In a recent Business Bloomer Club discussion, a member sought advice on adding a flexible “Repeat Order” feature directly on the WooCommerce checkout page. The desired functionality would allow customers to select an interval (such as 1 month, 2 months, etc.) to automatically repeat their purchase at chosen intervals, instead of configuring subscriptions on individual product pages.
While WooCommerce Subscriptions and the All Products for WooCommerce Subscriptions extension offer recurring purchase options, they don’t currently provide a way to set a recurring schedule from the checkout page.
Let’s explore potential approaches for implementing this feature, from using existing plugins with some limitations to adding custom code for a checkout-based recurring option.
Option 1: Using WooCommerce Subscriptions and All Products for WooCommerce Subscriptions
Overview
WooCommerce Subscriptions, combined with the All Products for WooCommerce Subscriptions extension, allows any regular product to be converted into a subscription. However, these plugins are primarily configured at the product level, meaning that customers would set the subscription frequency before adding products to the cart. This may not fulfill the need for a checkout-level recurring option, where an entire order can be set to repeat.
Limitations
- Product-Level Configuration: Subscription intervals need to be set individually on product pages, rather than on the checkout page.
- Pricing: WooCommerce Subscriptions and All Products for WooCommerce Subscriptions are premium plugins, which may not be ideal for all users.
Option 2: Custom Code Solution to Add Recurring Order on Checkout
Overview
For a more tailored approach, custom code can be added to introduce a “Repeat Order” option directly on the checkout page. This solution would allow customers to select a custom recurrence for the entire order, rather than setting each product individually.
Steps to Implement
- Add a Dropdown on the Checkout Page: Add a dropdown menu to the checkout page with various intervals, like “1 month,” “2 months,” and so on, allowing customers to specify their preferred frequency.
- Capture the Selected Interval: Store the selected interval as order metadata. This allows WooCommerce to create future orders based on this interval.
- Automate Order Creation Based on Interval: Use a scheduled event to trigger the creation of new orders based on the stored interval, repeating the previous order’s contents.
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Provides exactly the checkout-based flexibility needed, as customers can choose a repeating interval for the entire order.
- Cons: Requires custom code and ongoing maintenance. Also, testing will be crucial to ensure that recurring orders are generated accurately.
Final Thoughts
Creating a custom “Repeat Order” option on the WooCommerce checkout page offers flexibility beyond traditional subscription plugins, especially for shops where orders tend to contain single items. Although it requires some coding, this solution allows you to meet specific recurring purchase needs while keeping customers on a familiar checkout page. If you’re looking for simplicity, starting with WooCommerce Subscriptions may still be valuable, even if it doesn’t cover checkout-level customization.
