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Create User Role Based Discounts in WooCommerce (Automatic Coupons)

Learn how to create powerful user role based discounts in WooCommerce using automatic coupons. This complete guide covers storewide role based discounts and targeted discounts on specific products, categories, or variations. Reward your best customers, wholesalers, or partners with exclusive automated promotions.

📋 Table of Contents​

🚀 Before You Begin: Enable WooCommerce Coupons​

The Discount Rules and Dynamic Pricing for WooCommerce plugin works with WooCommerce's built-in coupon system. Please ensure it is enabled first:

  1. Go to your WordPress Admin Dashboard
  2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings
  3. Click on the General tab
  4. Check the box for Enable coupons
  5. Save your changes

Now you're ready to create automatic coupon rules under the Woo Pricing & Discounts > Discounts tab. This powerful plugin (available in a free version) offers advanced cart discount rules that help you create discounts based on user roles, specific products, categories, and more.

Option 1: Storewide User Role Based Discount​

Best for: Rewarding specific user roles (wholesalers, VIP customers, partners) with exclusive discounts across your entire store. Perfect for B2B businesses, loyalty programs, and partner networks.

Scenario: Give a 30% off storewide discount to all users with the Wholesale user role. The discount applies automatically to the entire cart when a wholesale customer is logged in.

Step 1: Access Discounts and Choose a Template​

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to the Woo Pricing & Discounts menu
  2. Open the Discounts tab
  3. Click on the Add from Template button to quickly start a new rule

Add from Template button

  1. In the "Choose your desired campaign" modal, search for templates
  2. Under Automatic Coupons, find and select "Role based Discount: 30% Off for Wholesalers"
  3. Click "Add Campaign"

Role based Discount template

Step 2: Configure the Discount​

Role based discount configuration

  1. Name: "Wholesale" (customizable)
  2. Private Note: Add internal notes for your reference
  3. Status: Ensure Enable is checked
  4. Manual Coupon: Leave unchecked for automatic application (customers get the discount without entering a code)
  5. Apply Mode: Choose how this rule interacts with other discounts
    • Apply with other applicable rules (Non-Exclusive): Works alongside other discounts
    • Apply this rule and disregard other rules - Exclusive: Disregards all other applicable rules
    • Apply if other rules are not applicable: Acts as a fallback
  6. Discount Type: Select the discount type that best fits your role based promotion strategy:
    • Percentage discount - Applies a percentage off the entire cart. Best for percentage-based wholesale pricing. Example: 30% off entire cart for wholesalers.
    • Price discount - Applies a fixed dollar amount off the entire cart. Best for fixed savings. Example: $20 off entire cart for VIP customers.
  7. Discount Amount: Enter the discount amount. e.g: 30
  8. Usage Limit: Leave blank for unlimited uses

Step 3: Schedule the Coupon (Optional)​

By default, the campaign is unscheduled and runs immediately:

Unscheduled discount

For scheduled promotions, under the "Date Time" section to configure:

  • Date Range - Run a promotion over a period (e.g., 2026-07-20 to 2026-07-31 for a summer sale)
  • Date Time Range - Precise start and end date/time for flash sales
  • Specific Date - Single date activation (e.g., 2026-11-27 for Black Friday)
  • Days - Recurring weekly promotions (e.g., Saturday & Sunday)
  • Time - Daily time ranges (e.g., "happy hour" between 14:00-16:00)

Schedule for a date period

Use "+ And New Rule" to combine conditions (e.g., weekends AND specific time) or "+ OR New Group" for alternative schedules.

tip

For a deep dive into timezone setup, recurring schedules, and multi-tier scheduling logic, read our comprehensive Scheduling & Date-Time Guide.

Step 4: Set User Role Conditions​

Under the Conditions section, you define which user roles qualify for the discount:

  1. Select the "Roles" condition to open the role selector
  2. Search for and select your desired user roles
  3. You can add multiple user roles into the search field

Select user roles for discount

Example: In our tutorial, we'll select the Wholesale user role.

Common user roles for discounts:

  • Wholesale - For bulk buyers and B2B customers
  • VIP Customer - For loyal, high-value customers
  • Partner - For affiliate partners and resellers
  • Subscriber - For newsletter subscribers
  • Retailer - For retail partners
tip

For full details on all 14 condition groups, AND/OR logic, and available comparison operators, check out our Complete Rule Conditions Guide.

Step 5: Save and Test​

Click Save and test with different user roles logged in.

Result Example​

Wholesale user logged in with cart items:

  • Shirt - Cream: $25.00 × 2
  • Jacket: $25.00 × 1
  • Shirt - Green: $25.00 × 1

Subtotal: $100.00

Discount Calculation: 30% × $100 = $30.00 discount

Result: The "Wholesale" coupon applies automatically to the entire cart when a wholesale user is logged in, saving the customer $30.00.

Storewide role based discount applied

Option 2: User Role Based Discount on Selected Items​

Best for: Offering exclusive discounts to specific user roles on selected products, categories, or variations. Perfect for targeted B2B pricing, wholesale pricing on specific product lines, or partner promotions.

Scenario: Give a 30% off discount on selected categories (Shirts) to users with the Wholesale user role. The discount applies only to the selected items, not the entire cart.

