How to Set Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce?

Tired of customers ordering single socks? 😅 Set minimum orders and say goodbye to pocket-change purchases!

Think of Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) as your store’s “no small fries” rule. It’s the fewest items (or lowest $ amount) customers must buy to checkout. Why bother?

🚫 Stops money-losing tiny orders

📦 Encourages bigger baskets

⚙️ Simplifies shipping/packing headaches

Wondering how to set minimum order quantity in WooCommerce? 

To set a minimum order quantity in WooCommerce: Install a plugin like Min/Max Quantities. Navigate to plugin settings or product pages, define global/item-specific limits, and configure validation rules. For code methods, use the woocommerce_quantity_input_args filter hooks.

Ready to stop the one-item wonders? In this guide, we’ll walk through simple ways to set MOQs – whether you’re clicking buttons or tinkering with code. Let’s bulk up your order sizes!

How to Set Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce?

Unfortunately, core Woo doesn’t have built-in settings to configure WooCommerce minimum order quantity per product. No worries, we know how flexible this platform is.

You can still set MOQ in WooCommerce in three ways –

1. Using a WooCommerce quantity manager plugin
2. Using custom codes.
3. Offering discounts on MOQ threshold

We will begin with the safest and easiest option – using a minimum purchase WooCommerce plugin. For this demonstration, we will use the free plugin Min Max Control.

Let us walk you through the steps on how to set minimum order quantity in WooCommerce.

Step 1: Install the Quantity Manager for WooCommerce Plugin

To install the WooCommerce min max quantity plugin free,

• Navigate to Plugins > Add Plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
• Search for the plugin.

• Install and then activate it.

Step 2: Configure Global Minimum Order Quantity

• Go to the Min Max Control menu from the dashboard.

• Input your target minimum quantity in the dedicated Minimum Quantity box. For example, we have input 3.
• Save and jump to any product page. It should be set to display a minimum quantity of 3 by default.

• In the Quantity Step field, you can define how the quantity increases. For example, if you set it to 2, customers will only be able to select quantities in increments of 2, such as 3, 5, 7, and so on.
• You can set WooCommerce max quantity per product programmatically using the Maximum Quantity box.
• Additionally, you can filter your target products by different terms and set min max default quantity WooCommerce messages.

Step 3: Set Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce for Individual Product

• Go to your target product page and get inside the edit window.
• Scroll down to the Product Data section and click the Min Max & Step tab.

• Enter your minimum, maximum, and step quantity for that product.
• Update the product and test from the front.

That’s it. This is how to set minimum order quantity in WooCommerce. Pretty simple, right?

However, for advanced features like cart-based conditions, you will need to buy the pro version of the plugin. But, there’s one way that doesn’t cost you anything, yet you can achieve all advanced and custom features as per your needs.

Custom coding – that’s what we will cover next.

How to Set Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce Using Custom Codes?

Applying custom codes instead of an MOQ plugin gives you more control over your store functionalities. However, if you are not familiar with codes, we highly discourage you from following this method.

Let us walk you through the steps.

Step 1: Back Up/ Create a Child Theme

• If you insert code directly in your theme file (not recommended), make sure you back up your entire site. In case the site breaks due to code, you can restore it.
• The best method is to create a child theme. If you are familiar with the process, create a child theme.

Step 2: Add Custom Code

First, we will apply a code that requires customers to add minimum 5 items to the cart, regardless of product type or category. This means customers must add any five items from your store to complete the purchase.

• Go to Appearance > Theme File Editor > functions.php or your child theme’s functions.php.

• Insert the following code at the bottom.

// Set global minimum quantity in WooCommerce cart

add_action('woocommerce_check_cart_items', 'custom_minimum_order_quantity');

function custom_minimum_order_quantity() {

$min_quantity = 5; // Minimum total quantity required

$cart_quantity = WC()->cart->get_cart_contents_count();

if ($cart_quantity < $min_quantity) {

     wc_add_notice(

         sprintf(__('You must order at least %s items to proceed to checkout.', 'woocommerce'), $min_quantity),

         'error'

     );

}

}

📝 What it does:
This code checks if the total cart quantity is below your minimum (5 in this example). If so, it shows an error message and prevents checkout.

