WooCommerce Auction Winner Didn’t Pay? How to Prevent and Handle Unpaid Auctions

Non-paying auction winners are one of the biggest challenges in managing online auctions. This tutorial explains how WooCommerce Simple Auctions helps prevent non-paying bidders, and what options sellers have when a winning bidder doesn’t complete payment.

If you run WooCommerce auctions, you’ve probably encountered this kind of problem:

“At least once a week I get someone who wins a bid and then doesn’t pay. I just had a buyer who outbid someone else respond to the message by asking me questions about what item they won. They are literally acting like they don’t know what they bid on. I just don’t understand!”

Or as another seller put it:

“I’m so sick of people winning auctions and then just never paying! How do I avoid this?”

Online auctions are a great way to engage customers, create urgency, and drive higher prices through competitive bidding, but almost every seller has experienced the downside: buyers who win auctions but fail to complete payment.

Why does this happen? It could be buyer’s remorse, impulse bidding, automated bots, or even kids bidding for fun through a parent’s account. Whatever the reason, non-paying auction winners are a huge problem for many sellers.

This is why more and more sellers go with the buy-it-now option. It’s a safer alternative, but unfortunately, it’s also less profitable, since auction items typically sell for more than buy-it-now items. Not to mention that buy-it-now never reaches the same level of excitement and engagement that auctions offer.

In this tutorial, we will cover options that WooCommerce Simple Auctions plugin offers to help sellers prevent unreliable bidders from participating in auctions. We will also explain what to do when an auction ends and the winner doesn’t pay for the won item.

Prevent Unpaid Auctions

The most effective way to prevent unreliable bidders is to verify their payment method before they can place any bid. This ensures that only users with a valid, working payment method can participate in your auctions.

With WooCommerce Simple Auctions, you can do this in two ways:  you can require users to add a payment method to their account before bidding (built into Simple Auctions v3.0, works only with Stripe payment gateway), or you can require users to make an actual payment before they can participate in any auction (available through Simple Auctions addons, works with any payment gateway).

BUY WOOCOMMERCE SIMPLE AUCTIONS ON CODECANYON

Require Users to Provide a Payment Method Before Bidding

Starting with Simple Auctions v3.0 we added a new option in the auction settings: Do not allow bidding without Credit Card on file.

If you’re using the Stripe Payment Gateway, you can set the plugin to only allow bids from users who have a valid credit card saved to their account.

This immediately reduces the number of bidders who are not truly interested in the auction; anyone willing to save a card has at least some real intent. It also sets up everything needed for the next feature:  automatic charging when the auction ends.

Automatically Charge the Winning Bidder’s Credit Card

Starting with Simple Auction v3.0 we also implemented this great feature: Automatically charge for won auction.

This option also works only with Stripe Payment Gateway. When this option is enabled, the winner’s credit card will be automatically charged at the end of the auction.

You can see how this works in this video:

Important: Both features are available from Simple Auctions v3.0 and require the free WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin.

Require Users to Make a Payment Before Bidding

If you’re not using Stripe Payment Gateway, WPGenie offers three add-ons to WooCommerce Simple Auctions, and each can help solve the problem of non-paying winners. These addons require users to make a payment before they can participate in any auction, which both verifies that their payment method works and filters out anyone not serious about bidding.

Role Based Bidding and Payment Verification Addon

With Role Based Bidding add-on, bidders need to purchase a specific product and get their role changed to one that can place bids (for example, you can define virtual product called “Become Bidder” and set the price at $1).

This purchase confirms their payment method is valid, and their account role is automatically changed to the one that’s allowed to bid, and from that point they can participate in auctions.

Role Based Bidding add-on is also useful for running members-only auctions, where bidding is restricted to a specific group of registered members.

Buy Bid Credits Addon

With Buy Bid Credits addon, only users who have purchased bid credits can place bids. Bid credit packages are sold as regular WooCommerce products, and users spend credits whenever they place a bid.

Since users must buy credits before bidding, their payment method is automatically verified.

Buy Bid Credits add-on is also used to build penny auction websites.

Seated Auctions Addon

With Seated Auctions add-on, you require users to purchase a “seat” before they’re allowed to bid on a specific auction. This again serves as payment verification and filters out unserious bidders.

You can define a simple product to use as a “seat” and define its price, and you can also limit number of seats available, controlling attendance and bidder quality (for example, if you want to run limited-entry auctions for specific high-end items).

Manage Unpaid WooCommerce Auctions

What are your options if an auction ends, and the winner doesn’t pay? Simple Auctions offers a few build-in features for this kind of situation.

Payment Reminders to Winners

E-mail notifications

When an auction ends, the winner automatically receives an email notification with a payment link.

If the winner doesn’t pay, Simple Auctions can automatically send payment reminder emails. You control how often these reminders go out (default is every 7 days) and how many reminders to send before stopping.

SMS notifications

If email isn’t getting through, Simple Auctions supports SMS notifications via a third-party plugin. This gives you an additional channel to reach winners who haven’t responded to email reminders.

Move the Win to the Next Highest Bidder

If a winner doesn’t pay, you can manually delete their winning bid (you need to do this in the Auction History tab of the auction product).

The next highest bidder will then become the winner.  This means an unpaid auction doesn’t have to be immediately relisted. In many cases, the second bidder is still interested and happy to complete the purchase.

Important: You need to manually contact the next highest bidder and send them auction URL where they can see “Pay Now” button so that new winner can complete payment.

