Are you tired of the limitations of WooCommerce’s default coupon system? While coupons can be effective, they often fall short when it comes to creating dynamic, automated discounts based on cart totals. Fortunately, there’s a better way to implement these promotions and drive sales in your e-commerce store.
By using a discount plugin, you can automate your WooCommerce cart discounts and unlock a whole new level of flexibility. From bulk discounts and minimum cart value offers to storewide sales and Buy One Get One (BOGO) deals, the possibilities are endless.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up various types of cart-based discounts in WooCommerce using the WooCommerce Discounts plugin. You’ll learn how to easily create discounts based on cart totals, implement tiered pricing structures, and set up enticing BOGO offers.
Step-by-step guide to setting up cart total discounts
How to automatically apply discounts based on cart total
Cart total discounts are a powerful tool for e-commerce stores as they encourage customers to spend more by offering better deals for larger purchases.
To set up automatic cart total discounts in WooCommerce, follow these steps using the WooCommerce Discounts plugin:
- Install and activate the WooCommerce Discounts plugin.
- Navigate to WooCommerce → Marketing→ Discounts.
- Click Add New and choose the type of discount; in our case, this will be a flat percentage discount.
- Set a name for your discount rule (e.g. “10% OFF for carts above $100”). Then, set the start and end dates for the discount.
- Select whether you want to make a storewide sale or only apply the discount to specific products. Then, you need to choose the discount amount type – Percentage discount and input the amount. In this case we’re offering 10% off all products.
- The next step is where you’ll define the conditions – the cart subtotal needed for the discount to be applied.
- You can also specify any additional conditions, such as applicable products or customer roles. For example, you could make this discount apply only to users logged in as wholesalers.
- Click Save discount to activate your new cart total discount.
How to create tiered discounts based on quantity or spend
Tiered and quantity discounts are an excellent way to encourage customers to buy more. By offering better deals for larger purchases, you can increase your average order value while giving customers a sense of getting more value for their money.
To set up tiered discounts in the WooCommerce Discounts plugin, follow these steps:
- Go to WooCommerce → Marketing → Discounts and choose the Quantity discounts option.
- Set a name for your rule (e.g. a 20% discount for wholesalers).
- Select the products or categories to which this rule applies.
- Set up your tiers. In this example, we’re offering:
- Tier 1: 10% off for more than 100 items, up to 500
- Tier 2: 15% discount for 500-999 items
- Tier 3: 1,000+ items, 20% discount
- Write up specific content you want to include on eligible items, such as a tiered discount table, and choose its location.
- Set any additional conditions, such as the customer roles.
- Save your changes to activate your tiered discount.
These tiered discounts will automatically apply to eligible orders, encouraging customers to increase their purchase amount to reach the next discount level.
How to set up BOGO (Buy One Get One) offers in WooCommerce
BOGO offers are a popular and effective way to boost sales, clear inventory, and attract new customers.
You can create various BOGO types:
- Classic BOGO: Buy 1, get an identical item free
- Buy X, Get Y: Buy a product, get a different (often complementary) product free or discounted
- Buy 2, Get 1 Free: Encourage larger purchases
Tips for effective BOGO campaigns:
- Choose products strategically (e.g. overstocked items or new products)
- Set clear terms and communicate them to customers
- Create urgency with limited-time offers
- Monitor performance and adjust as needed
With the WooCommerce Discounts plugin, you can easily set up various BOGO deals in your store. Here’s how:
- From the Discounts tab, select Free products as the discount type.
- Name your BOGO offer (e.g. “Buy 1 Shirt, Get 1 Free”).
- Choose the discount mode – whether you want to give out the same products or a different one for free. To make it more convenient for your clients, you can also toggle the option to add eligible products automatically in the cart.
- Select the exact products and their “Buy” and “Get” quantities.
- Set any additional conditions, such as applicable customer roles or date range.
- Activate your BOGO offer.
Best practices for maximizing your discount strategy
1. Set clear discount rules
Establishing specific, transparent discount thresholds is crucial for managing customer expectations and avoiding confusion. For example, you can do “10% off orders over $100” or a fixed quantity offer such as “Buy 3 items, get the 4th free”.
The WooCommerce Discounts plugin simplifies this process by providing user-friendly interfaces for setting up complex rules and allowing you to add custom content on eligible products to make things even easier.
2. Enhance the visibility of discounts
Make your discounts impossible to miss:
- Display them prominently on product, cart, and checkout pages
- Use eye-catching banners or pop-ups to draw attention to active offers
- Highlight discounts in product listings to encourage clicks
The WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches (WQDRS) plugin offers customizable swatch settings, allowing you to visually represent discounts directly on product pages.
3. Promote urgency and exclusivity
Create a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to drive conversions:
- Implement limited-time offers (e.g. “24-hour flash sale”)
- Use countdown timers to highlight when a deal will end
- Offer exclusive discounts to specific customer groups (e.g. members, first-time buyers)
The WooCommerce Discounts plugin supports scheduling and user-role-specific discounts, making it easy to implement these custom pricing strategies.
4. Monitor and adjust strategies
Regularly analyze the performance of your discount campaigns:
- Track key metrics like conversion rates, average order value, and total revenue
- Use built-in WooCommerce reports or integrate with analytics tools for deeper insights
- A/B test different discount types, amounts, and messaging to find what resonates best with your audience
Be prepared to adjust your sales strategies based on these insights. What works for one product category or customer segment might not work for another.
5. Balance profitability and value
While discounts can drive sales, they can also eat into your profits if not managed carefully. Here are a few tips:
- Calculate the minimum discount needed to motivate purchases
- Consider offering free shipping instead of product discounts
- Bundle slow-moving items with popular products in your discounts
Use the advanced settings of the WooCommerce Discounts plugin to set minimum purchase amounts or exclude certain products from discounts to maintain profitability.
6. Personalize offers
Tailor discounts to individual customer behavior and preferences:
- Offer discounts on products related to a customer’s past purchases
- Provide loyalty discounts for repeat customers
- Send personalized discount codes via email for abandoned carts
Start boosting your sales with advanced discount strategies today
Implementing smart discount strategies in your WooCommerce store can be a game-changer for your e-commerce business. With advanced techniques like cart total discounts, tiered pricing, and BOGO offers, you directly increase your average order value, reduce cart abandonment, and foster customer loyalty.
The WooCommerce Discounts and WQDRS plugins provide powerful tools to easily set up and manage these sophisticated discount rules. With features like dynamic pricing, scheduling capabilities, and user role-based discounts, you have everything you need to create targeted, effective promotions.
Don’t let the limitations of basic coupon codes hold your store back. Take action today and get started with WooCommerce Discounts!
