Woocommerce How To Make Payment Method Auto Selected

WooCommerce: Automatically Selecting a Payment Method for Smoother Checkouts

Have you ever abandoned a shopping cart because the checkout process felt clunky? One common culprit is having to manually select a payment method every time you buy something. For a better user experience and potentially increased sales, you can automatically select a default payment method in WooCommerce. This article will guide you through the process, even if you’re a beginner.

Why Auto-Selecting a Payment Method Matters

Imagine this: You’re a loyal customer buying coffee beans from your favorite online store every week. You always pay with PayPal. Having to choose “PayPal” *every single time* becomes tedious. Auto-selecting it streamlines the process, making it faster and more convenient.

Here’s why auto-selecting a payment method is beneficial:

• Improved User Experience: A smoother checkout leads to happier customers.
• Reduced Cart Abandonment: Fewer clicks mean less chance for a customer to get frustrated and leave.
• Increased Conversion Rates: A faster checkout means more completed purchases.
• Convenience for Recurring Customers: Especially useful for subscriptions or repeat orders.

How to Auto-Select a WooCommerce Payment Method (The Easy Way – Using a Plugin)

The simplest way to automatically select a payment method is to use Discover insights on How To Make Woocommerce Send Emails a plugin. While there are many plugins available, we’ll explore a general approach.

1. Search for a Suitable Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” -> “Add New” and search for terms like “WooCommerce auto select payment method,” “WooCommerce default payment gateway,” or “WooCommerce preselect payment method.” Read reviews and check the plugin’s compatibility with your version of WooCommerce before installing.

2. Install and Activate the Plugin: Once you’ve found a plugin, click “Install Now” and then “Activate.”

3. Configure the Plugin: Most plugins will add a settings page under the WooCommerce settings or as a separate menu item. Here, you’ll usually find a dropdown menu or list where you can select the default payment gateway.

Example:

Let’s say you find a plugin called “WooCommerce Default Payment.” After installing and activating it, you might find a new tab under WooCommerce Settings called “Default Payment.” The settings might look like this:

• Default Payment Gateway: [Dropdown Menu] (Options: Stripe, PayPal, Direct Bank Transfer, etc.)

You would simply select your desired default gateway (e.g., PayPal) from the dropdown and click “Save Changes.”

How to Auto-Select a WooCommerce Payment Method (The Code Way – For the Brave)

If you’re comfortable with a little PHP code, you can achieve this programmatically. This method gives you more control and avoids relying on third-party plugins.

Important: Always back up your website before making any code changes! Modifying your theme’s functions.php file or other core files incorrectly can break your site. Consider using a child theme.

1. Access Your Theme’s `functions.php` File: You can usually find this file under “Appearance” -> “Theme Editor” in your WordPress dashboard. Warning: Be very careful when editing this file. A better practice is to use a child theme or a code snippets plugin.

2. Add the Following Code:

 add_filter( 'woocommerce_gateway_chosen_method', 'always_choose_payment_gateway', 20, 1 ); function always_choose_payment_gateway( $chosen_gateway ) { // Replace 'paypal' with the ID of your desired gateway. $default_gateway = 'paypal'; 

if ( WC()->session->has_session() ) {

return $default_gateway;

}

return $chosen_gateway;

}

3. Replace `’paypal’`: This is crucial! You need to replace `’paypal’` with the actual ID of your desired payment gateway. How do you find this ID?

• Inspect the HTML on the Checkout Page: Go to your WooCommerce Discover insights on How To Make A Woocommerce Checkout Page checkout page and inspect the HTML source code. Look for the radio buttons or labels for the payment methods. The `id` attribute of the radio button for your desired gateway will often contain the gateway ID. For example, it might look like this: “. In this case, the ID is `paypal`.
• Check your WooCommerce Settings: Sometimes the gateway ID is explicitly shown in the WooCommerce settings for that specific payment gateway.

4. Save the `functions.php` File: After making the change, save the file.

Explanation of the Code:

• `add_filter( ‘woocommerce_gateway_chosen_method’, ‘always_choose_payment_gateway’, 20, 1 );`: This line adds a filter to the `woocommerce_gateway_chosen_method` hook, which WooCommerce uses to determine the currently selected Check out this post: How To Write A Custom Payment Plugin For Woocommerce payment method. It tells WordPress to run our `always_choose_payment_gateway` function.
• `function always_choose_payment_gateway( $chosen_gateway ) { … }`: This is our custom function that will override the default behavior.
• `$default_gateway = ‘paypal’;`: This line sets the gateway ID that we want to be automatically selected. Remember to change `’paypal’` to your desired gateway ID!
• `if ( WC()->session->has_session() ) { return $default_gateway; }`: This part ensures that we only auto-select the gateway if the user has an active session. This can help avoid issues in certain scenarios.
• `return $chosen_gateway;`: If there’s no active session, it returns the default WooCommerce behavior.

Important Considerations

• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your chosen solution (plugin or code) works well on mobile devices. A clunky checkout experience is even more detrimental on mobile.
• Testing: Thoroughly test the auto-selection functionality after implementing it. Place test orders to confirm that the correct payment method is pre-selected.
• Accessibility: Consider users who might be using assistive technologies. Make sure the pre-selection doesn’t negatively impact their ability to choose other payment methods.
• User Expectations: Be mindful of user expectations. While auto-selecting can be convenient, it’s still important to allow users to easily change their payment method if they prefer. The pre-selected method should be clearly visible, and users should be able to select another option without difficulty.
• Security: Only use plugins from reputable sources. Ensure that the code you’re adding is secure and doesn’t introduce vulnerabilities to your website. Regularly update your plugins and WordPress core to stay protected against security threats.

By implementing automatic payment method selection, you can significantly improve the checkout experience on your WooCommerce store, leading to happier customers and potentially higher sales. Remember to choose the method (plugin or code) that best suits your comfort level and technical skills, and always prioritize testing and security.