How to Block and Blacklist Customers in WooCommerce for Better Security

Running a WooCommerce store comes with a set of challenges, and one of the most pressing concerns is ensuring the security of your store. Fraudulent activities, chargebacks, abusive behavior, or simply unwanted customers can cause major disruptions. To safeguard your business, it’s crucial to have control over who can and cannot make a purchase. One effective way to do this is by blocking or WooCommerce blacklist customer on specific criteria. While WooCommerce doesn’t offer this feature out-of-the-box, the Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce plugin provides a robust solution to blacklist customers and prevent problematic orders. 

Additionally, for optimized store performance and reliability, consider using the WooCommerce Cache Handler. This tool enhances your store’s loading speed and ensures that blacklisting actions and other site functionalities operate smoothly without causing delays, even during high-traffic periods. Together, these tools provide a secure, efficient, and seamless shopping experience for both store owners and customers.

Why Block or Blacklist Customers in WooCommerce?

There are several reasons why store owners might need to block customers in WooCommerce. Here are some of the most common scenarios where blacklisting could be beneficial:

1. Fraud Prevention: Fraudulent orders can lead to significant losses, especially in terms of chargebacks and stolen credit card information.
2. Chargebacks: Customers who regularly initiate chargebacks can cost you a lot of money. By blocking them, you can avoid this issue altogether.
3. Abusive Behavior: If a customer is consistently abusive to your staff or violates your store’s code of conduct, blacklisting them can prevent them from making future purchases.
4. Violate Terms & Conditions: Customers who repeatedly breach your terms of service can be blocked to avoid further disruptions.
5. Security Threats: Suspicious activity from certain customers or their IP addresses can be blocked to protect your store from potential hacking attempts or security breaches.

Additionally, if you want to improve your store’s global reach, integrating the Aelia Currency Switcher for WooCommerce allows you to offer multiple currencies to your customers, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across various regions. This can complement your security measures by providing localized experiences, while still maintaining control over who can make a purchase.

How to Block or Blacklist Customers in WooCommerce

The plugin provides a simple and efficient way to block problematic customers based on various criteria. Let’s go through the steps to configure this plugin.

Step 1: Install the Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce Plugin

1. Download and Install the Plugin: Go to the Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce plugin page and purchase the plugin. Once downloaded, you can upload the plugin through your WordPress admin panel by navigating to Plugins > Add New and then selecting Upload Plugin.
2. Activate the Plugin: After installation, activate the plugin to start configuring the blacklisting rules.

Step 2: Configure Blacklisting Rules

Once activated, the plugin adds a new menu in the WooCommerce settings where you can specify the criteria to block customers. The plugin allows you to block customers based on the following details:

• Customer’s Name and Surname: Block customers using their full name or just a part of it.
• Customer’s Address: Block based on the customer’s street, postcode, city, province/state, or country.
• Customer’s Email Address: Block customers using specific email addresses or partial matches.
• Customer’s Phone Number: Block based on the full or partial phone number.
• Customer’s IP Address: You can block specific IP addresses or even entire IP ranges.

You can also configure whether the matching should be an exact match or a partial match. The plugin supports regular expressions for all fields except IP addresses. For IP addresses, you can apply IP address masks or IP address ranges.

Step 3: How the Blacklisting Process Works

Once the rules are set, the plugin automatically compares the information provided by the customer at checkout with the configured blacklisting rules. If there is a match, the plugin will block the order and stop the checkout process.

A customizable error message will then be displayed to the customer, explaining why their order was blocked. This ensures that the customer knows the reason for the denial, providing a professional and transparent experience.

Step 4: Customizing Messages

One of the plugin’s most valuable features is the ability to customize the error messages shown to blocked customers. Whether you want to explain the reason behind the block or provide customer support contact details, you can create a personalized message to keep the interaction courteous and professional.

Why Choose Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce?

There are several compelling reasons to choose the Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce plugin for blocking customers:

• Flexible Matching Options: You can block customers based on multiple criteria such as name, address, phone number, email, or IP address.
• Regular Expressions Support: Use exact or partial matches with the flexibility of regular expressions for name, address, email, and phone fields. This flexibility makes it easier to block customers based on patterns.
• Easy Setup: The plugin is easy to install and configure, making it accessible even to store owners without technical expertise.
• Customizable Messages: You can easily customize the error messages shown to customers, ensuring a professional tone when informing them that they have been blacklisted.
• IP Address Mask Support: Block customers based on specific IP address ranges or apply more advanced filtering techniques with IP address masks.
• Automatic Protection: Once the plugin is set up, it works automatically, blocking any customer that matches the specified rules during checkout.

Plugin Requirements and Compatibility

Before installing the Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce plugin, ensure your site meets the following requirements:

• WordPress Version: 4.0+ (Tested up to WordPress 6.7.9)
• PHP Version: 7.1+
• WooCommerce Version: 3.6+
• AFC Plugin for WooCommerce: 1.9.4.170202 or later

These requirements ensure that the plugin will work seamlessly with your existing WordPress setup and WooCommerce store.

Product Details

• Version: 2.2.16.241202
• Last Updated: 02/12/2024
• Tested Up To: WordPress 6.7.9
• License: £59.00 (ex. VAT) per year for 1 site with updates and support

Pricing for Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce

The Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce plugin comes with a Premium License for £59.00 (ex. VAT) per year, which includes:

• 1 Site License
• 1 Year of Updates and Support
• 30 Days Money-Back Guarantee

Additionally, if you’re unsure about purchasing, you can try the plugin with a free trial before committing to the full purchase.

To buy or try the More Plugin visit Aelio.co