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The WooCommerce minimum order amount refers to the smallest amount of money a customer must spend to complete a purchase from an online store. Retailers or service providers often set this requirement to ensure that transactions are economically viable for the business, covering costs like shipping, handling, or processing fees.
In this tutorial, we want to show you how to set the minimum order amount in WooCommerce with two methods:
- Set minimum order amount WooCommerce programmatically
- Set WooCommerce minimum order value with plugin
Before going through a step-by-step guide for using both methods, let’s review the minimum order amount for WooCommerce and why you need it.
What is the WooCommerce minimum order amount?
The minimum order amount in WooCommerce is a feature enabling online store owners to set a required purchase threshold before customers can complete checkout. It can help businesses manage costs, incentivize larger orders, and improve profitability.
Retailers often set minimum order amounts to offset shipping fees, reduce administrative overhead on small transactions, or promote bulk purchases. For example, a store might require a $50 minimum to qualify for free shipping or apply the rule during promotions.
How to set minimum order amount in WooCommerce
To set a minimum order spend in WooCommerce, you can use either a PHP code or a plugin, depending on your needs.
Here’s how to do it:
Set minimum order amount WooCommerce programmatically
Using PHP code to set a WooCommerce minimum order amount allows for custom control over checkout requirements. Adding a few lines of code to your theme’s functions.php file allows you to apply the minimum order amount for WooCommerce in your store, ensuring orders meet your profitability and operational goals.
Before inserting custom PHP code into a WordPress website, users must take several precautions to avoid functionality issues:
- Backup Your Site: Always create a **full backup** (files + database) using plugins like UpdraftPlus or your hosting provider’s tools. This allows quick recovery if the code breaks the site.
- Use a Child Theme: Avoid editing theme files directly. Use a child theme to add custom PHP code, ensuring updates don’t overwrite your changes.
- Ask an expert to apply the code: If you have no experience in coding, consult a developer or use trusted plugins instead of inserting code by yourself.
By getting the above-mentioned points, try to get access to the theme functions, from your WordPress dashboard, by navigating to Wordpress Dashboard> Appearance > Theme Editor.
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In the theme editor page, find the Functions.php file on the right side of the screen.
To apply the WooCommerce minimum order amount, copy the code snippet below and paste it into the Functions.php file:
add_action( 'WooCommerce_check_cart_items', 'required_min_cart_subtotal_amount' );
function required_min_cart_subtotal_amount() {
    // HERE Set minimum cart total amount
    $minimum_amount = 200;
    // Total (before taxes and shipping charges)
    $cart_subtotal = WC()->cart->subtotal;
    // Add an error notice is cart total is less than the minimum required
    if( $cart_subtotal < $minimum_amount ) {
        // Display an error message
        wc_add_notice( '<strong>' . sprintf( __("A minimum total purchase amount of %s is required to checkout."), wc_price($minimum_amount) ) . '<strong>', 'error' );
    }
}
Press the Update button to run the code:
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In this code, the WooCommerce minimum amount has been set to $200.
So, if the order value is less than $200, the customers cannot proceed to checkout and they will receive a notification as shown below that informs them about the applied rule in the store.
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They must increase the number of products or add more products to their carts to meet the condition and complete their purchase.
You can replace 200 with any other value you wish in the above code to change the minimum order price in WooCommerce.
Set WooCommerce minimum order value with plugin
If you find the previous method so complicated or you prefer a low-risk and straightforward method, we recommend you to use the WooCommerce min max quantity plugin.
To set the minimum order amount in WooCommerce with this plugin, just follow the simple steps below:
Step 1: Install WooCommerce min max quantity plugin
The first step is to purchase and install the ZIP file of the WooCommerce min max quantity plugin on your WordPress website. Then you need to activate it by navigating to WordPress > iThemeland > License and insert the license key in the form.
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Now, you are ready to set the WooCommerce minimum cart amount rule by following the next steps.
Step 2: Set WooCommerce minimum order price rule
To create a WooCommerce minimum order value rule in the plugin, open its main page by navigating to WordPress Dashboard > iThemeland > Min Max Quantity.
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Then in the General tab, find the Cart Restrictions section. It has two options, including:
- Enable cart quantity restriction
- Enable cart spend restriction
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To set a rule for WooCommerce order minimum amount, you need to:
- Activate the Enable cart spend restriction option.
- Insert the value in the Minimum spend restriction field.
- Mark the following items if needed (They are optional):
- Include shipping rates and relative fees: If you enable this option, it means the total amount of customer cart including the shipping rates and other fees should be more than the specified threshold.
- Prevent coupons calculation: If you mark this option, the coupon amount won’t be calculated on the spending limit.
- Press Save settings to apply the rule.
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Step 3: Set notification for minimum order value about applied rule
Once you add minimum order amount in WooCommerce, it is time to set a notification to inform customers about the applied rule in your store.
To do this, open the Notification tab and locate the Cart Page Error Messages section.
You can see a default message for Minimum Cart quantity not reached field. If you find this notification perfect, there is no need to make any changes. The plugin will automatically show a notification to the customers if the total amount of their carts doesn’t meet the requirements.
