How To Change Currency Woocommerce

How to Change Currency in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

So, you’re selling online with WooCommerce and need to change the currency displayed in your store? Maybe you’re expanding internationally, or perhaps you made a mistake during the initial setup. Don’t worry, changing the currency in WooCommerce is a relatively straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the steps, even if you’re a complete newbie. We’ll focus on the easiest methods and explain the “why” behind each step.

Think of it like this: you’re opening a physical store in a new country. You wouldn’t expect customers to pay in your original currency, right? The same applies online. Displaying prices in the local currency makes your store much more appealing and trustworthy to customers.

Why Change Your WooCommerce Currency?

There are several reasons why you might need to change the currency in your WooCommerce store:

Expanding Internationally: If you’re selling to customers in different countries, displaying prices in their local currency is crucial for conversions. Imagine you’re browsing an online store from Europe, and all the prices are in US Dollars. You’d have to constantly convert the prices, which is a hassle and could lead to you abandoning the purchase.
Mistakes During Setup: Sometimes, during the initial setup of your WooCommerce store, you might accidentally select the wrong currency.
Targeting Specific Markets: You may want to tailor your product offerings and pricing to specific regions. Changing the currency allows you to accurately reflect local market conditions.
Currency Fluctuations: While less common to be a reason for a full change, significant currency fluctuations might lead you to re-evaluate your pricing strategy and potentially consider a different base currency.

Method 1: Changing the Default Currency in WooCommerce Settings

This is the simplest and most direct method if you want to change the overall currency of your store. This changes the currency for all products and transactions.

Here’s how:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard. This is your main control panel for your website.

2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings. This is where you configure all the core settings for your online store.

3. Click on the “General” tab. This is where you’ll find the basic store settings, including currency.

4. Find the “Currency” option. It should be located under the “General options” section.

5. Use the dropdown menu to select your desired currency. Choose the currency you want to use for your store. For example, if you’re targeting the UK, select “Pound Sterling (£)”.

6. Adjust Currency Options (Optional): Below the currency selection, you’ll find options for:

Currency Position: Choose where the currency symbol appears (e.g., left, right).
Thousand Separator: The character used to separate thousands (e.g., comma, period).
Decimal Separator: The character used to separate the decimal portion of the price (e.g., period, comma).
Number of Decimals: The number of decimal places to display.

7. Click “Save changes” at the bottom of the page. This saves all your changes and applies the new currency to your store.

Important: This method changes the currency for all products and transactions. If you need to display prices in multiple currencies simultaneously or automatically convert prices based on location, you’ll need a plugin (see Method 2).

Method 2: Using a WooCommerce Currency Switcher Plugin

For more advanced currency management, especially if you’re selling internationally and want to allow customers to choose their preferred currency, a currency switcher plugin is the way to go. These plugins allow users to see prices in their local currency, which greatly improves the user experience and increases sales.

Here’s a general overview of how it works, but the exact steps will vary depending on the specific plugin you choose:

1. Choose a WooCommerce Currency Switcher Plugin: There are many options available, both free and paid. Some popular choices include:

WooCommerce Currency Switcher: A popular and versatile free option.
Currency Switcher for WooCommerce by Aelia: A paid plugin with advanced features like geolocation and exchange rate updates.
WOOCS
WooCommerce Currency Switcher: A well-regarded plugin with a user-friendly interface.

2. Install and Activate the Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New, search for the plugin, install it, and activate it. Make sure the plugin is compatible with your version of WooCommerce.

3. Configure the Plugin Settings: Each plugin has its own settings panel, usually found under WooCommerce > Settings or a dedicated menu item. Here’s what you typically configure:

Allowed Currencies: Select the currencies you want to support in your store.
Exchange Rates: Configure how exchange rates are updated. Most plugins offer automatic updates via API services (like Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, or Open Exchange Rates). Automatic exchange rate updates are highly recommended to keep your prices accurate.
Currency Switcher Appearance: Customize how the currency switcher is displayed on your website (e.g., dropdown menu, flags, symbols). Consider the placement and design to ensure it’s easy for customers to find and use.
Geolocation (Optional): Some plugins can automatically detect the customer’s location and display prices in their local currency by default. This provides a seamless user experience.

Example: Let’s say you sell handmade jewelry and want to target customers in the US, UK, and Europe. You install the “WooCommerce Currency Switcher” plugin. You configure it to support USD, GBP, and EUR. You set up automatic exchange rate updates. Now, a customer visiting your site from the UK will automatically see prices in GBP, while a customer from the US will see prices in USD.

Things to Consider When Changing Currency

Exchange Rate Fluctuations: If you’re using a currency switcher with automatic exchange rates, be aware that these rates can fluctuate. This means your prices in different currencies will change over time. Regularly monitor your prices to ensure they remain competitive and profitable.
Plugin Compatibility: Always check the compatibility of any currency switcher plugin with your version of WooCommerce and WordPress. Incompatible plugins can cause errors and break your website.
Cache: After making changes to your currency settings, clear your website cache and browser cache to ensure the changes are displayed correctly. Sometimes, cached data can prevent the updated currency from showing up.
Payment Gateways: Ensure your payment gateways support the currencies you’re offering. Some payment gateways only support specific currencies. Verify that your chosen payment gateways can process transactions in the desired currencies.

Conclusion

Changing the currency in WooCommerce is essential for reaching a wider audience and providing a better shopping experience for your customers. Whether you choose to change the default currency or use a currency switcher plugin, follow these steps carefully and consider the factors mentioned above. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to successfully selling your products in multiple currencies. Good luck!