How Do You Set Up Discount Codes and Coupons in WooCommerce?

To set up a discount code in WooCommerce, go to Marketing, then Coupons, then Add coupon. Enter a code, choose a discount type and amount, set your limits, and publish. It takes about five minutes, and the real skill is choosing limits that bring in sales without eating your margin.

Before you start: switch coupons on

Coupons are built into WooCommerce, so you do not need a plugin for the basics. Check that they are enabled under WooCommerce, then Settings, then General, and tick “Enable the use of coupon codes”. Without that tick, shoppers will not see the coupon field at checkout.

Creating your first coupon

Go to Marketing, then Coupons, then Add coupon. Give it a short code that is easy to type, such as WELCOME10 or SPRING15. Avoid anything long or full of look-alike characters. Then choose a discount type:

• Percentage discount: takes a set percent off the cart. Good for welcome offers and sales.
• Fixed cart discount: takes a set dollar amount off the whole order, for example $10 off.
• Fixed product discount: takes a dollar amount off specific products only.

You can also tick “Allow free shipping” if the coupon should unlock free freight. That works well alongside a minimum spend.

Set limits so the offer stays profitable

The Usage restriction and Usage limits tabs are where you protect your margin. The ones we use most often are:

• Minimum spend: for example 10% off orders over $100, which nudges shoppers to add one more item.
• Individual use only: stops customers stacking several codes on one order.
• Exclude sale items: avoids discounting products that are already reduced.
• Expiry date: gives the offer a clear end, which creates a little healthy urgency.
• Usage limit per coupon and per user: caps the total cost, and stops one person using a welcome code ten times.

Work out your margin first. A 20% code on a product with a 25% margin leaves very little once payment fees and freight are counted. If you are unsure, a fixed dollar amount with a minimum spend is often safer than a big percentage.

Check GST and shipping behave as expected

If your store charges GST, place a test order with the coupon applied and check the totals. Make sure GST is calculated on the discounted price and that shipping is handled the way you intended. Our guide to setting up GST in WooCommerce covers the tax settings that sit behind this.

Test it like a customer

Before you announce anything, open your store in a private browser window, add a product, and apply the code at the cart and at checkout. Try it with a cart below the minimum spend to confirm it is refused with a sensible message. Then try it on mobile, where most shoppers will use it. A coupon that fails quietly at checkout is worse than no coupon at all.

Promote it without training people to wait

If you discount constantly, customers learn never to pay full price. Keep codes for a reason: a first-order welcome offer, a seasonal sale, a thank-you to email subscribers, or a recovery email to someone who left items in their cart. Put the code in your email, on a banner, or in a pop-up, and make sure it is clearly visible where it applies.

Also remember that a code is only one part of a healthy store. Clear product pages, honest shipping costs and a simple checkout will do more for your sales over time. If you would like a hand tuning your store, have a look at our WooCommerce development and services pages, or see some of our recent work.

Need a hand with your store?

If you would like help setting up coupons, or getting more from your WooCommerce store, call us on 02 9834 4119 or get in touch here. We are happy to talk it through in plain English.