Relisting Unpaid Auction

If the winner doesn’t pay, Simple Auctions has options to manually or automatically relist unpaid auctions.

Automatically Relist Unpaid Auctions

You can set the plugin to automatically relist any auction where the winner hasn’t paid within a set number of hours. Once that time passes, the auction goes back up.

This option is available on product edit page:

Manually Relist Unpaid Auction

If you don’t want to use automatic relist option, once an auction ends without payment, an option for manual relisting will show on product edit page.

You need to set a new duration (start/end dates). There’s also an option to “delete logs on relist”, which removes all previous bids/logs (can’t be undone!).

Conclusion

Unpaid auction winners are (unfortunately) a common problem for sellers, but with the right strategies, you can minimize their impact and keep your auctions running. By requiring bidders to verify their payment method, using automatic charging with Stripe, or implementing payment verification addons, you ensure that only serious buyers participate.

Even if a winner doesn’t pay, WooCommerce Simple Auctions provides you with options to manage the situation: send payment reminders via email or SMS, assign the win to the next highest bidder, or relist the auction automatically or manually. Using these tools together helps protect your revenue, and keep your auctions profitable.

With the Simple Auctions plugin, all you need to do is decide which options are best for your store.

Looking for other ways to improve your WooCommerce store? Check the complete list of our plugins that can help you bring your clients the best online shopping experience!

Celebrating 12 Years of WooCommerce Simple Auctions

Twelve years ago today, on February 13th, 2014, we released WooCommerce Simple Auctions, the first-ever auction plugin for WooCommerce.

Fast forward to today, we’re on version 3.0.6, and our plugin is still the most affordable auction solution for WooCommerce, with more than 8,150 sales on CodeCanyon and an amazing 4.66 out of 5 stars from independent reviewers.

Our plugin has been actively supported and developed for 12 years, and this wouldn’t be happening without all of our customers and supporters who trusted our product and helped us to make it better and better with each new release. So a big thank you to all of you!

During this period we have managed to add a lot of new amazing features, including our latest additions: payment verification, anti-sniping features, and AJAX bidding.

All of this came from listening to what you needed, so we’re sure there are a lot more features to come in the near future!

To celebrate 12 years, we’re offering 25% off WooCommerce Simple Auctions plugin, and also 25% off plugin’s addons: Seated Auctions, Buy Bid Credits and Role Based Bidding (for addons from our store, use code AUCTION12 at checkout).

Get WooCommerce Simple Auctions and addons at anniversary pricing until the end of February!

BUY WSA ON CODECANYON
BUY ADDONS IN OUR STORE

How to Add Free Tickets to WooCommerce Subscription-Based Competition

Learn how to reward competition subscribers with free tickets using WooCommerce Subscriptions and Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce

Many of our clients running websites with our WooCommerce Lottery plugin and Pick Ticket Number add-on use WooCommerce Subscriptions to run subscription-based competitions.

Recently, we’ve received multiple requests for a reliable way to automatically reward subscribers with free tickets, either when they first subscribe or on each renewal.

That feedback led us to develop Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, a dedicated add-on that integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce Subscriptions to automatically add gift products (including competition tickets) to subscription orders.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how the plugin works and how it integrates with WooCommerce Subscriptions. As always, we’ve done our best to keep it simple and easy, so you’ll be able to set up free tickets for subscribers in just a few minutes.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Before implementing free ticket rewards, you need:

  • WooCommerce Subscriptions
  • WooCommerce Lottery plugin and Pick Ticket Number addon
  • Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce (free or PRO version)

Overview of the Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce

Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce is a WooCommerce Subscriptions add-on that lets you reward loyal subscribers by easily adding free gifts to their subscription signup.

We created this add-on to gift free tickets to subscribers for competitions based on our WooCommerce Lottery plugin, but it also works with any type of WooCommerce Subscriptions product.

FREE DOWNLOAD ON WORDPRESS.ORG
ORDER PRO VERSION

How to Set Up Free Ticket Rewards for Competition Subscribers

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Go to your WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New. Search for “Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce,” then click Install Now and Activate.

Important note: You also need to have WooCommerce Lottery, Pick Ticket Number and WooCommerce Subscriptions installed!

Step 1: Create Your Competition Product

Set up your competition as you normally would using WooCommerce Lottery with Pick Ticket Number.

Important:  When setting up competition product, you need to select the option “Randomly assign ticket number (without ticket picking)”!

Step 2: Create Your Subscription Product

In WooCommerce, create a subscription product.

add free tickets to competition subscription with subscription gifts for woocommerce

Step 3: Configure Subscription Gifts options

With Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce installed, you’ll see a new “Subscription Free Gifts” panel when editing your subscription product.

For product that will be associated with this subscription, you need to select your competition product.

You can also choose when to add free tickets: on subscription start, on renewal (PRO feature), or both (PRO feature), as well as the quantity of gifted tickets (PRO feature).

Order details

After placing an order, subscribers will see their free tickets in the order details

PRO version features

The PRO version includes:

  • The ability to add free tickets both at subscription signup and on renewals
  • Control over the quantity of gifted tickets included in a subscription
  • Premium support: Direct access to our ticket support system at https://wpgenie.org/support/

Conclusion

If you offer competition subscription on your website, Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce makes it simple to reward your subscribers with free tickets at the start of a subscription, on renewal, or both.
As with all of our plugins, setup is easy, and we offer support for any customization you may need.

