WooCommerce’s native coupon system covers simple discounts – percentage off, fixed amount off, free shipping. Advanced Coupons extends this with features that serious WooCommerce stores need: Buy One Get One deals, cart conditions that automatically apply coupons when conditions are met, URL coupons that apply automatically when a customer clicks a link, and a loyalty points system. This guide covers the setup for each major feature.
Understanding the Plugin Structure
Advanced Coupons has a free version on WordPress.org and a premium version. The free version adds BOGO deals and some cart conditions to WooCommerce coupons. The premium version ($59.50/year) adds URL coupons, auto-apply coupons, loyalty program, gift cards, and more advanced cart conditions. Most of the features that differentiate Advanced Coupons from native WooCommerce require the premium version.
Setting Up BOGO (Buy One Get One) Deals
BOGO is available in the free version. Create a standard WooCommerce coupon, then go to the Advanced Coupons section on the coupon edit screen. Enable “Buy X Get X” or “Buy X Get Y” deal type. Configure:
- Trigger products – what the customer must buy to trigger the deal
- Granted products – what they receive for free or at a discount
- Quantities – buy 2 get 1, buy 1 get 1, etc.
- Discount on granted products – 100% (free) or a specific percentage
BOGO deals can apply to specific products, categories, or the same product as what was purchased. For a “Buy 2 get 1 free” deal on any product in a category, set the trigger as the category and the granted product as the cheapest item from the same category.
Need help setting this up? Describe your store setup and get a free estimate.
Cart Conditions and Auto-Apply
Cart conditions check whether the current cart meets specific criteria before applying a coupon. Auto-apply means the coupon applies automatically when conditions are met, without the customer entering a code. Combine these for promotions like “10% off orders over $100” that apply automatically without requiring a code.
Go to the coupon edit screen -> Advanced Coupons -> Cart Conditions. Add conditions: cart subtotal exceeds a threshold, specific products are in cart, cart contains products from a specific category, customer is from a specific country. Multiple conditions can be combined with AND or OR logic.
Enable auto-apply on the coupon to remove the need for customers to enter a code. The coupon applies when they meet the conditions, appears in the cart discount section, and is communicated with a notification message you configure.
URL Coupons
URL coupons apply automatically when a customer clicks a specific link. The link can go to any page on your store – when loaded, Advanced Coupons detects the coupon parameter in the URL and applies it to the customer’s cart automatically. Useful for email marketing campaigns (include the URL coupon link in promotional emails), affiliate programs (affiliates share links that automatically apply their discount), and social media promotions.
In Advanced Coupons -> URL Coupons, create the URL for any existing coupon. Configure: the destination page (where the customer lands), what happens if the cart already has another coupon, and whether to show a notification message when the coupon applies. Share the generated URL in your marketing materials.
Loyalty Points Program
Advanced Coupons Premium includes a loyalty points system where customers earn points on purchases and redeem them for discounts. Go to Advanced Coupons -> Loyalty Program -> Settings. Configure the points earning rate (how many points per dollar spent) and the redemption rate (how many points equal $1 discount).
Points appear on the customer’s My Account page and in the checkout as a redemption option. Customers choose how many points to apply to their current order. This creates repeat purchase incentive – customers return to redeem accumulated points.