How To Set Minimum Orders On Woocommerce

How to Set Minimum Orders on WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

So, you’ve got your WooCommerce store up and running! Awesome! Now, you might be thinking about streamlining your business and increasing efficiency. One way to do that is by Explore this article on How To Hide Price Woocommerce setting minimum order quantities or totals. This simple adjustment can significantly impact your bottom line and operational efficiency.

Think of it this way: Imagine you sell handmade soaps. It takes time and materials to create each soap bar. Selling one or two bars might not be profitable enough considering the effort involved. Setting a minimum order ensures you cover your costs and make a decent profit on each transaction.

This article will walk you through the “why” and “how” of setting minimum orders on WooCommerce, even if you’re a complete newbie.

Why Set a Minimum Order on WooCommerce?

Before we dive into the technical stuff, let’s understand the benefits:

• Increased Profitability: Ensures each order is worthwhile by covering your costs and generating a reasonable profit margin. Think of it like a restaurant with a minimum order for delivery – it makes the trip worthwhile for them.
• Reduced Order Processing Costs: Handling small orders can be disproportionately expensive in terms of packing, shipping, and customer service. A minimum order quantity can reduce the number of small, less profitable orders you process.
• Improved Operational Efficiency: Streamlines your workflow by focusing on larger, more profitable orders.
• Encourage Larger Purchases: Customers might be tempted to add more items to their cart to reach the minimum order threshold, ultimately increasing your average order value. Think of it as those “Free Shipping on Orders Over $50!” banners that encourage you to add just one more item.
• Prevent Low-Value Transactions: Prevents customers from placing orders that are simply not worth your time and effort to fulfill.

How to Set Minimum Orders on WooCommerce (The Easy Way!)

There are a few ways to set minimum orders in WooCommerce. We’ll focus on the simplest methods using plugins. While you could code this yourself, using a plugin is generally much easier and faster, especially if you’re not a coding whiz.

#### 1. Using a Plugin: Recommended & Easiest

Several plugins make setting minimum orders a breeze. Here are a couple of popular options:

• Minimum Purchase for WooCommerce by WPFactory: A straightforward plugin that allows you to set minimum order amounts, quantities, and even minimum purchases per category. It’s generally user-friendly and gets the job done.
• WooCommerce Minimum Order Amount by WP Desk: Another robust plugin that allows you to set minimum order amounts based on user roles, product categories, and more.

For this example, let’s walk through the process using the Minimum Purchase for WooCommerce plugin.

##### Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard -> Plugins -> Add New.

2. Search for “Minimum Purchase for WooCommerce”.

3. Find the “Minimum Purchase for WooCommerce” plugin by WPFactory and click “Install Now”.

4. After installation, click “Activate”.

##### Step 2: Configure the Plugin Settings

1. Go to WooCommerce -> Settings -> Minimum Purchase. (This may vary slightly based on the specific plugin you use.)

2. You’ll see various settings, including:

• Enable Minimum Purchase: Check this box to activate the minimum order functionality.
• Minimum Amount: Enter the minimum order amount (e.g., 20 for $20).
• Minimum Quantity: Enter the minimum number of items a customer must purchase (e.g., 2 for at least two products).
• Message: Customize the message displayed to the customer when their order doesn’t meet the minimum requirements. For example: “Sorry, but your order must be at least $20.00 to proceed.” or “You need to add [x] more products to reach the minimum order requirement.”
• Apply to User Roles: Choose which user roles the minimum order applies to. This is useful if you want to exempt wholesale customers, for instance.

3. Save your changes.

Example:

Let’s say you want to set a minimum order of $25. You would:

• Check “Enable Minimum Purchase”.
• Enter “25” in the “Minimum Amount” field.
• Enter a customized message like: “Your order needs to be at least $25 before you can proceed to checkout.”
• Click “Save changes”.

Now, if a customer tries to checkout with an order total less than $25, they’ll see your customized message and won’t be able to proceed.

#### 2. Coding Solution (For Advanced Users)

If you’re comfortable with PHP, you can add a snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file or use a code snippets plugin. However, be very careful when editing your theme files directly, as mistakes can break your website. A code snippets plugin is often a safer option.

Here’s a basic example of the code you could use (this is just a starting point and might need adjustments):

 add_action( 'woocommerce_check_cart_items', 'wc_minimum_order_amount' ); 

function wc_minimum_order_amount() {

// Set minimum order amount

$minimum = 30;

if ( WC()->cart->total < $minimum ) {

wc_add_notice( sprintf(

‘Your current order total is %s — you must have an order with a minimum of %s to place your order. Please add %s more to meet the requirement. ‘,

wc_price( WC()->cart->total ),

wc_price( $minimum ),

wc_price( $minimum – WC()->cart->total )

), ‘error’ );

}

}

Explanation:

• `add_action( ‘woocommerce_check_cart_items’, ‘wc_minimum_order_amount’ );` This line tells WordPress to run the `wc_minimum_order_amount` function when WooCommerce checks the cart items.
• `$minimum = 30;` This sets the minimum order amount to $30. Change this value as needed.
• `WC()->cart->total < $minimum` This checks if the cart total is less than the minimum.
• `wc_add_notice(…)` If the order is below the minimum, this adds an error message to the cart page.

Important Note: This code is a basic example. You might need to modify it to fit your specific needs. Remember to back up your website before making any changes to your theme’s files! Consider using a code snippets plugin rather than directly editing your theme.

Important Considerations:

• User Experience: Make sure the minimum order amount is reasonable for your target audience. Setting it too high can scare away potential customers.
• Clear Communication: Clearly display your minimum order requirements on your website. Add it to your FAQ page, product pages, and cart page. The clearer you are, the fewer frustrated customers you’ll have.
• Exceptions: Consider offering exceptions for certain customers or situations (e.g., wholesale accounts, special promotions). Most plugins allow you to customize this based on user roles or other criteria.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensure that the minimum order message and functionality work seamlessly on mobile devices. Many users will access your store via their phones.
• Testing: After setting up your minimum order rules, thoroughly test the checkout process to ensure everything works correctly. Try placing orders both above and below the minimum limit.

Conclusion

Setting a minimum order on WooCommerce is a simple yet powerful strategy to boost your profitability and improve operational efficiency. Whether you choose a user-friendly plugin or a custom coding solution, clearly communicating your requirements and considering user experience are key to success. Happy selling!