Free shipping Based on minimal cart items count in WooCommerce

Question

In Woocommerce, I want to offer free shipping based on the number of unique cart items. First, I began looking at the available plugins and I can't find any simple solution for this.

What I would like is: if the visitor add 4 different items to the cart the shipping will be free, but not if for example user adds the same product 4 times. So basically it will work only for 4 different items (with 4 different SKU numbers).

Have any suggestions?

Answer 1

Using WooCommerce - Hide other shipping methods when FREE SHIPPING is available existing answer code, you just need to count the different order items with:

$items_count = count(WC()->cart->get_cart());

Now, you need to set your free shipping method settings to N/A (first option);

Then you will be able to allow free shipping easily altering the code as follow:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_package_rates', 'free_shipping_on_items_count_threshold', 100, 2 );
function free_shipping_on_items_count_threshold( $rates, $package ) {
    $items_count     = count(WC()->cart->get_cart()); // Different item count
    $items_threshold = 4; // Minimal number of items to get free shipping
    $free            = array(); // Initializing

    // Loop through shipping rates
    foreach ( $rates as $rate_id => $rate ) {
        // Find the free shipping method
        if ( 'free_shipping' === $rate->method_id ) {
            if( $items_count >= $items_threshold ) {
                $free[ $rate_id ] = $rate; // Keep only "free shipping"
            } elseif ( $items_count < $items_threshold ) {
                unset($rates[$rate_id]); // Remove "Free shipping"
            }
            break;// stop the loop
        }
    }
    return ! empty( $free ) ? $free : $rates;
}

Code goes in functions.php file of your active child theme (or active theme). Tested and works.

---

If you want to allow coupons to set free shipping too, you will have to change your free shipping settings to "A minimum order amount OR a coupon" with a 0 Minimum order amount, using the following instead:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_package_rates', 'free_shipping_on_items_count_threshold', 100, 2 );
function free_shipping_on_items_count_threshold( $rates, $package ) {
    $items_count      = count(WC()->cart->get_cart()); // Different item count
    $items_threshold  = 4; // Minimal number of items to get free shipping

    $coupon_free_ship = false; // Initializing
    $free             = array(); // Initializing

    // Loop through applied coupons
    foreach( WC()->cart->get_applied_coupons() as $coupon_code ) {
        $coupon = new WC_Coupon( $coupon_code ); // Get the WC_Coupon Object

        if ( $coupon->get_free_shipping() ) {
            $coupon_free_ship = true;
            break;
        }
    }

    // Loop through shipping rates
    foreach ( $rates as $rate_id => $rate ) {
        // Find the free shipping method
        if ( 'free_shipping' === $rate->method_id ) {
            if( $items_count >= $items_threshold || $coupon_free_ship ) {
                $free[ $rate_id ] = $rate; // Keep only "free shipping"
            } elseif ( $items_count < $items_threshold ) {
                unset($rates[$rate_id]); // Remove "Free shipping"
            }
            break;// stop the loop
        }
    }
    return ! empty( $free ) ? $free : $rates;
}

Code goes in functions.php file of your active child theme (or active theme). Tested and works.

Refresh the shipping caches:

1. This code is already saved on your function.php file.
   
2. In a shipping zone settings, disable / save any shipping method, then enable back / save.
   You are done and you can test it.