How to Set Up a WooCommerce First Order Discount (With Code + Plugin)

To set up a WooCommerce first order discount, you need a pricing rule that checks whether a customer has placed any previous orders before applying the discount. Since WooCommerce does not include a built-in first-purchase discount option, you can either add custom PHP code to your theme’s functions.php file or use a discount plugin to handle the condition automatically.

This guide covers both methods: custom code for fixed-amount, percentage, and free-shipping discounts, and a plugin-based method using Disco for automatic first-order discounts without a coupon code. You will also find troubleshooting steps, restriction methods, and FAQs based on common search questions.

What Is a WooCommerce First Order Discount?

A WooCommerce first order discount is a promotional offer that applies exclusively to customers placing their first purchase in your store. It reduces the total price at checkout only for buyers with no previous completed orders on record. This type of offer is also referred to as a first purchase discount, new customer discount, first-time buyer offer, or WooCommerce sign up discount depending on how it is promoted.

Discount Type	How It Works	Example
Percentage Discount	Reduces total cart value by a set percentage	20% off for new customers
Fixed Cart Discount	Deducts a fixed amount from the entire order	$10 off your first order
Fixed Product Discount	Applies a fixed amount to selected products only	$5 off featured items
Free Shipping	Removes shipping costs for first-time buyers	Free shipping on first order
Free Gift / BOGO	Adds a free product or buy-one-get-one deal	Buy One Get One Free
Tiered / Conditional	Activates based on a spend threshold	Spend $100, get 15% off
Auto-Applied Discount	Applies automatically without a coupon code	Discount applied at checkout
First Order Coupon Code	Customer enters a code at checkout	WELCOME10
Sign Up Discount	Applied after account registration or newsletter signup	10% off after sign up

How to Create a WooCommerce First Order Discount

WooCommerce does not have a built-in option to create a coupon or discount rule restricted to first-time customers only. There are two ways to achieve this:

• Method 1: Add custom PHP code to your theme’s functions.php file
• Method 2: Use a WooCommerce discount plugin for automatic, no-code setup

Both methods are covered below.

Method 1: WooCommerce First Order Discount with Custom Code

Use this method if you are comfortable editing PHP files and want a lightweight solution without installing a plugin.

Step 1: Create a Child Theme or Back Up Your Files

Before editing any theme files, create a child theme or back up your current theme files. This protects your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.

Step 2: Open the Theme File Editor

Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Theme File Editor. Open the functions.php file and scroll to the bottom. Paste your code there.

Once you are there, click on the funcitons.php, scroll down the file, and write your code at the bottom.

Step 3: Add the Fixed Amount Discount Code

The following code applies a fixed $10 discount to first-time buyers. It checks whether the logged-in user has any previous orders before applying the discount.

// Apply first order discount for new customers
function apply_first_order_discount() {
    if ( is_admin() && ! defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) ) return;

    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        $current_user = wp_get_current_user();
        $user_orders = wc_get_orders( array(
            'customer' => $current_user->ID,
            'limit'    => 1,
        ) );

        if ( empty( $user_orders ) ) {
            add_action( 'woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'add_first_order_discount' );
        }
    }
}
add_action( 'wp', 'apply_first_order_discount' );

function add_first_order_discount() {
    $discount_amount = 10; // Set your discount amount here
    WC()->cart->add_fee( __( 'First Order Discount', 'woocommerce' ), -$discount_amount );
}

Code explanation:

• apply_first_order_discount: Checks if the user is logged in and has zero previous orders. If both conditions are true, it hooks the discount function to woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees.
• add_first_order_discount: Applies the discount as a negative fee on the cart.

Step 4: Test the Discount

Log out of your account (or use incognito mode) and create a new test customer account. Add a product to the cart and check the cart page to confirm the first order discount is applied. Make sure to clear browser cookies before testing.