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However, you can always customize this notification by inserting your custom message in the textbox. You have also more flexibility in message customization by inserting the following placeholders in your text:
- {Limit}: To show the spend/quantity limits of the rule in the message
- {Cart_quantity}: To show the current total cart quantity in the message
- {Cart_quote}
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Example 1: WooCommerce set minimum order amount to $100
If you want to enforce customers order more than $100 from your store, follow the below steps:
- Mark Enable cart spend restrictions.
- Write 100 in the textbox of the Minimum spend restriction.
- Click on the Save Settings button.
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By applying this rule, when the total value of customer orders is less than $100, they will receive a notice to be informed about the minimum order amount on the WooCommerce cart page.
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Other features of WooCommerce min max quantity plugin
Set minimum order amount WooCommerce is not the only feature available in the WooCommerce min max quantity plugin. There are flexible options for applying rules on product quantity, order quantity, and every other limitation that you need.
Let’s review some of these features.
Set Cart quantity restriction rule in WooCommerce
One of the most popular limitations rule that store managers may need is applying cart quantity restrictions. It is useful when you want to limit the minimum and maximum number of products that customers can add to their cart.
WooCommerce min max quantity plugin is a powerful tool that allows you to set custom cart quantity restriction rules fast and easily.
For example, if you want to guide customers not to add more than 20 items to their carts, you can easily set a maximum quantity limit to 20.
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You can find a complete guide about how to set limit order quantity limit in WooCommerce in this tutorial.
Add restrictions rules to WooCommerce product categories/tags
If you have various categories on your e-commerce store, applying restrictions on one or more of them is very common.
The WooCommerce min max quantity plugin allows you to set both quantity and spending restrictions on WooCommerce product categories or tags.Â
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To apply the spend restriction rule on a specific category/tag, try to:
- Mark Enable category spend restrictions.
- Set Minimum spend restriction and Maximum Spend restriction to the related fields.
- Press Save Options to apply the rule to all product categories and tags in your store.
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Why do you need to set the WooCommerce minimum order amount?
WooCommerce minimum cart amount is a common practice in various industries, particularly in retail, e-commerce, and service-based businesses. Here are some reasons why online stores might implement a minimum spend limit:
Covering Costs
A minimum spend helps ensure that each transaction is economically viable. For example, businesses need to cover the costs of processing payments, packaging, and shipping. If the transaction value is too low, the business might not make a profit or could even lose money.
Encouraging Larger Purchases
By setting a WooCommerce minimum order price, businesses can encourage customers to add more items to their cart, thereby increasing the average order value. This can lead to higher revenue and better utilization of resources.
Efficiency in Operations
Processing small orders can be just as time-consuming as larger ones. A WooCommerce minimum order value can help streamline operations by reducing the number of small, less profitable transactions, allowing the business to focus on more significant orders.
Delivery and Service Costs
For businesses that offer delivery or other services, a WooCommerce order minimum amount can help offset the costs associated with these services. For instance, delivering a small order might not be cost-effective due to fuel and labor costs.
Customer Experience
In some cases, setting a minimum order amount can improve the customer experience by ensuring that customers receive a certain level of value or service. For example, a restaurant might set a minimum spend for delivery to ensure that the order is worth the effort and cost of delivery.
Market Positioning
Some businesses use minimum order prices as part of their market positioning strategy. For example, luxury brands might set higher minimum spending to maintain an exclusive image and attract a certain type of customer.
What are the advantages of the minimum order amount for WooCommerce
Implementing a WooCommerce minimum order amount can offer several advantages for online store owners. This feature is particularly useful for managing costs, improving profitability, and enhancing the overall efficiency of your e-commerce operations. Here are the key advantages:
Increase Average Order Value (AOV)
If you know how to set a minimum order amount in WooCommerce, you can encourage customers to add more items to their cart to meet the threshold. This can lead to larger purchases and higher revenue per transaction.
Cover Operational Costs
Small orders can be unprofitable due to costs like payment processing fees, packaging, and shipping. A minimum spend ensures that each order is economically viable.
Reduce Small, Unprofitable Orders
Processing small orders can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. A minimum order value helps filter out orders that may not be worth the effort, allowing you to focus on larger, more profitable transactions.
Encourage Upselling and Cross-Selling
Customers who need to meet a minimum spend threshold are more likely to explore additional products, leading to upselling (higher-value items) or cross-selling (related products).
Offset Shipping Costs
If you offer free or discounted shipping, a minimum spend ensures that the cost of shipping is covered by the order value. This prevents losses on small orders.
Streamline Inventory Management
Larger orders mean fewer transactions to process, which can simplify inventory management and reduce the frequency of restocking.
Reduce Cart Abandonment
When customers are close to reaching the minimum spend threshold, they are more likely to complete their purchase rather than abandon their cart. This can improve your conversion rate.
Position Your Brand
A minimum spend can help position your brand as premium or exclusive, especially if you sell high-quality or luxury products. It sets an expectation of value for your customers.
Boost Profit Margins
By ensuring that every order meets a minimum value, you can maintain healthier profit margins, especially when combined with other strategies like upselling or bundling.
Conclusion
Set WooCommerce minimum order amount is a strategic way to improve profitability, streamline operations, and enhance the customer experience. By encouraging larger purchases and covering costs, you can create a more sustainable and efficient e-commerce business. However, it’s important to balance the minimum spend threshold with customer expectations to avoid driving potential buyers away.WooCommerce min max quantity plugin is the best solution for creating flexible rules and setting minimum order amount for WooCommerce with different scenarios to meet your requirements.