WooCommerce: No Default Shipping @ Checkout Page

We already saw how to disable the default payment gateway in the WooCommerce Checkout page, so that users are forced to click on one of the options.

Well, we can do the exact same with the shipping methods!

In this way, customers will be forced to actually click on one of the shipping options. This is helpful when you don’t want to have a default shipping, and when your customers often “forget” to pick the correct one and ask to change it once the order has been placed.

Enjoy!

PHP Snippet: Disable Default Shipping Method @ WooCommerce Checkout

This snippet adds an action hook that will execute the bbloomer_uncheck_default_shipping_method function before the checkout form is displayed. It destroys the chosen shipping method – if any – to ensure that no default shipping method is pre-selected.

Then, we add inline JavaScript to the page. The JavaScript code inside will be executed when the document body triggers the ‘updated_checkout‘ event.

This JavaScript code waits for the ‘updated_checkout‘ event to occur once (because otherwise it will run every time there is a checkout refresh!), and when it happens, it unchecks all input elements with the class ‘shipping_method‘ (effectively clearing any selected shipping methods).

Finally, just to be sure, we add a filter to remove any default shipping for a givenpackage, before we even get to the Checkout page.

In summary, this code is intended to ensure that no default shipping method is pre-selected when a user reaches the WooCommerce checkout page. It also clears the chosen shipping methods from the session – and then uses JavaScript to uncheck any selected shipping methods visually.

/**
 * @snippet       No Default Shipping @ WooCommerce Checkout
 * @tutorial      Get CustomizeWoo.com FREE
 * @author        Rodolfo Melogli
 * @compatible    WooCommerce 8
 * @community     Join https://businessbloomer.com/club/
 */

add_action( 'woocommerce_before_checkout_form', 'bbloomer_uncheck_default_shipping_method' );

function bbloomer_uncheck_default_shipping_method() {
	WC()->session->set( 'chosen_shipping_methods', null );
	wc_enqueue_js( "
		$( document.body ).one( 'updated_checkout', function() {
			$('input.shipping_method').prop('checked', false);
		});
	" );
}

add_filter( 'woocommerce_shipping_chosen_method', '__return_null' );

Where to add custom code?

You should place custom PHP in functions.php and custom CSS in style.css of your child theme: where to place WooCommerce customization?

This code still works, unless you report otherwise. To exclude conflicts, temporarily switch to the Storefront theme, disable all plugins except WooCommerce, and test the snippet again: WooCommerce troubleshooting 101

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Rodolfo Melogli

Business Bloomer Founder

Author, WooCommerce expert and WordCamp speaker, Rodolfo has worked as an independent WooCommerce freelancer since 2011. His goal is to help entrepreneurs and developers overcome their WooCommerce nightmares. Rodolfo loves travelling, chasing tennis & soccer balls and, of course, wood fired oven pizza. Follow @rmelogli