Skip to content
WooCommerce WordPress

Payment Complete → Update User Role

Instantly upgrade user roles when WooCommerce payments are confirmed. Perfect for membership activation, course enrollment, and immediate access to premium content.

beginner 5 minutes |
#payment #roles #membership #woocommerce #access

Use Case

When payment is confirmed, you want to immediately upgrade the customer’s user role to grant access to premium content, courses, or member areas. This ensures instant access without manual intervention.

Common scenarios:

  • Membership tier activation
  • Course enrollment confirmation
  • Premium content access
  • Wholesale customer approval
  • Subscription level changes

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create a New Workflow

Navigate to Sequensy → Workflows in your WordPress admin and click Add New Workflow.

Name your workflow “Activate Membership on Payment” or “Instant Course Access”.

2. Configure the Trigger

Select Payment Complete as your trigger.

Essential filters:

  • Products: Specific membership or course products
  • Categories: Membership, course, or subscription categories
  • Order Total: Tier-based access levels

3. Set Up the Update User Role Action

Configure the role upgrade:

SettingExample ValueDescription
User{customer_email}The paying customer
New RolePremium MemberTarget access level
ActionReplace RoleReplace current role

4. Send Access Notification (Optional)

Chain a Send Email action:

Subject: Your access is now active!

Hi {billing_first_name},

Your payment was successful and your access is now active!

You can now access:
- Premium member content
- Exclusive downloads
- Member-only forums
- Priority support

Log in to get started: {login_url}

Welcome to the community!

5. Test Your Workflow

  1. Create the target user role if needed
  2. Enable the workflow
  3. Purchase as an existing user
  4. Complete payment
  5. Verify role was updated immediately
  6. Test access to restricted content

Pro Tips

Instant activation matters: Customers who pay for access expect it immediately. Using “Payment Complete” trigger eliminates wait times.

Create dedicated roles: Don’t reuse default WordPress roles. Create specific roles like “Gold Member”, “Course Student”, or “VIP Access” with precise capabilities.

Product-to-role mapping: Create separate workflows for each product that grants different access levels.

Prevent downgrades: Add conditions to check current role—don’t downgrade a lifetime member to monthly.

Role Upgrade Examples

Membership Tiers

Product PurchasedNew RoleAccess Level
Monthly BasicBasic MemberBasic content
Monthly ProPro MemberPro content
Annual VIPVIP MemberAll content
Lifetime AccessLifetime MemberEverything, forever

Course Products

CourseRoleAccess Granted
Beginner CourseStudentModule 1-3
Advanced CourseAdvanced StudentAll modules
Course BundlePro StudentAll courses
CoachingCoaching ClientCourses + calls

Workflow for Multiple Products

Create conditional workflows based on products:

Trigger: Payment Complete
Condition: If product is "Pro Membership"
Action: Set role to "Pro Member"

Trigger: Payment Complete
Condition: If product is "VIP Membership"
Action: Set role to "VIP Member"

Troubleshooting

Role not updating?

  • Verify user account exists
  • Check role name matches exactly
  • Review workflow logs

Access not working after upgrade?

  • Clear caching plugins
  • Verify role has correct capabilities
  • Check content restriction settings

Wrong role assigned?

  • Review workflow conditions
  • Check for multiple triggering workflows
  • Verify product filter is correct

Upgrade delayed?

  • Confirm trigger is “Payment Complete”
  • Check payment gateway confirmation timing
  • Review workflow execution order