Discount Rules for WooCommerce: A Complete Guide

Did you know the digital discount and coupon market is projected to reach a staggering $34.46 billion by 2032?

With over 90% of shoppers actively seeking coupons or discounts, it’s no surprise that the market is expected to grow to such a massive size.

In a competitive eCommerce world, offering smart discounts isn’t just a tactic—it’s a necessity. For WooCommerce store owners, creating compelling offers that convert can be a game-changer.

But how do you set up the right discount rules without spending hours tweaking settings?

That’s where discount rules for WooCommerce step in to make your life easier.

Discount rules and dynamic pricing for WooCommerce are specific conditions that trigger a discount on a product or order in your Woo store. They can be based on various factors, such as product quantity, customer group, specific products, or time periods.

Discount rules are like secret codes that retailers use to boost sales, clear inventory, or simply reward loyal customers. And with WooCommerce, setting up these rules is easier than ever.

Let’s dive into this guide to help you create effective discount strategies that keep your customers coming back for more.

Types of Discount Rules You Can Configure in WooCommerce

We can divide discount rules for WooCommerce into two categories.

• Basic Discount Rules
• Advanced Discount Rules

Let’s discuss these discount types in detail.

Basic Discount Rules

These rules cover simple, easy-to-implement discounts. Here are some of the types:

• Percentage Discounts: Offer a percentage reduction on the product price.
• Fixed Amount Discounts: Deduct a fixed value from the product price or cart total.
• Buy One Get One (BOGO) Discounts: BOGO deals are widely popular. In these rules, you encourage purchases by offering a free or discounted item when a customer buys one.
• Free Shipping Discounts: Waive shipping fees when certain criteria are met.
• Quantity Discounts: Reward customers with discounts for buying a specific quantity of products.

Advanced Discount Rules

These rules go beyond the basics and allow highly customized and strategic pricing:

• Conditional Discounts:
  • Based on cart total (e.g., 10% off orders over $100).
  • Product-specific conditions (e.g., discount only applies to Product A).
  • Payment method-based discounts (e.g., 5% off for PayPal payments).
  • Shipping method-based discounts (e.g., discounts for customers choosing local pickup).
• Tiered Discounts:
  • Offer different discount levels based on purchase volume (e.g., 10% for 5 items, 15% for 10 items).
  • Create dynamic rules where the discount increases as customers buy more.
• Bundle Discounts:
  • Discounted pricing when specific products are purchased together (e.g., buy Product A and B together for 20% off).
• Role-Based Discounts:
  • Tailored discounts for wholesale buyers, VIP customers, or logged-in users.
• Category-Specific Discounts:
  • Apply discounts only to certain categories (e.g., 15% off all electronics).
• First-Time Purchase Discounts:
  • Exclusive discounts for new customers to encourage their first order.
• Cart Condition Discounts:
  • Offer discounts based on the number of unique products in the cart.
• Spend-Based Discounts:
  • Progressive discounts for higher cart values (e.g., $5 off for $50, $10 off for $100).
• Membership Discounts:
  • Offer discounts only for members of a loyalty or subscription program.
  • Apply varying discount levels based on membership tiers.
• Date/Time-Sensitive Discounts:
  • Limited-time promotions like flash sales or early bird discounts.
  • Set rules for specific days, weekends, or holidays (e.g., Black Friday discounts).
• Geolocation-Based Discounts:
  • Set discounts based on the customer’s location (e.g., country, state, or city).
• Purchase History Discounts:
  • Offer discounts based on a customer’s past purchase behavior (e.g., lifetime spending, total order made, etc.).

These advanced rules enable you to fine-tune your discount strategies and make them relevant, effective, and profitable for different customer segments.

How to Setup Discount Rules for WooCommerce (Step-by-Step)

WooCommerce has a coupon tool that comes built-in with the core plugin. You can create digital coupons to offer discounts based on cart amount, category, or specific products.