Step 1: Access Discounts and Choose a Template​

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to the Woo Pricing & Discounts menu
  2. Open the Discounts tab
  3. Click on the Add from Template button
  4. Under Automatic Coupons, find and select "Role based Discount (Product): 30% Off for Wholesalers"
  5. Click "Add Campaign"

Role based Discount on products template

Step 2: Configure the Discount​

Role based discount on products configuration

  1. Name: "Wholesale" (customizable)
  2. Private Note: Add internal notes for your reference
  3. Status: Ensure Enable is checked
  4. Manual Coupon: Leave unchecked for automatic application
  5. Apply Mode: Choose how this rule interacts with other discounts
    • Apply with other applicable rules (Non-Exclusive): Works alongside other discounts
    • Apply this rule and disregard other rules - Exclusive: Disregards all other applicable rules
    • Apply if other rules are not applicable: Acts as a fallback
  6. Discount Type: Select the discount type that best fits your role based promotion strategy:
    • Percentage discount per item - Applies a percentage off each eligible item. Best for percentage-based wholesale pricing on selected items. Example: 30% off each selected product for wholesalers.
    • Price discount per item - Applies a fixed dollar amount off each eligible item. Best for fixed savings that multiply with quantity purchased. Example: $5 off each selected product for partners.
    • Fixed price discount - Applies a maximum discount cap for selected items. Best for controlling your maximum discount exposure. Example: $200 max off selected items for VIP customers.
  7. Discount Amount: Enter the discount amount. e.g: 30
  8. Usage Limit: Leave blank for unlimited uses

Step 3: Select Products, Categories, or Variations​

Under the Items section, you define which products, categories, or variations receive the role based discount:

For Products:

  1. Select the "Products in list" condition
  2. Search for and select your desired products
  3. You can add multiple products into the search field

Select products for role based discount

For Variations:

  1. Select the "Product variations in list" condition
  2. Search for and select your desired product variations
  3. You can add multiple variations into the search field

Select variations for role based discount

For Categories:

  1. Select the "Categories in list" condition
  2. Search for and select your desired categories
  3. You can add multiple categories into the search field

Select categories for role based discount

Combination of items: You can add combination of items like Products, Product Variations & Categories under items by using multiple conditions via the "+ OR New Group" button.

Combine items for role based discount

Example: In our tutorial, we'll select the Shirts and Accessories categories.

tip

For detailed information on filtering products by categories, variations, attributes, stock status, or dynamic segments, check out our Product Selection Guide.

Step 4: Exclude Products (Optional)​

The Excluded Products section allows you to exclude specific products from the role based discount:

  1. Under the Excluded Products section, select the "Products in list"
  2. Search for and select the products you want to exclude from the discount
  3. Add multiple excluded products to the search field
  4. Use "+ OR New Group" to create alternative exclusion conditions

Step 5: Schedule the Coupon (Optional)​

By default, the campaign is unscheduled and runs immediately. For scheduled promotions, follow the scheduling steps described in Option 1.

Step 6: Set User Role Conditions​

Under the Conditions section, you define which user roles qualify for the discount:

  1. Select the "Roles" condition to open the role selector
  2. Search for and select your desired user roles
  3. You can add multiple user roles into the search field

Select user roles for discount

Example: In our tutorial, we'll select the Wholesale user role.

Common user roles for discounts:

  • Wholesale - For bulk buyers and B2B customers
  • VIP Customer - For loyal, high-value customers
  • Partner - For affiliate partners and resellers
  • Subscriber - For newsletter subscribers
  • Retailer - For retail partners

Example: In our tutorial, we'll select the Wholesale user role.

tip

For full details on all 14 condition groups, AND/OR logic, and available comparison operators, check out our Complete Rule Conditions Guide.

Step 7: Save and Test​

Click Save and test with different user roles and product combinations.

Select user roles for discount

Result Example​

Wholesale user logged in with cart items:

  • Shirt - Cream: $25.00 × 2 (In Shirts category - gets discount)
  • Shirt - Green: $25.00 × 1 (In Shirts category - gets discount)
  • Jacket: $25.00 × 1 (Not in Shirts category - no discount)

Subtotal of selected category items: $75.00

Discount Calculation: 30% × $75 = $22.50 discount

Result: The "Wholesale" coupon applies automatically to the selected category items only when a wholesale user is logged in, saving the customer $22.50. The Jacket (not in the Shirts category) receives no discount.

Role based discount on selected items

Quick Comparison Table​

FeatureStorewide Role BasedTargeted Role Based
Template"Role based Discount: 30% Off for Wholesalers""Role based Discount (Product): 30% Off for Wholesalers"
Discount TypePercentage discount or Price discountPercentage discount per item, Price discount per item, or Fixed price discount
Eligible ItemsAll products in the cartSelected products, categories, or variations
Best ForStorewide wholesale pricing, VIP loyalty programsTargeted B2B pricing, specific product line discounts
Example Rate30% off entire cart for wholesalers30% off selected categories for wholesalers
Cart (Mixed items)30% × $100 = $30.0030% × $75 = $22.50 (selected items only)
Discount Applied ToEntire cart subtotalSubtotal of selected items only

🎉 Success!​

You've learned how to create two types of user role based discounts using automatic coupons in WooCommerce. Each discount type serves different promotional goals:

  • Storewide Role Based Discount - Best for rewarding specific user roles with exclusive discounts across your entire store
  • Targeted Role Based Discount - Best for offering exclusive discounts on specific products, categories, or variations to specific user roles

Both discount types apply automatically with no coupon code required based on the user's role, creating a personalized shopping experience that can significantly boost customer loyalty and wholesale revenue.

Try it Live & Explore PRO

Experience all discount rules and pricing strategies in action on our Live Demo Website.

Upgrade to Discount Rules and Dynamic Pricing for WooCommerce PRO to unlock advanced conditions, user role pricing, recurring schedules, tiered variations, and priority support.

📚 Next Steps​

Now that you've mastered user role cart discounts, explore other role & customer pricing options:

🔍 SEO Keywords​

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