Introduction:
If you’re running a store and don’t require online payments, WooCommerce can still be a great platform to manage and showcase your products. Many businesses prefer receiving orders without the hassle of payment gateways, as they plan to charge customers through other means offline.
In this guide, we’ll show you a simple way to set up your WooCommerce store to accept orders without the need for payment gateways.
Why Deactivating Payment Gateways is Not the Solution:
You might think that the easiest approach is to deactivate all payment gateways in WooCommerce settings. However, this won’t solve the problem entirely. While you won’t encounter payment options during checkout, customers won’t be able to complete their orders. Instead, they’ll face an error message, preventing them from proceeding to the final step.
How to Enable Order Placement without Payment Gateways:
To allow customers to place orders without requiring payment gateways, we’ll follow a different approach. Keep your existing payment gateways as they are (activated or deactivated) and add a simple code snippet to achieve the desired outcome.
Step 1: Adding the Magic Code:
You can achieve this by inserting the following code snippet in your WordPress site:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_cart_needs_payment', '__return_false' );
Step 2: Implementing the Code:
To add the code, follow these steps:
- Access your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to “Appearance” and click on “Theme Editor.”
- Locate the “functions.php” file on the right sidebar.
- Copy and paste the provided code snippet at the end of the file.
- Save the changes.With the code in place, WooCommerce will now allow customers to place orders without requiring payment gateways during checkout.
Order Placement Process:
Now, let’s understand how the process works:
1. Customer Checkout:
When a customer reaches the checkout page, they will find the usual order summary and payment options. However, they won’t be prompted to select a payment gateway.
2. Placing the Order:
After reviewing their order details, the customer can proceed to place the order. WooCommerce will allow them to submit the order without the need for any payment information.
3. Order Completion:
The order will be successfully placed, and WooCommerce will send confirmation emails to both the store manager and the customer. The order status will be set to “Processing.”
Managing Orders:
With orders in the “Processing” status, the store manager has the flexibility to handle them according to their business process. The payment can be collected offline through other means, and the order can be shipped or fulfilled accordingly.
Conclusion:
Setting up WooCommerce to accept orders without online payment gateways is straightforward. By adding a simple code snippet, customers can place orders without encountering any payment options during checkout. This approach provides convenience for businesses that prefer handling payments offline. WooCommerce remains an excellent tool to manage your store’s products while allowing you to operate according to your specific business needs. Give it a try, and enjoy a seamless order placement experience for both you and your customers!