How to Combine Multiple Automatic Discounts on Shopify? [2024]

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An e-commerce store owner is allowed to create and manage various automatic and discount codes. However, if you want to stack discounts on a purchase, you need to learn how to combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify in this article.

Combining different promotions adds more shopping value to one order, giving your customers the impression of spending less and gaining more. This strategy will be extremely helpful in increasing your sales revenue and customer satisfaction.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get to work on activating high-performing discount combinations as soon as possible!

1. The Basics About Combining Multiple Automatic Discounts on Shopify

Shopify’s automatic discount is a free, built-in feature available for all Shopify merchants. It automatically enables store owners to apply different discounts to customer orders. Shoppers can enjoy a streamlined shopping experience without having to use discount codes manually at checkout. If you run a local store, Shopify discounts can also be applied using the Shopify POS discount feature.

This feature works when an order meets specific conditions (e.g., including eligible products or reaching a purchase threshold), and the system automatically applies the discounts. It is also triggered when you combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify.

Some popular use cases to apply automatic discounts for your Shopify store are:

• Volume discounts: Encourage bundle purchases by offering discounts for purchasing multiple items.
• New product launch: Apply an automatic discount on new goods to motivate trials and purchases.
• Seasonal campaigns: Automatically add discounts during holiday campaigns to encourage more sales.

Read more: [2024] Shopify Automatic Discount: A Comprehensive Guide

Automatic discount combination examples

For several promotions, you might allow customers to combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify. Create a list of eligible combinations and choose the options that give customers the best possible total discount according to their order.

Each created discount has one of the below classes depending on what it applies to:

• Product discount
• Order discount
• Shipping discount

The following table suggests a few examples of possible discount combinations that Shopify supports.

Combination scenario	Supported combination	Example discount	Description
Product discount(s) + Order discount	Yes	20 off Pants + 10 off Shirts + Welcome 10	Product discounts apply before the subtotal is calculated, and then the order discounts apply to the subtotal.
Product discount + Product discount (applied to different products)	Yes	20 off Pants + 10 off Shirts	20% off Pants and 10% off Shirts offer discounts on different items in the same cart.
Order discount + Order discount	Yes	20 off Pants + 10 off Shirts + Free Ship	Product discounts and shipping discounts can apply to the same order.
Order discount + Shipping discount	Yes	Welcome 10 + Free Ship	Order discounts and shipping discounts can apply to the same order.
Product discount(s) + Free shipping discount	Yes	20 off Pants + 10 off Shirts + FreeShip	Product discounts and shipping discounts can apply to the same order.
Product discount + Product discount (applied to same products)	No	20 off Pants + 30 off Pants	When multiple product discounts apply to the same line item, only the best discount is applied.
Shipping discount + Shipping discount	No	5 off Shipping + 10 off Shipping	Multiple shipping discounts can’t apply to the same order.

Comparing automatic discount with discount code

Both features work to trigger discounts for qualified purchases, but the main difference between automatic discounts and promo codes is the automation.

While the first approach is automatically activated during the checkout process, the latter requires manual input from customers at checkout.

Of course, implementing discount codes is still beneficial in certain cases, such as when you want to boost customer engagement. However, Shopify automatic discount is more effective in streamlining the checkout process and increasing conversion rates.

It works best if you want to run site-wide promotions, reducing customer effort by not requiring them to enter a code manually.

2. How To Create And Combine Multiple Automatic Discounts on Shopify

This section will give you an overview of how Shopify combines automatic discounts using its integrated settings. Our quick and detailed guide shows you how to add multiple automatic discounts in Shopify using its default functionality.

Step 1: Visit your Shopify admin dashboard > Click Create discount > Amount off products/order.

Step 2: Select Automatic discount and name the promotion for in-cart and at-checkout display. Regarding the Discount value, choose between a percentage or a fixed monetary amount. It can be applied to specific products or collections, and the available purchase types include one-time purchases, subscriptions, and both.

Step 3: For the Minimum purchase requirements, select the minimum purchase amount or quantity of items as you wish.

At Combinations, refer to the table to decide which discount type you will combine this new one with. Here are 3 active product discounts that are combinable with yours.

