International shipping costs are significantly higher than domestic rates. When a free shipping promotion applies to an international order with a low basket value, the shipping cost alone can exceed the profit on the sale. Without a visual flag, these orders are processed automatically and the loss only surfaces in carrier invoice reconciliation.
OrderBadger can flag international orders where free shipping on a low-value basket is likely costing more than the profit on the sale.
Stores that ship internationally and offer free shipping promotions - especially those whose free shipping rules do not distinguish between domestic and international destinations.
How it works
Evaluates three conditions: the shipping total must be zero (free), the destination must be outside your store's home country, and the order total must be under £100. When all three are true, the order is badged and routed to your inbox for review.
Review your free shipping rules to check whether international orders should be excluded or given a higher threshold. For this specific order, consider whether the long-term customer value justifies absorbing the shipping cost, or reach out to offer a shipping contribution.
Rule template
Write this (or something similar) in the OrderBadger rule builder. The AI compiler turns it into executable logic automatically.
Make it yours
- Raise 'less than £100' to 'less than £150' if your international shipping costs are high enough that even 100-value orders lose money on free delivery.
- Lower 'less than £100' to 'less than £50' if your international rates are moderate and only very small baskets are genuinely unprofitable.
- Add a weight condition like 'total order weight is over 2 kg' to focus on heavier international parcels where the cost is highest.
- Add 'and total order weight is over 5 kg' to specifically flag heavy international free-shipping orders where carrier surcharges compound the problem. … shipping is international and order total is less than £100 and total order weight is over 5 kg
- Remove 'and order total is less than £100' to badge all free international shipments, giving you full visibility into international shipping costs you are absorbing.
Badge preview
When this rule matches
When this rule does not match
Workflow
This rule includes workflow features that help your team act on flagged orders.
Good to know
- The 100 threshold is in your store's default currency. International orders in different currencies are compared after conversion.
- This does not calculate the actual shipping cost - it flags the combination of free shipping, international destination, and low order value as a likely loss.
- Virtual or digital products with international addresses will also trigger the rule if they somehow have free shipping applied.
Frequently asked questions
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Why 100 as the threshold?For most stores, international shipping costs between 10 and 30 depending on weight and destination. On an order under £100, a 10-30 shipping cost represents a significant portion of the margin. Adjust the threshold to match your actual international rates.
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Can I exclude specific countries from this rule?The rule flags all international destinations equally. For country-specific thresholds, create separate rules targeting specific regions with appropriate order value minimums.
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What if my store only offers free shipping domestically but it is being applied internationally by mistake?This rule will catch exactly that scenario. Use the badge alerts to identify misconfigured shipping rules and fix them in your WooCommerce shipping zones.
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Does an order total of exactly 100 trigger the badge?No. The rule requires less than £100, so exactly 100 does not meet the condition. Only orders below £100 are flagged.
Related rules
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