WooCommerce: How to Allow Customers to Checkout With No Payment
Introduction
Want to offer free products, samples, or services without requiring customers to enter payment information? Perhaps you’re running a contest where the winners receive items at no cost, or you’re offering a completely free subscription during a trial period. WooCommerce, while primarily a platform for selling goods, can be configured to allow customers to checkout without needing to make a payment. This article will guide you through several methods to achieve this, allowing you to offer completely free checkout experiences for specific products or scenarios. We’ll explore different plugins and code snippets, highlighting the pros and cons of each.
Allowing Checkout Without Payment: Different Approaches
Several strategies can be employed to let customers checkout without payment in WooCommerce. The best approach will depend on your specific needs and the complexity of your desired setup. We’ll cover the following methods:
* Using a “Zero Price” Product
* Using a Coupon Code for 100% Discount
* Using a Dedicated Plugin
* Custom Code (for advanced users)
#### Zero Price Product
This is the simplest method and works best if you only want to offer free products.
1. Create a new product or edit an existing one.
2. Set the price to “0”.
3. Ensure the product has a quantity that can be ordered.
4. Publish or update the product.
Now, when a customer adds this product to their cart, the total will be zero, and they can proceed to checkout without payment.
Pros:
* Read more about How To Close Woocommerce Store Temporarily Extremely simple to implement.
* No extra plugins required.
Cons:
* Only works for items you intend to be permanently free (unless you manually change the price back).
* Doesn’t allow you to offer this option conditionally (e.g., for specific user roles).
#### Coupon Code for 100% Discount
This method is useful when you want to offer a free product or order to specific users or during a specific promotion period.
1. Go to WooCommerce > Coupons > Add New.
2. Set the coupon code (e.g., “FREEITEM”).
3. Under “Discount type,” select “Percentage discount.”
4. Enter “100” as the “Coupon amount.”
5. Optionally, configure usage restrictions (e.g., minimum spend, individual use only, user roles).
6. Publish the coupon.
Customers can now enter Discover insights on How To Make Price Range Attribute In Woocommerce this coupon code at checkout to reduce their order total to zero.
Pros:
* Offers flexibility through coupon usage restrictions.
* Good for limited-time promotions or specific customer groups.
Cons:
* Customers need to manually enter the coupon code.
* Requires coupon management.
#### Using a Dedicated Plugin
Several plugins simplify the process of allowing checkout without payment, often adding more advanced features. Here are a few popular options (research and choose one that suits your specific Read more about How To Upload Documents For Woocommerce needs):
* Direct Checkout for WooCommerce: Allows skipping the cart page and going directly to checkout, which can be useful for zero-price items.
* WooCommerce Free Gift: Designed for adding free gifts to orders, but can be adapted to simply allow checkout without payment.
* Payment Gateway Based Fees and Discounts for WooCommerce: Can be used to “discount” the entire order if a specific condition is met.
Using plugins typically involves installing and activating them, then configuring their settings according to your requirements. Refer to each plugin’s documentation for specific instructions.
Pros:
* Often provides more control and advanced features.
* User-friendly interfaces for configuring options.
Cons:
* Requires installing and managing another plugin.
* Plugin compatibility issues can arise.
* Some plugins are paid.
#### Custom Code (For Advanced Users)
For greater control and customization, you can use custom code snippets to modify the WooCommerce checkout process.
Example: Disable payment gateways when the cart total is zero.
Add the following code to your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_available_payment_gateways', 'hide_payment_gateways_zero_total' );
function hide_payment_gateways_zero_total( $available_gateways ) {
if ( WC()->cart->total <= 0 ) {
unset( $available_gateways ); // Remove all gateways
}
return $available_gateways;
}
Explanation:
* `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_available_payment_gateways’, ‘hide_payment_gateways_zero_total’ );` hooks into the `woocommerce_available_payment_gateways` filter, Check out this post: How To Edit Flatsome Woocommerce Front Page Text Editor which controls which payment gateways are displayed.
* `hide_payment_gateways_zero_total()` is the function that will be executed when the filter is called.
* `if ( WC()->cart->total <= 0 )` checks if the cart total is zero or less.
* `unset( $available_gateways );` removes all available payment gateways from the array.
* `return $available_gateways;` returns the modified array of payment gateways.
Important Considerations for Custom Code:
* Backup your website before making changes.
* Test the code thoroughly in a staging environment.
* Incorrect code can break your website.
* Consider using a custom plugin instead of editing your theme’s `functions.php` file for better organization and maintainability.
Pros:
* Maximum control over the checkout process.
* Highly customizable to specific requirements.
Cons:
* Requires coding knowledge.
* Potential for errors that can break your website.
* More complex to implement.
* Updates to WooCommerce may break custom code if not properly maintained.
Conclusion
Enabling customers to checkout without payment in WooCommerce is achievable through various methods. Choosing the right approach depends on your specific needs and technical expertise. For simple cases of free products, setting the price to zero is the easiest solution. For more complex scenarios, such as limited-time promotions or specific user groups, using a coupon code or a dedicated plugin may be more suitable. Finally, for maximum control and customization, custom code offers the greatest flexibility, albeit with increased complexity and potential risks. Regardless of the method you choose, always test thoroughly to ensure a smooth checkout experience for your customers. Remember to regularly check for plugin updates and maintain your custom code to prevent compatibility issues with future WooCommerce updates. Offering a seamless and convenient checkout process, even when no payment is required, contributes significantly to a positive customer experience.
