UK Remote Area Surcharges for WooCommerce
Adds a shipping surcharge to remote UK postcodes, such as the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. It is included in the shipping rate the customer chooses.
What it does
A mainland shipping rate rarely covers the Scottish Highlands, the islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, and a shop charging one price for all of them pays the difference on every remote order. This plugin adds a remote area shipping surcharge to the shipping rate when the delivery postcode is remote, so the customer sees one delivery price with the extra already in it.
You choose the postcodes, the amount and the wording. Tick the built-in areas (the Scottish Highlands, the Scottish Islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly), or type your own patterns such as IV*, PA20-49 or IV36 2AB, with exclusions that win over inclusions. The built-in areas are broad geographic starting points and not a courier's zones: the Scottish Highlands, for example, includes PH*, which also covers Perth, and the settings say so. Scottish Islands covers Orkney, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, Arran and Cumbrae and the Argyll islands, and because carriers count PA20-49 as one area it also covers mainland Argyll, such as Dunoon, Oban and Campbeltown. A postcode tester on the settings screen uses the same matching as checkout. Lower case and missing spaces make no difference, so iv36 2ab, IV362AB and IV36 2AB are the same postcode.
The surcharge is added to the shipping rate itself and not as a separate fee, so it does not move the merchandise subtotal. It works on the classic cart and checkout and on the Cart and Checkout blocks. Choose whether it applies to every shipping method except Local Pickup or only to the ones you tick. Free Shipping carries it unless you switch that off, and Local Pickup is left alone until you opt in. Enter the amount before tax, as WooCommerce does for every shipping cost, and choose whether the adjusted rate follows its shipping method's tax, is always taxed or is never taxed. WooCommerce works the tax out from your tax rates. A message in your own words explains the extra charge on the cart and at checkout, and a shortcode prints it anywhere. The order records which rule matched and what was added, and shows it on the order screen.
It matches UK postcodes only: Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. A US ZIP code, or an address in any other country, is never surcharged. Matching happens on your own site, with no postcode lookup service.
Pro starts a rule from a carrier postcode list. A single Carrier preset dropdown holds the lists for DHL Express, Parcelforce, Royal Mail and UPS, read from documents those carriers publish, and a Custom option for when you would rather type your own postcodes. Choosing a list shows one card for that list only: the carrier, the zone or list, its dataset version, its effective date and the date it was last checked, with the source document behind View source details. Create rule from preset then takes you to the Add a rule card with that coverage chosen, and nothing is saved until you add a name and an amount and save. A list is postcodes only and carries no prices: you type the amount your agreement says. A newer list in a plugin update never changes a rule that is already charging until you have reviewed the postcodes added and removed and applied it.
Pro also adds unlimited extra rules. Each saved rule is a card of its own, with what it does, its amount, where its postcodes came from and a Remove this rule box, and a separate Add a rule card below them groups the form into name and postcodes, action and amount, where the rule applies, and weight bands. A rule can charge one amount, a charge per item, per unit of weight or by weight bands, use a different amount for each shipping method, be limited to a shipping class, or make a shipping method unavailable for a postcode, and a setting decides how matching rules combine: the highest, the first, or added together. When a rule leaves a package with no delivery method, the cart and checkout say the order cannot be delivered to that postcode and the order is refused. CSV postcode import and export moves the rules in bulk. The advanced simulator uses the same rules as checkout, with its inputs grouped under Where and how and The cart: type a postcode, a shipping method, a base rate and a weight, and it shows the carrier list and rule that matched, the surcharge and the final rate.
If a Pro licence lapses, the rules already saved keep charging and keep blocking. They stay on screen to read but cannot be changed until renewal.
See it in action
What the plugin does
- A surcharge added to the shipping rate when the delivery postcode is remote, on the classic cart and checkout and on the Cart and Checkout blocks
- Built-in areas to tick, each showing the postcodes it covers: the Scottish Highlands, the Scottish Islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly
- Your own postcode patterns and exclusions, such as IV*, PA20-49 or IV36 2AB
- Matching that ignores case and spacing, so iv36 2ab, IV362AB and IV36 2AB are the same postcode
- A postcode tester on the settings screen that uses the same matching as checkout
- One amount, applied to every shipping method except Local Pickup or only to the methods you tick
- Free Shipping carries the surcharge unless you switch that off, and Local Pickup is left alone until you opt in
- The adjusted rate follows its shipping method's tax, is always taxed, or is never taxed
- The merchandise subtotal is not changed by the surcharge
- A message in your own words on the cart and at checkout, and a shortcode to print it anywhere
- The order records the surcharge, the postcode rule that matched and the shipping cost before and after, and shows them on the order screen
- Settings import and export
- High-Performance Order Storage compatible
- UK postcodes only: a US ZIP code or an address in another country is never surcharged
- Carrier postcode lists for DHL Express (Remote Area), Parcelforce (Zone 2 and Zone 3), Royal Mail (Zones 2 to 5) and UPS (Remote Area and Extended Area), chosen from one Carrier preset dropdown, with a Custom option for your own postcodes
- One card shows only the list you chose: the carrier, the zone or list, its version, its effective date and the date it was last checked, with the source document behind View source details
- Create rule from preset takes you to Add a rule with that coverage chosen. Nothing is saved until you add a name and an amount and save
- Postcodes only: the lists carry no carrier prices, and you type the amount your agreement says
- A newer list in a plugin update never changes a rule that is charging until you have reviewed the postcodes added and removed and applied it
- Unlimited extra rules, each a card of its own with its postcodes, exclusions and a Remove this rule box, and a separate Add a rule card for a new one
- A charge worked out as one amount, per item, per unit of weight, or by weight bands
- A different amount for each shipping method
- Rules limited to a shipping class
- Make a shipping method unavailable for a postcode. When nothing is left, the cart and checkout say the order cannot be delivered there and the order is refused
- Highest applicable surcharge, first match, or add together when more than one rule matches
- CSV postcode import and export of rules
- An advanced simulator that uses the same rules as checkout, with its inputs grouped under Where and how and The cart
- Pro's settings travel with the settings export
- A lapsed licence keeps charging and blocking by the rules already saved. They stay on screen to read but cannot be changed until renewal
Pricing
Every Pro plan is the same plugin with every feature. The only difference is how many sites you can run it on.
