Delaying a URL coupon holds the discount until the customer actually puts a product in the cart, which avoids “no items to apply the discount to” confusion when someone opens a coupon link on an empty cart. This feature is free in Coupons & Add to Cart by URL Links for WooCommerce.
Before you start #
- WooCommerce, active, with at least one coupon.
- The plugin enabled at WPFactory > Coupons by URL.
Step-by-step setup #
- Go to WPFactory > Coupons by URL (also reachable at WooCommerce > Settings > URL Coupons).
- On the General sub-tab, find Delay Coupon Options.
- Tick Delay coupon > Enable section.
- Choose what should happen when the cart already has items using Delay on non-empty cart.
- Optionally tick Check product for tighter control of “Fixed product discount” coupons.
- Edit the success and error messages if you want, then click Save changes.
Options reference #
| Label | Option ID | Default | Free/Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delay coupon (Enable section) | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon |
No | Free |
| Delay on non-empty cart | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon_non_empty_cart |
Yes | Free |
| Check product | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon_check_product |
No | Free |
| Success notice | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon_notice[success] |
Coupon code applied successfully. | Free |
| Error notice: already applied | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon_notice[error_applied] |
Coupon code already applied! | Free |
| Error notice: does not exist | alg_wc_url_coupons_delay_coupon_notice[error_not_found] |
Coupon “%coupon_code%” does not exist! | Free |
What “Delay on non-empty cart” does #
This setting decides what happens when the customer opens a coupon link but their cart is not empty:
- Yes (default): still delay the coupon until the next product is added.
- No: apply the coupon straight away because there are already items to discount.
- No, if there is correct product already in the cart: for “Fixed product discount” coupons, apply immediately only if a product the coupon is valid for is already in the cart; otherwise keep delaying.
What “Check product” does #
Check product refines the delay for “Fixed product discount” coupons. With it on, when a product is added the coupon is only applied if that product is one the coupon is valid for, which prevents a discount being applied to an unrelated item.
Notice placeholder #
The success and error messages accept the placeholder %coupon_code%, which is replaced with the coupon code. For example, Coupon "%coupon_code%" does not exist! shows the code the customer used. Leave a message empty to suppress it.
Troubleshooting #
- The coupon applies immediately even on an empty cart. Confirm Delay coupon > Enable section is ticked and saved.
- The success message shows before any product is added. With delay on, the success notice can be held back until the cart has an item. See the Delay notice option on the Notices sub-tab.
- Guests do not keep the delayed coupon. Keep Session > Force session start enabled so the queued coupon survives until the customer adds a product.
Get more control #
This feature is free. Coupons & Add to Cart by URL Links for WooCommerce Pro adds per-coupon redirects, custom per-coupon notices, and the ability to add a coupon’s products to the cart from the link. See what Pro unlocks.