What is Coupon Stacking in WooCommerce?

If you are wondering what WooCommerce coupon stacking is, this guide is for you. Allowing shoppers to combine multiple coupons and discounts can help drive more sales while enhancing the customer experience.

So, what exactly is coupon stacking? Simply put, coupon stacking lets shoppers use multiple discount codes in a single transaction. At first glance, this might seem like more of a benefit for shoppers than for store owners.

However, when implemented strategically, coupon stacking offers certain advantages for businesses as well. And that’s precisely what we will be exploring here: what coupon stacking is and how WooCommerce store owners can benefit from it.

Now, with that set, let’s start exploring what coupon stacking is and how it benefits WooCommerce store owners.

As a store owner, you’re always seeking ways to drive sales, right? We’ve discussed various strategies, such as offering free gift cards with purchases or implementing loyalty and referral programs. While providing coupons and discount codes is a given, applying a WooCommerce coupon stacking strategy can either work wonders or cause complications.

WooCommerce coupon stacking for shoppers allows combining multiple coupon codes and discounts to minimize their out-of-pocket expenses. The primary motivation for their purchase decision is achieving maximum savings.

When it comes to store owners, configuring coupon stacking can provide a significant competitive edge. Imagine a scenario where a customer has two stores to choose from: one allows shoppers to combine discount codes for a single purchase, while the other does not. The most probable case here is that they will likely choose the store that allows coupon stacking.

Also, beyond attracting customers, allowing coupon stacking incentivizes shoppers to make more purchases. When they are given the option to combine multiple coupons, customers often spend more than they originally planned. Plus, coupon stacking can help you clear stock without resorting to a store-wide inventory clearance sale.

Does coupon stacking sound like a smart strategy for your WooCommerce store? Let’s explore its potential in this comprehensive guide to WooCommerce coupon stacking.

When it comes to coupon stacking, there are two cases to consider. The first involves first-time shoppers who land on your WooCommerce store through promotional codes and decide to make a purchase upon discovering multiple applicable coupons. The second case is frequent shoppers who return to your store with stacked coupons ready to use.

In both cases, the idea of coupon stacking is the same. It begins with shoppers seeking the best available deals. When deciding on a purchase, customers often browse websites and social media to find the most attractive coupons and discounts. These can include store coupons, manufacturer coupons, store credits, and promo codes.

Once shoppers identify various coupons they can use, they start stacking them. This means they save and combine multiple coupons and discount codes to maximize their savings. At checkout, they apply these stacked coupons to enjoy greater discounts.

And that’s how coupon stacking works. It works by following a simple process: collecting coupons, stacking them, and using them to maximize customer savings. While the fundamentals remain the same, the rules can vary between stores. Some retailers may limit the number of coupons that can be combined or specify which types of discounts are eligible for stacking.

Before exploring WooCommerce coupon stacking, let’s look at how the default WooCommerce coupon system operates. By default, WooCommerce lets a single coupon application per order. This works well for most discount strategies, such as offering a percentage off or a fixed cart discount.

Now that you understand the difference between applying a single coupon and combining multiple coupons, you might wonder how to enable this WooCommerce coupon stacking.

The good news is that you can easily create and manage multiple WooCommerce coupons and enable WooCommerce coupon stacking with the help of a plugin, such as Smart Coupons for WooCommerce by WebToffee. Let’s explore this in more detail next.

In order to enable coupon stacking in WooCommerce, the first step is to create coupons. WooCommerce, by default, provides features to create basic coupons. However, to enable coupon stacking and create advanced WooCommerce coupons, you need a powerful tool like Smart Coupons for WooCommerce.

This plugin stands out as one of the best available coupon plugins, with over 30,000 active installations and reviews highlighting its reliability. WooCommerce Smart Coupons is available in both free and paid versions. You can easily install and activate the free version from the WordPress plugin repository.

All coupons created using the Smart Coupons for WooCommerce plugin are enabled for coupon stacking by default. This makes it easy for store owners who wish to allow customers to combine multiple coupon codes.

To disable the WooCommerce coupon stacking and prevent customers from using multiple coupons, follow the steps below:

• To create a WooCommerce coupon code, go to Smart Coupons > Add coupon.
• Input the key coupon details, such as coupon type, coupon amount, etc, in the General tab.
• Then go to the Usage restrictions tab and enable the Individual use only option. When you opt for this, this coupon cannot be used with other coupon codes.
• After reviewing the settings, click on Publish.

That’s all there is to deploying coupon stacking in WooCommerce stores and creating new discount codes. For a detailed guide on Smart Coupons, you can refer to our guide linked below.

Now that we’ve explored what coupon stacking is and how to enable and disable it in WooCommerce, let’s move on to the benefits of WooCommerce coupon stacking for store owners.