Single site
One site, with a year of updates and support.
$49/year
Secure checkout. Cancel any time.
5 sites
Most popularUp to 5 sites, with a year of updates and support.
$99/year
Secure checkout. Cancel any time.
25 sites
Up to 25 sites, with a year of updates and support.
$199/year
Secure checkout. Cancel any time.
Need more than 25 sites? Get in touch about a custom licence.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with ZIP codes, or outside the UK?
No. It matches UK postcodes only: Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. A US ZIP code, or a postcode in any other country, is never surcharged.
Does the customer see a separate fee?
No. The surcharge is added to the shipping rate they are choosing, so they see one delivery price, with a line under it saying how much of it is the remote-area surcharge. It is not added as a fee on the cart, and it does not change the merchandise subtotal.
Does it matter how the customer types the postcode?
No. iv36 2ab, IV362AB and IV36 2AB are the same postcode. A customer who gives only the first half, such as IV36, is matched on that.
Are the built-in areas my courier's list?
No. They are broad geographic starting points, copied into the rule when you tick them, and the settings say so. The Scottish Highlands, for example, includes PH*, which also covers Perth, and Scottish Islands includes PA20-49, which also covers mainland Argyll. Check your carrier agreement and use the postcode overrides to narrow them.
What does Scottish Islands cover?
Orkney, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, Arran and Cumbrae, and the Argyll islands: Bute, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree. Carriers count PA20-49 as one area, so it also covers mainland Argyll, such as Dunoon, Oban and Campbeltown. Show postcodes on the settings screen lists every code.
Is the amount before or after VAT?
Enter it before tax, as WooCommerce does for every shipping cost. You choose whether the adjusted rate follows its shipping method's tax, is always taxed, or is never taxed. WooCommerce works out the tax from your tax rates, and the plugin does not store one.
What about Free Shipping and Local Pickup?
Free Shipping carries the surcharge by default, so a rate of nothing becomes the amount you set, and you can switch that off. Local Pickup is left alone until you opt in.
Does it work with the block cart and checkout?
Yes. The surcharge is added to the shipping rate on the classic cart and checkout and on the Cart and Checkout blocks. The block Mini Cart shows no shipping, so the message is not drawn there. The classic mini-cart widget carries it.
Does the surcharge count towards a minimum order or a spend threshold?
No. It is added to the shipping rate and not to the merchandise, so the cart subtotal that other plugins read is unchanged.
Does it work with High-Performance Order Storage?
Yes. The surcharge that was charged is stored on the order, and High-Performance Order Storage is supported.
What is the licence key for?
Pro needs a licence key for updates and to keep its settings editable.
What does Pro add?
Carrier postcode lists for DHL Express, Parcelforce, Royal Mail and UPS, chosen from one Carrier preset dropdown, unlimited extra rules shown as cards, a charge per item, per unit of weight or by weight bands, a different amount for each shipping method, rules limited to a shipping class, a way to make a shipping method unavailable for a postcode, CSV postcode import and export, an advanced simulator, and a setting for how matching rules combine.
Where do the carrier lists come from?
From documents the carriers publish: Parcelforce's zone tables, Royal Mail's parcels user guide, and DHL Express's and UPS's remote area workbooks. Each list shows its version, the date it was checked and the file it was read from. A list is postcodes only, with no prices, and Parcelforce and Royal Mail publish delivery zones rather than surcharge lists, so check a list against your own agreement before you create a rule from it.
How do I use a carrier list?
Under Carrier postcode presets, choose a list from the Carrier preset dropdown. One card shows that list only: the carrier, the zone or list, its dataset version, its effective date and the date it was last checked, and the source document is behind View source details. Create rule from preset takes you to Add a rule with that coverage chosen. Add a name and an amount, then save. Nothing is copied onto a rule until you save one. Choose Custom if you would rather type your own postcodes.
How do the extra rules look, and how do I remove one?
Each saved rule is a card of its own, showing what it does, its amount, where its postcodes came from and the shipping methods it applies to. Tick Remove this rule on a card and save to delete it. A new rule is made in the separate Add a rule card, which is grouped into name and postcodes, action and amount, where the rule applies, and weight bands. Nothing is created until you save.
Does the advanced simulator use the same rules as checkout?
Yes. Type a postcode, a shipping method, a base rate and a weight, and it shows the carrier list and rule that matched, the surcharge and the final rate, worked out the way checkout works them out. Its inputs are grouped under Where and how and The cart, and nothing is saved. A cart value can be typed in and is shown in the result, but no current rule reads it.
Will a newer list change what my shop charges?
Not by itself. A newer list arrives inside a plugin update, and a rule keeps charging by the postcodes saved on it until you review what was added and removed and apply it.
Can I move my rules in a CSV?
Yes. Export writes each rule's name, postcodes, exclusions, action, amount, shipping methods and shipping class, and importing a file replaces your extra rules with its rows. Weight bands, different charges by method and carrier tags are not in the file.
What happens if my Pro licence lapses?
The rules you saved keep charging and keep blocking, so a lapse does not quietly undercharge you or bring back a delivery you cannot make. The rules stay on screen to read but cannot be changed, and a new carrier list cannot be applied, until you renew. Nothing is deleted.
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