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 😎
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.
Order email display
How to Get Starte d
1. Installation:
- Download the plugin from GitHub.
- Upload it to your WordPress site under Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
- Activate the plugin.
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.
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.
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. 😊
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.