How to Set Up a WooCommerce First Order Discount: 6 Ways

A WooCommerce first-order discount is a targeted promotional offer offered to first-time (new) buyers who have not made a single purchase from your store. The first-purchase discounts motivate them to buy your products at a low cost, enhance their shopping experience, and increase brand awareness.

People don’t trust new brand products unless they are recommended by friends, family, or “favorite influencers.” So, you can easily reach them with attractive product deals that encourage them to try your products at a low cost.

A study was conducted to analyze the customer spending percentage between first-time vs repeat customers, where 36% of new customers love first-time discounts, while 31% expect free shipping for their first order, which is also discussed in the steps below.

It’s clear that offering discounts to new customers will make them click the “Buy” button and even retain them for future purchases.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to set up WooCommerce first-order discounts in six different ways to attract new customers, enhance their experience, and convert them into repeat customers.

Let’s get started.

Note: You cannot create first-order discounts with the WooCommerce default settings. However, I’ll show you the quick setup process using a freemium discount plugin, “Discount Rules for WooCommerce -Pro.”

What is a WooCommerce First Order Discount?

WooCommerce first-order discount is the only strategy you need to capture new customers’ attention and motivate those hesitant buyers to complete their “first” order from your store by offering an exclusive discount.

For example, “a 10% off on all products on your first order. Use Coupon, “WELCOME10.”

Is It Necessary to Offer a First-Time Order Discount in WooCommerce?

In brief, yes!

Offering a WooCommerce first-time order discount makes a significant difference in your store’s sales. It offers the following benefits:

• A WooCommerce first-order discount is a practical incentive to reward new customers for completing their first sale from your store. It enhances customer loyalty.
• Customers who visit your store for the first time will hesitate to try your products. Offering first-time order discounts can influence them to make purchases, which will increase the conversion rate.
• You can also use this WooCommerce signup discount to encourage customers to sign up for your newsletter. Customers will provide their email addresses to receive the discount, which will help you increase your subscriber list.
• You can strategically use the first-purchase discount with purchase conditions, motivating customers to meet those criteria to claim their discounts and increasing the order value and sales.

How to Set Up a WooCommerce First Order Discount?

Setting up a WooCommerce first order discount needs a plugin as you can’t set it with the default settings.

To set up a WooCommerce first order discount, follow these steps:

1. Open your “WordPress” dashboard.
2. Go to “Plugins” -> “Add New.”
3. Search for “Discount Rules for WooCommerce.”
4. Install and activate the plugin “Discount Rules for WooCommerce -Pro” (by Flycart).

After installing the plugin:

1. Go to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules” -> “Add New Rule.”
2. Choose the discount type, “Product/ Cart/ Bulk/ BOGO.”
3. Filter specific products or keep “All Products.”
4. Configure the “discount” section with specific discount type and value.
5. In the “Rules” section, add a condition “First Order” and set “Yes.”
6. Optionally, add other conditions, save, and enable the rule.

Let’s check the six different ways to offer a WooCommerce first purchase discount.

1. How to Add a 10% First Order Discount in WooCommerce?

Example: 10% off on first orders.

1. Navigate to your “WordPress” Dashboard.
2. Go to ‘WooCommerce’ and then select “Discount Rules.”
3. Click the “Add New Rule” button.
4. Name your rule as desired.
5. Set the discount type to “Product Adjustment.”
6. In the filter section, select “All Products.”
7. In the discount section, choose “Percentage Discount” and set it to “10.”
8. In the “Rules” section, click on “Add Condition,” select “First Order,” and choose “Yes.”
9. Finally, save and enable the rule.

You have now successfully set up a 10% discount for new customers on their first orders.

Alt Text: Applying discounts on first-time orders

Tip: Instead of offering discounts on all products, you can also provide first-time discounts only when new customers purchase from a specific product category or item.

Related Read: How to create category discounts in WooCommerce?

