You can let customers set their own product price in WooCommerce by adding a text input field to a $0 simple product, validating that it’s filled in, and overriding the cart item price with whatever amount the customer enters — ideal for donations, custom invoices, or pay-what-you-want products.
Why Allow a Customer-Defined Price
- Accepting donations of any amount through a normal WooCommerce checkout flow
- Billing a customer for a custom invoice amount without creating a new product for every job
- Running a pay-what-you-want promotion for a digital product or service
Step 1: Create the Base Product
Create a simple product (e.g. “Custom Payment”) with a regular price of $0.00, and note its product ID.
Step 2: Add the Price Input Field
/** Show a custom price input field on one specific $0 product */
add_action( 'woocommerce_before_add_to_cart_button', 'show_custom_price_input_field', 9 );
function show_custom_price_input_field() {
global $product;
if ( 51290 !== $product->get_id() ) return; // Replace with your product ID
woocommerce_form_field( 'custom_price', array(
'type' => 'text',
'required' => true,
'label' => 'Enter amount ' . get_woocommerce_currency_symbol(),
) );
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_add_to_cart_validation', 'validate_custom_price_input', 9999, 3 );
function validate_custom_price_input( $passed, $product_id, $qty ) {
if ( 51290 === $product_id && empty( $_POST['custom_price'] ) ) {
wc_add_notice( 'Please enter an amount.', 'error' );
$passed = false;
}
return $passed;
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_add_cart_item_data', 'store_custom_price_in_cart_item', 9999, 2 );
function store_custom_price_in_cart_item( $cart_item, $product_id ) {
if ( 51290 === $product_id && isset( $_POST['custom_price'] ) ) {
$cart_item['custom_price'] = wc_format_decimal( sanitize_text_field( $_POST['custom_price'] ) );
}
return $cart_item;
}
add_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'apply_custom_price_to_cart_item', 9999 );
function apply_custom_price_to_cart_item( $cart ) {
if ( is_admin() && ! defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) ) return;
if ( did_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals' ) >= 2 ) return;
foreach ( $cart->get_cart() as $cart_item ) {
if ( isset( $cart_item['custom_price'] ) ) {
$cart_item['data']->set_price( $cart_item['custom_price'] );
}
}
}
Troubleshooting
Customers Enter Non-Numeric or Negative Values
Add stricter validation in validate_custom_price_input() — check that the value is numeric and greater than zero (or your defined minimum) before allowing it to pass.
The Price Resets Unexpectedly
The did_action() guard prevents this function from running more than twice per request, avoiding a common WooCommerce bug where totals recalculate multiple times and reset custom pricing — leave that check in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a minimum or maximum amount?
Yes, add a numeric range check inside the validation function and show an error notice if the entered value falls outside your allowed bounds.
Does this work with subscriptions or recurring payments?
Not directly — recurring billing plugins usually need their own compatible way of handling variable amounts, since they calculate future charges differently from a one-time cart price override.
Will the custom price show correctly on the invoice and emails?
Yes, since the price is set on the cart item before the order is created, it flows through normally into order totals, emails, and invoices.
Conclusion
Letting customers set their own product price in WooCommerce takes a simple input field, validation, and a cart price override — no extra plugin required for straightforward donation or pay-what-you-want use cases.
See also How to Let a Customer Purchase a WooCommerce Product Only Once. Then read How to Let Customers Request a Quote in WooCommerce.
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