Offering a Percentage Discount Instead

To offer a percentage-based discount (e.g., 10% off), replace the fixed amount logic with the following:

function apply_first_order_discount() {
    if ( is_admin() && ! defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) ) return;

    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        $current_user = wp_get_current_user();
        $user_orders = wc_get_orders( array(
            'customer' => $current_user->ID,
            'limit'    => 1,
        ) );

        if ( empty( $user_orders ) ) {
            add_action( 'woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'add_first_order_discount' );
        }
    }
}
add_action( 'wp', 'apply_first_order_discount' );

function add_first_order_discount( $cart ) {
    $discount_percentage = 0.10; // 10% discount
    $discount_amount     = $cart->subtotal * $discount_percentage;
    WC()->cart->add_fee( __( 'First Order Discount', 'woocommerce' ), -$discount_amount );
}

Change 0.10 to your preferred percentage (e.g., 0.20 for 20%).

Offering Free Shipping on the First Order

To offer free shipping instead of a cart discount, use the following code. It adds a free shipping option to the checkout for users placing their first order.

function apply_free_shipping_for_first_time_buyers() {
    if ( is_admin() && ! defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) ) return;

    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        $current_user = wp_get_current_user();
        $user_orders  = wc_get_orders( array(
            'customer' => $current_user->ID,
            'limit'    => 1,
        ) );

        if ( empty( $user_orders ) ) {
            add_filter( 'woocommerce_package_rates', 'add_free_shipping_for_first_order', 10, 2 );
        }
    }
}
add_action( 'wp', 'apply_free_shipping_for_first_time_buyers' );

function add_free_shipping_for_first_order( $rates, $package ) {
    $free_shipping_rate = new WC_Shipping_Rate(
        'free_first_order_shipping',
        __( 'Free Shipping (First Order)', 'woocommerce' ),
        0,
        array(),
        'free_shipping'
    );
    $rates['free_first_order_shipping'] = $free_shipping_rate;
    return $rates;
}

To remove all other shipping options and only display free shipping for new customers, uncomment the return array(...) line and remove the standard return $rates line.

Method 2: Automatically Apply First Order Discounts Using Plugin

The easiest way to create a WooCommerce first-order discount is by using a discount plugin. For this method, we will use the Disco WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discount Rules Plugin.

Using Disco, you can create an automatic WooCommerce first purchase discount without sharing any coupon code with customers. The discount will be applied automatically when the customer meets the first-order condition.

This method works for any WooCommerce store and is useful when you want to offer:

• Fixed amount WooCommerce first order discount
• Percentage WooCommerce first order discount
• Product-based first purchase discount
• Store-wide first order discount
• WooCommerce discount for first-time customers
• Automatic discount without coupon code

Let’s create a 20% WooCommerce first order discount using Disco.

Step 1: Go to Disco from Your WordPress Dashboard

After installing and activating the Disco plugin, go to your WordPress dashboard.

From the admin sidebar, navigate to:

Disco → Create a discount. This will take you to the discount campaign creation page.

Step 2: Add a Campaign Name and Select Your Discount Intent

Give the campaign a descriptive internal name (e.g., 20% off first order) and set the discount intent to Product-based discount. This name is for your reference only and will not be visible to customers.

Step 3: Set the Product Filter to “All Products”

Now, select your product filter.

Choose:

All products

This will apply the first order discount store-wide.

If you don’t want to offer the discount on every product, you can also narrow it down to specific products or product categories.

For example, you can apply the WooCommerce first purchase discount only to:

• Selected products
• Specific categories
• Featured items
• New arrivals
• Seasonal collections

But for this example, we will keep it simple and apply the discount to all products.

Step 4: Set a User Limit and Validity Date

Next, set a user limit and validity date for the discount campaign.

For example:

User limit: 100

This means only 100 eligible first-time customers can use the discount.

You can also set a validity date to control when the offer starts and ends. This helps you avoid keeping the campaign open forever.

This is useful for:

• Limited-time first order offers
• Holiday campaigns
• New customer acquisition campaigns
• Seasonal promotions
• Welcome discount campaigns

Step 5: Choose Your Discount Type and Value

Select Percentage discount and enter your discount value (e.g., 20 for 20% off). You can alternatively choose a fixed amount or free shipping here.

This will create a 20% discount for first-time customers.