2. A Limited-Time 20% First-Order Discount in WooCommerce

For instance, consider offering a 20% WooCommerce discount to new users only for a limited time.

Here’s how you can set up this limited-time first-order percentage discount:

1. Go to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules.”
2. Select the discount type as “Product Adjustment.”
3. In the “Filter” section, choose “All Products.”
4. Select “Percentage Discount” and set the value to “20” in the “Discount” section.
5. In the “Rules” section, click “Add condition,” choose “First order,” and set it to “Yes.”
6. In the “Rule Limits” tab, set the “start and end (limited) time” to enable the discount. Optionally, set the “Maximum Usage Limit” to restrict users from using discounts more than once.
7. Finally, save and enable the rule.

Alt Text: Creating limited-time discounts for first-time customers

Now, only first-time customers who purchase within a specific time frame will receive discounts, while other new customers will not be eligible for this WooCommerce signup discount.

3. Offering a WooCommerce BOGO Deal for First-Purchase Customers

For example, you could offer new customers a free “cap” with the WooCommerce first-order deal.

1. Navigate to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules” -> “Add New Rule.”
2. Select the discount type as “Buy X Get Y.”
3. In the Filter section, choose “All Products.”
4. In the Discount section, opt for “Buy X Get Y,” set the ranges, select “cap” as the product, and choose “Free” as the discount type.
5. In the “Rules” section, click on “Add Condition,” select “First order,” and set it to “Yes.”
6. Save and enable the rule.

Now, each new customer will get a free cap when they complete their first purchase.

Note: Here, “Buy X Get Y” offers a different product for free, and you can also use “Buy X Get X” to provide the same item that customers purchase for free.

To learn detailed information about these deals, check out the blog “How to offer WooCommerce Buy One Get One deals?”

4. How to Offer a WooCommerce First Order Discount With a Coupon?

WooCommerce coupon codes grab customers’ attention and enhance their experience by requiring them to enter the discount code at checkout to claim a first-time order discount.

Example: New customers can apply the coupon code ‘FIRSTORDER’ to receive a 10% discount on their initial purchase.

1. Go to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules.”
2. Add the new rule.
3. Select “Product Adjustment” as the discount type.
4. In the “Filter” section, choose “All Products.”
5. Select “Percentage Discount” and set the discount value to “10.”
6. In the Rules section, set two conditions:
   1. First Condition: Choose “First order” and select “Yes.”
   2. Second Condition: Choose “Coupons,” select “Create your own coupon,” and enter the coupon code as “FIRSTORDER.”
7. Save and enable the rule.

Alt Text: Creating a first-time order discount using a coupon

If you have already used the default coupon option in WooCommerce, you can simply synchronize it with this plugin’s coupon option. To learn more about it, check the blog: How to create WooCommerce coupons in two ways?

Related Read: How to Create New User Coupons in WooCommerce?

5. A New-Order Discount Based on Minimum Spend (Cart Total)

A WooCommerce new-order discount can attract customers, yet setting a minimum purchase value will encourage them to reach the specific total to receive discounts. This will increase the average order value of each new customer.

Here’s an example: New customers receive a $30 fixed WooCommerce discount when they spend $200 or more on their first order.

To set up the WooCommerce first-order discount based on order value, follow these steps:

1. Go to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules.”
2. Click “Add new rule.”
3. Select “Product Adjustment” as the discount type.
4. In the Filter section, choose “All Products.”
5. Select “Fixed Discount” and set the value to “30” in the “Discount” section.
6. In the “Rules” section, set two conditions:
   1. Click “Add Condition,” choose “First order,” and select “Yes.”
   2. Click “Add Condition,” choose “Subtotal,” select “greater than or equal to (>=),” set the total to “200,” and choose “Count all items in the cart.”
7. Save and enable the rule.

Alt Text: WooCommerce First-time order discount based on cart total

New customers only get discounts when their cart reaches the specific order value.

