Free shipping exists but a paid method is selected first

Establish that the free option was available in this checkout

A Free Shipping method listed in the administrator's settings is not enough to establish that the buyer could use it. Inspect the affected checkout evidence: which methods appeared, which one was selected and what shipping amount was displayed. If the free option did not appear, investigate its eligibility first. This page addresses the narrower case in which the free option was available but a paid option was selected.

Use the same cart and destination context for the comparison. WooCommerce's free-shipping method can require no condition, a qualifying coupon, a minimum amount or a configured combination. The minimum can be evaluated before or after coupon discounts, and a coupon used to qualify for free shipping must allow it. Changing one of those facts can change availability, so a later cart with different discounts cannot establish what the earlier buyer saw.

Read zone order and method order separately

WooCommerce matches the shipping address to the first fitting zone in the zone list. The customer sees that zone's methods. First identify that zone using the destination in the authorized store; record only the zone label and match finding in the worksheet. A free method configured in some other zone does not answer this checkout's selection question.

Inside the matching zone, inspect the enabled methods and their order. WooCommerce's shipping-zone documentation identifies the first enabled method as the default. A paid method first in that list is therefore a configuration explanation to compare with a paid default observed at checkout. The presence of an eligible free method farther down the list does not itself demonstrate that checkout selected it.

Keep the configured default separate from the buyer's eventual choice. A completed order can record a paid method without establishing whether it was initially selected or chosen later by the buyer. If the available evidence shows only the final choice, record the initial selection as unknown. Do not attribute the charge to the default merely because the settings make that explanation plausible.

Choose the intended presentation before changing settings

Write down whether the merchant intends the free option to be selected first when available and whether paid alternatives should remain selectable. Those are separate requirements. A buyer may need to see meaningful differences between available services, so compare the actual method labels and the service each one represents before treating every paid choice as redundant.

If the observed paid default matches the current method order and that order conflicts with the merchant's intended presentation, the next configuration change to consider is the order of methods in the matched zone. There is no evidence in that finding that the free-shipping threshold itself is wrong. Preserve the qualifying conditions unless the separate eligibility check shows a defect.

A requirement to hide other methods is additional behavior to verify against the installed WooCommerce version and any shipping extension or customization. Do not assume the availability of Free Shipping proves that requirement is already implemented. Identify which component supplies or filters the methods before assigning that work.

Verify the selection and total as one observed result

After an authorized configuration change, compare the available choices, the initial selection and the shipping line together on a genuine affected checkout when it is next observed. If the buyer then chooses another method, record that selection separately. Changing the order in settings alone does not demonstrate what the buyer saw, and a zero shipping line alone does not demonstrate that the intended service was selected.

If the free method is already first but the visible result does not match the expected presentation, preserve that mismatch with the installed checkout type, WooCommerce version and names of any shipping components. This evidence supports a focused investigation of selection behavior. It does not establish an extension or theme as the cause.

For a scoped Prism checkout consultation, describe the matched zone, available free option, observed paid selection and intended presentation. Scope, responsibilities, fees and terms are confirmed before work. Keep full customer addresses, private checkout links and order exports in your authorized systems rather than the public inquiry.

Available-versus-selected rate

Use evidence from one genuine checkout. Read the rows in order: zone match establishes the method set, eligibility establishes whether the free option can appear, and selection establishes which service accompanies the displayed shipping line. Record unknown when you have only a final order and cannot establish the initial selection.

Worksheet entries are not submitted by Prism’s worksheet and are not saved by the site. Use record types, availability, anonymized observations, or match/mismatch results. Do not enter government identifiers, customer names or addresses, customer messages, receipt-access links, card or bank details, passwords, or keys. Send sensitive documents only through the provider’s verified secure channel.

These are temporary notes. Leaving or reloading this page may clear them. Worksheet entries are not sent automatically. If you copy notes into the consultation message and submit the form, Prism receives them as part of your request.