# How to Display Price with Attribute Selection in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a fantastic e-commerce platform, but sometimes displaying prices dynamically based on attribute selections can feel tricky. This guide will walk you through the process, explaining it in simple terms with practical examples. Let’s dive in!
The Problem: Static Prices vs. Dynamic Pricing
Imagine you sell t-shirts in different sizes (S, M, L, XL) and colors (Red, Blue, Green). A simple WooCommerce product setup might show a single price. But what if the price varies based on size or color (e.g., XL t-shirts cost more)? That’s where dynamic pricing comes into play. You need a way to show the correct price based on the customer’s attribute selections.
Solution 1: Using WooCommerce’s Built-in Functionality (Easiest Method)
WooCommerce offers a built-in mechanism to handle this if your price variations are linked directly to attributes. This is usually the best and easiest way for beginners.
How it works: When you create a WooCommerce product, you define variations. Each variation represents a unique combination of attributes (size and color in our t-shirt example). For each variation, you specify its individual price. WooCommerce automatically updates the price when a customer selects different attributes.
Example:
- Create a “T-Shirt” product.
- Add attributes: “Size” (with values S, M, L, XL) and “Color” (with values Red, Blue, Green).
- Create variations: Red-S, Red-M, Red-L, Red-XL, Blue-S, etc.
- For each variation, enter the correct price.
WooCommerce will then automatically update the price on the product page as the customer selects different options. No extra code is needed!
Solution 2: Customizing the Price Display with Code (For More Complex Scenarios)
If the price calculation is more complex (e.g., based on weight, quantity discounts, or external factors), you might need to customize the price display with code. This is more advanced and requires some basic PHP knowledge.
Understanding the `woocommerce_variation_prices_price` filter
This filter allows you to modify the price displayed for a product variation. We’ll use it to illustrate a simple example.
Let’s say you want to add a $5 surcharge to all XL t-shirts regardless of color.
add_filter( 'woocommerce_variation_prices_price', 'custom_price_for_xl', 10, 3 );
function custom_price_for_xl( $price, $variation_id, $product ) {
$size = $product->get_attribute( 'pa_size' ); // Assumes attribute slug is 'pa_size'
if ( $size == 'XL' ) {
$price += 5;
}
return $price;
}
Explanation:
- `add_filter`: This adds a function to the `woocommerce_variation_prices_price` filter.
- `custom_price_for_xl`: This is our custom function.
- `$price`: The original price of the variation.
- `$variation_id`: The ID of the variation.
- `$product`: The WC_Product object for the variation.
- `$product->get_attribute(‘pa_size’)`: Retrieves the value of the ‘Size’ attribute.
- `$price += 5`: Adds $5 to the price if the size is XL.
- `return $price`: Returns the modified price.
Remember to replace `’pa_size’` with the actual slug of your size attribute. You can find the slug in your WooCommerce product attributes settings.
This code needs to be placed in your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin. Always back up your files before making code changes.
Important Considerations
- Attribute Slugs: Pay close attention to attribute slugs. They are case-sensitive.
- Plugin Conflicts: Some plugins might interfere with price display. Deactivate other plugins temporarily to troubleshoot issues.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your changes after implementing any code modifications.
By following these methods, you can effectively display prices based on attribute selections in your WooCommerce store, improving the user experience and accurately reflecting your pricing structure. Remember to choose the method that best suits your technical skills and the complexity of your pricing needs.