However, the options are quite limited, and you cannot apply dynamic discounts or advanced pricing strategies using the core features. To unlock the full potential of discount rules, you’ll need a dedicated WooCommerce discount rules plugin.

These plugins offer advanced features like conditional discounts, tiered pricing, and more. For a detailed look at the best discount plugins for WooCommerce, check out our in-depth review in the following article.

• 10 Best Discount Plugins for WooCommerce (Free & Paid)

In the following step-by-step guide, we’ll demonstrate how to set up a simple percentage-based discount rule in WooCommerce using the free Disco plugin.

Disco is a user-friendly plugin that offers flexible discount features. It’s a perfect solution for store owners looking to implement custom discount rules without needing advanced technical knowledge.

With Disco, you can create various discount strategies, including bulk pricing, percentage discounts, and more, all from your WooCommerce dashboard. Let’s get into action; we are creating a 20% storewide discount in WooCommerce.

Step 1: Install WooCommerce Discount Plugin – Disco

Go to Plugins >> Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for Disco, and then install and activate it.

Step 2: Create a New Discount Rule

After activation, access Disco from the left sidebar. From the Disco dashboard, click Create a Discount.

Step 3: Configure the Discount

• Name it “20% Storewide Discount.”
• Set Discount Intent to Product.

• Set it to apply to All Products.

• Choose Percentage and enter “20” as the value.

Step 4: Save & Verify

Click Save, then visit your store’s front end to ensure the 20% discount is applied to all products correctly.

This method ensures a smooth, automatic 20% storewide discount for all your products. Thus, you can quickly configure WooCommerce discount rules using Disco and boost sales with minimal effort.

Creating Different Discount Rules for WooCommerce

The above is the simplest example of a discount rule. However, to truly maximize your store’s sales potential, you’ll want to offer more personalized discounts based on your customer’s behavior, needs, and purchase patterns.

Disco makes it possible for you. Whether it’s offering “Buy One Get One” (BOGO) deals, applying bulk pricing, or providing exclusive discounts for specific customer groups, Disco makes it easy to set up and manage advanced discount rules.

In the following sections, we’ll walk you through a variety of discount rules you can set up in WooCommerce using Disco, complete with examples and step-by-step instructions to help you configure each rule.

How to Create Fixed Amount Discounts on Specific Products?

Example: Apply a $20 discount on the selected products.

WooCommerce fixed-product discount lets you offer reduced prices on your targeted products. This can help you clear slow-moving stocks and boost your conversions.

Here are the steps:

1. Select the Product intent from the top.

2. From the Discount section, click on the Few Products option.

3. Type in or search and select your target product/products.

4. Select the Fixed option from the Discount Type dropdown and enter 20 as the value.

5. Save your discount rules for WooCommerce. Your selected products should already show the discounted price at the front.

How to Create Category-Based Discount Rules for WooCommerce?

Example: Offer a 25% discount on the category “Summer Collection.”

WooCommerce category-based discounts are a simple yet effective way to boost sales and manage inventory. By applying discounts to specific product categories, you can encourage customers to buy more and help clear out slow-moving items.

In this example, we will introduce you to Disco conditions. This is a powerful feature within the plugin that allows you to apply discounts based on specific rules and criteria.

Disco conditions enable you to tailor your discounts to match particular customer behaviors, purchase history, product categories, and even specific payment methods. This flexibility lets you create highly customized discount strategies for your store.

Here are the steps you will need to follow to create category-based discounts:

1. Select the Product or Cart intent from the Discount Intent.

2. To offer the discount across all products from the target category, select All Products.

3. Select the Percentage option and enter your value.

4. Next, hit the Add Condition button.

5. Select the Categories condition from the filters.

6. Search and select the “Summer Collection” category.

7. Save and check your storefront. The pages should already be showing the discounted rates.

How to Set Tiered Pricing for Bulk Purchases Discount Rules for WooCommerce?