Related Read: How To Set A Minimum Order Amount In WooCommerce? (In Different Scenarios)

6. A Free Shipping Offer only for First-Orders in WooCommerce

Since 31% of new customers prefer a free delivery deal, offering it instead of a product discount is a great strategy for helping them save on additional costs and increasing sales.

Example: “Free delivery on your first order.”

Here’s how you can set up free shipping for WooCommerce first-order customers:

1. Open “Discount Rules” under “WooCommerce.
2. Click the “Add new rule” button.
3. Select the discount type as “Free Shipping.”
4. In the “Rules” section, click on “Add condition,” choose “First order,” and set it to “Yes.”
5. Finally, save and enable the rule.

Alt Text: Offering Free shipping as First order discount

Now, free shipping is available only to first-time customers, while other customers will be charged a standard or express shipping fee.

Related Read: How To Offer WooCommerce Free Shipping? (Strategies + More Examples)

How to provide an Nth order discount in WooCommerce?

Similar to WooCommerce’s first-time order discounts, you can also provide discounts after customers order a specific amount.

You can use the “Discount Rules for WooCommerce -Pro” to easily create this discount:

1. Go to “WooCommerce” -> “Discount Rules” -> “Add New Rule.”
2. Choose the type of discount you want to provide.
3. Filter specific products or categories.
4. Choose the discount type and value, and set other requirements in the “Discount” section.
5. In the “Rules” section, choose the condition as “Number of orders made.”
6. Set the “Purchase before” time, “Order & Purchase quantities,” and “Order status.”
7. Optionally set other purchase conditions and enable the rule.

For example, if you set the “number of orders” as “3,” customers who have purchased three times in your store can get this discount.

Is a First-Order Discount Better Than Free Shipping?

Both first-order discounts and free shipping can encourage new customers to place their first order, but the better option depends on your product pricing and customer expectations.

• A first-purchase reward – percentage or fixed discount often feels more rewarding because shoppers see immediate savings on the product price, which can speed up purchase decisions.
• On the other hand, free shipping works well for stores with low-priced items or high shipping costs, where delivery fees may be the main reason for cart abandonment.

Testing both options can help you understand which incentive drives higher conversions for your WooCommerce store.

Can I Combine First-Order Discounts with Other Offers?

Yes, first-order discounts can be combined with other promotions, but they should be used strategically to avoid reducing profit margins.

Limiting how discounts stack, such as allowing only one promotion per order or setting minimum purchase requirements, helps keep offers profitable and easy to understand.

When combined thoughtfully, multiple incentives can increase first-time conversions while still maintaining healthy margins for your WooCommerce store.

First Purchase Discount Examples By Popular Brands

First-time purchase discounts are not a new strategy. Many famous brands have used them for a long time to reward their new visitors.

• The popular fashion brand H&M offers a 10% discount to its first-order customers when their new customers become their member.

• The famous Indian cosmetics company Nykaa offers a 10% discount for newcomers who purchase above INR 299 using a coupon code. It also provides a free delivery deal.

Not only these two brands but also Zomato, Swiggy, and even Amazon offer a welcome discount to excite their new customers.

So, why not you can apply this strategy to give a warm welcome to your first-time customers?

Use the above scenarios, mix and match discount types and purchase conditions, and enhance your new customers’ experience with irresistible deals to become a part of your brand.

Conclusion

As discussed in the blog, research data and popular brands have proved that incentivizing new customers with first-order discounts is a must-try on your WooCommerce store.

Don’t lose 36% of new customers! Apply WooCommerce first-order discounts and grab them for the long term to boost your sales. Also, use the “Discount Rules for WooCommerce -Pro” plugin to simplify your discount process.

Also Read

• How to Create a WooCommerce Bulk Discount? (Quick Steps + Examples)
• How to Create a WooCommerce Bundle Discount?
• 5 Best WooCommerce Discount Plugins in 2024 (Free & Paid)

Frequently Asked Questions