It all started while I was helping a friend build Tukwila.de, a WooCommerce-powered online store.
Everything looked great—design, products, checkout flow—but something wasn’t adding up.
My friend was losing money.
Every month, profits were shrinking. And the culprit?
Free shipping on heavyweight items.
He was unknowingly offering free shipping on bulky products that cost €5–€20 to ship. Multiply that by dozens of orders, and the losses were painful.
Existing Plugins Didn’t Help…
Like any developer would, I went hunting for a solution.
I tried a few plugins—but they were either:
- Too complex to configure,
- Poorly coded and slowed down the site,
- Or couldn’t handle multiple conditions like weight + subtotal + shipping zones.
That’s when it hit me:
Why not build something clean, optimized, and powerful – but simple enough for anyone to use?
The Result: A Smarter Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce
I built Disable Free Shipping for Heavyweight Orders – a lightweight WooCommerce plugin designed to give store owners full control over when shipping methods like free shipping, flat rate, or local pickup are shown.
Whether you want to hide free shipping when a cart exceeds 20kg, or disable flat rate shipping for oversized items — this plugin does the job effortlessly.
Key Features (That Actually Matter)
1. Restrict Any Shipping Method
Not just free shipping. You can restrict Flat Rate, Local Pickup, or any custom method.
2. Smart Conditions
Set rules based on:
- Cart weight
- Cart subtotal
- Item quantity
- Product dimensions (great for oversized items)
3. Zone & Class-Based Rules
Apply restrictions differently for each shipping zone or shipping class.
4. Product-Level Exclusion
Want to offer free shipping on select heavy items? Just check a box in the product editor to exclude it from restrictions.
5. Custom Messages for Customers
Show a friendly message when a shipping option isn’t available (instead of just hiding it).
6. Admin Alerts (Optional)
Get notified via email when someone tries to use a restricted shipping method. The email includes:
- Customer name
- Cart contents
7. Optimized for Speed
- Uses in-memory caching for lightning-fast performance
- Works perfectly with Redis or Memcached
8. Clean Uninstall
Removes all plugin data when deleted – no database bloat.
Real Use Case: Tukwila.de
After I installed the plugin on Tukwila.de, the results were immediate:
- No more free shipping losses on 20kg bulk items
- Better customer clarity with custom messages
- A faster, smoother checkout process
Now, my friend actually makes money on every order.
How to Use It
- Download the plugin from GitHub
- Upload it to
/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate it from your WordPress dashboard
- Go to WooCommerce → Disable Free Shipping
- Set your rules and save!
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I exclude certain products from the restriction?
Yes! There’s a checkbox in the product editor.
Q: Will it slow down my store?
No. It’s built for speed, and uses WooCommerce’s best practices + caching.
Q: Does it work with caching plugins like Redis?
Absolutely! It’s compatible and performs even better with Redis or Memcached.
Q: Can I disable admin emails?
Yes. It’s optional and configurable in the settings panel.
Download Now
Direct Download Plugin as Zip File
Get Disable Free Shipping for Heavyweight Orders on GitHub
And…
If you’re running a WooCommerce store and want to stop bleeding money on shipping, this plugin is for you.
It’s:
- Lightweight
- Customizable
- Developer-friendly
- And saves real money
Whether you’re a developer like me or a store owner, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to set up and how effective it is in protecting your margins.
Got questions, ideas, or want to contribute?
Join the conversation on GitHub or leave a comment below.