Scheduling Discounts

The When does it apply? section of the rule editor controls when a discount is active. By default, discounts run indefinitely once published — scheduling lets you automate start and end times.

Schedule options

With nothing ticked, the section reads Always: the discount is eligible at any time from the moment it’s published until you disable it. Tick any of these to restrict it — ticked conditions combine with AND, so all must match:

Option	Behaviour
Within a date window	From a date (with an optional Start time) Until a date (with an optional End time). Leave From blank for no start limit, or Until blank for no end limit. Outside the window the discount simply doesn’t apply — it stays enabled
Only on certain days of the week	Tap the days (Mon–Sun) the discount should apply on. Any selected day qualifies
Only between certain hours	A daily From / Until window. The end time is inclusive to the minute, and an overnight window such as 22:00 → 02:00 wraps to the next day

These are useful for “happy hour” or “weekend only” promotions.

Pickers start at “now”

When you first tick Within a date window — or Only between certain hours — the From fields default to your store’s current date and time rather than opening blank, so a freshly-activated schedule is valid out of the box and you only adjust what you need. The fields use your store’s timezone (see Timezone below). The Until date is left blank on purpose — an unset end means “runs indefinitely”; for the hours window, an unset Until runs to the end of the day. Values you set earlier come back if you untick and re-tick the box.

Common use cases

Flash sales

Set a start and end date for a 24-hour or weekend sale. The discount activates and deactivates automatically — no need to be at your computer at midnight.

Seasonal promotions

Schedule a Black Friday deal weeks in advance. Create the discount, set the dates, save as draft, and publish whenever you’re ready. The discount won’t activate until the start date, even if published early.

Recurring promotions

For promotions that repeat (e.g., “10% off every Monday”), use Only on certain days of the week to restrict the discount to specific days. The discount applies on each matching day for as long as it’s published.

Prepare in advance

Because of the draft/publish workflow, you can set up and publish scheduled discounts well before they’re due to activate. Published discounts with a future start date simply wait until the time arrives.

Timezone

Scheduled dates, days and times use your WordPress timezone setting (Settings → General → Timezone) — the section shows the zone, and each date and time field shows its UTC offset. Make sure this is set correctly for your business location.

To check a schedule before it starts, set Simulate date and Simulate time under Customer Scenario in the Cart Preview.

Pairing with spend thresholds and coupons

Schedule windows and the What triggers it? section work together. A common pattern: a coupon code that’s only valid during a flash-sale window, and only when the cart subtotal hits a threshold. Set the schedule here and the trigger condition in What triggers it? — the discount only fires when both are satisfied.