FAQ

  1. When setting competition subscription with Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, can subscribers choose ticket numbers?

    When using Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, subscribers cannot choose ticket numbers. Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce only works with the option “Randomly assign ticket number (without ticket picking)”.

  2. Can I give multiple free tickets per subscription?

    Yes, the PRO version of Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce allows you to set the number of gifted tickets per subscription.

  3. Can I reward free tickets on both signup and renewals?

    This feature is included in the PRO version, while the free version allows rewards on signup only.

  4. Can I use Subscription Gifts with other WooCommerce products?

    Yes. While designed for WooCommerce Lottery, it can add any free gift product to any subscription.

  5. Do I need to install WooCommerce Lottery to use the add-on?

    No. It works with any WooCommerce Subscriptions product, though Lottery functionality is needed to gift competition entries.

Looking for other ways to improve your WooCommerce store? Check the complete list of our plugins that can help you bring your clients the best online shopping experience!

How to Add Free Gifts to WooCommerce Subscriptions

Want to encourage your customers to subscribe? This tutorial shows you the easiest way to add free gifts to WooCommerce subscriptions.

In recent years subscriptions have become a standard part of how consumers shop online. In 2025, nearly every product category, from food and beauty to health and tech, has integrated some form of subscription. Numbers look great: the rapid expansion of online shopping is expected to drive the growth of the subscription e-commerce market in the coming years. It will grow to $3.48 trillion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 59.5%.

If you’re offering subscriptions in your WooCommerce store, you know that customers love them, but they also think carefully before deciding to subscribe.  Whether it’s a monthly coffee delivery, a membership box, or access to premium content, starting a subscription sometimes takes a little nudge.

One effective way to make a subscription more valuable and enticing for customers is by including a gift. It could be a free product with their first subscription order, making subscribing feel more rewarding. Or it could be a small surprise added to a renewal order to show long-term subscribers you appreciate their loyalty.

In this article, we’ll explain why subscription gifts work, explore the available ways to add free gifts to WooCommerce Subscriptions, and show you the easiest way to set everything up using our Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce add-on.

Why Add Free Gifts to WooCommerce Subscriptions?

With subscriptions, customers are committing to ongoing payments and a possible long-term relationship with your brand. So why not reward that commitment with special “thank you” perk for new subscribers? And why not reward your subscribers during renewals?

Free gifts aren’t just fun: they boost conversions, build loyalty, and even give your brand more visibility.  A case study tested free gifts on subscription renewals and found that customers who received a gift converted at an 85% higher rate than those who didn’t. They were 85% more likely to keep their subscription active rather than skip or cancel the upcoming order.

How to Add Free Gifts to WooCommerce Subscriptions

So, if you’re using the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin for your store, you may be asking how to reward subscribers with free products. The answer is that free gift functionality typically requires a combination of coupons and specific plugins, or custom code.

Coupon + Free Gift Plugin

The most common method is combining WooCommerce coupons with free gift plugins like “Free Gifts for WooCommerce” or “Buy One Get One Free.”

You create a coupon that makes a specific product free, then use an auto-apply coupon plugin to trigger it when someone purchases a subscription. This method only works for the first subscription order, not renewals.

Custom Code

You can also attempt custom code by hooking into subscription renewal events, but this requires a developer and ongoing maintenance every time WooCommerce or Subscriptions updates.

Both of these solutions have limitations, and that’s why we created Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce.

Overview of the Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce plugin

Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce is a WooCommerce Subscriptions add-on that lets you reward loyal subscribers by easily adding free gifts to their subscription at signup, and with PRO version you can also add free gifts to subscription renewal.

Like with all of our plugins, we try to make it simple and effective. Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce is trivial to use and setup, and in few clicks you’ll be able to add any type of product as a free gift to user with active subscription.

FREE VERSION
PRO VERSION

Step-by-Step Guide to Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce 

Let’s look at how to efficiently add gifts to subscription:

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Option 1: Install directly from WordPress dashboard

Go to your WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New. Search for “Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce,” then click Install Now and Activate.

Option 2: Upload manually

Download the plugin from WordPress.org, then go to your WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Choose the downloaded .zip file, click Install Now and Activate.

Important note: You also need to have WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin installed!

Step 2: Create Simple Subscription Product and Gift Products

Before adding a gift to subscription, you need to:

  • Create Simple Subscription product, and then choose the subscription price, billing interval and period
  • Create products that are going to serve as gifts (or you can choose among existing products in your store)

Step 3: Add a gift to subscription

With Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, adding a gift to subscription is really easy.

In WP Edit Product screen, scroll to the Subscription Free Gifts panel. All you have to do is select which products to add as gifts. Free version of Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce enables you to add a free gift on subscription start.

After creating a Simple subscription product, the Subscription Gifts panel appears below

Your customers will see their free gift in order details after placing order.

Order details: free gift with WooCommerce subscription

PRO version features

For store owners who need more advanced functionality, the PRO version includes:

  • The ability to add free gifts both at subscription signup, renewals, or both
  • Control over the quantity of gifted products included in a subscription
  • Premium support: Direct access to our ticket support system at https://wpgenie.org/support/
With PRO version, you can choose when to add gifts to subscription, and also the quantity of gifts

Conclusion

Adding free gifts to WooCommerce Subscriptions doesn’t have to involve coupon setups or custom code. With our Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, you can reward new subscribers and retain long-term customers with automatic gift products.