Step 3: Set Minimum Quantity Per Product

This time, we will use code that applies the MOQ rule to individual products, not to the cart quantity total, like what was applied with the plugin. To enforce a WooCommerce minimum order quantity per product (not cart-wide), use this version:

// Enforce minimum quantity per product

add_action('woocommerce_check_cart_items', 'custom_min_quantity_per_product');

function custom_min_quantity_per_product() {

foreach (WC()->cart->get_cart() as $cart_item) {

     $product_id = $cart_item['product_id'];

     $product_name = $cart_item['data']->get_name();

     $quantity = $cart_item['quantity'];

     $min_quantity = 3; // Set minimum per product

     if ($quantity < $min_quantity) {

        wc_add_notice(

             sprintf(__('Minimum order quantity for "%s" is %d.', 'woocommerce'), $product_name, $min_quantity),

             'error'

         );

     }

}

}

🎯 This helps when you want to create bulk rules for B2B customers or enforce rules like a minimum purchase for specific products.

Step 4: Combine Quantity Rules with Steps (Increments)

Remember the ‘Step’ in plugin settings? (You define how the quantity increases.)

Want to enforce quantities in steps like 2, 4, 6? Add this filter:

// Enforce quantity step of 2

add_filter('woocommerce_quantity_input_args', 'custom_quantity_step', 10, 2);

function custom_quantity_step($args, $product) {

$args['step'] = 2; // Only allow increments of 2

return $args;

}

Now, quantity fields on product pages and the cart will follow this rule. That’s pretty much how to set minimum order quantity in WooCommerce using code.

Advanced Strategies & Tips

1. Combine Per-Product + Global Rules

• Enforce both per-product minimums and a global minimum cart quantity.
• Be careful to avoid double notices; use has_notice() to suppress duplicates.

2. Apply Role-Based Minimums for Wholesale

// Set minimum quantity only for wholesaler roles

add_action('woocommerce_check_cart_items', 'wholesale_min_quantity');

function wholesale_min_quantity() {

if (current_user_can('wholesaler')) {

     $min_quantity = 20;

     $cart_quantity = WC()->cart->get_cart_contents_count();

     if ($cart_quantity < $min_quantity) {

         wc_add_notice('Wholesalers must order at least 20 units.', 'error');

     }

}

}

Simulates what plugins like WooCommerce WholesaleX Minimum Order Quantity do.

3. Customize Error Messages

Personalize the feedback using product titles, category names, or user roles.

4. Dynamic Quantity Rules by Category

Loop through cart items and apply different rules based on category (e.g., books need 10+, electronics need 2+).

5. Min/Max Default Quantity on Product Pages

add_filter('woocommerce_quantity_input_args', 'set_min_max_quantity', 10, 2);

function set_min_max_quantity($args, $product) {

$args['min_value'] = 5; // Default minimum

$args['max_value'] = 100;

return $args;

}

🧪 Final Testing Checklist

• Cart shows an error when quantity is below minimum
• Error disappears after adjusting quantity
• Works with variable products
• Doesn’t interfere with discount rules or coupons
• Compatible with your WooCommerce Quantity Manager plugin or other installed extensions.

Enticing Bulk Orders Without Annoying Customers: The Discount Strategy

Forcing customers to buy a specific quantity sometimes feels like a “buy more or get out” ultimatum, which may annoy or insult them. You may lose them or have a bad impact on them, and there’s always the possibility of cart abandonment.

The Solution? Swap Force for Incentives.

If you don’t want to enforce, you can still allure them into buying in bulk by offering discounts. Discounts are the most effective way to boost your conversions and sales.

For offering MOQ or quantity-based discounts, we will use the free plugin Disco. This powerful tool transforms rigid MOQ rules into irresistible “buy more, save more” opportunities.

How to Set Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce Using Disco Discounts?

Let’s say you want to offer the following MOQ based discount.

• Buy 2-4 items, Get 10% off
• Buy 5-9 items, Get 15% off
• Buy 10+ items, Get 25% off

To offer such a rule, first install the plugin from the WordPress repository.

