WooCommerce: How to Hide Pricing in Cart (and Why You Might Want To)
Introduction:
WooCommerce is a powerful and flexible platform for building online stores. While its default settings are suitable for most businesses, sometimes you need more control over the user experience. One such customization is hiding pricing within the cart. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but there are legitimate reasons why you’d want to remove price displays from the cart page. This article will explore these reasons, provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to hide pricing in your WooCommerce cart, and discuss the potential drawbacks of doing so.
Main Part:
Why Hide Pricing in Your WooCommerce Cart?
There are several scenarios where hiding pricing in the WooCommerce cart can be beneficial:
- Wholesale Stores: If you offer different pricing tiers based on customer roles or purchase volume, you might want to hide the cart price until the customer is logged in or has a specific role assigned. This prevents unauthorized viewing of wholesale prices by retail customers.
- Request a Quote Businesses: If you operate a business where pricing is negotiated on a case-by-case basis, hiding the cart price encourages customers to submit a request for a quote rather than proceeding directly to checkout. This is common for custom products or large volume orders.
- Subscription Boxes with Hidden Prices: Some subscription box businesses prefer to hide the cart total to maintain an element of surprise or mystery surrounding the box’s value.
- Promotional Campaigns: Temporarily hiding prices during a promotional campaign (e.g., “Mystery Box Week”) can create excitement and encourage impulsive purchases.
- Internal Testing: During development or testing phases, you might want to hide pricing temporarily to ensure your pricing structure is correct before launching the store.
Methods to Hide Pricing in the WooCommerce Cart
There are several ways to achieve this, ranging from code snippets to plugins. We’ll focus on the most common and effective methods:
#### 1. Using a Code Snippet (Functions.php or a Code Snippet Plugin)
This method involves adding a small piece of PHP code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or, preferably, using a dedicated code snippet plugin like “Code Snippets” or “WPCode.” Editing your theme’s `functions.php` file directly can be risky as updates may overwrite your changes. A code snippet plugin is highly recommended.
Here’s the code snippet to hide the cart total:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_cart_totals_order_total_html', 'hide_cart_total' );
function hide_cart_total( $value ) {
return '';
}
add_filter( ‘woocommerce_cart_subtotal’, ‘hide_cart_subtotal’ );
function hide_cart_subtotal( $value ) {
return ”;
}
add_filter( ‘woocommerce_cart_tax_totals’, ‘hide_cart_tax_totals’);
function hide_cart_tax_totals($tax_totals) {
unset($tax_totals);
return $tax_totals;
}
Explanation:
- `add_filter()` is a WordPress function that allows you to modify the output of specific WooCommerce filters.
- `’woocommerce_cart_totals_order_total_html’` filters the HTML output of the cart’s total.
- `’woocommerce_cart_subtotal’` filters the HTML output of the cart’s subtotal.
- `’woocommerce_cart_tax_totals’` filters the HTML output of the cart’s taxes.
- By returning an empty string (`”`) for the total and subtotal, we effectively hide them. For taxes, we’re unsetting them.
Steps to Implement using a Code Snippet Plugin:
1. Install and activate a code snippet plugin (e.g., “Code Snippets” or “WPCode”).
2. Add a new snippet.
3. Paste the code provided above into the code editor.
4. Give the snippet a descriptive name (e.g., “Hide Cart Total”).
5. Set the snippet to run “Everywhere.”
6. Save and activate the snippet.
7. Clear your WooCommerce cache and test the cart page.
#### 2. Using CSS (Less Recommended but Simple)
While less robust than the PHP method, you can use CSS to visually hide the price elements. However, this only hides the information; it’s still present in the HTML source code, so it’s less secure for true price protection.
.woocommerce-cart .cart-collaterals .cart_totals .order-total,
.woocommerce-cart .cart-collaterals .cart_totals .cart-subtotal,
.woocommerce-cart .cart-collaterals .cart_totals .tax-rate {
display: none !important;
}
How to Implement:
1. Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Paste the CSS code above into the code editor.
3. Publish the changes.
4. Clear your WooCommerce cache and test the cart page.
Important Note: Using CSS is generally discouraged for security reasons, as a user with technical knowledge can still view the prices in the page’s source code.
#### 3. Using WooCommerce Plugins
Several plugins offer functionalities for hiding or manipulating pricing within WooCommerce, including the cart. Search in the WordPress plugin repository using keywords like “woocommerce hide price,” “woocommerce wholesale pricing,” or “woocommerce request a quote.” These plugins often provide more advanced features and easier-to-use interfaces compared to code snippets. However, be sure to choose reputable plugins with good ratings and active support.
Important Considerations:
- Impact on User Experience: Hiding pricing can confuse or frustrate some customers. Ensure you clearly communicate *why* the pricing is hidden and what steps they need to take (e.g., log in, request a quote).
- Compliance: Consider any legal or regulatory requirements regarding price transparency in your region.
- Accessibility: Make sure that the functionality of your cart is still accessible for users with disabilities, even if pricing is hidden.
Conslusion:
Hiding pricing in the WooCommerce cart can be a valuable customization for specific business models. Whether you run a wholesale operation, offer custom products, or want to create a unique shopping experience, the methods described above offer viable solutions. However, carefully consider the potential impact on your customers’ experience and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. Choose the method that best aligns with your technical expertise and the level of control you require. Remember to always test your changes thoroughly after implementation and monitor customer feedback to ensure the solution works effectively for your business.
