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Want to offer percentage discounts in WooCommerce without losing control over your margins? Setting a maximum discount limit is the way to go.
With the Smart Coupons for WooCommerce plugin by WebToffee, you can easily cap the highest discount amount a coupon can apply, no matter the order value. This allows you to run targeted promotions like “15% off up to $25” or “$10 off up to 3 items” without worrying about excessive savings on large carts.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to set maximum discount limits step-by-step, using the free version of the plugin, so you can run smart, profitable promotions in your store.
Let’s dive in.
Key Takeaways
- Allowing unlimited coupon discounts in WooCommerce can quickly cut into your profits.
- Setting a maximum discount limit helps you control promotions and safeguard your revenue.
- With the WebToffee Smart Coupons plugin, you can easily cap percentage discounts and prevent coupon misuse.
Percentage discounts are great for attracting customers, but they can quickly backfire if you don’t set limits. A 10% discount on a $50 order is just $5—but on a $1000 order, it becomes $100, which could cut deep into your profits.
Without a cap, customers might stack high-value items to maximize savings, leading to misuse and unsustainable promotions. It can also lower the perceived value of your products over time.
By setting a maximum discount limit, you ensure the coupon stays effective without risking your bottom line. For example, a 20% discount capped at $30 means no matter how big the order, customers can’t save more than $30, keeping your promotions under control and profitable.
To set up a maximum discount limit for using WooCommerce coupons, we will be using the free WooCommerce Smart Coupons plugin by WebToffee. It provides advanced usage restrictions to help you limit the coupon usage on your WooCommerce store.
Follow the steps below to set up maximum discount for WooCommerce percentage coupons:
- Install WebToffee Smart Coupons Plugin.
- Navigate to the Add Coupon or Edit Coupon page.
- Scroll down to the Coupon data meta-box.
- Under the General tab, select Discount type as a Percentage and enter the value of the coupon.
- Go to the Usage limit tab and enter the Maximum discount value for the coupon.
- Click on Publish/Update to save the coupon.
If you prefer a video guide for setting up discount limits, refer to the video below.
Let’s now go over how to set up discounts such as ‘X% off up to $Y’ or ‘$X off on all products up to $Y.’
Step 1: Install WebToffee WooCommerce Smart Coupons Plugin
- Log in to your WordPress admin console and go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for the plugin Smart Coupons for WooCommerce in the search bar.
- Install and activate the plugin.
Pro Tip:
If you want to edit existing percentage coupons on your WooCommerce store, skip to step 3.
Step 2: Create a New Coupon
After installing and activating the plugin, you can easily apply a maximum discount limit to both new and existing coupons in your store. To update an existing coupon, simply open the coupon’s edit page and follow the instructions outlined in Step 3.
- Go to Smart Coupons > Add Coupon.
- Enter a coupon code and add a brief description for easy reference.
- In the Coupon Data section, select the Discount type. For this example, choose Percentage Discount.
- Set the coupon amount you want to offer.
- To apply the coupon automatically at checkout, enable the Apply Coupon Automatically option.
- Configure any other necessary settings based on your promotion strategy, and then proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Set Maximum Discount Limit for WooCommerce Coupons
- Go to Smart Coupons > All coupons and click on the coupon to which the maximum discount limit should be added.
- In the Coupon data widget, ensure that the Discount type selected is either a “Percentage discount” or a “Fixed product discount.” (This restriction is not available on other coupon types.)
- Next, go to the Usage limits tab.
- Set the maximum discount value you want to cap in the Maximum discount value field.
- Click on Publish to save the coupon.
How the Maximum Discount Limit Works (Example)
In the cart shown above, a 20% discount coupon (save20) was applied to a product worth $190. Normally, 20% of $190 would amount to a $38 discount.
However, because a maximum discount limit of $30 was set for the coupon, the discount is capped at $30, not the full 20% of the cart total. This ensures that even if the calculated discount exceeds $30, customers will only receive up to the allowed maximum, helping you avoid any unwanted loss of revenue.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Cart Subtotal: $190
- Expected Discount (20%): $38
- Maximum Discount Cap Set: $30
- Discount Applied: $30 (capped)
In addition to setting a maximum discount on coupons, you can set up some other discount restrictions while creating or editing coupons. It includes:
Usage Limit Per Coupon
Limit the number of times a coupon can be used before it expires. For example, set the usage limit per coupon to 3 to make the coupon expire when it is used in three checkouts.
Use case: 10% discount on all products for the first X customers.
Usage Limit To X Items
If you have a percentage discount or a fixed product discount coupon, the discount amount will only be deducted from the ‘X’ number of items in your store. This restriction is not applicable to other types of coupons in your store.
Use case: $10 off on all products for up to X products in the cart.
Usage Limit Per User
Select the number of times a user can use the same coupon until it becomes invalid. The user is identified by the billing email address (for guest users) or the user ID (for logged-in users).
Use case: A user can apply the coupon X number of times.
The smart coupons plugin opens the door to WooCommerce extended coupon features, such as BOGO deals, product/category-specific discount rules, quantity-based discounts, and more. While the basic version covers essential coupon functions, the Pro version provides advanced discount rules, coupon banners, order history-based coupons, bulk-generate discount codes, and additional tools to create effective promotions without impacting profits.
Frequently Asked Questions
To add a 20% discount in WooCommerce,
– Go to Marketing > Coupons > Add Coupon. Provide a coupon code.
– Next, in the Coupon Data widget, provide the Discount type as “Percentage Discount” and set the Coupon amount as “20”.
– In the Display coupon in field, select “Cart”.
– Click Publish to add the 20% discount coupon to your WooCommerce store.
A coupon usage limit is the maximum number of times a coupon can be applied by customers in a store.mit is the max number of times a coupon can be applied by customers in a store.
A coupon limit specifies how many times a specific coupon can be used. This can be set for both the total number of uses across all customers or the number of times each individual customer can use it.
You can easily set discount rules using WooCommerce’s built-in features. However, for advanced coupon settings, you will need a third-party coupon plugin, such as WooCommerce Discount Rules by WebToffee.
Setting a maximum discount limit isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a smart move for any WooCommerce store running percentage-based promotions. It helps you offer compelling deals while keeping your margins safe and predictable.
With the Smart Coupons for WooCommerce plugin, adding these limits is simple and flexible. Whether you’re running sitewide sales or targeted offers, the plugin gives you the control you need to craft profitable, customer-friendly campaigns.
Ready to take full control of your discounts? Start setting smarter limits today and keep your WooCommerce promotions working for your bottom line, not against it.