After that, follow these steps.

Step 1: Create a New Discount Campaign

• Go to the Disco dashboard and click the Create a Discount button.

• Select the Bulk discount intent.

• Give your MOQ discount campaign a name.
• Specify the products and discount expiry date if you need to.

Step 2: Configure MOQ Rules

• Under Bulk Rules, input 2 in the Minimum Quantity field and 4 in the Maximum Quantity field as per our strategy.
• Select the Percentage discount type and enter the value.

• Click Add More twice to add 2 new rows.
• Enter the rest of the values.

Step 3: Save and Test

• Click the Save button to enable your discount rule.
• Test by adding products to your cart. Here’s the result for 2-4 products.

• For 5-9 products –

• Finally, for 10 or more products, it should apply a 25% discount.

You can also apply a range of conditions to create advanced rules using Disco, such as set minimum order amount WooCommerce, WooCommerce minimum order for shipping, WooCommerce minimum order amount per shipping zone, etc.

Best Plugins for Setting Minimum Order Quantity in WooCommerce

There are quite a lot of MOQ plugins available in the market. We have tested some of them and here’s our top picks.

Min Max Control – Min Max Quantity & Step Control for WooCommerce

Managing product order quantities? It’s not just about stock control.

Getting this right helps your pricing, protects limited inventory, and nudges customers toward bulk buys. That’s the gap Min Max Control fills.

This WooCommerce plugin gives you simple tools to set quantity limits and purchase steps across your store. Need to sell in batches? Stop tiny orders? It handles both without making things complicated.

What works well is how it layers rules. Set global defaults, category-specific limits, or individual product rules – whatever matches your store setup. Honestly, the free version handles most everyday needs well.

Go premium if you need cart-wide restrictions or live price updates during quantity changes. Works smoothly with popular themes too, and yes, it speaks multiple languages (WPML friendly).

Key Features

Quantity Enforcement

• Minimum/Maximum Limits: Block orders below/above set quantities
• Step Control: Force purchases in multiples (e.g., 2,4,6)
• Variable Product Support: Apply rules to individual variations

Rule Management

• Bulk Editing: Update rules across hundreds of products simultaneously
• Hierarchy System: Product-level > Category-level > Global rules
• WPML Compatibility: Fully translated for multilingual stores

Error Handling

• Custom validation messages for min/max/step violations
• Frontend quantity input restrictions

Advanced Controls (Premium)

• Cart-wide minimums (e.g., 10+ items total)
• Decimal quantities (e.g., 0.5 kg)
• Live price updates when changing quantities
• Category-based cart restrictions

Technical Notes

• Translations: French, Bengali, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish
• Customization: Hooks like wcmmq_custom_validation_msg for bespoke validations
• Bulk Operations: Edit stock levels and quantity rules in mass actions
• Compatibility: Works with most WooCommerce themes/extensions

WC Min Max Quantities By PluginEver

For store owners who want detailed control over how much a customer can order, WC Min Max Quantities by PluginEver offers a well-rounded feature set.

The plugin is designed to help you set minimum and maximum purchase rules—by quantity or price—at the product, category, or global level. This can be especially useful for managing stock levels, reducing shipping inefficiencies, or encouraging bulk buying.

One strength of this plugin is its flexibility. You can apply rules globally or fine-tune them for individual products and even product variations.

The plugin also supports step quantities, so you can force purchases in specific increments (like 5, 10, 15), which is often needed in wholesale or industrial product setups. For stores with more complex requirements, the premium version adds category-specific limits, user-role based rules, and support for multivendor marketplaces.

Key Features

Core Free Features

• Product-level limits: Min/max quantities per item
• Step control: Force purchases in sets (e.g., 5,10,15)
• Cart safeguards:
  • Minimum/maximum order quantities
  • Order value thresholds
• Error messaging: Customize validation alerts

Pro Power-Ups

• Role-based rules: Different limits for wholesalers vs. retail
• Category controls:
  • Min/max items per category
  • Category spending limits
• Variable products:
  • Per-variation rules
  • Combined variation controls
• Multivendor support: Let vendors set their own rules

Specialized Tools

• Grouped product restrictions
• Ignore rules for specific products
• Translation-ready error messages
• WPML compatibility

Min and Max Quantity for WooCommerce By BeRocket

Tired of unprofitable $5 orders? Or customers bulk-buying limited stock? Quantity rules fix these headaches, but WooCommerce doesn’t include them. BeRocket’s solution adds these controls without coding – just simple, click-based settings.