Ready to increase signups and reduce churn?  Download Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce from WordPress.org and get started!

FAQ

  1. Does this plugin work with WooCommerce Subscriptions only?

    Yes, Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce is a WooCommerce Subscriptions addon.

  2. With Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, can you set different gifts for first order vs. renewals? (Like free mug on signup, free sample pack on first renewal?)

    Yes, with PRO version you can set different products as gifts for first order vs. renewals.

  3. What product types work as gifts:  just simple products, or also grouped products, lottery product etc.?

    Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce works with any WooCommerce product type: simple, variable, grouped, virtual, downloadable, and even specialized product types like our Simple Lottery plugin products

  4. Does this plugin handle gift inventory?

    No, the plugin uses WooCommerce’s standard inventory. If a gift product is out of stock, the subscription purchase will be blocked.
    Set up low stock notifications (WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Inventory) so you’re alerted before running out, or disable stock management for gift products entirely so they’re always available.

  5. What’s the difference between free and PRO versions?

    PRO version has all features of the free version, plus option to add gift both on start and on renewal, option to choose quantity for product that is gifted in subscription, and premium support from WPGenie’s developers.

Looking for other ways to improve your WooCommerce store? Check the complete list of our plugins that can help you bring your clients the best online shopping experience!

Spending Limits for WooCommerce: Player Protection for Competition Sites

Learn how to enable competition players to set personal spending limits and purchase restrictions on their accounts using the Spending Limits for WooCommerce plugin

If you run a WooCommerce competition or raffle site, you are probably aware that responsible gaming tools aren’t just a good practice: they’re becoming essential. Around the world, many regulators now require online gaming sites to offer player protection features like spending limits and self-exclusion. Even in regions where it’s not yet legally required, payment processors and regulators closely watch sites that accept money for chance-based games.

Spending Limits for WooCommerce is our newest plugin designed specifically for competition site owners. It’s a great addition to our WooCommerce Lottery and WooCommerce Pick Ticket Number Mod plugins. While those plugins handle ticket sales, draws, and winner selection, Spending Limits adds the critical layer of player protection that both modern regulations and responsible operators demand.

In this article, we’ll explain what responsible gaming really means, why spending limits are becoming a must-have for WooCommerce competition sites, and how our plugin works seamlessly with your existing competition setup. You’ll learn how users can control their own spending, discover the key features that help meet regulatory requirements, and see why implementing these tools now keeps both your players and your business safe as gaming rules continue to tighten worldwide.

Responsible gaming & player protection tools

Responsible gaming is about keeping gaming fun, safe, and under control. It means giving players the tools and information they need to make smart choices, understand the risks, and avoid harm. This includes simple features like setting deposit or time limits, taking breaks through self-exclusion, getting reminders about time spent playing, and seeing clear information about odds and potential losses. These tools help people stick to personal boundaries, such as a budget or session length, even when emotions run high.

Player protection tools, often called responsible gaming or safer gaming features, are designed to help players stay in control of their gaming and reduce the risk of harm. By letting users set limits on how much time and money they spend, these tools help prevent issues before they start. An important part of how these tools work is that limits are set by the player but enforced by the platform. Players can lower their limits whenever they want, but increasing or removing them comes with safeguards. This “one-way valve” approach helps stop impulsive decisions, especially in moments of frustration or when it feels tempting to chase losses. For WooCommerce competition or raffle sites, adding these tools is essential. Features like self-exclusion or deposit limits not only protect your players but also help your site meet gaming regulations.

How to implement player protection tools on your WooCommerce site?

Adding player protection tools to a WooCommerce site helps promote responsible gaming, prevent excessive play, and stay compliant with gaming regulations. This is especially important for sites selling competition or raffle entries. Features like self-exclusion and deposit limits give players the ability to stay in control and reduce the risk of harm.

If you run competition or raffle sites using plugins like WooCommerce Lottery or Pick Ticket Number Mod, you’ll need a dedicated extension to provide these important safeguards. That’s where Spending Limits for WooCommerce comes in, giving you the tools to protect your players and meet compliance requirements.

Spending Limits for WooCommerce plugin

Spending Limits for WooCommerce is a specialized plugin designed to add responsible gaming controls to WooCommerce stores, with particular focus on raffle, competition, and other chance-based commerce sites. The plugin enables users to set their own spending restrictions and voluntarily lock themselves out of making purchases, creating the self-regulation framework that modern gaming regulations increasingly require.

From the user’s perspective, the plugin adds a dedicated section to the WooCommerce My Account page where users can manage their spending controls.

Users can set maximum spending amounts for four time periods: daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Once a user reaches their self-imposed limit for any active period, the plugin blocks checkout until that period resets.

Users can also initiate self-exclusion locks: voluntary account freezes that prevent any purchases for predetermined durations: 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 1 year, or permanently. During a self-exclusion period, the user cannot make any purchases.

Users can extend their exclusion periods or reduce their spending limits at any time, but they cannot shorten lock periods, increase spending caps, or remove limits without administrator approval. This prevents impulsive decisions during moments of frustration or regret.

User Spending Limit and Lock Settings

Only admins can shorten lock length, increase spending limit or remove limits

PRO version features

Spending Limits for WooCommerce plugin is available in both a free version and a premium version with advanced features:

  • Custom limit periods: Configure limits by custom number of weeks or days beyond standard intervals
  • Global spending limits: Administrators can set spending limits and time period limits for all users site-wide
  • Customizable messaging: Administrators can configure custom notifications when limits are reached.
  • User override option: Allow users to set their own limits (higher or lower than defaults)

WP dashboard – Spending Limits Settings  (PRO version)

  • Reports pages where you can see list of users with active limits and locked out users. Along these reports there is audit log page. All pages have option to export data to CSV and date range filter.

