Author: Predrag

Summary

Customers using both MemberPress and WooCommerce often ask for automatic discounts on WooCommerce products for active MemberPress members. Since there’s no built-in integration, this requires using additional user roles assigned to members with active memberships.

This article covers two implementation methods: custom PHP code snippets for precise control, and the WooCommerce Smart Coupons plugin for easier management. Both approaches require creating user roles in advance using the Members plugin (or a similar plugin).

This example uses “Member” for basic discounts and “Bronze”, “Silver”, “Gold” for tiered discounts.

Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

Before implementing either solution, ensure these user roles exist using the Members plugin:

• “Member” – for basic discount eligibility;
• “Bronze”, “Silver”, “Gold” – for tiered discounts;

Step 1: Configure MemberPress User Role Assignment

Each membership that should trigger WooCommerce discounts needs a user role assigned. Navigate to Dashboard > MemberPress > Memberships > Advanced tab of the relevant membership.

Enable the User Role for this Membership option and select the appropriate role (e.g., “Member”, “Gold”). Click Update to save.

Method 1: Custom PHP Code Solution

Add the following code using WPCode plugin or your child theme’s functions.php file. This method provides the most control over discount logic.

Single Membership Discount

For a basic 10% discount for all members with the “Member” role:

// Apply automatic discount for MemberPress members in WooCommerce
add_action('woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'apply_user_role_discount');
function apply_user_role_discount($cart) {
    // Exit if admin or not AJAX
    if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) {
        return;
    }
    // Exit if cart is empty
    if (empty($cart->get_cart_contents())) {
        return;
    }
    // Exit if no user
    $user = wp_get_current_user();
    if (empty($user->ID)) {
        return;
    }
    // Define member discount
    $member_discount = [
        'percentage' => 10,
        'min_cart' => 0,
        'max_discount' => 0  // 0 means no cap
    ];
    // Check if user has member role
    if (in_array('member', (array) $user->roles)) {
        $subtotal = $cart->get_subtotal();
        $discount = ($subtotal * $member_discount['percentage']) / 100;
        
        // Apply discount with cap check
        if ($member_discount['max_discount'] > 0 && $discount > $member_discount['max_discount']) {
            $discount = $member_discount['max_discount'];
            $cart->add_fee(
                sprintf('Member Discount (%d%% - capped at %s)', 
                    $member_discount['percentage'],
                    wc_price($member_discount['max_discount'])
                ),
                -$discount
            );
        } else {
            $cart->add_fee(
                sprintf('Member Discount (%d%%)', 
                    $member_discount['percentage']
                ),
                -$discount
            );
        }
    }
}

Multiple Tier Discounts

For tiered memberships with different discount percentages (Bronze: 10%, Silver: 15%, Gold: 20%), use this enhanced version that automatically applies the highest available discount:

// Apply tiered discounts based on MemberPress user roles
add_action('woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'apply_user_role_discount');
function apply_user_role_discount($cart) {
    if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) {
        return;
    }
    // Only calculate if cart is not empty
    if (empty($cart->get_cart_contents())) {
        return;
    }
    // Get current user
    $user = wp_get_current_user();
    if (empty($user->ID)) {
        return;
    }
    // Define discounts (ordered by highest to lowest percentage) add admin for testing
    $discounts = [
        'gold' => [
            'percentage' => 20,
            'min_cart' => 0,
            'max_discount' => 0  // 0 means no cap
        ],
        'silver' => [
            'percentage' => 15,
            'min_cart' => 0,
            'max_discount' => 0
        ],
        'bronze' => [
            'percentage' => 10,
            'min_cart' => 0,
            'max_discount' => 0
        ],
        'administrator' => [
            'percentage' => 5,
            'min_cart' => 0,
            'max_discount' => 0
        ]
    ];
    $subtotal = $cart->get_subtotal();
    $highest_discount_percent = 0;
    $selected_role = '';
    $max_discount_cap = 0;
    // Find highest applicable discount
    foreach ($discounts as $role => $discount_data) {
        if (in_array($role, (array) $user->roles)) {
            if ($discount_data['percentage'] > $highest_discount_percent) {
                $highest_discount_percent = $discount_data['percentage'];
                $selected_role = $role;
                $max_discount_cap = $discount_data['max_discount'];
            }
        }
    }
    // Apply highest discount if found
    if ($highest_discount_percent > 0) {
        // Calculate initial discount
        $discount = ($subtotal * $highest_discount_percent) / 100;
        
        // Apply cap if set and if discount exceeds cap
        if ($max_discount_cap > 0 && $discount > $max_discount_cap) {
            $discount = $max_discount_cap;
            $cart->add_fee(
                sprintf('%s Discount (%d%% - capped at %s)', 
                    ucfirst($selected_role), 
                    $highest_discount_percent,
                    wc_price($max_discount_cap)
                ),
                -$discount
            );
        } else {
            $cart->add_fee(
                sprintf('%s Discount (%d%%)', 
                    ucfirst($selected_role), 
                    $highest_discount_percent
                ),
                -$discount
            );
        }
    }
}

With either code snippet active, discounts will automatically calculate and display at checkout.

Method 2: WooCommerce Smart Coupons Plugin

For those who prefer a plugin-based solution with a user interface, WooCommerce Smart Coupons provides an alternative approach.

Plugin Installation

Install WooCommerce Smart Coupons by navigating to Dashboard > Plugins > Add Plugin, click Upload Plugin, then upload and activate the plugin.

Enable Auto-Apply Feature

Configure the plugin to automatically apply coupons. Navigate to Dashboard > WooCommerce > Settings > Smart Coupons and enable Auto apply coupons.

Create Role-Based Coupons

Create auto-applying coupons restricted to specific user roles. Navigate to Dashboard > WooCommerce > Coupons and click Add new coupon.

1. Set up the coupon with your desired discount amount and type.
2. Enable Auto apply? in the coupon settings.

3. Go to the Usage restriction tab.
4. Scroll down and find the dropdown selection.
5. Select Allowed user roles from the dropdown.
6. Click Add to create the field.

7. Select the target user role (e.g., Gold) in the field.
8. Click Publish to activate the coupon.

Repeat this process for each membership tier (Bronze, Silver), creating separate coupons with appropriate discount amounts. Your coupon list will show all role-based auto-apply coupons.

The screenshot example below shows how this can appear.

When members with active memberships add products to their cart, the appropriate coupon automatically applies based on their user role.

Common Issue: Automatic Discounts Not Appearing

Most commonly caused by incorrect user role assignments or caching issues.

Troubleshooting Steps:

• Verify that the MemberPress membership has the correct user role assigned in the Advanced tab;
• Check that the user role exists and matches exactly in both MemberPress and the discount code;
• Clear all caching (page cache, object cache, and WooCommerce transients);
• Test with incognito/private browsing to eliminate browser caching issues;

Public Facing Documentation / Additional References

Public Facing Documentation

• MemberPress User Roles Documentation
• MemberPress Memberships Configuration
• WooCommerce Coupon Management

Additional References

• Members Plugin for User Role Management
• WPCode Plugin for Safe Code Snippets
• WooCommerce Smart Coupons by Store Apps
• WooCommerce Cart Fees Documentation