How to Print Partial Orders from WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Managing orders in WooCommerce can get complicated, especially when you’re dealing with partial fulfillment. Maybe a customer ordered 10 items, but you only have 6 in stock and want to ship those now. Or perhaps they want some of the items shipped separately as gifts. In either case, you need a way to print an order invoice that reflects only the items being shipped *right now*. This guide will walk you through how to print partial orders effectively.
Think of it like ordering pizza. You ordered a large pepperoni, a medium veggie, and an order of breadsticks. But, they tell you the veggie pizza will take an extra 20 minutes. You could wait for everything, or you could ask them to give you the pepperoni and breadsticks now. Printing a partial order in WooCommerce is like getting a separate receipt for only the pepperoni and breadsticks!
Why Print Partial Orders?
- Organization: Keeping track of which items have shipped and which are still pending is crucial for order fulfillment. Printing a partial order helps avoid confusion in the warehouse.
- Customer Satisfaction: Clearly communicating what the customer is receiving in *this* shipment reduces inquiries and improves their experience. Nobody wants to call you asking “Where’s my widget?” if the invoice clearly stated it will arrive in a separate package.
- Accounting: Easier reconciliation of invoices and shipments when items are shipped in multiple installments. Think about calculating sales tax correctly for the goods that *have* shipped versus the total order.
- Error-prone: Easy to forget to restore items, leading to fulfillment issues.
- Time-consuming: Not practical for many orders.
- No clear indication on the order: Doesn’t show that a partial shipment was already processed.
- User-friendly: Easy to use interface.
- Automated: Streamlines the printing process.
- Feature-rich: Often includes additional features like shipment tracking and customer notifications.
- Reduced Errors: Minimizes the risk of mistakes.
- Cost: Premium plugins often require a purchase.
- Plugin Compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your WooCommerce version and other plugins.
The Challenges of Printing Partial Orders Natively
Out of the box, WooCommerce doesn’t offer a straightforward “print partial order” button. You’re usually stuck printing the *entire* order, even if only some items are being shipped. This can lead to inaccuracies and potential mistakes.
Solutions for Printing Partial Orders
There are a few ways you can approach this:
1. Manual Modification of the Order: This is the simplest, but least scalable, approach.
2. Using a Plugin: This offers a more streamlined and automated solution.
3. Custom Code (For the Advanced Users): This gives you complete control over the printing process.
Let’s break down each method:
#### 1. Manual Modification of the Order (Simplest, but Least Scalable)
This method involves temporarily removing items from the order before printing and then adding them back. This is NOT recommended for high-volume stores due to the potential for errors.
Steps:
1. Go to the WooCommerce Orders Explore this article on How To Adding Share Buttons To Woocommerce Product Pages Page: Navigate to “WooCommerce” -> “Orders” in your WordPress admin.
2. Edit the Order: Click on the order you want to print a partial invoice for.
3. Temporarily Remove Items: In the “Order items” section, remove the items that are *NOT* being shipped in this installment. You can do this by clicking the “X” next to the item.
4. Update the Order: Click the “Update” button at the bottom of the order page.
5. Print the Order: Use the browser’s print function (usually Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) to print the order page. This will now only show the items remaining.
6. Restore the Order: Important! Immediately add the removed items back to the order. You can do this by adding a “Custom product” in the “Add product” section. Make sure to set the correct price and quantity.
7. Update the Order Again: Click the “Update” button again.
Example: A customer orders a t-shirt, a mug, and a poster. You only have the t-shirt and mug in stock. You’d remove the poster from the order *temporarily*, print the invoice showing only the t-shirt and mug, and then immediately re-add the poster to the order.
Reasoning: This works because WooCommerce’s default printing functionality simply prints what’s displayed on the order page.
Caveats:
#### 2. Using a Plugin (Recommended for Most Users)
Several WooCommerce plugins offer robust partial order printing features. These plugins are designed to streamline the process and minimize errors.
How it Works (General Idea, Varies by Plugin):
1. Install and Activate the Plugin: Search for a plugin like “WooCommerce Partial Orders,” “Order Printer for WooCommerce,” or similar in the WordPress plugin repository. Install and activate it.
2. Configure the Plugin (If Necessary): Some plugins might require you to configure settings like invoice templates or which user roles can print partial orders.
3. Create a “Partial Shipment” or Similar: Most plugins will add a button or section on the order page that allows you to create a partial shipment.
4. Select Items for the Shipment: You’ll typically be able to select which items from the order are included in this specific shipment.
5. Generate and Print the Invoice: The plugin will then generate an invoice that only includes the selected items. Often, they can also create a separate shipment notification email too.
Example: Using a plugin, you’d go to the order page, create a “Partial Shipment”, select the t-shirt and mug for this shipment, and the plugin would generate a separate invoice just for those two items.
Reasoning: Plugins are designed to handle the complexity of partial orders, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. They often offer additional features like shipment tracking and customer notifications.
Pros:
Cons:
#### 3. Custom Code (For Advanced Users)
If you’re comfortable with PHP and WordPress development, you can create custom code to generate partial order invoices. This provides maximum flexibility but requires a deeper understanding of WooCommerce’s architecture.
General Approach (Conceptual Example):
<?php // This is a VERY basic example and requires further development // before being used in a live environment.
add_action( ‘woocommerce_admin_order_actions_end’, ‘add_print_partial_order_button’, 10, 1 );
function add_print_partial_order_button( $order ) {
$order_id = $order->get_id();
$url = admin_url( ‘admin-ajax.php?action=print_partial_order&order_id=’ . $order_id );
echo ‘Print Partial‘;
}
add_action( ‘wp_ajax_print_partial_order’, ‘print_partial_order’ );
function print_partial_order() {
$order_id = $_GET[‘order_id’];
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
// TODO: Add logic to select which items to include in the print.
// This could involve a custom meta field on the order,
// or a list of checkboxes on the order edit screen.
// For this basic example, we’ll just print all items.
?>
Partial Order Invoice
Order ID: get_order_number(); ?>
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| get_name(); ?> | get_quantity(); ?> |
<?php
die();
}
Reasoning: Custom code allows you to tailor the printing process to your specific needs, giving you complete control over the output.
Important Considerations:
- Security: Ensure your code is secure to prevent vulnerabilities.
- Maintainability: Write clean and well-documented code.
- WooCommerce Updates: Be aware that WooCommerce updates may require you to update your custom code.
Pros:
- Highly Customizable: Full control over the printing process.
- No Plugin Dependencies: Avoids relying on third-party plugins.
Cons:
- Requires Programming Knowledge: Needs PHP and WooCommerce expertise.
- Maintenance: Requires ongoing maintenance.
Conclusion
Printing partial orders is essential for efficient WooCommerce order fulfillment. While the manual method is suitable for very occasional use, using a plugin is the recommended approach for most users. Custom code provides the most flexibility but requires significant development effort. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and business needs, and you’ll be well on your way to streamlining your order processing!
