Introducing Purchase Orders for WooCommerce® (free)

Introducing Purchase Orders for WooCommerce® (free)

· Robert ·

Welcome to week 4 of the #WooWednesday plugin series!

Today we’ve got the Purchase Orders for WooCommerce® plugin which is a simple, free, and functional alternative to Woo’s $49/year offering.

It adds a purchase order payment gateway to your WooCommerce® store, allowing customers to provide a purchase order number during checkout.

Built to provide value without locking you into annual fees, this showcases how simple it is to build tools that make WooCommerce® better – for free 😎

Purchase Orders for WooCommerce - Checkout settings

Key Features

  • Purchase Order Gateway: A new payment option is added to the checkout page, allowing customers to input a purchase order number.
  • Customizable Behavior:
    • Set the default order status for purchase orders (e.g., on-hold, completed, etc).
    • Enable or disable stock reduction for PO orders.
  • Order Meta Management:
    • Automatically display the purchase order number on thank-you pages, order details, and in the WooCommerce admin.
    • Include PO numbers in customer and admin emails.
  • Admin Settings: Adjust everything from order status to stock handling in an easy-to-use settings page.
  • WooCommerce Compatibility: Works out of the box with WooCommerce’s features, such as order management and stock tracking.
Purchase Orders for WooCommerce - Order Email view
Order email display

How to Get Started

  1. Installation:
  2. Configuration:
    • Visit WooCommerce > Settings > Purchase Orders to configure:
      • The default order status for purchase orders.
      • Whether stock should be reduced when a PO order is placed.
    • Save your settings.
  3. Using the Gateway:
    • Customers can select “Purchase Order” as a payment method during checkout.
    • They’ll be prompted to enter their PO number.
    • Orders will process based on your selected status and stock reduction preferences.
  4. Order Management:
    • PO numbers are included in order details, customer and admin emails, and the WooCommerce admin dashboard for easy reference.
Purchase Orders for WooCommerce - Order 'thank you' page
Order ‘Thank you’ page

Why Use This Instead of WooCommerce’s Version?

Let’s be honest: Woo charges $49/year for something as basic as adding a purchase order field, and it’s not something you’d expect for a reputable company.

This plugin does the same thing for free and it only took a small portion of a single evening to build 🤷‍♂️

Here’s why Purchase Orders for WooCommerce® is the better choice:

  • No Recurring Fees: You don’t have to pay annually for functionality that, if we’re being honest, should be built into WooCommerce® already.
  • Customizable: Adjust order statuses, stock management, and behavior to suit your business workflow.
  • Lightweight and Simple: No unnecessary fluff or features you’ll never use.
  • Open Source: The code is yours to inspect, extend, and modify. No hidden tricks, no vendor lock-in.
  • Free Forever: Because charging for something this basic feels a bit disingenuous.
Purchase Orders for WooCommerce - Order admin page
Order admin page

What’s Next?

This plugin is designed to make WooCommerce® a bit better without extra costs.

While it works great as-is, I’m open to feature requests and feedback. If there’s something you’d like to see added, let me know.

Ready to save $49/year? Download Purchase Orders for WooCommerce® today. 😊

Hulk Hogan making a money gesture and pointing at Macho Man - GIF image

Final Thoughts

WooCommerce® is a great platform, but not everything needs a premium price tag.

With Purchase Orders for WooCommerce®, you get exactly what you need without being upsold.

Sometimes, simplicity is the best feature.