User management dashboard: View lists of users on break and their current spending limits and Audit log with searchable history of all limit and lock changes (PRO version)

  • Premium support: Direct access to our ticket support system at https://wpgenie.org/support/

You can check video tutorial to see how PRO version of plugin works:

Conclusion

Adding responsible gaming features to your WooCommerce competition or raffle site is easier than you might think. With Spending Limits for WooCommerce, you can set up powerful player protection tools in just a few minutes.

Give your users control over their spending, promote safer play, and make sure your site stays compliant with gaming regulations. Installing Spending Limits for WooCommerce helps protect your users, build trust, and future-proof your site.

What Users Are Saying

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent addition to WooCommerce

I’m currently using this free version, this plugin is excellent and a great addition to a Woo based shop that might sell addictive items (competitions, gambling, or even energy drinks etc!) and to have the option to lock or limit users spend makes it look like an ethical practice at the very least. Also, I have to thank Marko at WPGenie, I asked if I could modify this plugin via my child-theme, within 48hrs they modified the plugin so it could, making it very customisable. So now seriously considering the Pro version as I wasn’t expecting such great support on a free plugin (although to be fair it was a feature request to benefit all!).Don’t hesitate to try this, a couple clicks to install and it works well.

By EXo on wordpress.org

FAQ

Does this plugin help meet gaming compliance requirements?

Yes, Spending Limits for WooCommerce provides the core player protection features that gaming regulators and payment processors typically require: user-set spending limits and self-exclusion tools.

How do spending limits reduce chargebacks?

When users set their own spending limits, they’re less likely to overspend and later dispute charges. The audit log (available in PRO version) also provides evidence that users voluntarily set their limits, which can help defend against chargeback claims of unauthorized purchases.

What happens when a user reaches their spending limit?

When a user reaches their self-set limit, they cannot complete checkout. They’ll see a clear message explaining that they’ve reached their limit and when it will reset. Only administrators can override these limits, preventing impulsive decisions during emotional moments.

Can users increase their limits?

No, users can only reduce their limits. Administrators can increase limits when needed. The PRO version (v1.1.6+) includes an option allowing users to override admin-set limits if enabled by the administrator

Can users unlock their own accounts?

No, that is not possible, only Administrators can do that. Users need to contact administrator in order to get help with this.

What is in PRO version?

Option for global spending limit, custom limit period (weeks or days), reports pages where you can see list of users with their limits and locked out users. Along these reports there is audit log page. All pages have option to export data to CSV and date range filter. PRO version also comes with premium support.

Looking for other ways to improve your WooCommerce store? Check the complete list of our plugins that can help you bring your clients the best online shopping experience!

Introducing Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce: Reward Subscribers Automatically

We’re excited to announce Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce, a powerful add-on that brings flexible gifting capabilities to your WooCommerce subscription store.

Automatic Gift Products on Subscription Start or Renewal

Unlike coupon-based solutions limited to first purchases, Subscription Gifts for WooCommerce gives you complete control over when customers receive free products. Add gifts automatically at subscription start, during renewals, or both. Perfect for building long-term customer loyalty.

Built for Any Product Type

For our WooCommerce Lottery plugin users: This is a must-have add-on to implement competition and giveaway subscriptions with WooCommerce Lottery plugin and Pick Number Mod add-on. If you’re looking for a tool to create WooCommerce Competition website with subscriptions this plugin is that tool that implements competition subscription features. This add-on seamlessly integrates with your existing lottery / competition setup.

Beyond competition / raffle subscriptions, Subscription Gifts is ideal for subscription boxes, promotional campaigns, and subscriber retention strategies across any industry.

Simple Setup, No Workarounds

Forget complex configurations requiring multiple plugins. This dedicated WooCommerce Subscriptions add-on adds gift products directly to subscription orders through an intuitive interface (see screenshot below).

PRO Features

Upgrade for enhanced capabilities including quantity control for gifted products and the ability to configure gifts for both start AND renewal events simultaneously.

Get Started Today

Download the free version from the WordPress plugin repository or upgrade to PRO for advanced features and start rewarding your subscribers with automated free gifts.

Requires: WooCommerce and WooCommerce Subscriptions plugins

Looking for other ways to enhance your WooCommerce store? Check out our other free WordPress plugins.

Visit our CodeCanyon portfolio for premium solutions including auction, lottery, and bulk discount plugins trusted by 15,000+ customers.

How to Target WooCommerce Customers Based on Products They Ordered

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are behind us, and if you’re running a WooCommerce store, you now have customer order data that can be incredibly valuable for your future sales strategies.

You might have sold dozens or even hundreds of different products, with some clear bestsellers while others didn’t sell at all. You may also have many newly registered users, though only some of them actually completed a purchase.

In any case, you’re sitting on valuable data you can use to target customers based on the products they have (or haven’t) ordered.

In this article, we’ll explain the importance of product-based customer segmentation, and also show you use cases for targeting customers based on the product they bought. We’ll also talk about use cases for targeting users without orders and transforming them into customers. The plugin we use for extracting this data is our free Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce. We’ll also show you how to use the ‘users without orders’ filter to clean your database from inactive accounts.

