How The THX Co. Used WooCommerce to Power a 100% Donation Model

Background

In 2012 Ricardo Bueso and his family sketched out a simple idea: build a shop that actively encourages every shopper to give back. By 2014 their living-room startup evolved into The THX Co., a social enterprise that sells ethically sourced coffee, original fragrances and soon apparel—all at cost, with optional donations layered on top.

A Transparent Donation Model

Instead of padding prices, THX built a system where the sticker price covers only product and admin costs. At checkout, customers choose how much extra to donate. After expenses are met, 100% of every additional dollar flows directly to vetted nonprofits. Financials are audited, reported openly, and posted on the site for anyone to review.

Why WooCommerce?

A WordPress foundation meant the team could spin up a polished store fast—no deep coding chops needed. The core WooCommerce engine handled orders, payments and inventory. From there, bespoke API connections synchronized shipping logistics, fulfillment, accounting and analytics tools with minimal manual work.

Performance & Key Extensions

Caching, image optimization and smart hosting pushed The THX Co. to a 100% user-experience score on PageSpeed Insights. They extend WooCommerce with:

• ShipStation Integration
• Table Rate Shipping
• WooCommerce Subscriptions
• Product Bundles and Additional Variation Images
• Quick View and Social Login
• Stripe & PayPal Express

Custom UX & API

THX runs a coffee club subscription with a custom landing page built via the WooCommerce API. This lets them swap out the default layout for a tailored flow—keeping all core purchase functions intact while guiding members through a curated experience.

Lessons Learned

The biggest hurdle was nailing dynamic shipping rules. Standard carrier plugins fell short, so they turned to Table Rate Shipping and fine-tune rates constantly. Despite the math headache, the result is reliable checkout estimates and happier customers.

Today The THX Co. continues growing its product line, refining UX, and proving that an e-commerce store can do more than sell—it can empower giving.