Example:

• Buy 3-5 Items: Get 10% off
• Buy 6-10 Items: Get 15% off
• Buy 11+ Items: Get 20% off

WooCommerce tiered pricing discounts can incentivize customers to buy more and increase overall revenue. These types of bulk quantity discounts can also help significantly clear out seasonal stocks or slow-moving products.

Here’s how you set these discount rules for WooCommerce:

1. This time, we need to select the Bulk option.
2. Next, select your products.

3. In the Bulk Rules, input your first set of values. Enter 3 in the Minimum and 5 in the Maximum Quantity field.

After that, select the Percentage option and insert the value 10. Next, click on the Add More button to add a new row.

4. Configure your next set of values as per your strategy.

5. For the last set, keep the Maximum Quantity field empty so that it counts as unlimited.

Let’s check if the rule works at the front end per our configuration. Add products between the 3-5 ranges.

Working as per our set rule. Next, add more than 5 products.

Finally, try with 11 or more products.

How to Create Role-Based Discount Rules for WooCommerce?

Example: Offer a 15% discount to specific user roles.

Role-based discounts in WooCommerce offer a powerful way to reward loyal customers and incentivize specific customer segments. You can foster stronger relationships, increase sales, and streamline your pricing strategy by granting discounts to particular customer groups, such as wholesalers, affiliates, or VIP members.

These discount rules are particularly useful when you have a WooCommerce membership website offering subscription plans to customers. For this example, we will offer a 15% discount to logged-in users with a “Wholesale Customer” user role.

1. Select the Cart/Product from the top and All Products to offer the discount storewide.

2. Configure the value.

3. Add the User Role condition.

4. Type in or select the target user role and save the rule.

From now on, your wholesale members can enjoy 15% off on their following purchases.

How to Create Time-Limited Flash Sale Discount Rules for WooCommerce?

Example: Set up a 30% discount on all products, but only for 24 hours.

Time-limited discounts are by far the most commonly used discount rules for WooCommerce and eCommerce in general. Store owners use these time-specific offers throughout the year for various purposes, such as boosting sales during seasonal events, clearing out excess inventory, attracting more customers during holidays, and encouraging faster purchases by creating a sense of urgency.

Disco makes it incredibly easy to set time-based discounts through its Valid Between fields.

Here are steps for setting up a Flash Sale rule.

1. Select any of the discount intents at the top.

2. Select All Products. Find and set your start time for the discount in the first field.

3. Set the end date and time for the discount.

4. Input your percentage value and save the discount.

Disco will automatically activate and deactivate the discount in your store at the time and day you configured.

How to Create a Minimum Purchase Discount in WooCommerce?

Example: Apply a $5 discount for orders of $50 or more.

This type of discount is known as a cart-based discount. You offer a discount based on the cart elements.

WooCommerce cart discount encourages customers to add more items to their cart to meet the minimum threshold, increasing your average order value. Additionally, it can help you clear out your slow-moving inventory by strategically setting the threshold.

Disco allows you to offer cart discounts based on –

• Cart Items Count
• Cart Items Quantity
• Cart Items Total Weight
• Cart Subtotal

Let’s check out the steps.

1. Select the Cart option from the Discount Intent section and specify your products.

2. Select Fixed and input your value.

3. For this example, we will need the Cart Subtotal condition.

4. Our strategy is $5 off on $50 or more, so we must select the Greater Than Or Equal option and insert our value.

Add $50 worth of products to the cart and check if your conditional discount rules for WooCommerce checkout are working or not.

How to Create Free Shipping on Orders Above a Certain Value?

Example: Offer free shipping on orders above $150.

Shipping costs are the primary reason people abandon carts, which is the worst nightmare for any store owner. Offering free shipping discounts can significantly decrease your cart abandonment rate and increase conversions.

To set shipping discount rules for WooCommerce using Disco, follow these steps.