You can also choose other discount types depending on your campaign goal, such as:

• Fixed discount
• Percentage discount
• Free shipping
• Product discount

For example, instead of 20% off, you can offer:

• $10 off first order
• 15% off first purchase
• Free shipping on first order
• $5 off selected products

Step 6: Set the Condition: “Is First Order = Yes”

This is the most important step.

Under the Conditions section, add the following rule:

Is First Order → Equal → Yes

This condition ensures the discount applies only to first-time customers.

That means the discount will be available only when the customer has no previous orders in your WooCommerce store. Returning customers will not receive this discount.

This is what makes it a true WooCommerce first order discount instead of a general discount campaign.

Step 7: Save and Activate Your First Order Discount

After configuring the discount rule, click:

Save. Your campaign is now live.

Any new customer placing their first order will automatically receive the discount. They don’t need to enter a coupon code manually.

As you can see, when the customer has no previous purchases, the discount is automatically applied to eligible products.

If the condition is set to Is First Order = Yes, Disco checks whether the customer is placing their first order and applies the discount automatically at checkout.

Returning customers are excluded without any manual work on your end.

This makes Disco a simple and effective WooCommerce first order discount plugin for creating automatic first purchase discounts, new customer discounts, and first-time buyer offers.

How to Restrict WooCommerce Discounts to First-Time Buyers Only

To prevent returning customers from claiming first-order discounts, use one or more of the following restriction methods.

1. Restriction by User Role

Limit coupon eligibility to the “Customer” role while excluding “Subscriber,” “Contributor,” or other roles. This is most effective for stores with membership tiers or wholesale programs.

2. Validation by Order History

WooCommerce can check a customer’s past transactions linked to their account or billing email. The system scans for orders with a “Completed” or “Processing” status. If the count is zero, the discount applies. This also prevents existing customers from using a new-customer code if they use their primary billing email.

3. Guest Customer Validation

For shoppers who check out as guests, systems can validate using the billing email, phone number, or IP address to prevent the same user from claiming multiple first-order discounts across different sessions.

Troubleshooting WooCommerce First-Order Discounts

Discount Applies to Returning Customers

This happens when the system only checks coupon usage count instead of verifying actual order history.

Fix: Configure validation using billing email or customer account order history. Check for previous orders with “Completed” or “Processing” status before applying the discount.

Guest Users Bypassing Restrictions

Some users attempt to reuse new-customer discounts by checking out as guests with different email addresses.

Fix: Require account creation before the discount applies. Use IP or device-based tracking or phone/SMS verification to limit one discount per unique user.

Discount Fails to Appear at Checkout

The discount may not trigger due to unmet conditions or plugin/theme conflicts.

Fix: Review coupon rules (minimum spend, product restrictions, expiry dates) in the Usage Restrictions settings. Disable caching on cart and checkout pages. Test with a default theme such as Storefront to isolate theme or custom code conflicts.

Best WooCommerce First Order Discount Plugin: Disco

Disco – WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discount Rules is a WooCommerce discount plugin designed for creating automatic pricing rules and conditional discount campaigns.

Using the “Is First Order” condition, Disco applies a discount automatically to new customers without requiring a coupon code. It supports percentage discounts, fixed amounts, free shipping, and product-level discounts.

Key Features

• Automatic discount application without a coupon code
• “Is First Order” condition for targeting new customers only
• Percentage, fixed amount, and free shipping discount types
• User limit and validity date controls per campaign
• Product-level, category-level, or store-wide discount targeting
• Compatible with standard WooCommerce checkout flow

Check the official Disco plugin page for current pricing and free plan availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• WooCommerce does not include a native first-order discount option; you need custom code or a plugin.
• Custom PHP code using woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees can apply fixed, percentage, or free shipping discounts to logged-in first-time buyers.
• The Disco plugin lets you create automatic first purchase discounts using the “Is First Order = Yes” condition with no coupon code required.
• Restrict first-order discounts to new customers by validating order history via billing email, account ID, or a dedicated plugin condition.
• For guest checkout abuse prevention, use billing email or phone number validation in addition to account-based checks.
• First-order discounts work best when combined with email capture, so you can follow up with returning customer campaigns.
• Test discounts in a new incognito session with a fresh account before publishing any code-based changes.