Some customers purchase immediately. Others like to shop prices, or haggle, or just think about it. This is the point at which your WooCommerce store has some thinking to do—stand with Add to Cart or perhaps have the Request a Quote option there too?
The woocommerce request for quote approach allows even more flexibility in custom pricing and lengthy negotiations. The Add to Cart approach offers a shortcut to speedier listing. Pick one or both based on your store type, products, and audience. Here is a full comparison which will help you decide what works best for you.
Understanding Add to Cart in WooCommerce
“Add to cart” is the standard in most online shops. It allows users to choose items and proceed directly to checkout. Prices are fixed. Quantity can be changed. It’s fast. This is why it’s great for simple product sales.
Pros of Using Add to Cart
- Facilitates an easy checkout experience for buyers.
- No lengthy application, just pick and pay
- Suitable for normal product or item types
- Assists in flash sale or discount promotion
When Add to Cart Works Best
You are going to want to utilize this approach if your store:
- Sells downloads (such as music or software)
- Offers price-fixed physical products
- Appeals to: individual shoppers or impulse buyers
- Desires an expedited checkout not padded via more steps
What is Woo Commerce Request a Quote?
A handy ‘request a quote’ does what it says and lets customers request a quote. It’s great when items are not fixed price or the volume changes the price. Customers send a request. Store admins respond with counter offer. It does work well in a B2B and wholesale model.
Pros of Using Request a Quote
- Enables you to charge different prices for different customers
- Bulk orders or product with special conditions?
- Allows you to gather serious leads that demand more information
- Very useful when speaking to B2B customers
When Request a Quote is the Better Fit
Use this feature if:
- Some of the products are made to order or vary from order to order
- People ask for discounts or quotes typically
- Your business is either in bulk orders or services-based.
- Price would be subject to communication
- Communication is needed before confirming prices
Comparing Add to Cart vs Woo Commerce Request a Quote
Checkout Experience
Add to Cart offers a fast experience. It’s designed for customers who know what they’re looking for. And the process is straightforward — pick product, check out, done.
Request a Quote is a bit more informative. There are more steps. Customers submit a form, and then wait for your response to confirm. This is a more intelligent approach when orders are complicated or require adaptation.
How Pricing Works
With this plugin, you can prices by per product (with the option of quantity or the location of the buyer). This is more effective than flat pricing when you’re selling to distinct types of clients.
Impact on Conversions
Add to Cart can be faster selling, but also can experience higher cart abandonment if prices do not match up to customer expectations.
Ask For a quote for woocommerce slow moving. But the leads you receive are more likely to convert at a later time. It’s a better system long-term for service-based or high-ticket sales.
Why Use a Woo Commerce Booking Plugin with Quote Requests
Flexible Price Setup
With this plugin, you can prices by per product (with the option of quantity or the location of the buyer). This is more effective than flat pricing when you’re selling to distinct types of clients.
Direct Customer Interaction
Customers are able to share information about an order before paying a price for it. It’s another step making the experience more fun for people who are sometimes too fearful about asking questions to begin with. This is really great when you sell custom products or you do a different work for each client.
Better Lead Generation
Even if they don’t buy immediately, quote forms give you the opportunity to capture lead data. These leads can be pursued then later. That provides an additional means of monetizing your traffic.
Top Plugin Pick: Extendons WooCommerce Request a Quote
The Extendons plugin is meant for quoting flexibly. It’s compatible with any WooCommerce setup and has custom fields, role-based visibility, and admin management capabilities.
Main Features of the Extendons Plugin
- Hide Add to Cart show Quote Request on selected products
- Only display quotes to logged in users or user’s role
- Add custom fields to the form
- See, manage, and respond to quotes in the backend.
- Reply directly by Emails or from the web dashboard
This is a great match for wholesale stores, B2B sales, or for services with custom quotes.
Drawbacks You Should Know
Problems with Add to Cart
- Doesn’t work for custom pricing or bulk deals
- May miss leads who want more info
- Not good for long-term relationships with clients
Problems with Request a Quote
- Takes longer to finalize sales
- Needs more manual work from the store team
- Slower process may not fit retail-style selling
When Add to Cart Makes More Sense
Use Add to Cart if your store sells:
- Downloadable digital files
- Simple physical products
- Discount bundles or flash sales
- Goods for shoppers who buy quickly
When Request a Quote Fits Better
The woocommerce request a quote model works best if:
- You sell furniture, machines, or large custom orders
- Your business handles bulk quotes and corporate deals
- You work in B2B where pricing varies per client
- Services need quote estimates before pricing is final
Using Both: The Hybrid Strategy
Some stores need both options. WooCommerce supports this using the right plugins. With Extendons, you can choose which products use Add to Cart and which use Request a Quote.
Why It Works
- Retail and wholesale buyers can use the same store
- Offers more paths to conversion
- Helps sell multiple types of products
- Improves flexibility without overcomplicating the flow
How to Set Up WooCommerce Request a Quote with Extendon
Here’s how to activate the system:
- Install the Extendons plugin from the admin dashboard or upload the zip file.
- Activate the plugin.
- Go to settings and pick which products support quotes.
- Customize the quote request form with the right fields.
- Set visibility rules—limit by product or user role.
- Test everything before launch.
This setup helps your store handle quotes quickly and clearly. You can view a more detailed installation process in the request a quote for WooCommerce documentation page.
What to Think About Before You Choose
Product Details
Complex products that change order to order are better suited for the woocommerce request for quote system. For simple products, Add to Cart is easier.
Audience Type
If your buyers are bulk clients or businesses, they’ll expect a quoting option. Retail shoppers will lean toward Add to Cart.
Sales Model
Quick sales and deals go well with Add to Cart. But if you value customer conversations and custom pricing, use the request method.
Team Workload
Quote requests take more time to manage. Make sure your store has the staff or systems in place to handle them well.
Final Thoughts
It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Add to Cart is quick and best for immediate sales. And that’s where WooCommerce request a quote comes in handy, It allows you to handle complex orders and in particular: custom pricing, B2B clients.
Combining the two methods allows your shop to be flexible. You’re making quick sales to the retail customer while you continue to do quotes for big or custom orders. With addons such as Extendons, to create this is an easy step and thus keep your sales flow organized.
Paying attention to both helps your store grow with various types of buyers and enables you to manage multiple sales models through a single platform.