1. Select the Shipping option from the top and specify your products.

2. Add the Cart Subtotal condition.

3. This time, as per our strategy, we will need to use the Greater Than option and enter our value.

Test the rule from the front by adding over $150 worth of products.

These are just a few examples of what you can achieve with Disco. In addition, you can create an extensive array of discount rules for WooCommerce using this plugin.

How to Create a Discount Coupon in WooCommerce Using the Coupon Tool?

As we stated earlier, WooCommerce comes with a built-in coupon tool that allows store owners to create and manage discount coupons. It’s simple to use and perfect for creating basic and category-specific discounts.

In this example, we’ll create a 15% discount coupon for the Kids category, applicable when the cart total is $150 or more. Here are the steps you need to follow.

Step 1: Enable Coupons in WooCommerce

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to WooCommerce >> Settings >> General.
3. Ensure the “Enable the use of coupon codes” option is checked.
4. Save changes.

Step 2: Create a New Coupon

Navigate to Marketing >> Coupons. Click on Add Coupon.

Enter a coupon code, e.g., KIDS15OFF.

Add a description like “15% off on Kids category when you spend $150.”

Step 3: Configure the Discount

1. General Settings:
   • Discount Type: Percentage Discount.

• Coupon Amount: Enter 15 (for 15%).
• You can also set a coupon expiration date if you require it.

2. Usage Restrictions:
   Click on the Usage Restrictions tab to set the following conditions.
   • Minimum Spend: Enter 150.

• Product Categories: Select Kids.

3. Usage Limits (Optional):
   • Limit usage to 1 per customer from the Usage Limits tab if needed.

Step 4: Publish the Coupon

Review all settings to ensure accuracy. Click Publish to activate the coupon.

Step 5: Test the Coupon

Add products from the Kids category to the cart and ensure the total is over $150.

Apply the coupon code to confirm it works correctly.

Best Practices for Implementing Discount Rules

If you’re asking, “How do I use discount rules in WooCommerce effectively?”, you’re not alone. To make the most out of your discount strategies, follow these best practices:

1. Define Clear Goals

Before implementing discount rules, clearly define your objectives. Are you aiming to boost sales, clear inventory, attract new customers, or reward loyal customers? Understanding your goals will help you tailor your discount strategy accordingly.

2. Target Your Audience

Identify your target audience and tailor your discounts to their specific needs and preferences. Consider factors such as demographics, purchase history, and customer segmentation. By targeting the right audience, you can maximize the impact of your discounts.  

3. Set Realistic Discount Amounts

Offer discounts that are attractive to customers without significantly impacting your profit margins. Avoid offering excessively high discounts that may erode your revenue.  

4. Limit the Duration of Discounts

Time-limited discounts can create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate purchases. However, avoid running too many promotions simultaneously, as this can dilute their effectiveness.  

5. Monitor and Analyze

Track the performance of your discount rules to measure their impact on sales, revenue, and customer behavior. Use analytics tools to identify which discounts are most effective and adjust your strategy accordingly.  

6. Avoid Overusing Discounts

While discounts can be a powerful tool, overusing them can diminish their impact. Use discounts strategically and avoid creating a culture of constant discounting.

7. Consider Customer Perception

Be mindful of how your discount strategy may be perceived by customers. Avoid offering discounts that are too frequent or too high, as this may devalue your brand.  

8. Test and Iterate

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different discount strategies and analyze the results. Continuously test and refine your approach to find the most effective tactics.

By following these best practices, you can effectively implement discount rules for WooCommerce stores to drive sales, increase customer loyalty, and achieve your business goals.

Wrap up

The power and impact of discounts are undeniable. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to state you cannot survive without offering occasional discounts in your online store.

We hope the discount rules for WooCommerce and the best practices shared in this guide will empower you to craft effective discount strategies that not only attract shoppers but also enhance your store’s revenue and growth.