Why Segment Customers by Product They Bought

Let’s start from the beginning: what is customer segmentation? It’s the process of dividing customers into groups based on shared characteristics, allowing businesses to tailor their marketing, features, and promotions to each group more effectively.

There are many ways to segment customers: by age, gender, location, interests, purchase history, brand loyalty, or even their response to marketing campaigns. Important thing to understand is that you don’t need to send every promotion to every person all the time. Instead, you can craft promotions and campaigns that genuinely resonate with your target audience.

Example: If you’re running a sporting goods store, customer segmentation by product means analyzing which customers bought running shoes, which bought table tennis equipment, and which purchased the most expensive bike in your store. Now that you have this data, you can create targeted offers and send promotions based on previous purchases only to those who are likely to be interested.

Use Cases for Targeting Customers Based on Products They Bought

When you filter by a specific product, you get a list of customers who already ordered it. This opens up several targeted campaign opportunities:

Cross-sell complementary products

Customers who bought one product often need related or complementary products in addition to what they’ve already purchased.

Sports store example: For customers who bought running shoes, you could send an email offering high-performance running socks or discount on smart running watches.

Software store example: If someone purchased one of your plugins, they might need specific add-ons, compatible themes, or tools that extend its functionality.

Upsell to premium versions

With a list of customers who bought some product, you can encourage them to buy a more expensive or upgraded version of the product they’ve already bought.

Sports store example:  For a customer who bought table tennis paddle, you could send offers for premium equipment. “If you’re playing regularly and want better control and spin, it might be time to upgrade to the Pro Competition Paddle.”

Software store example: If you’re selling plugins, you can send offers like: “Upgrade to Pro and get [specific features]. 20% off for existing customers.”

Product-specific announcements and updates

Only notify people who own the product about new arrivals, major updates or new features. This keeps your communication relevant and avoids annoying customers with updates about products they don’t use.

Sports store example: For a customer who bought winter hiking boots, notify them about new waterproofing spray. “New arrivals: Premium waterproofing spray specifically designed for your [Boot Model].”

Software store example: “Version 3.0 released – new features for [Product Name] users.”

Renewal reminders

For products with annual support or subscriptions, send timely reminders before expiration. Include what they’ll lose if they don’t renew and what new features have been added since purchase.

Sports store example: For a customer who has subscription service, send reminder: “Your protein supplement subscription renews in 7 days. Continue receiving 20% off monthly deliveries.”

Software store example: “Your support expires in 30 days. Renew now to keep receiving updates and priority support.”

Feedback and testimonial requests

Ask only actual users for reviews, testimonials, or product feedback. They can give informed opinions and specific use cases that help improve your product and marketing.

Sports store example: To a customer who bought tennis racket, send an email: “How’s your new racket performing? Share your review and get 10% off your next purchase.”

Software store example: “You’ve been using [Plugin name]. Would you share your experience in a quick 2-minute survey?”

In all these examples, the most important thing is that you’re only contacting people who actually own and use the product, making every campaign highly relevant to the recipient.

By the numbers:

  • 6x higher transaction rates with personalized emails
  • 760% increase in revenue from segmented campaigns
  • 89% of marketers report positive ROI from personalization

Sources: Campaign Monitor, Instapage (2024-2025)

Use Cases for Targeting Customers Without Orders

When you filter for users without orders, you get registered users who showed interest but never completed a purchase. This segment represents untapped potential and offers specific campaign opportunities:

First purchase incentive

These users created an account but haven’t bought anything yet. A targeted discount can be the push they need to make that first purchase.

Sports store example: “Welcome back! Complete your first order and get 15% off. Valid for 48 hours only.”

Software store example: “Ready to get started? Use code FIRST20 for 20% off your first plugin purchase. Expires this Friday.”

Re-engagement reminder

Users registered for a reason but may have forgotten about your store. Remind them what you offer and why they signed up in the first place.

Sports store example: “It’s been a while! Explore our new arrivals in running gear. As a registered member, here’s 10% off your first purchase.”

Software store example: “You registered to learn about WooCommerce solutions. Here’s what we offer: [brief product list]. Ready to improve your store?”

Identify barriers

Understanding why customers didn’t buy helps you improve your offering and remove obstacles that prevent conversions.

Sports store example: “We noticed you browsed our store but didn’t make a purchase. Can you tell us what stopped you? Complete this 2-minute survey and get a $10 discount code.”

Software store example: “Quick question: What’s holding you back from trying [Plugin Name]? Your feedback helps us serve you better.”

Educational nurture sequence

Many customers need to understand the value before they’re ready to buy. You can send helpful content that demonstrates how your products solve real problems.

Sports store example: Send an email series over three weeks. Week 1: “How to choose the right running shoes for your foot type.” Week 2: “5 common running injuries and how proper gear prevents them.” Week 3: “Here’s 15% off to get you started.”

Software store example: Send an email series over five days. Day 1: “See how [Plugin] works in 2 minutes (video).” Day 3: “Top 5 ways our customers use [Plugin].” Day 5: “Special offer just for you – 20% off your first purchase.”

The advantage is that these users who made an account but didn’t order anything already showed interest, and with the right approach, you can convert them into paying customers.

Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce

There are many plugins that you can use for customer segmentation, with many different features. The reason we decided to create WPGenie’s Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce is that we wanted simple and effective tool for exporting customer data based on products they ordered, so we can use it for our targeted email campaigns. Also, we wanted to identify customers with no orders, because we want our database clean and optimized.

