BuyGuard for WooCommerce

Not every product in your store should be available to every customer. Wholesale items shouldn't show up for retail shoppers. Members-only products need to stay behind a login. And some items need minimum order quantities to be profitable.

BuyGuard gives you complete control over who can purchase what in your WooCommerce store. Set rules based on user roles, quantity limits, and product visibility, all from a simple settings panel. The plugin is free, open source, and every feature works out of the box.

Who is this for?

Wholesale and B2B stores

Running a wholesale operation alongside retail? BuyGuard lets you separate the two. Hide wholesale-priced products from retail customers, require minimum quantities for bulk orders, and restrict access to approved buyers only. No more worrying about retail shoppers finding your trade pricing.

Membership sites

Selling exclusive products to paying members? BuyGuard controls which products are visible and purchasable based on WordPress user roles. Free members see one product catalog. Premium members see another. VIP members get access to everything. You set the rules.

Limited-edition and pre-order stores

Launching a limited drop? Set maximum purchase quantities per customer to prevent one person from buying your entire stock. Combine with role-based access to give early access to loyal customers before opening sales to everyone else.

Clubs and organizations

Sports clubs, social clubs, and community groups often sell merchandise or event tickets that should only be available to members. BuyGuard ensures non-members can't purchase restricted items while keeping the rest of your store open to the public.

Key features

Role-based purchasing restrictions

Control product access based on WordPress user roles. Hide products entirely from certain roles, or show them but prevent purchase. Set different rules for guests, subscribers, customers, wholesale buyers, and any custom role your site uses.

This means you can:

Quantity controls

Set precise purchasing limits at the product level:

Minimum order requirements

Set minimum order totals for specific products or categories. Wholesale customers must meet a minimum spend before checkout completes. This protects your margins on discounted bulk pricing.

Product visibility controls

Go beyond purchase restrictions: hide products entirely from users who shouldn't see them. Products are removed from shop pages, search results, and direct URL access. If a restricted user tries to access a hidden product page directly, they see a customizable message instead.

Custom restriction messages

When a restriction applies, customers see a clear, helpful message explaining why. Customize these messages per restriction type:

Flexible rule stacking

Combine multiple rules for complex scenarios. Apply restrictions at the category level, then override them for specific products. Add user-level exceptions for VIP customers. Rules stack logically and the most specific rule wins.

Technical compatibility

BuyGuard works with modern WooCommerce stores. It supports High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS), the block-based checkout, and all standard WooCommerce product types including simple, variable, grouped, and external products. The plugin follows WordPress coding standards with hooks and filters for developer customization.

Frequently asked questions

Is BuyGuard free?

Yes, completely free. There's no premium version, no locked features, and no upsell nags. Every restriction feature works out of the box. The plugin is open source and hosted on WordPress.org.

Can I hide products from certain user roles?

Yes. BuyGuard can hide products entirely from specific WordPress user roles. Hidden products are removed from shop pages, search results, and category listings. Even direct URL access is blocked.

Does it work with custom user roles?

Yes. BuyGuard works with any WordPress user role, including custom roles created by plugins like Members, User Role Editor, or WooCommerce Memberships.

Can I set different quantity limits for different customers?

You can set quantity limits per product and control which user roles can purchase which products. For per-customer quantity limits, combine BuyGuard's role restrictions with WooCommerce's built-in role system.

Will it work with my existing WooCommerce plugins?

BuyGuard uses standard WooCommerce hooks and doesn't modify core database tables. It's compatible with most WooCommerce plugins including payment gateways, shipping plugins, and membership plugins. It supports HPOS and the block checkout.

Can I restrict entire categories?

Yes. Apply restrictions at the category level to control access to groups of products at once. You can then override category-level rules for specific products if needed.

Does it affect site performance?

No. BuyGuard is lightweight and only runs its restriction checks when products are being viewed or added to cart. There's no impact on pages that don't involve restricted products.

Can I show a custom message when someone is restricted?

Yes. Every restriction type supports custom messages. You can explain why the restriction exists, suggest alternative products, or prompt the user to log in, register, or contact your sales team.

Need smarter purchase controls? Download BuyGuard free from WordPress.org and set up your first restriction rules in minutes.