# WooCommerce Minimum Order Amount: How to Set One (3 Ways)

> WooCommerce has no store-wide minimum order setting. Three ways to set one: the free shipping minimum, a coupon’s minimum spend, or a few lines of code.

Source: https://nanflows.com/blog/woocommerce-minimum-order-amount
Published: 2026-11-05 · Updated: 2026-11-01
By: Tushar Tyagi
About: Nanflows sliding cart (https://nanflows.com/products/nanflows-sliding-cart)

**In short:** WooCommerce has no setting for a store-wide minimum order amount. It has a minimum for free shipping and a minimum spend on coupons, which only change what an order gets. To stop orders below an amount, add a short snippet that checks the cart subtotal on the classic cart and checkout and in the Cart and Checkout blocks. Tell shoppers how much more they need, and a free shipping goal in the cart, like the one in [Nanflows Sliding Cart Pro](https://nanflows.com/products/nanflows-sliding-cart), helps them get there.

## When a minimum order makes sense

A minimum order amount stops orders that cost you more than they earn. It makes sense when:

- **You sell cheap items.** A $6 order still needs packing, a label and a payment fee.
- **You sell wholesale.** Trade customers buy by the case, and a minimum keeps small retail orders out.
- **You deliver locally.** A driver’s trip costs the same for a $10 order as for a $100 one.

To find your number, add up what every order costs you no matter its size, then divide by your margin:

**Minimum = fixed cost per order ÷ margin**

If packing, the payment fee and the shipping you cover come to $6 an order and you keep 40% of each sale, an order needs to be at least $6 ÷ 0.40 = **$15** to cover itself. Many stores round that up to a number shoppers remember, like $20 or $25.

![Three ways to set a minimum order amount in WooCommerce](https://nanflows.com/img/blog/min-order-ways.svg)
*Only the third one stops small orders. The first two change what a small order gets.*

## Way 1: a minimum for free shipping

If small orders are fine as long as the shopper pays for shipping, you don’t need a minimum at all. You need free shipping above an amount.

1. Go to **WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping** and open your shipping zone.
2. Add a shipping method and pick **Free shipping**.
3. Under **Free shipping requires**, pick **A minimum order amount**.
4. Type the amount in **Minimum order amount**.

WooCommerce compares this with the cart subtotal after coupon discounts. Tick **Apply minimum order rule before coupon discount** if you want the amount before discounts instead. Keep a paid shipping method in the same zone, so orders below the amount can still check out.

To pick the amount, start from your average order value. The [free shipping threshold calculator](https://nanflows.com/free-shipping-threshold-calculator) works it out from your average order, shipping cost and margin.

## Way 2: a minimum spend on a coupon

If the problem is discounts on small orders, put the minimum on the coupon.

1. Go to **Marketing → Coupons** and open the coupon.
2. Under **Usage restriction**, fill in **Minimum spend**.

The coupon then works only on orders above that amount, and WooCommerce tells the shopper the minimum when they try it on a smaller cart. Orders below it still go through, at full price.

## Way 3: a real minimum order, with code

To block every order below an amount, add the snippet below. It works on both kinds of cart and checkout:

- `woocommerce_check_cart_items` runs on the classic cart and checkout pages and again when the order is placed. An error there stops the order.
- `woocommerce_store_api_cart_errors` runs for the Cart and Checkout blocks, the default in new stores. An error there stops the Checkout block from placing the order.

```php
// Minimum order amount for WooCommerce: classic cart and checkout, and the blocks.
const NF_MIN_ORDER = 25;

function nf_min_order_message( $subtotal ) {
	return sprintf(
		'The minimum order is %1$s. Your cart is %2$s now: add %3$s more to check out.',
		wc_price( NF_MIN_ORDER ),
		wc_price( $subtotal ),
		wc_price( NF_MIN_ORDER - $subtotal )
	);
}

// Classic cart and checkout pages, and placing the order.
add_action( 'woocommerce_check_cart_items', function () {
	$subtotal = (float) WC()->cart->get_subtotal();
	if ( $subtotal > 0 && $subtotal < NF_MIN_ORDER ) {
		wc_add_notice( nf_min_order_message( $subtotal ), 'error' );
	}
} );

// Cart and Checkout blocks.
add_action( 'woocommerce_store_api_cart_errors', function ( $errors, $cart ) {
	$subtotal = (float) $cart->get_subtotal();
	if ( $subtotal > 0 && $subtotal < NF_MIN_ORDER ) {
		$errors->add( 'nf_minimum_order', html_entity_decode( wp_strip_all_tags( nf_min_order_message( $subtotal ) ) ) );
	}
}, 10, 2 );
```

