how to hide woocommerce prices until login

Understanding the Need for Hiding WooCommerce Prices Until Login

In certain business scenarios, hiding product prices on a WooCommerce site until a user logs in can be a strategic decision. This approach is particularly common in B2B environments, membership-based ecommerce sites, or stores offering customized pricing. It creates an exclusive atmosphere and helps protect pricing data from competition, encouraging users to register, which can lead to increased customer engagement and loyalty.

Setting Up WooCommerce to Hide Prices Until Login

To set up your WooCommerce store to hide prices until a user logs in, you can either use a plugin or modify your theme’s functions.php file. Here, we will discuss both methods.

Method 1: Using a Plugin

Using a plugin is the easiest and safest way to modify how prices are displayed on your WooCommerce store. Here are a few popular plugins designed for this purpose:

1. WooCommerce Members Only: This plugin allows you to restrict product viewing and purchasing to logged-in users only. It can also hide prices or replace them with custom text or buttons inviting users to login or register.

2. WooCommerce Private Store: It locks down your entire store, making it private without affecting your site’s public parts. Only logged-in users can see the hidden prices and make purchases.

3. YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode: This plugin enables you to turn your store into a catalog, hiding prices for visitors and showing them only to logged-in users. You can also adjust settings for specific products or categories.

To use a plugin, simply follow these steps:

• Choose a plugin that fits your needs.
• Install and activate the plugin through your WordPress dashboard.
• Configure the plugin settings. Most plugins will have a section where you can specify that prices be hidden from guests.

Method 2: Custom Coding with Functions.php

For those who prefer not to use a plugin, adding custom code to your theme’s functions.php file is an alternative approach. This method requires a basic understanding of PHP and how WordPress themes work.

add_action('init', 'hide_price_add_customers');
function hide_price_add_customers() {
    if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
        remove_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'woocommerce_template_loop_add_to_cart', 10);
        remove_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_add_to_cart', 30);
        remove_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'woocommerce_template_single_price', 10);
        remove_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item_title', 'woocommerce_template_loop_price', 10);
        add_action('woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'print_login_to_see', 31);
        add_action('woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item', 'print_login_to_see', 11);
    }
}

function print_login_to_see() {
    echo '' . __('Login to see prices', 'woocommerce') . '';
}

This custom function checks if a user is logged in and hides price information across product pages and listings if they are not. It then adds a login link.

SEO Considerations and User Engagement

When implementing a feature that restricts content access based on user login, consider the potential SEO impact. Since price information contributes to rich snippets and competitive keywords, hiding them may affect your site’s SEO performance. To mitigate this, ensure that other content on your page, such as product descriptions and meta descriptions, are optimized for relevant keywords.

Additionally, consider the user’s journey. Clear communication is essential; use engaging call-to-action prompts for users to register or log in. Make the process of registration straightforward and quick, as long cumbersome processes might deter potential registrations.

Testing and Monitoring

After implementing price hiding, monitor your site’s analytics closely. Pay attention to metrics such as bounce rate, average time on page, and conversion rates. A/B testing can also be valuable here — comparing the behaviors and conversion rates between registered and non-registered users provides insights and further optimization opportunities.

Maintaining and Updating Your Setup

Finally, maintain your WooCommerce setup by regularly updating the platform, themes, plugins, and custom code snippets. This prevents security vulnerabilities and ensures compatibility with new versions of WooCommerce.

By strategically implementing and testing either a plugin or custom code method, you can effectively hide prices on your WooCommerce store for non-logged in users, tailoring the customer experience and potentially enhancing business performance.