Quantity-based pricing is a smart strategy that offers customers discounts when they purchase multiple items, encouraging them to buy more. For WooCommerce store owners, this approach is mostly used to increase average order values, help move inventory faster, and create happier customers who feel they’re getting better value.
This pricing model is universally good, but it works exceptionally well for wholesale relationships, limited-time sales events, and when you need to clear stock quickly.
So, if that sounds like something you need in your online store, continue reading as we walk you through exactly how to set up quantity-based pricing on your WooCommerce store.
Step-by-step guide to WooCommerce quantity-based pricing
With the right plugin, setting up quantity-based pricing in WooCommerce is easier than you might think. WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches (WQDRS) provides all the tools you need to implement flexible pricing strategies that encourage larger purchases. Let’s walk through how to set up each component.
Setting up tiered pricing discounts
Tiered pricing allows you to offer progressive discounts as customers purchase more items. This strategy works particularly well for consumable products or items commonly bought in bulk.
- Navigate to Products → All Products and edit the product you want to modify.
- Set your regular price. For simple products, look for the General panel and for variable products, open the Variations panel → Bulk Actions → Set regular prices.
- Go to Quantity Options to set your tiered pricing type:
- Fixed price: Enter the exact amount customers will pay per item.
- Percentage: Enter the discount percentage to be applied.
- Add your tiers by specifying quantities and corresponding prices.
- Choose the quantity selector type from the available ready options, or choose to design your own.
- Save your changes and check if everything shows up correctly at the front end.
Real-world example: If you sell coffee beans at $20 per bag, you might set tiers like:
- 1 bag: $20 (regular price)
- 3 bags: $18 each (10% discount)
- 5 bags: $16 each (20% discount)
- 10 bags: $15 each (25% discount)
This encourages coffee enthusiasts to stock up while giving you larger orders and improved inventory turnover.
Setting minimum and maximum quantities
Controlling purchase quantities helps manage inventory and customer expectations while potentially increasing your average order value. You set a minimum quantity if you want to enforce a floor on purchases, and you set a maximum quantity if you need to limit how much a single customer can buy.
For simple products, you can do this in the Quantity options tab:
For variations, you need to edit this for each one individually by going to the Variations tab:
Real-world example: A specialty bakery might set:
- Minimum: 6 cupcakes (to make packaging and shipping efficient)
- Maximum: 36 cupcakes (to ensure freshness and manage production capacity)
These rules prevent unprofitable small orders while ensuring you can fulfill all purchases with your available resources.
Implementing interval-based pricing
Interval-based pricing (step intervals) restricts purchases to specific quantity increments, which is perfect for products naturally sold in packs or sets. Similar to the minimum and maximum quantity settings, you can find this configuration in the Quantity options for simple products and the Variations tab for the variations.
Real-world example: If you sell custom greeting cards that ship in packs of 5:
- Set step interval to 5.
- Now customers can only purchase in increments of 5 cards (5, 10, 15, etc.).
- This aligns your sales with your packaging and shipping processes.
This approach streamlines your operations while making product quantities more intuitive for customers.
Enhancing visibility with quantity swatches
The standard WooCommerce quantity selector doesn’t effectively communicate discount opportunities. WQDRS transforms this with visually appealing quantity swatches that highlight savings.
- Navigate to the Quantity options tab when editing your product.
- Under Quantity selector type, select Swatches.
- Add a Quantity title like “Select your quantity” and configure the number of items per row for desktop and mobile displays.
- Create your quantity swatches with:
- Quantity value
- Main label
- Byline for additional information
- Highlight text to emphasize savings
- Save your settings and check the front end!
The real power comes from dynamic shortcodes that automatically calculate and display values like [discount_percent] or [old_price], ensuring customers always see accurate pricing information.
These visual cues make the value proposition immediately clear: “Buy more, save more” becomes instantly understandable rather than hidden in text.
Best practices for launching quantity-based discounts in WooCommerce
The most important rule for any type of discount is that you shouldn’t create them just for the sake of it – there needs to be a strategic approach that drives real business results. So, here’s how to get it right:
- Define goals: Start with clear objectives for your discount strategy. Are you looking to increase average order value, clear seasonal inventory, or build customer loyalty? Your specific goal will determine how you structure your discount tiers.
- Select products wisely: Not all products benefit equally from quantity pricing. Focus on items with healthy margins, repeat purchase potential, or complementary products that make sense in multiples.
- Set clear rules: Keep your discount structure simple and intuitive. Customers should immediately understand the value proposition – “Buy 3, get 10% off each” is more effective than complex formulas that confuse shoppers.
- Promote discounts effectively: Don’t hide your quantity discounts. Use visually striking quantity swatches to highlight savings directly on product pages where purchase decisions happen.
- Monitor performance metrics: Track not just overall sales but specific KPIs like average order value, inventory turnover rate, and profit margins to ensure your discount strategy delivers actual business value.
- Test and optimize continuously: Start with conservative discounts and gradually refine based on customer behavior data. A/B test different thresholds and discount percentages to find your sweet spot.
Increase sales with quantity-based pricing today
Implementing quantity-based pricing in your WooCommerce store is a strategic advantage that drives real business results. Customers naturally spend more when incentivized with tiered discounts, boosting your revenue per transaction without increasing acquisition costs. They also love getting value, and quantity discounts create a win-win where customers save money while you make more.
Besides delivering higher earnings, quantity discounts benefit businesses by giving them a competitive advantage in an overcrowded market and helping them be smarter in their inventory management. When you encourage bulk purchases of overstocked items or create predictable ordering patterns, you can make your supply chain much more efficient.
However, success requires a thoughtful approach:
- Start with a clear strategy tied to specific business objectives.
- Choose the right tools – WQDRS provides the complete toolkit needed for implementation without technical headaches.
- Most importantly, track results and refine your approach based on actual customer behavior.
Quantity-based pricing transforms your business model from one-off purchases to higher-value, relationship-building transactions. WQDRS makes this transformation accessible to any store owner through its intuitive interface and powerful customization options. Ready to give your sales a much-needed boost? Download WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches today and start turning browsers into bulk buyers.
