WooCommerce click and collect is built in: WooCommerce calls it Local Pickup, and it comes in two versions. If your store uses the Checkout block, set it up under WooCommerce, Settings, Shipping, Local Pickup, where you add each pickup location with its address and details. If you still use the classic checkout, you add the older Local Pickup method to a shipping zone instead. WooCommerce's local pickup documentation does not mention collection time slots, so shops that need slots, ready-for-collection messages or stock per store will need an extension or a small custom plugin.
Key takeaways
- Block checkout local pickup lives in its own Local Pickup tab under WooCommerce, Settings, Shipping, and needs the Checkout block.
- Each pickup location has a name, an address and a details box; the address is also used to work out tax for orders collected there.
- Block local pickup is not tied to shipping zones, so it shows to all customers; the legacy method is the one to use if you want pickup only in certain zones.
- Do not run both versions at once: WooCommerce shows a notice on the Local Pickup settings page when both are enabled.
- Collection time slots, ready-for-collection notifications and multi-store pickup rules need an extension or custom work.
Which local pickup option does your shop use?
Before changing any settings, check which checkout your store runs. Open the page set as your checkout (WooCommerce, Settings, Advanced shows which one it is) in the editor. If it contains the Checkout block, you are on block checkout. Otherwise, it is the classic checkout.
| Question | Block checkout Local Pickup | Legacy Local Pickup method |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is set up | WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Local Pickup tab | Added as a method inside a shipping zone |
| Checkout needed | Checkout block | Works with classic checkout |
| Multiple named locations | Yes, each with name, address and details | A named method inside each zone you add it to |
| Tied to shipping zones | No, available regardless of customer location | Yes, only shown in the zone it belongs to |
| Optional fee | Yes, with tax status | Yes, applies to the whole cart, can be zero |
| Tax location | The pickup location's address | Store address by default |
Setting up click and collect with the Checkout block
For most shops on a current WooCommerce setup, this is the version to use. According to WooCommerce's documentation, the steps are:
- Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping and open the Local Pickup tab.
- Tick Enable local pickup.
- Set the Title, which is what customers see. You may prefer "Click and collect", the term many UK shops use.
- If you charge for collection, tick Add a price for customers who choose local pickup and set the cost and tax status.
- Click Add pickup location for each place customers can collect from. Enter its name, full address and details.
- Click Save changes.
WooCommerce says at least one location is needed before pickup appears at checkout. On the checkout page, customers then see a choice between Ship and Pickup, and the Pickup Method block lists your locations.
Use the details box properly
The details field is the most useful part for customers. Use it for the information people need to collect without phoning you:
- Collection hours, if different from opening hours.
- Where to go: front counter, side door, trade counter or loading bay.
- What to bring, such as the order email or photo ID for age-restricted items.
- How long orders are held before being cancelled or returned to stock.
- Parking notes.
Tax and fees
WooCommerce's documentation notes that each location's address is used to calculate taxes for orders collected there. If you have locations in different tax setups, check with your accountant. If you charge for collection, keep the fee clear in the title or details so it is not a surprise at checkout.
Using the legacy Local Pickup method
If you are on the classic checkout, the setup is inside your shipping zones. WooCommerce's documentation describes it as: go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping zones, edit the zone, click Add shipping method, choose Local Pickup and continue. You can then set:
- Name: shown to customers in the cart and checkout.
- Tax status: whether tax applies to the pickup cost. By default, tax is calculated using the store address.
- Cost: optional, applied to the whole cart, and can be zero.
Save with Save zone and method. The option only shows to customers in a zone that includes it, and zone order matters: WooCommerce says zones should be sorted from smallest to largest area, because a broader zone above your pickup zone can stop customers seeing the option.
That zone link can be useful. If you only want customers in, say, a few nearby postcodes to choose collection, a postcode-based zone with the legacy method does it. The block version, by contrast, is available regardless of location.
Do not run both at once
If you move to the Checkout block, remove the legacy pickup method from your zones. WooCommerce shows a notice on the Local Pickup settings page when both are active, and running two pickup methods side by side only confuses customers.
