How to Add Coupon Codes in LearnDash to Offer Discounts on Course Prices

Offering discounts and promotions is a powerful strategy for attracting new students to your courses and encouraging existing ones to enroll in additional classes. If you’re using LearnDash as your Learning Management System (LMS) on WordPress, you may notice that it doesn’t come with a built-in coupon feature. However, by integrating LearnDash with WooCommerce, you can enable coupon codes and discount options to make your courses more appealing.

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a coupon code for your LearnDash courses using WooCommerce. We’ll cover everything from setting up WooCommerce to creating your first discount code and applying it to your LearnDash courses.

Step 1: Integrate WooCommerce with LearnDash

Before you can offer coupon codes for LearnDash courses, you’ll need to set up WooCommerce, a powerful e-commerce plugin that provides coupon code functionality. With WooCommerce, you can create unique coupon codes and apply them to any course or bundle of courses you wish to promote.

Installing WooCommerce

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for “WooCommerce,” click Install Now, and then Activate the plugin.
3. Once activated, WooCommerce will launch its setup wizard to help you configure basic store settings. Complete this setup by adding your location, preferred currency, and payment methods.

Configuring WooCommerce with LearnDash After installing WooCommerce, the next step is to connect WooCommerce products with your LearnDash courses. This will allow you to manage course sales and enable discounts through WooCommerce.

1. Go to LearnDash LMS > Courses and select the course you want to link with WooCommerce.
2. Scroll down to Course Access Settings and set the Access Mode to Closed. This setting ensures that only WooCommerce handles the course purchase.
3. In the “Button URL” field, paste the URL for the WooCommerce product linked to this course.
4. Save your changes.

This configuration connects your LearnDash course to a WooCommerce product, allowing you to manage course pricing, discounts, and coupons through WooCommerce.

Step 2: Enable and Create Coupon Codes in WooCommerce

With WooCommerce now managing course sales, you can use its built-in coupon code feature to create discounts for your LearnDash courses.

Accessing WooCommerce Coupons

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce > Coupons.
2. Click on Add Coupon to create a new coupon code.
3. Enter a unique coupon code in the “Coupon Code” field (e.g., “SAVE20”) and add a description if needed. This is the code students will enter to receive their discount.

Configuring Coupon Settings WooCommerce offers various options to customize your coupon code based on the type of discount you wish to offer:

• Discount Type: Choose from Percentage discount, Fixed cart discount, or Fixed product discount. For example, a percentage discount of 20% would apply a 20% discount on the course price, while a fixed discount could offer $10 off the total price.
• Coupon Amount: Specify the discount amount or percentage here (e.g., 20 for a 20% discount).
• Allow Free Shipping: If you offer any physical products alongside your course, this option enables free shipping for those items.
• Coupon Expiry Date: You can add an expiry date to create a sense of urgency, encouraging students to take action before the offer ends.

Setting Usage Restrictions WooCommerce lets you fine-tune how the coupon is applied

• Minimum and Maximum Spend: Set a minimum or maximum amount required in the cart for the coupon to be valid.
• Specific Products: Limit the coupon to specific LearnDash courses by selecting the linked WooCommerce products. This ensures the coupon only applies to those courses.
• Individual Use Only: Check this box to prevent the coupon from being used in conjunction with other discounts or promotions.
• Usage Limit per User: Control how many times an individual can use the coupon code, which is useful for running limited-time promotions.

Setting Usage Limits You can set overall limits on the coupon usage:

• Usage Limit per Coupon: Set the maximum number of times the coupon can be redeemed before it expires.
• Limit Usage to X Items: Specify the maximum number of items in a cart for the discount to apply.
• Usage Limit per User: Limit the coupon usage to a specific number of times per user.

Save your changes, and the coupon code is now ready for use on your LearnDash courses!

Step 3: Display the Coupon Code for Your LearnDash Courses

Once your coupon code is created, it’s important to let your potential students know about the discount. Displaying the coupon code in prominent places will increase its visibility and encourage more students to use it.

Promoting the Coupon on Course Pages Edit your LearnDash course pages to include a call-to-action (CTA) that highlights the coupon code. This could be a banner, a section near the “Enroll” button, or even a popup that catches the attention of visitors.

Marketing the Coupon Code Consider promoting your new LearnDash coupon through

• Email Campaigns: Send an email to your subscriber list announcing the discount and encouraging them to enroll.
• Social Media: Share posts about the discount on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, especially if you have an active following.
• Blog or Website Banners: Add a banner on your homepage or blog with the coupon code to drive additional traffic to your courses.

Step 4: Testing Your LearnDash Coupon Code

Before launching your coupon code promotion, it’s crucial to test it to ensure it applies correctly and functions as intended.

Conduct a Test Purchase

1. Visit the course page where the coupon is available.
2. Add the course to your WooCommerce cart.
3. Enter the coupon code at checkout and verify that the discount is correctly applied.
4. Complete the test purchase if possible, ensuring that the user flow is smooth and error-free.

Testing the coupon code allows you to verify that the discount is working and gives you peace of mind before sharing it widely.

Additional Tips for Using Coupon Codes in LearnDash

Here are some tips to get the most out of your LearnDash coupon code strategy:

• Use Limited-Time Coupons: Create urgency by setting short-term discount codes that encourage quick enrollment.
• Seasonal Promotions: Offer discounts during special times of the year, such as Black Friday, New Year, or back-to-school periods, to capitalize on high-interest seasons.
• Segmented Discounts: Tailor discounts to specific user groups, such as returning students, to increase loyalty.
• Evaluate the Results: After running your promotion, analyze the effectiveness of your coupon. Review your WooCommerce sales reports to determine how the discount impacted enrollments and whether the promotion met your goals.

Start Offering Discounts on LearnDash Courses with Coupon Codes

Adding coupon codes to your LearnDash courses is a powerful way to boost enrollments and make your courses more accessible to students. With WooCommerce’s flexible coupon functionality, you can create unique discount offers that align with your marketing goals and course pricing strategy.

Experiment with different types of discounts, evaluate what works best, and watch your course enrollments grow. Offering coupon codes is a great first step toward building a loyal student base and increasing the profitability of your online courses.

Interesting Reads:
How Can You Create WooCommerce Coupons for Your Online Store to Unlock Savings?

10 Best WordPress Coupon Plugins for your E-commerce Store

How to create and use Shipping Coupons in WooCommerce