This plugin tackles two core problems:

1. Micro-orders (losing money on shipping)
2. Inventory chaos (unexpected bulk purchases)
   Set quantity or cost limits for individual items, variations, or entire carts. The free version works right out of the box.

For complex stores, premium adds group rules and category-based restrictions. Test it risk-free with their admin demo before committing.

Key Features

Essential Free Features

• Product-level limits: Min/max quantities per item
• Variation controls: Different rules per variant
• Cart protections:
  • Min/max total items
  • Order value thresholds
• Basic validation: Custom error messages

Premium Extensions

• Group rules: Apply limits to custom product sets
• Category/attribute limits: Control by taxonomy
• Advanced cost controls:
  • Group-based order value rules
  • Attribute-specific pricing thresholds
• Unlimited groups: Create multiple rule sets

Why Your WooCommerce Store Needs a Minimum Order Quantity?

Let’s be honest: seeing a $3 order come through feels defeating. You know the math doesn’t add up. Setting a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) in WooCommerce isn’t about turning customers away – it’s about building a store that actually pays its own bills.

Here’s why smart sellers implement them:

Stop Losing Money on Every Small Sale

That $5 keychain? After payment fees ($0.50), packing materials ($0.80), your time ($5 worth), and shipping ($3.99), you just lost $5.29. MOQs ensure every order covers your hard costs. No more subsidizing micro-transactions.

Tame Shipping Chaos & Costs

Offering “free shipping” on a $2 item is unsustainable. Enforcing a $25+ minimum lets you absorb shipping fees profitably or incentivizes customers to fill their cart to qualify. Shipping becomes predictable, not punitive.

Respect Your Time (It’s Your Most Valuable Asset)

Processing a single $8 item takes the same effort as a $80 order: picking, packing, labeling, and customer service. MOQs filter out orders that drain hours and save time for things that matter more.

Quietly Boost Average Order Value (AOV)

This is where MOQs shine. A $30 minimum doesn’t just cover costs – it nudges customers to add that extra item. “I’m at $27… might as well grab this $5 notebook.” Higher AOV = more revenue without more traffic.

Protect Against “Testing” Buyers & Low-Quality Sales

New stores often attract bargain hunters buying the absolute cheapest SKU – usually with higher return rates or complaints. MOQs attract buyers genuinely interested in your range, setting the stage for loyalty.

Enable Smarter Bundles & Wholesale (Especially for B2B)

MOQs make curated kits viable (“Buy 3 soaps, save 10%”) and ensure wholesale partners meet viable volume thresholds. Without them, bundling loses its punch.

The Real Goal? Sustainability.

MOQs transform your store from a hobby into a viable business. They turn scattered pennies into consolidated profit, free up your time for strategy, and create space to delight customers who value what you offer.

Wrap Up

So, we have learned how to set minimum order quantity in WooCommerce, explored what plugins are best for the job, and considered discount alternatives.

The real power lies in choosing the right strategy for your business:

• Plugins like Min Max Control are your go-to for speed and simplicity—set rules in minutes.
• Custom code unlocks precision for unique needs (wholesale tiers, category rules).
• Discount incentives (via Disco) turn restrictions into excitement—“Buy more, save more” beats “You can’t checkout.”

Remember: MOQs aren’t about saying “no” to customers. They’re about saying “yes” to:

✅ Profitability (covering costs on every sale)
✅ Efficiency (less time wasted on packing peanuts)
✅ Growth (higher AOV = revenue without more traffic)

Start small. Set your first MOQ just above your break-even point. Test it. Tweak it. Watch those tiny, profit-draining orders fade away—and feel the relief when shipping costs finally make sense.