Coupon Code
A coupon code is a short alphanumeric string—entered by a customer at checkout—that applies a pre-configured discount to an order. Store owners create the code and define its rules; the customer...
Coupon Code
A coupon code is a short alphanumeric string—entered by a customer at checkout—that applies a pre-configured discount to an order. Store owners create the code and define its rules; the customer types it in; the cart recalculates.
Answer capsule: A coupon code is a unique string (e.g.,
SAVE20) that triggers a discount rule when entered at checkout. In WooCommerce, codes are created under Marketing → Coupons, where you set the discount type (percentage, fixed cart, fixed product), value, usage limits, and expiry date. Codes are case-insensitive by default.
This is for store owners and freelancers setting up WooCommerce for the first time. No plugin coding required.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on WPSchool use affiliate codes. We only recommend tools we’ve tested ourselves.
How coupon codes work in WooCommerce
WooCommerce ships with a built-in coupon engine—no additional plugin needed. Navigate to Marketing → Coupons → Add coupon, enter your code string, choose a discount type, and set a value. We see this setup on nearly every client WooCommerce store we configure.
Three discount types are available as of WooCommerce 8.x:
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Percentage discount | Reduces the cart total by X% |
| Fixed cart discount | Subtracts a flat amount from the entire cart |
| Fixed product discount | Subtracts a flat amount from specific products only |
What configuration options matter most
Beyond the discount value, four settings determine whether a coupon works as intended:
- Usage limit per coupon — caps how many times the code can be redeemed total (e.g., 100 uses for a launch promotion).
- Usage limit per user — restricts each customer to one redemption; requires the customer to be logged in or to match by email.
- Expiry date — the code stops working at midnight on the set date.
- Minimum spend — prevents the code from applying to orders below a threshold, which we use on nearly every wholesale client site to protect margins.
In our testing on WooCommerce 8.6, a coupon with no usage limit and no expiry date remains active indefinitely—easy to overlook during a time-limited campaign.
One gotcha most tutorials skip
WooCommerce does not automatically disable a coupon when a product goes on sale. If you apply a 20% coupon on top of a product already marked 30% off, both discounts stack. This is expected behavior, but we’ve seen it catch store owners off guard during sale periods. Set “Cannot be used in conjunction with other coupons” in the Usage Restriction tab to prevent this.
Related terms
Additional reading
- How to set up WooCommerce coupons — full tutorial
- Best WooCommerce discount plugins compared
- WooCommerce Coupon documentation (official docs)
Last verified: April 2026