WooCommerce: Subscription-Based Discounts with Free Gift on First Order

In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread, a user sought advice on a unique discounting requirement for their WooCommerce store. The goal was to offer a free product (a specific SKU) with the first order when a customer subscribes to one of several products on a monthly basis. This one-time free item wouldn’t renew with subsequent monthly shipments, making it a special “thank you” perk for new subscribers.

While various plugins can handle standard discounting and free gifts, configuring a system to check if a subscription product is in the cart, then automatically adding a free item for the first purchase only, poses a specific challenge. Here’s a breakdown of the approach to achieving this.

Step 1: Set Up Subscription Conditions and Free Gift Coupons

Using the Free Gift Coupons plugin, combined with an auto-apply coupons plugin like Auto Coupons for WooCommerce, you can create the initial setup:

Configure Free Gift Coupon

1. In the WooCommerce settings, create a coupon specifically for the free gift.
2. Set the coupon to require at least one of the specified subscription products (Product A, B, or C) in the cart.
3. Under “Coupon Data,” define the free product (e.g., SKU for the free gift) as the gift item.
4. Ensure this coupon applies only once per customer to avoid renewals adding the gift automatically.

Enable Auto-Apply for the Coupon

1. Install an auto-apply coupon plugin to make sure the coupon is automatically applied whenever a qualifying subscription product is added to the cart.
2. Test the cart to ensure that when any monthly subscription product (A, B, or C) is added, the coupon auto-applies, adding the free gift to the cart.

Step 2: Test Initial Checkout and Subsequent Renewals

To confirm that the free product is included only in the initial checkout and not in subsequent renewals, check the following:

1. Add a Subscription Product to the Cart: Add one of the subscription products (monthly) and proceed to checkout. Verify that the free gift appears in the cart with the subscription item.
2. Check Subscription Order Details: In WooCommerce, review the generated subscription order to confirm the free gift is listed as a one-time line item and not a recurring item.
3. Monitor Renewal Behavior: In the WooCommerce admin panel, view the subscription renewal order. Ensure the free gift is not set to renew by checking for its absence in scheduled renewal orders.

Step 3: Troubleshooting and Performance Considerations

When testing, consider potential plugin conflicts or unusual renewal behavior. Adjustments may be necessary to avoid any performance lag or interference with other WooCommerce functions, especially when working with a customized discount setup.

In summary, this setup provides a flexible solution for offering a free gift with a new subscription without repeating it for renewals. By using coupons and auto-apply settings, WooCommerce can support this type of promotion with minimal custom coding or manual intervention.