How to Set Up WooCommerce International Shipping on Your WordPress Site

You’ve probably already established your business in Australia, and now you’re here to learn how to connect with potential customers overseas.

That’s great news! Going international has a lot of benefits for your business. You can:

• Explore an untapped audience
• Expand your business presence
• Develop new products
• Benefit from exchange rates
• Create a new customer base

You can start international selling using an e-commerce platform or installing a plugin and adding it to your WordPress site. One of the most downloadable e-commerce plugins for WordPress is WooCommerce. It’s fully customisable and works for small to large-sized online entrepreneurs using WordPress. 

In this article, you’ll learn how to set up WooCommerce international shipping options for your WordPress site. But before that, here are a few reminders you need to consider:

• Multiple-language support. Make sure your site supports the native language of your target audience. You can also display prices in their local currency to help them calculate how much your products cost based on foreign exchange rates.
• Courier and packaging. Secure your items with excellent packaging to avoid damage or breaks when shipping. Choose a well-trusted shipping partner to handle your products with care.
• Restricted and prohibited items. Selling items that aren’t allowed for shipping in your chosen country can risk your business. Follow the guidelines and regulations to avoid problems and delays in your operations.
• Required documents. Prepare all the necessary paperwork, such as waybills, invoices, certificates (for restricted items), etc., to avoid transaction delays.

Setting up your WooCommerce on WordPress

Now that you’re all set, let’s get started!

Activating WooCommerce plugin

1. Go to the WooCommerce website to create your account.
2. Download and install the WooCommerce plugin to add it to your WordPress dashboard.

General Tab

1. Go to your dashboard and navigate to WooCommerce > Settings.
2. Go to General settings and fill in your business information.

3. In the General Options, click Selling Locations and Shipping locations from the dropdown and select the countries you want to sell and ship from.

4. You’ll see a checkbox that says Enable Tax Rates and Calculations. Tick the box to enable tax rate calculation.

5. Save your settings by clicking the Save changes button at the bottom of the page.

Tax Tab

1. Go to Tax options to set your tax rates.

2. Below the tax rate, you’ll see an option for Display prices during cart and checkout. Select Including tax from the dropdown to display the product prices, including the tax on the cart and checkout pages. 
3. Click Save changes.

4. Go to Standard rates to set tax rates for different countries.

5. Click Insert Row to add a tax rate for a country. Remember to enter the tax rate in the Rate % column and add its name in the Tax name column.

6. You can also exclude your country from the list by clicking Zero Rate Rates so the buyers won’t be charged tax. 
7. Click Save changes.

Shipping Tab

1. Go to the Shipping zones option and click Add shipping zone.

2. Enter the name of the zone in the Zone Name field, and select the region from the dropdown options in the Zone Region field.

3. Below the Zone Regions, you’ll see an option for Shipping methods. Click Add shipping method.

4. Choose your desired shipping method, whether it is Flat Rate, Free Shipping, or Local Shipping.

5. Click Add shipping method.
6. Configure your shipping method by clicking Edit.

And that’s it! The only thing left for you to do is to set up your international payment methods for your customers. 

Make sure to deliver your parcels on time, in good packaging, and at affordable rates. By doing so, you can establish a stronger brand presence, increase your revenue, and open more business opportunities.