Advanced Features
Stock validation, quantity synchronization, and bundle discounts
Stock Validation
What It Does: Validates bundle component availability before allowing purchase
Why It Matters:
Prevents overselling and customer disappointment (“Sorry, bundle item out of stock after you paid”)
How to Enable:
When creating/editing a rule:
1. Scroll to Advanced Options
2. Check “☑️ Check stock before allowing purchase”
3. Choose validation mode:
– Any – At least one required product in stock (lenient)
– All – All required products must be in stock (strict)
4. Save rule
Validation Modes Explained:
Mode: ANY (Lenient)
Bundle: Laptop + Charger + Mouse
Stock: Laptop (5), Charger (0), Mouse (3)
Result: Bundle ALLOWED ✅
Reason: Laptop and Mouse in stock (at least one component available)
Use Case: Optional bundle items, flexible substitutions
Mode: ALL (Strict)
Bundle: Laptop + Charger + Mouse
Stock: Laptop (5), Charger (0), Mouse (3)
Result: Bundle BLOCKED ❌
Reason: Charger out of stock (all components required)
Use Case: Critical bundles, no partial fulfillment allowed
Customer Experience:
Product Page:
[Laptop Bundle - $1,299]
🔴 Bundle items currently unavailable
- Charger (SKU 501): Out of stock
- Mouse (SKU 502): 3 in stock ✅
[Notify Me When Available]
Cart Page:
❌ Cannot proceed to checkout
Bundle incomplete: Charger (SKU 501) out of stock
We'll notify you when back in stock
Benefits:
- ✅ Prevents overselling (WooCommerce stock enforced)
- ✅ Better customer experience (stock issues caught before payment)
- ✅ Reduces support tickets (no “item unavailable” emails post-purchase)
Real-World Example:
Scenario: Electronics store sells “Work From Home Bundle”
– Laptop ($1,299)
– Wireless Mouse ($29)
– USB-C Charger ($49)
Problem: Laptop and mouse in stock, but charger backordered
Solution with Stock Validation (ALL mode):
1. Customer adds bundle to cart
2. Cart Guard checks stock for all 3 items
3. Detects charger out of stock
4. Blocks checkout with message: “Bundle temporarily unavailable – USB-C Charger out of stock”
5. Customer notified via email when charger restocked
6. No oversell, no angry customer, no refund needed
Quantity Synchronization
What It Does: Automatically syncs child product quantities to match parent product
Why It Matters:
Eliminates customer confusion (“How many chargers do I need for 3 laptops?”)
How to Enable:
When creating/editing a rule:
1. Scroll to Advanced Options
2. Check “☑️ Auto-sync child quantities with parent”
3. Optional: Check “☑️ Lock child removal” (prevents removing child without parent)
4. Optional: Check “☑️ Lock child quantity input” (read-only quantity field)
5. Save rule
Visual Example:
Without Sync:
Cart:
- Laptop x1 (parent)
- Charger x1 (child)
Customer changes Laptop to 3 →
Cart:
- Laptop x3 (parent) ✅
- Charger x1 (child) ❌ MISMATCH!
Customer must manually update Charger to 3
With Sync Enabled:
Cart:
- Laptop x1 (parent)
- Charger x1 (child, synced)
Customer changes Laptop to 3 →
Cart:
- Laptop x3 (parent) ✅
- Charger x3 (child, auto-updated) ✅ SYNCED!
Charger quantity updated automatically
Lock Options:
Lock Child Removal:
Customer tries to remove Charger from cart →
⚠️ "Cannot remove Charger. Remove Laptop to remove bundle."
Charger stays in cart
Use Case: Prevent customers from removing critical bundle components
Lock Child Quantity:
Cart page shows:
- Laptop: [Qty: 3 ▼] (dropdown, editable)
- Charger: [Qty: 3] (read-only, grayed out)
"Quantity synced with Laptop"
Use Case: Make it clear quantities are linked, prevent confusion
Use Cases:
Matching Components (1:1 ratio)
Rule: Laptop Bundle
Parent: Laptop
Children: Charger, Mouse
Ratio: 1:1 (1 laptop = 1 charger + 1 mouse)
Customer adds:
- 5 Laptops → Automatically adds 5 Chargers + 5 Mice
Bulk Bundles (1:N ratio)
Rule: Case of Widgets
Parent: Widget Case
Children: Individual Widget
Ratio: 1:12 (1 case = 12 widgets)
Customer adds:
- 2 Cases → Automatically adds 24 Individual Widgets
Subscription Boxes
Rule: Monthly Coffee Subscription
Parent: Subscription (Monthly)
Children: Coffee Beans (12oz bag)
Ratio: 1:1 (1 month = 1 bag)
Customer changes:
- Subscription from 3 months → 6 months
- Coffee bags automatically update from 3 → 6
Configuration Example:
Rule Name: “Laptop Bundle with Sync”
Settings:
Trigger Product: Laptop (SKU 500)
Required Products: Charger (SKU 501), Mouse (SKU 502)
Advanced Options:
☑️ Auto-sync child quantities with parent
☑️ Lock child removal
☑️ Lock child quantity input
Result:
- Customer can only change parent (Laptop) quantity
- Children (Charger, Mouse) update automatically
- Children cannot be removed independently
Bundle Discounts
What It Does: Applies automatic discounts when bundle rules are satisfied
Why It Matters:
Incentivizes multi-item purchases, increases average order value (AOV)
Discount Types:
1. Percentage Discount
Configuration:
Discount Type: Percentage
Discount Value: 15.0
Calculation:
Cart: Coffee ($12) + Mug ($8) = $20
Discount: 15% of $20 = -$3.00
Total: $17.00
Display on cart:
"Bundle Discount (Coffee + Mug): -$3.00"
2. Fixed Amount Discount
Configuration:
Discount Type: Fixed Amount
Discount Value: 5.00
Calculation:
Cart: Product A ($25) + Product B ($15) = $40
Discount: Flat $5 off = -$5.00
Total: $35.00
Display on cart:
"Bundle Discount: -$5.00"
3. Free Shipping
Configuration:
Discount Type: Free Shipping
Effect:
Cart: $50.00
Shipping: $10.00 → $0.00 (waived)
Total: $50.00
Display on cart:
"Bundle qualifies for FREE SHIPPING! 🎉"
Multiple Bundles (Stacking)
Cart Guard supports multiple active bundles in same cart:
Cart:
- Coffee ($12) + Mug ($8) = Bundle A (15% off)
- Shirt ($30) + Hat ($10) = Bundle B (10% off)
Discounts:
- Bundle A: 15% of $20 = -$3.00
- Bundle B: 10% of $40 = -$4.00
Total Savings: -$7.00
Subtotal: $60.00
Discounts: -$7.00
Total: $53.00
Cart Display Example:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cart Summary │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Coffee $12.00 │
│ Mug $8.00 │
│ Shirt $30.00 │
│ Hat $10.00 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Subtotal: $60.00 │
│ Bundle Discount (Coffee): -$3.00 │
│ Bundle Discount (Shirt): -$4.00 │
│ Shipping: $10.00 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total: $63.00 │
│ You Saved: $7.00! 🎉 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Benefits:
- ✅ Increases average order value (AOV)
- ✅ Encourages multi-item purchases
- ✅ Automatic discount application (no coupon codes needed)
- ✅ Clear discount attribution (customers see what they saved)
- ✅ Stacking support (multiple bundles = more savings)
Real-World Example:
Scenario: Clothing store wants to boost sales
Bundle Rule:
Rule Name: "Complete Outfit Bundle"
Trigger: Any Shirt
Required: Pants + Shoes
Discount: 20% off entire bundle
Customer Journey:
1. Customer adds Shirt ($40) to cart
2. Sees message: “Complete your outfit! Add Pants and Shoes for 20% off”
3. Adds Pants ($60) and Shoes ($80)
4. Cart shows:
– Shirt: $40
– Pants: $60
– Shoes: $80
– Bundle Discount (20%): -$36.00
– Total: $144.00 (saved $36!)
Results:
– Customer buys 3 items instead of 1
– Store makes $144 instead of $40 (3.6x increase)
– Customer happy with discount (perceived value)
Customer Segmentation (Future v1.1)
Coming Soon: Create rules based on customer attributes
Planned Features:
User Role-Based Rules
Rule: Wholesale customers see different minimum quantities
Target Roles: [Wholesale, Distributor]
Min Quantity: 50 units (vs 1 unit for retail)
Purchase History Rules
Rule: VIP customers (5+ orders) get special bundles
Condition: Total Orders >= 5
Discount: 25% off premium bundles
Geographic Rules
Rule: Different pricing by region
Condition: Billing State = California
Min Cart Value: $75 (vs $50 for other states)
Time-Based Rules (Future v1.1)
Coming Soon: Schedule rules by date/time
Planned Features:
Seasonal Rules
Rule: Holiday bundle (Dec 1 - Dec 31)
Start Date: 2025-12-01
End Date: 2025-12-31
Discount: 30% off gift bundles
Flash Sales
Rule: Weekend special (Sat-Sun only)
Days: Saturday, Sunday
Hours: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Discount: 15% off all bundles
Early Bird Discounts
Rule: Morning shoppers
Hours: 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Discount: Free shipping on bundles
Best Practices
Stock Validation
- ✅ Use ALL mode for critical bundles (no substitutions)
- ✅ Use ANY mode for flexible bundles (allow partial fulfillment)
- ✅ Enable for high-value bundles (laptops, electronics)
- ⚠️ Skip for digital products (no stock management needed)
Quantity Sync
- ✅ Enable for 1:1 ratio bundles (laptop + charger)
- ✅ Lock removal for critical components (safety gear)
- ✅ Lock quantity input to prevent confusion
- ⚠️ Don’t use for optional accessories (customer choice)
Bundle Discounts
- ✅ Use percentage discounts for high-value bundles (scales with price)
- ✅ Use fixed discounts for low-value bundles (simpler math)
- ✅ Use free shipping for cart value rules ($50+ = free shipping)
- ✅ Stack multiple bundles to maximize AOV
- ⚠️ Don’t over-discount (aim for 10-25% off)
API Limits Explained (No Hidden Costs)
- FREE: 100 calls/month → perfect for 1–2 orders/day
- PRO: 100,000 calls/month → handles 1,100+ orders/day (covers 99% of stores)
- Exceeded limit? → Rules pause, checkout stays 100% live (no revenue lost)
- No automatic charges — upgrade to Agency only if you want 1M+ calls/month
Next Steps
Ready to put these features to work?
Last Updated: November 14, 2025
Plugin Version: 1.0