Arrange shipping zones from the most specific area to the broadest so WooCommerce offers the intended methods for each customer address. A customer matches the first applicable zone, not a combination of every overlapping zone.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Plan the geographical rules
List the areas you serve and their delivery options. A local postcode area may need different methods from the rest of its state or country. Record unsupported areas too, especially if a broad fallback zone would otherwise offer them delivery.
02 Create and order the zones
- Confirm shipping locations under WooCommerce > Settings > General.
- Open Settings > Shipping > Shipping zones and add a clearly named zone.
- Select the regions and any supported postcode restrictions, then add the methods available there.
- Repeat for the remaining areas.
- Drag narrow zones above broader overlapping zones and save the order.
- Review the Rest of the world fallback and leave it without methods if unmatched areas should have no delivery option.
Why does a local customer see the national rate?
A broader national zone may appear before the local zone, so it matches first. Reorder the zones and retest the exact address. Current WooCommerce versions may display a warning for a zone shadowed by an earlier broader region, but you should still verify the actual customer journey.
Can one address receive methods from two zones?
Core zone matching selects one zone. If a local customer needs both local delivery and a national courier option, configure both methods within the local matching zone. Do not expect the store to inherit methods from the next zone automatically.
03 Test boundaries and exclusions
Use one address inside each zone, one just outside a postcode restriction and one unsupported address. Test postcode formatting carefully and use only documented wildcard or range syntax. Check the customer-facing method names and ordering as well as the price.
04 Maintain the zone map
Record the intended overlap and fallback behaviour so future editors do not reorder zones alphabetically and change delivery eligibility. Recheck payment methods restricted by shipping method, including Cash on Delivery. After carrier or service-area changes, test the affected addresses again and update public delivery information to match the actual checkout choices.