Step-by-Step Guide to Simple Customer CSV Exporter

Let’s look at how to efficiently filter customers by specific ordered products or customers who have never placed an order.

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Go to your WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New. Search for “Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce,” then click Install Now and Activate.

Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce plugin is free for download.

Step 2: Access the Simple Customer CSV Exporter

After activation, go to WC Customers in your WordPress admin menu. You’ll see that our plugin has simple, user-friendly interface, so you’ll filter your customers with no problem.

You can list All Customers, choose to list Users without Orders, or filter Customers by Product.

Step 3: Export to CSV

After filtering customers by specific ordered products, or after identifying customers with no orders, just click Export to CSV.

Your data will be delivered in clean CSV format, ideal for product announcements and updates and other forms of targeted email campaigns.

Check video tutorial to see how easy it is:

How To Bulk Delete Users Without Orders in WooCommerce

If you want to clean your database, the easiest way is to create a list of customers with no orders, and then delete them with WPGenie’s Bulk Delete Users by E-mail plugin. It’s a free plugin available at WordPress.org, check this article to get all the information you need: How to Bulk Delete Users by Email Address

Conclusion

The entire point of targeting customers based on products they bought is to create messaging and offers that resonate with your audience, rather than guessing about their preferences and needs.

With WPGenie’s free Simple Customer CSV Exporter for WooCommerce, you can export customers order data in a few minutes, making it easier to send relevant promotions and recommendations.

Try it: pick your best-selling product from Black Friday, export those customers, and send one targeted email this week.

Check other free plugins on WordPress.org: WPGenie at WordPress.org

How WooCommerce Lottery chooses winner when there are no ticket numbers?

A great way to go viral in a saturated market is implementing online prize draws. Promotional games and contests are considered a great marketing tool since they are often an easy and fun way to gain potential customers’ attention. Whether that’s a competition, a giveaway, or some other kind of prize draw, they add the thrill of possibility, create a sense of urgency, and when promotions are time-sensitive, customers are more likely to take immediate action.

So no wonder that one of our best selling plugins is WPGenie’s WooCommerce Lottery, a simple but effective plugin that extends any WooCommerce store with competition or giveaway features. 

Over the years many of our clients have successfully implemented prize draws in their webstores, but we’ve noticed a common technical question that often comes up: How WooCommerce Lottery plugin chooses winner when there are no ticket numbers?

In this article we’ll explain the mechanism behind WooCommerce Lottery plugin, when customers simply buy entries and prize draw is NOT using ticket number. We’ll also show options for prize draws where ticket numbers are required.

What is WooCommerce Lottery plugin

We’re proud to say that we are the authors of the first WooCommerce Lottery plugin: v1.0 was released on 2nd March 2016.

WPGenie’s WooCommerce Lottery plugin is a powerful prize draw solution that is easy to use and customize. With our plugin you can set up WordPress competition or giveaway  website and start your prize draw in less than 30 minutes (assuming you have payment processor ready if you run competitions, for giveaways you don’t even need payment processor).

Quick Lottery setup: you get new type of WooCommerce product type
Single lottery page with tab “Lottery History”

You can watch our video tutorial to see how easy is to set up WooCommerce Lottery:

How WooCommerce Lottery chooses winner

So: if there are no ticket numbers to draw, how does the plugin know who wins?

This is the technical explanation from our documentation describing the winner-picking mechanism:

After successful order and payment we log user’s ID to a lottery log list – if user purchased 10 entries for a lottery then lottery log will have 10 rows with the user ID and timestamp. So more tickets user purchase more entries are there in lottery log.

Once lottery ends, we create a list of user IDs from that lottery log, the more entries a user purchased, the more chances they will have due to list being filled with more user IDs. Then random function chooses one or more user IDs which are in fact winning IDs. We then send won notification to those users.

Let’s make this simpler: just think of the famous Names in a hat game where people write their names on slips of paper and put them in a hat, and a winner is drawn at random. This is exactly how WooCommerce Lottery plugin chooses winner.

Step 1: Collecting Entries

When someone buys competition tickets on your site and completes payment, the plugin writes their name (well, their user ID) into a lottery log.

Here’s the key part: if a customer buys 10 entries, the plugin creates 10 separate rows in that list, all with the same user ID, but each representing one entry.

So if Customer A buys 5 entries, Customer B buys 2 entries, and Customer C buys 1 entry, the lottery log looks something like this:

Entry 1: User A
Entry 2: User A 
Entry 3: User A
Entry 4: User A
Entry 5: User A
Entry 6: User B
Entry 7: User B
Entry 8: User C

Step 2: Drawing Time

When the lottery ends (based on your set end time), the plugin looks at all those entries in the database and creates a list.

That list looks like:

[Customer A] [Customer A] [Customer A] [Customer A] [Customer A] [Customer B] [Customer B] [Customer C]

Step 3: Random Selection

The plugin then uses a random function to pick one or more positions from that list. Back to our Names in a hat allegory, it’s like closing your eyes and pointing at one slip of paper.

If it picks position 3, that’s Customer A. If it picks position 7, that’s Customer B. If it picks position 8, that’s Customer C

Step 4: Winner Notification

Once the winning user ID(s) are selected, the plugin sends out the win notification emails to those users.

