WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It allows users to sell physical and digital goods online and manage orders and inventory. Among its features is the ability to sell digital products or services on your store. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can set up a virtual product system in WooCommerce.
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What Are Virtual Products?
Virtual products are non-physical products that customers can purchase and access online. They can come in many forms, such as digital downloads, online courses, software licenses, or memberships. In contrast to physical products, virtual products do not require shipping or storage, making them easier and cheaper to sell.
Enabling Virtual Products in WooCommerce
Before you can start selling virtual products, you need to enable the virtual product type in WooCommerce. To do this, go to the WooCommerce settings page and click on the Products tab. Then, click on the General sub-tab and check the "Virtual" checkbox. Once you save your changes, you can create virtual products in your store.
Creating Virtual Products in WooCommerce
To create a virtual product in WooCommerce, you need to go to the Products page and click on the Add New button. Then, you need to enter the product name, description, and price, as you would for a physical product. However, instead of selecting the Simple or Variable product type, you need to choose the Virtual product type.
Next, you need to set the Downloadable and Virtual checkboxes to "Yes". This will allow you to upload a file that customers can download after purchasing the product. You can also specify the number of downloads allowed per purchase and the download expiry date, if desired.
Additionally, you can assign the virtual product to one or more categories and tags, just like physical products. You can also set up product variations, such as different sizes or colors, if applicable.
Once you’ve completed the product details, you can publish the product and make it available for purchase on your store.
Setting Up Payment Gateways
To sell virtual products, you need to set up a payment gateway that can process online payments securely. WooCommerce supports many payment gateways, such as PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.Net, among others.
To set up a payment gateway in WooCommerce, you need to go to the Payments page and choose the gateway you want to use. Then, you need to enter the required credentials for the gateway, such as your merchant account ID or API keys.
Once you’ve set up a payment gateway, customers can purchase your virtual products and pay securely online.
Managing Orders for Virtual Products
When a customer purchases a virtual product from your store, you need to fulfill the order manually by providing the download link to the customer. To do this, you can use the Order Management page in WooCommerce.
When an order is placed for a virtual product, you’ll receive a notification email with the order details. You can then go to the Orders page and find the order in question. From there, you can click on the order number to view the order details and locate the download link.
You can then copy the download link and send it to the customer via email or other means. You can also send an automated email to the customer with the download link, using a plugin such as WooCommerce Email Customizer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, WooCommerce allows you to sell virtual products on your online store. Virtual products are non-physical products that customers can purchase and access online, such as digital downloads or online courses. To set up a virtual product system in WooCommerce, you need to enable the virtual product type, create virtual products, set up payment gateways, and manage orders manually. With these steps, you can offer customers a convenient and secure way to purchase and receive virtual products on your store.