How to Change Your WooCommerce Currency Symbol: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a fantastic platform for building an online store, but sometimes you need to tweak things to perfectly match your brand and target audience. One common customization is changing the currency symbol. Perhaps you’re selling products in Euros but want to use the symbol “€” instead of “EUR,” or maybe you’re dealing with a less common currency. Whatever the reason, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Think of it like this: you’re opening a lemonade stand in a new neighborhood. You wouldn’t price your lemonade in US dollars if everyone uses Euros, right? Setting the correct currency and symbol is crucial for a smooth customer experience and building trust.
Why Change Your WooCommerce Currency Symbol?
- Localization: To accurately reflect the currency used in your target market. Imagine selling handmade crafts in Canada but displaying prices in US dollars – it would confuse your customers!
- Branding: To align with your brand’s visual identity. Some businesses prefer using the actual symbol (€, $, £) for a cleaner look, while others might prefer the currency code (EUR, USD, GBP).
- Clarity: To avoid ambiguity, especially when dealing with currencies that have similar names or symbols.
- Professionalism: Using the correct currency symbol shows attention to detail and builds credibility with your customers.
- Currency Position: Choose where the symbol appears (left, right, left with space, right with space).
- Thousand Separator: The character used to separate thousands (e.g., comma or period).
- Decimal Separator: The character used to separate decimals (e.g., period or comma).
- Number of Decimals: The number of decimal places to display.
Method 1: Using the WooCommerce Settings (Easiest)
This is the simplest and most recommended method for most users.
1. Log into your WordPress dashboard. This is usually located at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings. You’ll find this in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on the “General” tab. This is usually the default tab that opens.
4. Find the “Currency” section. Scroll down the page until you see it.
5. Use the “Currency” dropdown menu to select your desired currency. WooCommerce supports a wide range of currencies.
6. Adjust other currency options (optional):
7. Click “Save changes” at the bottom of the page.
Example: Let’s say you’re selling handmade jewelry in Japan. You would select “Japanese Yen (¥)” from the “Currency” dropdown. You might also choose “Left” for the “Currency Position” so the symbol appears before the price (¥1000).
Method 2: Using a Code Snippet (For Advanced Customization)
This method is for users who want more control over the currency symbol or need to use a symbol not directly supported by WooCommerce. Use caution when editing code, and always back up your website before making changes.
1. Install and activate a code snippets plugin. A popular option is “Code Snippets.” This allows you to add code without directly editing your theme’s files.
2. Go to “Snippets > Add New.”
3. Enter a title for your snippet (e.g., “Custom Currency Symbol”).
4. Paste the following code into the code editor:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_currency_symbol', 'change_existing_currency_symbol', 10, 2 );
function change_existing_currency_symbol( $currency_symbol, $currency ) {
switch ( $currency ) {
case ‘USD’: $currency_symbol = ‘$ ‘; break; // US Dollar
case ‘EUR’: $currency_symbol = ‘€ ‘; break; // Euro
case ‘GBP’: $currency_symbol = ‘£ ‘; break; // British Pound Sterling
case ‘AUD’: $currency_symbol = ‘AU$ ‘; break; // Australian Dollar
case ‘JPY’: $currency_symbol = ‘JP¥ ‘; break; // Japanese Yen
}
return $currency_symbol;
}
5. Customize the code. Important: Change the currency codes (e.g., ‘USD’, ‘EUR’) and the currency symbols (e.g., ‘$ ‘, ‘€ ‘) to your desired values. Make sure the currency code matches the one you selected in WooCommerce settings in Method 1! The space after the symbol in the example is intentional; remove it if you don’t want a space.
6. Set the snippet to “Run snippet everywhere.”
7. Click “Save Changes and Activate.”
Reasoning: This code snippet uses a WordPress filter `woocommerce_currency_symbol` to modify the currency symbol based on the selected currency code. The `switch` statement allows you to define different symbols for different currencies.
Example: Let’s say you want to use “CAD$” for Canadian Dollars (CAD). You would change the code to:
case 'CAD': $currency_symbol = 'CAD$ '; break; // Canadian Dollar
Important Considerations:
- Backup your website: Before making any code changes, always back up your website. This allows you to restore your site if something goes wrong.
- Test thoroughly: After changing the currency symbol, thoroughly test your website to ensure that the changes are displaying correctly on product pages, cart pages, and during checkout.
- Cache: If you’re using a caching plugin, clear your cache after making changes to ensure that the updated currency symbol is displayed.
- Consistency: Make sure your currency symbol is consistent throughout your website.
By following these steps, you can easily change your WooCommerce currency symbol to match your needs and provide a better experience for your customers. Good luck!