My Account page with Order details
Single Lottery page: user “admin” has purchased 10 lottery tickets

When You Need Ticket Numbers

Of course, a prize draw without ticket numbers isn’t always the right solution.  If you need ticket numbers for your raffles, or you need an option for skill-based competitions with question/answers, we offer Pick Ticket Number addon for WooCommerce Lottery.

With Pick Ticket Number participants can choose specific ticket numbers or have them randomly assigned. The plugin still uses random function to pick winners once lottery is finished, but it’s selecting winning numbers instead of user IDs.

The addon includes an option to manually enter winning number(s) on edit lottery page, and you can set up instant win tickets tied to specific numbers.

Lottery with Pick Ticket Number setup
Single lottery page with Pick Ticket Number addon : options for manually choosing ticket number(s) and question/answer

You can watch our video tutorial to see how easy is to set up WooCommerce Lottery with Pick Ticket Number addon:

When To Use Entry-Based Lotteries (No Numbers)

 Entry-based lotteries work best for:

  • Promotional giveaways aimed at driving quick sales, where a simple entry process helps speed up participation.
  • Email list building campaigns, where collecting entries (such as email signups) is the main goal rather than number selection.
  • Flash contests with tight timeframes that require fast, straightforward entry.
  • Thank-you drawings for existing customers, offering a quick and easy way to show appreciation.
  • Any scenario where speed and simplicity of checkout or entry matter more than allowing users to pick numbers.

When To Consider the Pick Number Addon

Consider adding ticket numbers when:

  • You want maximum transparency: users can see (and choose) their exact numbers
  • You’re running competitions where local regulations require a skill element
  • You’re doing live draws and announcing winning numbers publicly
  • You want instant win functionality tied to specific ticket numbers
Lottery + Pick Ticket Number: My Account page with Order details
Single Lottery page with Pick Ticket Number: option to randomly assign ticket numbers and instant win

Conclusion

Online prize draws without ticket numbers are possible and common. WPGenie’s WooCommerce Lottery plugin simply uses participants’ ID instead of ticket numbers. The selection of winners is done by randomizing over the list of entries without the need for issuing numbered ticket. This approach is typical in  sweepstakes, quick promotional draws or  giveaways, and some fundraising raffles that do not require or use numbered tickets.

If you want participants to choose ticket numbers, run competitions with questions and answers, set up instant wins, or manually select winners, you need the Pick Ticket Number addon.

Lottery plugin with and without Pick Ticket Number uses the same random selection mechanism, and the difference is what kind of promotional games and contests (and with what options) you want to set up in your store. 

Want to see it in action? Until December 15, we’re offering an extended Black Friday discount on our plugins and extensions. Visit codecanyon.net for WooCommerce Lottery plugin and WPGenie store for Pick Ticker Number addon.

What Users are saying

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐for Customer Support

Amazing set of plugins and the extra customisation we have paid for is incredible, highly recommend buying direct from these guys rather than using the theird party companies that are reselling their license without rewarding the original developers

Thank you for the great work and support over the past few weeks

by neil74white on CodeCanyon.net

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐for Feature Availability

By far the best prize draw plugin i have tired. I would highly recommend this plugin along with “WooCommerce Lottery / Competitions Pick Ticket Number Modification” available direct from their site.
I did try other plugins before finding this one and ended up removing the others in favour of this one.
The whole thing works just as you would want it to and the support is very good.
Try it if you want quality, support and decent system. Its worth every penny.

by matthewbird156 on CodeCanyon.net

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐for Feature Availability

This is an excellent plugin and works very well. I asked a couple of questions to the developer via their support network and received great and prompt replies. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a lottery plugin.

by TweedSolutions on CodeCanyon.net

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐for Flexibility

The Plugin works seamlessly with woocommerce and my support experience was awesome.

by OlufemiShield on CodeCanyon.net

WooCommerce Simple Bulk Discounts now at a lower price

We’ve reduced the price of one of our bestselling plugins:  WooCommerce Simple Bulk Discounts. This extension helps you sell more by rewarding customers who buy in larger quantities.

Boost Sales with Smart Pricing

Set up automatic discounts that encourage shoppers to add more items to their cart, like “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” or “$10 off orders of 5 or more items.”

Bulk discounts help you move inventory faster, boost revenue through larger orders, and build customer loyalty by rewarding frequent or high-volume buyers.

Create unlimited discount rules using percentage or fixed amounts, apply them to individual items or total orders, and target specific customer groups like wholesale buyers or VIP members. You can even combine quantity and role-based rules for maximum flexibility.

Simple Setup, Powerful Features

The plugin integrates seamlessly into your WooCommerce product pages with a dedicated “Simple Bulk Discounts” tab. You can set your discount rules, add custom messages to explain offers to shoppers, and enable or disable discounts with a single checkbox.

Setup takes minutes and requires no coding.

Get WooCommerce Simple Bulk Discounts at a lower price!

Black Friday / Cyber Monday 2025 discounts

Hi everyone!

Our BlackFriday / CyberMonday discounts are now active till 15th December.

Addons on WPGenie.org and all PRO upgrades 20% off with code: black2025

Plugins sold via CodeCanyon: WooCommerce Lottery is now $19 (instead od $29) while WooCommerce Group Buy and Deals is $35 (instead of $55). CodeCanyon sale is active till 15th December too.

Running Your Own Black Friday Sale?

If you’re setting up holiday promotions on your WooCommerce store, check out these free plugins:

Both plugins are lightweight, work with your existing setup, and won’t conflict with other discount plugins.