Display Estimated Delivery Dates in WooCommerce by Postcode

Vague delivery promises like “Delivers in 2–3 days” can damage customer trust and lead to lost sales—especially when delivery timelines differ for cities and remote areas. WooCommerce, by default, doesn’t adjust delivery estimates based on location, which can lead to confusion and increased support queries. That’s where WooCommerce delivery date by postcode comes in. By showing accurate, location-based delivery timelines, you create a smoother customer experience, reduce inquiries, and present a more professional storefront.

In this article, we’ll see how postcode-based timelines improve the buying experience and how to add them to your WooCommerce cart and checkout pages using PH Estimated Delivery Date plugin.

Table of Contents

• Why Postcode-Based Delivery Estimates Matter for WooCommerce Stores
• Add Estimated Delivery Dates by Postcode in WooCommerce
• Real-World Use Case: Showing Delivery Dates for Metro & Rural Customers
• Tips for Maximum Accuracy
• Conclusion
• FAQ’s

Why Postcode-Based Delivery Estimates Matter for WooCommerce Stores

When you sell across regions, delivery timelines naturally vary. Some areas take longer to reach due to distance, courier availability, or local holidays. And while you know this as a store owner, your customers don’t unless you tell them clearly before they place the order.

Postcode-based delivery estimates help you do exactly that. Instead of giving everyone the same message, you show accurate timelines based on where the customer lives, right on the cart and checkout page.

Here’s why it matters for your WooCommerce store:

• Set the right expectation: Customers know exactly when to expect their order based on their location.
  
• Reduce support queries: No more “When will my order arrive?” emails.
  
• Improve transparency: Especially helpful for perishable goods, regional deliveries, or items with long transit times.
  
• Build trust: customers appreciate clarity, and clear delivery timelines make your store look professional.

Add Estimated Delivery Dates by Postcode in WooCommerce

WooCommerce lets you define shipping zones and assign postcodes to them, but it doesn’t show customers when their order will arrive. That’s where PluginHive’s Estimated Delivery Date plugin comes in.

The plugin allows you to display accurate delivery timelines based on the customer’s postcode, directly on the cart and checkout pages. No coding needed.

Here’s how it works:

• Assign delivery durations to WooCommerce shipping zones, which already include specific postcodes.
• Set a cut-off time to manage same-day or next-day processing.
• Mark non-working days  when deliveries don’t happen.

In this case, I grouped US postcodes into three zones based on how quickly couriers deliver to those areas:

• US – Urban for fast metro deliveries
• US – Suburban for slightly longer deliveries
• US – Remote for rural or hard-to-reach places

and then assigned delivery durations to each zone:

• Urban: 2 days
• Suburban: 4 days
• Remote: 7 days

Additionally, I set a daily cut-off time and marked non-delivery days, such as weekends, as shown in the image above.

Once everything was configured, the checkout experience became smarter and more accurate. Each customer saw a delivery estimate tailored to their exact location.

Real-World Use Case: Showing Delivery Dates for a WooCommerce Store with Metro & Rural Customers

Let’s say you run a WooCommerce store that sells home goods and ships across the country, to both metro cities and remote rural areas, and your customers expect fast delivery regardless of location.

The Challenges You’ll Face:

• Customers in metro areas often receive their orders in 1 – 2 days.
• Rural or hard-to-reach locations may take 5 – 7 days, depending on courier routes.
• WooCommerce doesn’t adjust delivery timelines based on where the customer lives.
• Adding a fixed message like “delivers in 2 – 4 days” shows up for everyone, even rural customers.
• This leads to mismatched expectations, late delivery complaints, and extra support load.
  

How It Can Be Solved:

With PH WooEstimated Delivery Date plugin, the process becomes accurate and automated:

• The plugin uses the customer’s shipping postcode to identify their zone.
• You can assign different delivery durations to metro, semi-urban, and rural zones.
• Delivery estimates appear automatically on the cart and checkout pages, based on the customer’s location.
• Non-working days and order cut-off times are factored in automatically.
• You no longer need to show the same delivery promise to everyone.

This setup ensures that your delivery messaging stays realistic, location-specific, and professional, no matter where your customers are ordering from.

Tips for Maximum Accuracy

To get the most out of postcode-based delivery estimates, here are a few expert tips to fine-tune your setup:

• Use detailed shipping zones: Group similar postcodes into zones based on real delivery timelines. The more specific, the better.
  
• Set realistic delivery days: Base your delivery durations on actual courier data or past performance, not guesses.
  
• Account for cut-off times: Set a daily order cut-off so late orders shift to the next working day automatically.
  
• Block non-working days: Add weekends, public holidays, or warehouse maintenance days as non-delivery dates.
  
• Test with different postcodes: Try placing test orders using postcodes from various zones to see what customers will see.

These small steps go a long way in improving delivery accuracy and keeping your customers informed from the start.

Conclusion

Postcode-based delivery estimates help WooCommerce stores show accurate timelines based on customer location. No more one-size-fits-all messages.

With PH Estimated Delivery Date plugin, you can set delivery days for each zone, add cut-off times and non-working days, and show clear estimates on the cart and checkout pages without any coding. It improves trust, reduces support queries, and gives your customers the clarity they need before placing an order.

Need Help? For setup assistance or custom delivery rules, contact PluginHive Support.

FAQ’s

Q1: Can I display delivery estimates across my entire WooCommerce store (shop, product, cart, checkout)?
Yes, PluginHive’s Estimated Delivery Date plugin works seamlessly on shop, product, cart, checkout, and even order confirmation pages.

Q2: Can I exclude weekends or holidays from the delivery estimate in WooCommerce?
Yes, the plugin allows you to mark non-working days like weekends or custom holidays, and automatically adjusts the timeline accordingly.

Q3: Can I display a delivery date range (e.g., June 10–12) instead of a single date in WooCommerce?
Yes, by selecting the “Simple Range” format in plugin settings, you can define day-based lower and upper ranges to display an estimate like “Estimated between June 10-12”

Q4: Will the WooCommerce estimated delivery adjust if orders are placed after the cut-off time?
Yes, orders placed after your defined cut-off will automatically shift to the next available delivery window.

Q5: Will estimates recalculate if a customer changes their postcode at checkout?
Yes, the estimated date updates in real-time when the shipping address or postcode changes on the cart or checkout.

Q6: Does the plugin display estimated delivery dates in the WooCommerce order emails and admin order details?
Yes, delivery estimates are included in order confirmation emails and are visible under order details in the admin dashboard.