How to create cart-based discounts in woocommerce
Cart-based discounts let you reward customers who spend a certain amount or add specific items to their cart. These automatic discounts encourage shoppers to increase their cart value before checkout.
💰 Real revenue impact: what you lose without this rule
Cart-level incentives boost average order value (AOV) and reduce abandoned carts. See how a small rule can change your store revenue.
| 🚫 Without rules | ✅ With rules |
|---|---|
| Customers abandon the cart before reaching the target spend | “$15 off orders above $150” increased monthly revenue by 25% |
| Low cart values across product lines | Average cart size grew from $85 → $120 with threshold discounts |
In The Article
How to use a cart-based discount
Use this rule to automatically apply discounts when customers meet a specific cart subtotal or quantity. It’s perfect for upselling and running limited-time cart-based offers.
Benefits of cart-based discount
- Boost your average order value (AOV)
- Encourage customers to add more products to their cart
- Automate discounts — no coupon needed
- Combine with payment or time-based rules for campaigns
- Reduce abandoned carts with visible incentives
How to configure — step guide
- Go to Dashboard → Dotstore → dynamic pricing → manage rules
- Click Add New Rule
- Under the discount type, choose cart-based discount
- Set your cart condition — e.g., subtotal greater than
$100or quantity above3 - Choose the discount type – percentage or fixed amount
- Enter the discount value (e.g.,
10for 10% or$15off) - Optionally, add start and end dates for campaigns
Click save rule
Cart based discount settings Add products to the card and order above $100
Cart discount based on order total and quantity
Real examples
Example 1
Offer $15 off for orders above $150 to encourage bigger purchases.
✅ Result: average order value increased by $35 per customer.
Example 2
Set 10% off when customers buy 3 or more products in one cart.
✅ Result: boosted multi-item orders by 28% in a month.
Expected outcome
Once set up, discounts automatically apply when a customer’s cart meets your defined conditions.
This increases AOV and makes checkout more rewarding without requiring coupon codes.
FAQs
1. Can I apply a cart-based discount with other discount rules?
Yes, you can combine it with product, role-based, or location-based discounts.
2. Will the discount show on the cart and checkout page?
Yes, both pages clearly display the discount row and updated total.
3. Can I exclude specific products from cart-based discounts?
Yes, add product or category exclusions under advanced rule settings.
4. Is there an option to set a minimum or maximum cart value?
Yes, you can define custom thresholds to control when the discount applies.