Most online stores love giving discounts to first-time buyers: welcome coupons, sign-up offers, “your first 10% off.” But here’s the catch: real growth doesn’t come from one-time shoppers.
It comes from the people who come back again and again, the ones placing their 3rd, 5th, or even 10th order. They’re your true VIPs, and yet, many businesses overlook them.
That’s a costly mistake. While acquiring new customers gets more expensive every year, retaining loyal ones is cheaper, easier, and far more profitable. In fact, returning customers often spend more with each purchase and drive nearly half of your revenue.
This is where WooCommerce past order based discounts make all the difference. By rewarding buyers at key milestones, you not only boost repeat purchases but also create genuine loyalty that keeps them coming back.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to set up past order based discounts in WooCommerce, step by step, and smart strategies to use them for maximum impact.
Can you set up repeat order discounts with WooCommerce by default?
Technically, yes. WooCommerce allows you to create coupons. So, in theory, you could dig into each customer’s order history, figure out who has reached their 3rd or 5th order, and manually issue a coupon.
Sounds doable, right?
Until you realize it’s like digging through a haystack every time someone buys something.
One miss, and your most loyal customer walks away unrewarded.
That’s why the “default way” isn’t really effective. It’s clunky, time-consuming, and doesn’t scale once you have more than a handful of orders.
So if you want something that scales, you need automation. And that’s exactly where Smart Coupons steps in.
WooCommerce past order based discounts with Smart Coupons
This is where things get simple. With StoreApps Smart Coupons, you can set up repeat purchase discounts automatically.
All you do is define the rule:
- “Give 15% off on the 3rd order.”
- “Unlock a free gift once someone orders it for the 10th time.”
- Don’t apply discount if customer has placed only 1 order
Smart Coupons plugin handles the rest in the background.
The result? Your repeat buyers feel recognized and rewarded at exactly the right time, without you spending hours managing coupons. It’s straightforward, automated, and designed to keep buyers coming back.
How to set up WooCommerce past order discounts?
For example, let’s say you want to give customers 10% off on their 5th order. Here’s how to set this up in Smart Coupons:
- Go to the
WordPress admin panel > Marketing > Coupons > Add coupon. - Set the coupon type as Percentage discount and set the amount as 10.
- Tick the
Auto-apply?option. - Now under the
Usage Restrictionstab, look forNumber of order made. - Choose
Equal toand enter 5. This ensures the coupon only applies once the customer has placed exactly five orders till date. - Publish the coupon.
Smart ways to use WooCommerce past order discounts
Setting up a flat 10% off on the 5th order is great. But why stop there?
Here are some smart ways to go beyond the basics:
Category-specific rewards
Imagine a customer who has ordered T-shirts from you multiple times but never bought anything from your “Accessories” category.
Offering them 15% off Accessories on their 3rd order gives them a reason to explore more of your catalog, without feeling like you’re pushing random products.
To do this, just go through the Usage Restrictions tab and look for Product category restrictions.
And then follow the usual steps to create WooCommerce past order discount as mentioned above.
Free gift on the Xth order
Now imagine a customer placing their 10th order. Instead of giving them another small discount, how about surprising them with a freebie, like a tote bag, mug, etc?
This kind of reward feels more personal and memorable, almost like a thank-you gift for staying loyal.
To set this up:
- Create a coupon and set the coupon type as fixed cart discount and amount as 0.
- Go to the
Usage Restrictions > Number of order made > Equal toand enter 10. - Now go to the
Action tab > Add products to cart. - Search and select the freebie product, set the quantity to 1, and under
Discount, enter 100%. - Publish the coupon.
Check out this article for more details on WooCommerce free gifts.
Reward high-value regulars
Some customers don’t just buy often, they spend big. If someone has placed 5+ orders and spent over $500 in your store, why not give them an exclusive 20% discount?
This makes your most valuable customers feel like true VIPs and keeps them coming back.
To set this up, create a coupon, add a minimum spend restriction, and combine it with an order count restriction.
Seasonal surprises for loyal buyers
Loyal customers deserve more during big events like Black Friday or Christmas. But what if your loyal buyers got early access?
It makes them feel valued and encourages repeat shopping before others do.
To set this up, create a time-limited coupon and add an order-count restriction (e.g., 2+ orders). Send it out to your regulars before launching your storewide sale.
This tactic is a great customer retention strategy for WooCommerce.
BOGO for regulars
Buy One, Get One offers are common, but they become extra powerful when limited to loyal customers. For example, “Buy 1 coffee pack, get 1 free” only for shoppers with at least 4 past orders.
And just like that, you have elevated the common BOGO into a WooCommerce loyalty marketing program.
Here’s how to create BOGO coupon with Smart Coupons.
Tiered loyalty discounts
Encourage customers to keep shopping by giving them bigger rewards as they go. For instance: 5% off after 3 orders, 10% off after 5, and 15% off after 10.
This WooCommerce recurring discounts improves shopping experience and motivates customers to reach the next milestone.
To set this up, create multiple coupons with different discount values and assign each to a specific order count.
Past orders deserve present rewards
Your best customers are the ones who buy from you again and again.
Every repeat order is a chance to say “thanks,” and with Smart Coupons, you can do it with ease.
From milestone discounts to surprise gifts, rewarding loyalty is simple, timely, and effective. Don’t just chase new shoppers while ignoring the ones who matter most.
Ready to turn repeat buyers into loyal fans?
FAQs
- Do customers have to apply some code to get this discount?
If you have enabled the Auto-apply option of Smart Coupons, customers won’t have to enter any codes, as the coupon will get automatically applied once they qualify for it. - Do I need to manually track purchase milestones?
No, Smart Coupons handles the tracking for you. Once you set the rule (e.g., 5 orders), it applies the reward automatically.
- Can I limit a past-order discount to just one use per customer?
Yes! You can configure each coupon so it’s only issued once per customer, even if they hit the milestone multiple times, the discount won’t repeat.
- Can too many discounts hurt my business?
Yes. Overusing coupons can attract low-value customers who don’t stick around. In fact, excessive discounting can increase churn and reduce lifetime value. Check out this case study to see what happens when discounts go too far.