Choosing a WooCommerce delivery zone plugin

Seven questions worth asking before you pick a plugin for local delivery, so you don’t find the gap after the first order you can’t deliver.

1. Does it refuse the order, or only warn?

Many postcode checkers answer on the product page, or hide the Add to cart button. A shopper who skips the check, or changes the address at checkout, can still place the order. Look for a plugin that refuses the delivery order at checkout itself.

2. Does it work with the Block checkout?

New WooCommerce stores get the Cart and Checkout blocks by default. Some delivery plugins only support the classic checkout, or need extra settings for the Block one. Check the plugin page for the checkout you use.

3. Which zone shapes do you need?

A radius is quick to set up. A drawn area follows rivers, ring roads and neighbourhood borders. A postcode list matches how many shops already think about their area. A drive-time zone follows the roads. Most shops end up mixing two of these.

4. Fee and minimum order per zone?

Further away usually means a higher fee or a higher minimum order. Check that both can be set per zone and that the minimum actually stops checkout, not just shows a notice.

5. Can shoppers check before they fill a cart?

A checker on the home or product page saves the disappointment at checkout. Some plugins include one; others sell it as a separate add-on.

6. What does it need from you: a Maps key and a billing account?

Turning a typed street address into a map position needs a geocoding service. Some plugins ask you to create your own Google Maps Platform key with a billing account, and the cost of those calls is on top of the plugin price. Others include the lookups, or don’t look addresses up at all and rely on postcodes. Work out the full yearly cost, not just the licence.

7. Does it do the rest of local delivery?

Zones are one part. If you need delivery dates and time slots, driver assignment and routes, or pickup scheduling, you will need a plugin built for that, either instead of or next to a zone plugin.

Where ReachZone fits

• It refuses delivery orders outside your zones and below a zone’s minimum, in the classic and the Block checkout. Local pickup stays open.
• Radius, drawn and postcode zones, a fee, minimum order, delivery time and allowed shipping methods per zone, an address checker block and shortcode, and unlimited locations are all in the free plugin. It runs in your shop and needs no account and no key.
• Street-address lookups and drive-time zones come with the paid plans, with the lookups included: no Google key or billing account of your own. See pricing.
• Without a paid plan, the checker answers from postcodes and the shopper’s shared location, because a street address can’t be placed on a map without a lookup service.

What ReachZone doesn’t do

• No delivery dates or time slots. The “delivery time” per zone is a text such as “30–45 min”, not a booking.
• No drivers, routes or proof of delivery.
• No map pin for the shopper to drop at checkout.
• It’s new: you won’t find years of reviews yet. The free plugin lets you try it on your own shop before you pay anything.

Start with the setup guide.