We glimpsed through the few benefits of WooCommerce coupon stacking for store owners and customers. Here are the advantages for store owners in more detail.

• One of the most significant benefits is its impact on the average order value. When you allow customers to combine multiple discounts, you are basically encouraging them to add more items to their cart, which ultimately boosts overall spending.
• WooCommerce coupon stacking helps retain customers by offering flexible and attractive discount deals. Shoppers are more likely to return to a store that allows them to save more.
• Coupon stacking can give your store a competitive edge. Customers are more inclined to choose stores that allow this feature, as it enhances their shopping experience. Satisfied shoppers are not only likely to return but may also recommend your store to others.
• Finally, with coupon stacking in play, stores can offer multiple discounts on select products to make them more appealing to customers. Unsold products move faster, shelves are cleared, and customers feel they’ve got a great deal. That’s a win-win for both store owners and shoppers.

As we mentioned earlier, coupon stacking offers several benefits. It is indeed a very powerful way to attract customers and boost sales for store owners. However, implementing coupon stacking requires a thoughtful approach to maximize its impact without compromising profit margins.

Here are some of the best practices to follow when enabling coupon stacking in WooCommerce:

• Transparency is key when offering coupon stacking. Customers must clearly understand the terms and conditions. They need to get a clear idea of which coupons can be combined and any exclusions that apply. This avoids confusion and ensures a smooth shopping experience.
• Another way to ensure your profit margin doesn’t get affected is by capping the total discount value that customers can apply. A maximum discount limit from misuse of coupon codes that could impact your bottom line.
• Allowing shoppers to combine multiple discounts during special promotional events, such as holiday sales, product launches, or clearance sales, creates exclusivity and boosts engagement. However, since these events already feature discounted prices, it’s essential to approach coupon stacking carefully to avoid offering deals that are overly generous.

We have already established that there are upsides and downsides to allowing customers to stack coupons and use them to purchase in your WooCommerce store. Here’s a closer look at the potential downsides of leveraging coupon stacking.

• Allowing shoppers to stack coupons and combine them for a single purchase can sometimes affect the bottom line. You might see that if not used strategically, this might result in overly generous deals that cost you more than the revenue you gain.
• Another challenge posed by coupon stacking for WooCommerce store owners is the unpredictability of demand. During such promotional campaigns, there could be an influx of shoppers using stacked coupons, creating an imbalance between demand and inventory. This could lead to overselling or stock shortages. To avoid such issues, it’s advisable to monitor inventory levels closely and plan for potential stock-outs.
• Frequent use of coupon stacking can also lead to negative brand perceptions. Shoppers might associate it with low-quality products or exploit the system by combining coupons in unintended ways. Such practice can lead to steep discounts that affect your profit margins. Therefore, implementing fraud detection and prevention measures to protect your store from such losses.
• Enabling coupon stacking in your eCommerce store can create configuration challenges. Every store has its unique setup, so it’s essential to ensure your system can handle multiple discounts without compromising performance.

That’s it! These are the key considerations for WooCommerce coupon stacking. But before wrapping up, let’s glimpse at a few practical use cases and coupon stacking ideas to help you make the most of this feature.

Here are some ways to use coupon stacking in your WooCommerce store:

• Combine percentage discounts and free shipping: Encourage larger purchases by allowing customers to stack a percentage discount with a free shipping coupon. For example, a 20% off coupon combined with a free shipping coupon can motivate customers to add more items to their cart.
• Promote seasonal sales with bonus coupons: During holiday sales or promotional events, let customers stack a storewide discount with product-specific coupons. For example, customers can apply a 10% off coupon alongside an additional “50% off on Winter Collection” coupon, which makes the deal irresistible.
• Enable gift card usage with other discounts: Gift cards are a popular choice among customers, and with coupon stacking, you can allow them to apply their gift card balance along with other discount codes.
• Encourage the adoption of your latest products by including promotional discounts that can be stacked with other offers. For example, combine a 10% off new arrivals coupon with an additional storewide discount to create an offer for shoppers eager to try your new products.

Coupon stacking is a powerful promotional strategy that can boost sales and customer satisfaction in your WooCommerce store. When you allow customers to combine multiple discounts in a single purchase, you enhance their perceived value and encourage larger cart orders. This strategy can come in handy during seasonal sales or special promotions when you want customers to flock in.

That’s it, folks! Now you understand what coupon stacking is, how to implement it in WooCommerce using Smart Coupons, and the benefits and potential risks of this approach. If you haven’t already, consider incorporating WooCommerce coupon stacking into your promotional campaigns. Start by testing it on selected campaigns to understand its impact on your sales.

Thank you for your time!