Ever Wonder Why Some Businesses Always Seem Fully Booked?
You check a hotel’s website on a Monday, and a room costs $80. Check again on a Saturday? Boom. It’s $150. Ever notice how airline tickets get more expensive the closer you are to the travel date? That’s dynamic pricing at work.
Now, if you run a business that takes bookings, whether it’s for hotel rooms, yoga classes, car rentals, or anything else you can do the exact same thing in your WooCommerce booking setup. Charge more when demand is high, offer discounts when things are slow, and just generally stop leaving money on the table.
Setting it up is way easier than you’d think. Let’s break it down.
What Is Dynamic Pricing?
In simple terms, dynamic pricing lets you change your prices based on different factors, like:
- Time of day (cheaper in the morning, pricier in the evening)
- Day of the week (weekends cost more than weekdays)
- How many bookings someone makes (discounts for bulk bookings)
- Who’s booking (loyal customers get special pricing)
It’s the same strategy used by airlines, hotels, and ride-sharing apps—but now, you can use it for your WooCommerce booking setup too.
Why Even Bother With Dynamic Pricing?
If you’re wondering whether this is worth your time, here’s why it is:
1. You Can Fill More Empty Slots
If your weekday bookings are always slow, dropping the price just a little can get people to actually book.
2. You Make More Money When Demand Is High
People expect to pay more for things during peak hours or busy seasons. Why not take advantage of that?
3. You Can Reward Your Best Customers
Want to give discounts to regulars or members? Dynamic pricing lets you do that automatically without you having to manually adjust prices every time.
4. You Stay Ahead of Competitors
If your competitors have the same flat pricing all year, you can make smarter moves by adjusting yours when it makes sense.
How to Set Up Dynamic Pricing for WooCommerce Bookings
Now, onto the actual setup. Since WooCommerce booking doesn’t come with dynamic pricing by default, you’ll need a plugin.
A good one to start with is Extendons Booking for Woocommerce. It’s easy to use and lets you create different pricing rules depending on what you need.
Step 1: Install the Plugin
- Log into your WordPress Dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for Extendons WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts.
- Click Install Now, then Activate.
Once that’s done, you’ll find the pricing options under WooCommerce > Pricing Rules.
Step 2: Set Up Your Pricing Rules
Now comes the fun part—telling your website when and how to change prices. Here are a few common ways to do it:
1. Charge Different Prices Based on the Day or Time
Let’s say you run a bed-and-breakfast. You probably want to charge more on weekends and less on weekdays.
How to set it up:
- Go to WooCommerce > Pricing Rules.
- Choose Time-Based Pricing.
- Set a lower price for Monday-Thursday and a higher one for Friday-Sunday.
Now, depending on what day it is, your pricing adjusts automatically
2. Offer Discounts for Bulk Bookings
Giving small discounts can encourage customers, and they will book multiple sessions or nights.
For Example: A class of yoga can cost up to $20 per session, but if someone books five sessions at once, they get 10% off.
How to do it:
- Choose Quantity-Based Pricing.
- Set a discount for bookings over a certain amount.
Now, if someone tries to book multiple sessions, they’ll see the price drop.
3. Give Special Prices to Certain Customers
Want to offer different rates for students, VIPs, or members? No problem.
Example: A gym charges $30 per session but gives students a 20% discount.
How to set it up:
- Choose User Role-Based Pricing.
- Set special prices for different types of users.
Now, when a student logs in, they’ll automatically see their discounted rate without having to use a coupon.
Step 3: Test Your Pricing Rules
Before you launch it for real, you’ll want to check that everything is working properly.
- Try making a booking as a regular customer.
- See if the pricing changes at different times or for different users.
- If something looks off, tweak the settings until it works the way you want.
Other Plugins You Can Try
If you want more options, here are a few other plugins that can handle dynamic pricing for your WooCommerce booking system:
1. WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing
A well-known plugin that lets you create custom pricing rules.
2. Discount Rules for WooCommerce
Great if you want to focus on setting up bulk discounts and automatic pricing changes.
It means, Extendons WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts is one of the best for booking for WooCommerce since it covers all the major pricing strategies without being overly complicated.
FAQs
1. Can I set different prices for weekdays and weekends?
Yes! Just use the time-based pricing option, and your prices will adjust automatically.
2. Can I give discounts to people who book multiple sessions?
Yep! Set up a quantity-based pricing rule, and it’ll apply the discount when someone books a certain number of sessions.
3. Do I have to manually update prices every time?
Nope! Once you set your rules, the plugin handles everything automatically.
4. Can I give special prices to VIP customers or members?
Yes! You can create user role-based pricing, so certain groups get different prices.
5. Is this hard to set up?
Not at all. If you can install a plugin and click a few buttons, you can do this in minutes.
Final Thoughts
You’re losing out on an opportunity to price more effectively if your WooCommerce booking system still uses flat pricing. With dynamic pricing, you can provide discounts when business is slow, charge more when demand is great, and offer your best clients exclusive prices without having to do any work once it’s set up.
And you don’t have to be a techie to make it happen with plugins like Extendons WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts. So go ahead, set up your pricing rules, and start making your pricing work for you instead of against you.