# How to Add WooCommerce Discounts: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a powerful platform, but sometimes even the simplest tasks can seem daunting. Adding discounts is crucial for boosting sales and attracting new customers. This guide will walk you through various methods, from simple percentage discounts to more complex, targeted offers.
Understanding WooCommerce Discount Types
Before diving in, let’s clarify the different types of discounts you can offer:
- Percentage Discounts: A simple percentage off the entire cart or specific products. *Example:* 10% off your entire order.
- Fixed Cart Discounts: A fixed amount deducted from the total cart value. *Example:* $10 off your order.
- Fixed Product Discounts: A fixed amount deducted from the price of a specific product. *Example:* $5 off the “Premium Widget”.
- Tiered Pricing (Volume Discounts): Discounts increase as the quantity purchased increases. *Example:* Buy 2 get 10% off, buy 5 get 20% off.
- Free Shipping: Offering free shipping above a certain order value encourages larger purchases. *Example:* Free shipping on orders over $50.
- WooCommerce Advanced Coupons: This plugin expands WooCommerce’s built-in coupon functionality, allowing you to create more intricate discount rules.
- Conditional Logic for WooCommerce: This plugin lets you create complex rules based on various conditions, like product categories, customer roles, and more.
Method 1: Using WooCommerce’s Built-in Discount Functionality
This is the easiest way to add simple discounts. It leverages WooCommerce’s native features and requires no coding.
Adding a Percentage Discount:
1. Go to WooCommerce > Coupons.
2. Click Add New.
3. Coupon Code: Choose a memorable code (e.g., SUMMER10).
4. Discount Type: Select Percentage discount.
5. Amount: Enter the percentage (e.g., 10).
6. Usage Limits: Define how many times the coupon can be used (optional).
7. Expiry Date: Set an expiration date (optional).
8. Click “Publish.”
Now, customers can enter the code at checkout to receive their discount.
Adding a Fixed Cart Discount:
Follow the same steps as above, but change the Discount Type to Fixed cart discount and enter the fixed amount in the Amount field.
Method 2: Using WooCommerce Discount Rules Plugin (for Advanced Options)
For more complex scenarios like tiered pricing or specific product discounts, a plugin is recommended. Popular options include:
These plugins usually involve configuring rules through an intuitive interface, rather than writing code. Consult the plugin’s documentation for specific instructions.
Method 3: Customizing with Code (For Developers)
For highly customized discounts, you can use code. This requires PHP programming knowledge and should be done with caution. Always back up your website before making code changes.
This example shows how to add a 10% discount to all products in the “summer-sale” category:
add_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'add_summer_sale_discount', 10, 1 );
function add_summer_sale_discount( $cart ) {
if ( is_admin() && ! defined( ‘DOING_AJAX’ ) ) return;
foreach ( $cart->get_cart() as $cart_item ) {
if ( has_term( ‘summer-sale’, ‘product_cat’, $cart_item[‘product_id’] ) ) {
$cart_item[‘data’]->set_price( $cart_item[‘data’]->get_price() * 0.9 );
}
}
}
Disclaimer: This is a simplified example. Thoroughly test any custom code before deploying it to a live website.
Conclusion
Adding discounts in WooCommerce is straightforward for basic needs, but more complex scenarios benefit from plugins or custom code. Choose the method best suited to your technical skills and desired discount complexity. Remember to always test your discounts to ensure they work as expected before making them live.
