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Ever run a sale and realize the discount is getting applied to the cheapest item in the cart? Yeah, that’s not exactly what most store owners have in mind, especially when you’re trying to give a solid deal without slicing too deep into your margins.
If you’ve ever wished WooCommerce had a built-in way to automatically apply a discount to just the most expensive item in the cart, you’re not alone. The good news? It’s totally doable. You just need to know how to set it up.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the exact steps to make it happen, using the WebToffee Smart Coupons plugin.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways:
- Applying discounts to the most expensive item in the cart helps you offer meaningful deals without cutting too deep into your margins.
- WooCommerce doesn’t support this out of the box, but the Smart Coupons plugin by WebToffee makes it easy to set up automated, targeted discounts.
- It’s a simple yet strategic way to boost customer satisfaction and increase average order value.
1. Avoid Unnecessary Margin Cuts
Blanket discounts can be a little reckless. When you apply a percentage off to everything in the cart, you’re not just being generous, you’re potentially cutting into profits on items already priced competitively. By shifting the focus to just the most expensive item, you’re essentially rewarding the customer where it counts, without risking the overall health of your bottom line.
2. Make the Discount Feel More Valuable
It’s also a great psychological play. Think about it from the shopper’s perspective: if they add multiple products to the cart and see the biggest-ticket item get the discount, that feels like a real win. It’s a tangible saving they can see and appreciate. Compare that to a minor discount on a $5 item—it doesn’t move the needle. But 20% off a $100 product? Now you’ve got their attention.
3. Encourage Bigger Carts
It encourages larger orders. If customers know the most expensive item will get the discount, they’re more likely to add more—and pricier—items to their cart. It nudges them to “upgrade” their purchase or toss in a higher-value product they might’ve skipped. This can subtly increase your average order value (AOV) without needing to upsell aggressively.
4. Keep Promotions Simple and Focused
This tactic also works beautifully with promotional campaigns. Running a flash sale? Instead of cutting prices across your catalog, just offer the discount on the highest-priced item—it keeps things simple and sharp. And if you sell items in ranges (like small, medium, and premium tiers), this lets you promote your higher-end products while still offering a solid deal.
5. Gain Better Control Over Discount Logic
Lastly, it gives you more control over how discounts are applied. In WooCommerce, default coupon settings are pretty broad—you apply a discount, and it either hits everything or follows basic rules. But targeting the most expensive item lets you fine-tune your strategy. You’re not just throwing out discounts randomly—you’re making them count where they make the biggest impact.
To offer discounts on the most expensive item in the cart, we will be using the WooCommerce Smart Coupons plugin by WebToffee. After installing the plugin on your WooCommerce website, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Create a New Discount Offer in WooCommerce
- Go to Smart Coupons > BOGO from your WordPress dashboard.
- Click on the plus + icon to create a custom BOGO offer.
- Select Cheapest/Most Expensive as the offer type.
- Click on Continue to proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Configure the Discount Offer
Configure the coupon settings as below:
- Customer gets: Select “Most expensive item in cart” to ensure the discount applies only to the priciest product.
- In quantity of: Enter 1 to apply the discount to just one item, not multiple.
- With a: Choose “Discount” to reduce the item’s price instead of setting a fixed final price.
- Discount type: Pick “Percentage” and set it to 20% (or whatever rate you want to offer).
- Include free shipping (optional): Tick the box if you also want to offer free shipping along with the discount.
Step 3: Set the Trigger Conditions for the Discount
- Set the minimum and maximum number of items a customer needs to add to their cart for the discount to be available.
- After making necessary changes, click on the Save & Activate button to publish the discount.
Here’s a preview of the discount applied to the most expensive item in the cart:
Steps to configure automatic discount in WooCommerce
1. Install and activate the Smart Coupons plugin on your WooCommerce site.
2. Go to Smart Coupons > BOGO from your WordPress dashboard to create a new offer.
3. Choose your discount logic—like “most expensive item in cart,” “BOGO deals,” or “cart total-based offers.”
4. Configure the discount settings (type, amount, and conditions) based on your campaign goals.
5. Publish the discount, and it will automatically apply during checkout—no coupon code needed.
Yes! If you’re using the Smart Coupons plugin, there’s an option to combine the product discount with free shipping. Just check the box that says Include free shipping, while setting up your discount.
No. You can enable the coupons to be automatically applied at checkout without a coupon code.
Giving discounts doesn’t have to mean giving away your margins. By targeting the most expensive item in the cart, you can offer deals that feel generous to your customers and smart for your business. It’s all about creating value where it matters most, without discounting every single item.
With the Smart Coupons for WooCommerce plugin by WebToffee, setting this up is quick, flexible, and completely code-free. Whether you’re running a limited-time campaign or looking to boost average order value long-term, this strategy gives you better control over your promos and a cleaner checkout experience for your shoppers.
Try it out, experiment with what works for your store, and watch how a small tweak in your discount logic can make a big impact on conversions.