What core local pickup does not do
WooCommerce's own local pickup documentation covers locations, titles, fees and tax. It does not cover collection time slots or ready-for-collection emails. For many small shops that is fine: customers order, you prepare it, they come in during opening hours. For others, the gaps matter:
- Collection time slots. Food businesses, butchers, bakers and busy shops may want customers to choose a slot so orders are ready and the counter is not swamped.
- Ready for collection messages. Customers want to know when they can come in, not just that the order was received.
- Stock per location. If you have several shops, an item in stock at one may not be at another.
- Cut-off times. Same-day collection only for orders placed before a set time.
- Different products, different rules. Fresh food might be collection only, while other items can ship.
If you look for an extension to add scheduling or pickup rules, check that it supports the Checkout block if you use it, is actively maintained and fits your process before buying. Where none fits, a small custom WordPress plugin can add exactly the slots, statuses and rules you need. Our guide to when a custom WooCommerce plugin makes sense helps you decide.
A simple click and collect workflow
Whatever tools you use, the shop-floor process decides whether click and collect works. A workflow that suits most small shops:
- Order placed with pickup chosen, and a confirmation email that repeats the location and its details.
- Order picked and bagged, labelled with the order number and name.
- Customer told it is ready, by email or text. Without an extension, a manual email can cover this.
- Collection, with the order checked against the email or ID.
- Order marked complete in WooCommerce.
- Uncollected orders chased after a set number of days, then cancelled and refunded under a stated policy.
Write the holding period and what happens to uncollected orders into your terms and the pickup details, so there is no argument later.
Test it before customers do
Pickup settings are easy to get slightly wrong, and the first person to notice is usually a customer. Before announcing click and collect, place real test orders:
- Order on a phone as a new customer, choose pickup and check the location and details read clearly.
- Check the order total: the pickup fee, if any, and tax should be what you expect.
- Check the confirmation email shows the pickup location rather than a delivery address.
- Try an address outside your area to see what shipping and pickup options appear.
- If you have more than one location, place an order for each.
- Walk the order through your shop process, from picking to marking it complete.
Repeat the test after any WooCommerce, theme or plugin update that touches the checkout.
Click and collect at Christmas and busy times
Collection can be the last option left once delivery cut-offs pass. If you offer it, say so clearly in your December messaging and on the delivery page, with the last collection date and your holiday opening hours. Our guide to Christmas delivery cut-off dates in WooCommerce covers how to show those dates on the site.
Frequently asked questions
Is click and collect free in WooCommerce?
The Local Pickup feature is part of WooCommerce itself, so you do not need to buy anything for basic collection. You can choose to charge a fee or leave it at zero. Extras such as time slots, collection notifications or stock per store need an extension or custom development.
Can customers choose a collection time?
Not in core WooCommerce. Its local pickup documentation covers locations, titles, fees and tax, but not time slots. To let customers pick a date and time, use a scheduling extension that supports your checkout type, or have a custom plugin built around your opening hours and capacity.
Why is local pickup not showing at my checkout?
For the block version, check it is enabled and that at least one pickup location exists; WooCommerce says one is required. For the legacy method, check the customer's address falls in the zone that has pickup and that a broader zone is not listed above it. Also check you have not enabled both versions.
Can I offer pickup from more than one shop?
Yes. With the Checkout block version, add a pickup location for each shop, each with its own name, address and details, and customers choose at checkout. Managing separate stock for each shop is not part of core local pickup, so multi-store stock needs an extension or a custom build.
Can I limit click and collect to local customers?
With the legacy Local Pickup method, yes: add it only to a shipping zone covering the postcodes or areas you choose. The block version is available regardless of the customer's location, so limiting it needs different handling, such as an extension or custom code that hides pickup for addresses outside your area.
Get click and collect working for your shop
Basic local pickup is a short settings job. Time slots, per-store stock and collection notifications take more thought. If you need any of those, we can build them into your WooCommerce store as a custom plugin. Start your project with a quote or contact us. WooCommerce's own guides to block checkout local pickup and the legacy local pickup method have the full settings.
