Request a quote in WooCommerce: collect quote requests for B2B and made-to-order
By Mariusz Szatkowski · Updated: 2026-06-22
Some sales never have a fixed price. In B2B, wholesale and made-to-order, the price is negotiated by quantity or specification, so a normal add-to-cart checkout does not fit. The shopper needs a way to ask before they buy, and the store needs that enquiry to land somewhere it will not get lost. A request-a-quote flow solves both. This guide explains what such a flow is, why it matters, what to look for, and how Estimate adds one to WooCommerce.
What Request-a-Quote Means and Why It Matters
WooCommerce is built around a fixed price and an immediate purchase. That works for retail, but not for stores where the price is a conversation:
- B2B and wholesale, where pricing is negotiated and volume discounts apply.
- Made-to-order and bespoke, where the product is configured before a price exists.
For these stores, forcing add-to-cart pushes the buyer to abandon or call. A request-a-quote flow replaces buy-now with ask-first: the shopper collects products into a quote list and sends their details, and the merchant replies with a price. The enquiry is captured instead of lost.
What to Look For in a Quote Flow
A quote flow is only useful if it fits how your store actually sells. The things that matter most:
- Selective control. You may want quotes on a few products or across the whole store, so the mode should be switchable.
- Price control. When pricing is negotiated, showing a fixed price is misleading, so hiding it should be optional.
- Guest support. Many B2B and made-to-order enquiries come from people who will not create an account first.
- A captured record. A request that arrives only as an email is easy to miss; it should also be saved in the admin.
How Estimate Adds a Quote Path
Estimate for WooCommerce turns products into quote requests rather than direct purchases. It is free and open source under GPL, and works for logged-out guests with no account. The free edition covers:
- Two quote modes. Enable quotes for selected products only, or for all products store-wide. The default is selected only, so nothing on your storefront changes until you choose products.
- Per-product toggle. In selected mode, tick Enable quote requests in the Product data box on each product you want quoted.
- Add to quote button. It replaces add-to-cart on product pages and listings for quote-enabled products.
- Price hiding. Optionally hide the price on quote-enabled products, so it returns only in your reply.
- Guest quote list. A per-visitor list saved in a first-party cookie, so logged-out shoppers can collect products with no account.
- Request form via shortcode. The
[estimate_quote]shortcode renders the quote list and a request form with name, email, company and message on any page. - Quantity editing and removal. Shoppers adjust quantities and remove items on the quote page before sending.
- Email and private record. On submit, the merchant is emailed and the request is saved as a private Quote Request post type in wp-admin, holding the name, email, company, chosen items and message.
It Fits B2B and Made-to-Order
The same flow covers the two common cases. For B2B and wholesale, all-products mode plus price hiding lets buyers ask for a negotiated rate instead of buying outright, and the merchant email keeps the lead. For made-to-order, selected mode plus the message field lets a shopper describe a bespoke item and get a quote before the order is confirmed. In both, guests can take part without signing up.
Estimate Versus Default WooCommerce
WooCommerce has no built-in request-a-quote path. Here is the difference for quote requests specifically:
| Capability | Default WooCommerce | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Quote path instead of buy-now | None built in | Add to quote button |
| Scope of quotes | n/a | Selected products or all products |
| Hide price on quote products | No | Optional price hiding |
| Guest quote list, no account | No | Per-visitor cookie list |
| Request form | No | [estimate_quote] shortcode |
| Captured request | n/a | Email plus private record in wp-admin |
| Cost | Free (no quote path) | Free; PRO adds CSV, PDF, quote-to-order, accounts |
What PRO Adds
Estimate Pro is a separate paid add-on that requires the free plugin and boots only after it loads. The shipped PRO features are CSV export of quote requests, per-quote PDF downloads, one-click quote-to-order conversion, and customer quote accounts in My Account where logged-in shoppers see past requests and re-order from a quote. Custom quote fields are planned, not yet shipped. Estimate Pro is sold and delivered through Freemius and is not in the WordPress.org directory.
The Short Version
When the price is negotiated rather than fixed, a request-a-quote flow fits better than a cart. Look for switchable quote scope, optional price hiding, guest support and a captured record. Estimate adds all of these to WooCommerce in a free, open-source plugin: an Add to quote button, a guest quote list, an [estimate_quote] form, and a merchant email plus a private record. PRO adds CSV export, PDF quotes, quote-to-order and customer accounts.