DocumentationRecipesCOD surcharge that scales with the basket
COD surcharge that scales with the basket
A percentage fee with a minimum and a maximum passes the courier's cash-handling charge on exactly: small orders still cover the minimum, big ones are capped. Works in the free version.
What a COD surcharge should charge
A cash-on-delivery courier typically charges a percentage of the amount collected, with a minimum per parcel. The fee should recover that and no more: small orders pay the minimum, large orders are capped so nobody pays 60 for the privilege of paying cash.
The settings
On Cash on delivery in WooCommerce → Settings → Pay for Payment:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Charge an extra fee when customers pay with Cash on delivery | ticked |
| Fixed fee | 0.50 |
| Percentage fee | 2.5 |
| Minimum | 1 |
| Maximum | 8 |
| Include in the percentage calculation: Taxes | ticked — the courier charges on the cash collected, which includes tax. This box only appears if your store calculates tax. |
| Include in the percentage calculation: Shipping | ticked, same reason |
| Fee label | Cash on delivery fee |
| Payment fee is taxable / includes tax | both on |
| Don’t charge the fee when: Free shipping is available | your call — tick it if the fee is about the courier |
What the customer sees
| Basket | Sum | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.50 + 0.25 = 0.75 | 1.00 — the floor |
| 110 | 0.50 + 2.75 | 3.25 |
| 5,000 | 0.50 + 125 | 8.00 — the ceiling |
A line “Cash on delivery fee” in the checkout totals, updated live when the shopper switches to or from COD, and on the order and the email afterwards.
Variations
- Only shipping methods COD is offered for. Nothing to do: if COD is restricted to certain shipping methods in WooCommerce and the shopper has chosen another, no COD fee is charged.
- Tell the customer the rule. Title Cash on delivery ([PERCENT_AMOUNT]%, min [MINIMUM_AMOUNT]) renders the numbers — see placeholders.
- No fee above a threshold rather than a cap: a second rule, Pro — the recipe.
- A prepayment discount instead. Some stores would rather reward bank transfer than surcharge COD; that is the next recipe, and the two work well together.
Want no COD fee at all on large orders instead of a capped one? That is a second rule with a condition, which is Pro.
The threshold recipe