS eVS shipment labels directly from the WooCommerce Order Admin Page. This allows you to create and print shipping labels for your USPS shipments with just a few clicks, saving you time and effort.
Features
- Fetches USPS postage rates for both domestic and international shipping services.
- Factors in product weight, box dimensions, and shipping destination.
- Displays retail or account-specific online & offline rates on the WooCommerce cart and checkout page.
- Provides estimated delivery days.
- Allows customers to estimate shipping costs before adding products to their shopping carts.
- Create shipping classes and assign them to desired products.
- Restrict the Media Mail service by selecting specific shipping classes.
- A fallback rate is applied if USPS API fails to return any rates.
- Ensures a smooth checkout process even when USPS rates are unavailable.
Pricing
You can get it for free with limited features, while the plugin’s premium version starts at $79.00 for a single site license, including one year of support and updates.
WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx with Print Label
The WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin is a convenient solution for e-commerce businesses that want to seamlessly integrate FedEx’s reliable shipping services with their WooCommerce store. This plugin simplifies the shipping process by providing real-time shipping quotes, efficient label printing, and comprehensive tracking capabilities, all within the familiar WooCommerce interface, relieving you of the shipping complexities.
Features
- The plugin fetches live shipping rates from FedEx, ensuring customers see accurate shipping costs at checkout. This precision is based on their location and the contents of their cart, providing a reliable and transparent shipping cost estimation.
- Users can print shipping labels for orders directly from the WooCommerce dashboard, which includes all necessary shipping details.
- Provides real-time tracking information, allowing the store owner and customers to monitor the delivery status.
- The intelligent box packing feature calculates the most efficient way to pack items, helping to minimize shipping costs.
- Store owners have the flexibility to adjust settings to their specific needs. They can add handling fees, define shipping zones, or offer special discounts on FedEx rates, allowing for a tailored shipping experience for their customers.
- Supports multiple currencies and can be configured to work across several store setups.
- Filters can adjust shipping costs, set flat rates, or apply discounts.
- Ensures that all shipping addresses are valid before placing orders, reducing the risk of delivery issues.
- Manage FedEx Express, SmartPost, and Freight with separate accounts for more precise control.
- Customers can see estimated delivery times at checkout, adding transparency to the shipping process.
- The plugin supports bulk label generation for high-volume shippers, streamlining the workflow for large order quantities.
Pricing
The WooCommerce FedEx Shipping Plugin is a premium offering, available at $99.00 per month for a single site.
AfterShip
AfterShip Tracking is a comprehensive WooCommerce plugin designed to streamline the post-purchase experience for shop owners and customers. It offers an all-in-one solution for order tracking, providing real-time updates, and fostering customer trust through transparent communication.
With its robust tracking system, AfterShip ensures that merchants and customers are always in the loop regarding the whereabouts of their orders. This level of transparency and efficiency is crucial for building customer loyalty and encouraging repeat business.
Features
- Automatically import tracking numbers to AfterShip and get current tracking info from various shipping providers in one place.
- A user-friendly dashboard that allows you to filter and sort shipments by multiple criteria, helping you keep track of delivery times and identify any delays.
- Send automated email and SMS notifications in multiple languages, keeping customers informed at every step of the delivery process.
- Customize your tracking page with your logo, store URL, and SEO elements to enhance brand recognition and drive sales.
- Set up a custom domain for your tracking page to improve searchability and customer trust.
- Track orders across 900+ carriers, ensuring global coverage and up-to-date information.
Pricing
AfterShip Tracking offers a free plan that includes basic tracking features and a dashboard to monitor the status of 50 shipments at a time. Users can upgrade to a paid plan for advanced features such as automated notifications for all shipment statuses, branded notifications, and a customized tracking page.
- The essential plan costs $9/month
- Pro plan costs $69/month
- Enterprise solution is fully personalized based on needs and demands.
Final Takeaway
As our list of top five WooCommerce Shipping extensions ends, we know that the right plugin can make or break the shipping experience. Here are the key features to keep in mind before choosing the right shipping plugin:
- Precise shipping rate calculations during checkout
- Shipping label printing
- Efficient delivery tracking
- Supports different shipping methods
- Integration with major carriers
- Customization options
- Flexible logistics support for domestic and international shipments
Focus on these capabilities when selecting a WooCommerce shipping extension to ensure a smooth and efficient shipping process that supports your business’s growth and customer satisfaction.
If you are looking for even more tools to supercharge your online store, don’t forget to take a look at our WooCommerce Extensions library, created by our talented team of ninjas.
