Mad Cow Auto Complete Orders for WooCommerce

FAQ

When are the rules checked?

When an order changes to Processing. WooCommerce sets that status once payment succeeds. Orders that are already Processing when you change your rules are not checked again until their status changes.

Why are my bank transfer, cheque or cash on delivery orders not completed?

Those payment methods put new orders On hold, because payment has not been received yet. The rules run when you move the order to Processing after the money arrives.

What happens if several rules match?

Rules are combined with OR: the first rule that matches completes the order. A rule you leave empty or switched off is ignored. With no rules set, the plugin does nothing.

Do product rules need every item to match?

Yes. If an order contains one product from a selected category and one from another category, the category rule does not apply. Other rules can still complete the order.

Will customers get the “Order complete” email?

Yes, if that email is enabled under WooCommerce → Settings → Emails. Customers receive the usual “Processing” email first, then “Completed”.

Can this plugin cancel orders?

No, and that is deliberate. The plugin only acts on orders that reach Processing, and those have already been paid. Cancelling a paid order in WooCommerce does not refund the customer. WooCommerce puts the stock back and emails the customer that the order is cancelled, but the payment stays captured.

If you want to clear out orders that were never paid:

• For Pending payment orders, WooCommerce can cancel them itself. Set WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Inventory → Hold stock (minutes). Stock management has to be enabled.
• For On hold orders from bank transfer, cheque or cash on delivery, WooCommerce never cancels them on its own. Use a plugin made to expire unpaid on-hold orders after a set time.

Is the “Orders with no shipping line” rule safe for stores that ship physical products?

Be careful with it. It matches any order without a shipping method, including orders for physical items that you created in the admin without adding shipping. If every item that needs no shipping is marked virtual in your store, use “Virtual orders” instead.

I used the earlier self-hosted “Auto Complete Orders” plugin from Mad Cow Web. Will my rules carry over?

Yes. This plugin reads the earlier plugin’s settings until you save settings of your own. The earlier “No shipping required” option is split here into “Virtual orders” and “Orders with no shipping line”, and both start with its value. Deactivate the earlier plugin first, otherwise both plugins will check the same orders.

Can developers change the rules in code?

Yes. Each rule has a filter: mcwaco_no_shipping_required, mcwaco_no_shipping_lines, mcwaco_free_orders, mcwaco_subscription_renewals, mcwaco_order_total_range, mcwaco_coupon_codes, mcwaco_shipping_classes, mcwaco_payment_gateways, mcwaco_user_roles, mcwaco_product_ids, mcwaco_categories, mcwaco_product_tags and mcwaco_product_types.

mcwaco_complete_order_reason receives the matching reason and the order. Return an empty string to stop the order being completed.

Does deleting the plugin remove its data?

Yes. Deleting it from the Plugins screen removes its settings. Orders that were already completed stay completed.