Note that if a product qualifies for multiple product discounts, only the largest will apply.

Lastly, configure the start and end dates for the discount > Save discount > Publish.

3. Limitations of Combining Multiple Discounts With Shopify Discounts

As much as Shopify’s built-in settings allow merchants to create discount combinations, choosing this setup process will likely result in certain drawbacks.

Only one discount is applied to the same line item

If you combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify for one product, the system only applies the largest discount when that item is triggered. Shopify does not support setting up priority levels for your promotions.

For instance, you have 2 active automatic discounts:

• 15% off on orders over $80
• Buy 1, get 1 free on T-shirts

Supposing a customer adds 2 T-shirts for $30 each to their cart. If the discounts are not combined:

• The order value is $60, so the 10% discount applies, resulting in a total of $54 after the discount.
• However, there is also a BOGO offer, so the customer prefers this discount since it reduces the total to $30.

As you can see, this platform often offers the most beneficial discount to the buyer. In this case, the BOGO deal is better and used on that line item, while the 10% does not apply to the purchase.

Only 25 automatic & discount codes were activated at the time

There is no limit to the promotion quantity you can create on Shopify, but the maximum number of active discounts allowed at one time is 25.

This means you can only apply up to 25 automatic discount codes on the same order, and customers are restricted to using a maximum of 5 order or product discount codes and 1 shipping discount code on a single purchase.

Discounts conflict with Buy X, get Y offer.

When merchants combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify, keep in mind that products that are part of a Shopify Buy X, get Y offer do not qualify for more product discounts.

If the customer uses a discount code that applies to items in a BXGY discount, then this offer is removed, and Shopify only accepts the entered discount code.

Read more: Shopify Automatic Discount is not Working: Troubleshooting Tips

4. Best Methods To Stack And Combine More Than One Automatic Discount on Shopify

Since combining discounts with Shopify has some significant disadvantages, we suggest 2 other methods for effectively stacking Shopify multiple automatic discounts.

Using a Shopify app alongside Shopify discount feature

The first approach is using a third-party app in accordance with Shopify’s built-in settings because they function separately, resulting in your ability to stack discounts.

Also, no available discount app on the Shopify App Store can run discount and free gift offers simultaneously, requiring you to use both.

We suggest setting up amount off product deals or free shipping with Shopify’s internal features and combining other discounts like BOGO, BXGY, or free gift with purchase powered by third-party software.

BOGOS is a widely trusted app that creates Shopify automatic discounts and free gift offers. It is designed to help merchants set up enticing promotions that increase their store revenue and enhance customer experience.

If you are not yet satisfied with Shopify’s native functionalities, BOGOS is the ideal choice for generating, combining, and managing automatic promotions. The platform allows you to set up complex discount rules for more powerful campaigns.

The best part about BOGOS is that it can solve all 3 mentioned downsides, specifically:

• No limit to creating and activating the number of automatic and discount codes
• It allows applying multiple discounts to 1 item but comes with a priority setup if the customer does not want to trigger all available discounts at once.
• Its BXGY offer is not affected by other Shopify discounts. Your buyer can still apply their discount code to a BXGY product and receive both promotions.

Other than that, store owners can use BOGOS to set up and activate bundle discounts, volume discounts, and quantity breaks. This helps diversify your store and enhance its appeal to potential and recurring customers.

Shopify rating: 4.9/5

Customer support: Documentation, FAQs, live chat, email, video call

Pricing: $23.99 – $79.99 per month

Using a custom checkout script

Another way to combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify is to customize a checkout script. The line item script affects products in a cart by changing their properties and prices. 

These scripts run every time a cart attribute is adjusted, such as changing the delivery address, adding or removing a product, or adding a discount code. This feature allows you to customize a wide range of discount scripts with multiple templates, such as:

• Product discount
• BOGO discount
• Tiered cart discount by spend
• Free gift with purchase
• Disable discount codes for products, etc.

For more information, check out the Line item script example on Shopify here. Note that it is accessible for Shopify Plus merchants only.