Put it in your child theme’s **functions.php** or in a code snippets plugin, never in WooCommerce’s own files, which updates replace. Change `25` to your amount.

A few things to know:

- **Which total it checks.** `get_subtotal()` is the products before coupons, without tax and shipping. That is usually what you mean by “minimum order”. If you want the amount after coupons, use `get_subtotal() - get_discount_total()` instead.
- **Test both checkouts.** Add one cheap product and try to check out on the classic pages and, if you use them, the blocks. You should see the message and no order.
- **Wholesale only.** To apply the minimum only to trade customers, wrap each check in a role test, for example `in_array( 'wholesale_customer', wp_get_current_user()->roles, true )`, with your own role name.

![A WooCommerce cart below a $25 minimum, with a notice saying how much to add](https://nanflows.com/img/blog/min-order-notice.svg)
*Say the minimum, the cart total and how much is left, in one sentence.*

## Help shoppers reach the minimum

A minimum that shoppers only find at checkout feels like a wall. Make it part of the shopping instead:

- **Say it early.** Put “Orders from $25” in the header, on product pages and in the cart, not only in the error.
- **Show the gap.** “Add $7.00 more” is easier to act on than “minimum $25”. A progress bar in the cart makes it visual.
- **Have something to add.** Suggest cheap products in the cart that fit the gap: refills, socks, a gift card. [Cart upsells](https://nanflows.com/blog/woocommerce-cart-upsells) do this well.
- **Pair it with free shipping.** A minimum at $25 and free shipping at $50 gives shoppers a floor and a goal.

| | Minimum order amount | Free shipping threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Orders below it | Can’t be placed | Pay for shipping |
| Feels like | A rule | A reward |
| Best for | Cheap items, wholesale, local delivery | Raising the average order |
| In WooCommerce | Code | Built in |

Most stores selling to the public do better with a free shipping goal than a hard minimum, because nobody is turned away. Use a minimum when small orders truly lose money.

## Show the goal in the cart with Nanflows Sliding Cart

- **Free:** [Nanflows Sliding Cart on WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/plugins/nanflows-sliding-cart/) opens a side cart the moment a product is added, with the subtotal, the coupon field and the checkout button, so shoppers see their total as they shop.
- **Pro:** [Nanflows Sliding Cart Pro](https://nanflows.com/products/nanflows-sliding-cart) adds a free shipping and rewards bar that shows how much is left, upsells and cross-sells in the cart, and cart analytics. $39 a year for one site, or $149 for five.
- Related: [how to increase average order value](https://nanflows.com/blog/how-to-increase-average-order-value), the [average order value calculator](https://nanflows.com/average-order-value-calculator) and [WooCommerce sliding cart](https://nanflows.com/woocommerce-sliding-cart).

## FAQ

### Does WooCommerce have a minimum order amount setting?

No. WooCommerce has a minimum order amount for free shipping and a minimum spend on coupons, but no store-wide minimum. A short snippet adds one, or a plugin made for it.

### How do I set a minimum order amount in WooCommerce without a plugin?

Add the snippet above to your child theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin. It checks the cart subtotal on the classic cart and checkout and in the Cart and Checkout blocks, and stops orders below your amount.

### Does the minimum include tax and shipping?

In the snippet above, no: it uses the product subtotal before coupons, without tax and shipping. You can change which total it checks.

### Can I set a different minimum for wholesale customers?

Yes. Check the customer’s role in the snippet and use a different amount, or apply the minimum only to that role.

### What is a good minimum order amount?

One that covers what every order costs you. Divide your fixed cost per order (packing, payment fee, the shipping you cover) by your margin. $6 of costs at a 40% margin means at least $15.