5. Benefits of Automatic Discount Combination For E-commerce

When store owners combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify for promotional campaigns, it benefits their businesses and their customers. Here are some noticeable gains for both parties with this practice:

Benefits for merchants

• Increased sales volume:

When customers are eligible to receive more than one automatic discount on Shopify, they will be incentivized for larger purchases. This increases the overall sales volume since people are more inclined to buy more items.

For example, having qualified for the promotion, a customer can combine a buy one, get one (BOGO) offer with a percentage discount.

• Higher average order value (AOV):

In addition to the boosted sales volume, the automatic discount combination motivates buyers to add more items to their carts. The more they spend, the more they save.

Not only does it help maximize their savings, but it also leads to a higher AOV.

• Enhanced customer loyalty:

Offering a wide range of combinable discounts can enhance your customer experience, as they feel they are receiving the best deal. This positive experience will enhance your customer loyalty, encouraging them to return.

• Improved conversion rates:

Combined automatic discounts make shoppers feel like their purchases are valuable. That is why they are more likely to complete the order, reducing cart abandonment and improving overall conversion rates.

• Positive brand perception:

A merchant who enables flexible discounting is often perceived as customer-friendly. They will likely refer your brand to other people, increasing their brand reputation on the market.

Benefits for customers

• Better shopping value:

By combining discounts, online shoppers spend less but gain more, forming a perception of better shopping value. This makes them more satisfied with the purchase.

• Increased purchase motivation:

If customers are aware that they can combine Shopify multiple automatic discounts, they might be compelled to buy items they were hesitant about. In general, they see the overall cost as being more favorable.

• Simplified checkout process:

The checkout process is simplified since buyers needn’t worry about which discounts are applicable or having to input multiple discount codes manually. They can enjoy the promotions automatically as the system detects order qualifications.

6. Best Practices For Shopify Multiple Automatic Discount Combination

Take a look at some of our tips and strategies to combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify to maximize your promotional efforts and achieve the best results.

Prioritize discounts based on value.

If you want to monitor which discounts are most likely to apply among multiple offers, set up specific conditions for your promotions, such as product-specific discounts or a minimum purchase amount.

Then, build a discount hierarchy by identifying which offers bring the most value to your buyers. Prioritize these discounts over others when planning your promotion strategy.

Use discount codes for more flexibility.

Aside from the automatic discounts, you can choose to combine them with discount codes for additional flexibility. For example, customers can enjoy an automatic BOGO promotion and still enter a 15% off code at checkout.

To encourage customers to use these discount codes, promote them on your website, via social media, and email campaigns.

Leverage bundles and upsells

When customers purchase a combination of related or complementary products, group them into bundles in advance so they will be triggered as an automatic discount.

Plus, you can enable in-cart upsells with discounts when certain items are added to the cart. For instance, the buyer can receive an extra discount or add a related product.

Limit discount duration.

Limited-time discounts work brilliantly to motivate quick purchases and reduce the chance of customers waiting for a better deal. This tactic creates a sense of urgency that compels them to grab the offer immediately.

Plus, you should regularly change your discount offerings. This keeps them engaged and prevents customers from always expecting the same deals.

Monitor and adjust the discounts.

Whether you use Shopify’s native features or a third-party app, they both have analytics systems to monitor the performance of your discounts. Additionally, try A/B testing to see how different discount strategies work with your target audience.

After that, adjust your work based on what is driving the most sales and customer engagement.

Prevent discount abuse.

Multiple automatic discount combinations may result in discount abuse. Merchants can prevent this by limiting the number of times a discount can be applied to the same item or used by the same customer.

Also, clearly define which products or collections are not included in your discounts. This helps avoid unintended large discounts for your customers.

7. Conclusion

Is it not so much of a challenge to combine multiple automatic discounts on Shopify?

Merchants are allowed to combine product, order, and shipping discounts to create various combinations and increase customer engagement. Not only does this tactic help grow your business, but it also brings better shopping value for your customers.

If you find that using Shopify’s built-in features is limiting, try a third-party app for a more advanced setup and smart discount combinations. Remember to follow our best tips to manage these offers effectively and maintain control over the margins.

8. FAQs