Shopify Automatic Discount is not Working: Troubleshooting Tips

When your Shopify automatic discount is not working properly, it can disrupt your store’s promotions. Shopify Automatic discounts allow you to set up discounts that apply to customers’ orders without requiring a code, making the shopping experience smoother.

However, these discounts can sometimes fail to work as expected. This article addresses common issues, such as Buy X, get Y discounts not applying, problems with combining multiple discounts, and difficulties with discounts for specific customers. With these troubleshooting tips, you can resolve these issues and ensure your discounts function fully, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

1. The Shopify Buy X Get Y automatic discount is not working when adding an item to cart

Problem:

When using the Shopify “Buy X Get Y” automatic discount, you might face an issue where the discounted product isn’t automatically added to the cart, even when the customer meets all the necessary conditions. This can be frustrating, especially when improving customer experience and boosting sales.

Solutions:

To fix this issue, there are 2 methods to do Shopify Buy X Get Y auto add to cart you can consider

#1 Coding:

This solution involves adding custom codes to your Shopify store to ensure the discounted product is automatically added to the cart when the conditions are met. This approach may require a developer’s assistance or a deep understanding of Shopify’s Liquid coding language.

#2 Using an App:

If coding sounds too complicated or time-consuming, another effective solution is to use an app because it will automatically add discounts to the cart. A dedicated Shopify app for you is undoubtedly BOGOS.io.

Overview of BOGOS.io

BOGOS.io is a powerful Shopify app designed to help merchants offer automatic discounts such as “Buy X Get Y,” free gifts with purchases, product bundles, and more. It provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to set up various discount rules and promotions without the need for coding.

Reviews & Ratings: BOGOS.io is highly rated by Shopify users, with an impressive rating of 4.9 ⭐based on 2.000+ reviews. Merchants praise the app for its effectiveness in boosting sales and customer satisfaction, particularly highlighting its ease of use and the quality of customer support.

Pricing:

• Basic Plan: $29.99 per month
• Professional Plan: $49.99 per month
• Unlimited Plan: $69.99 per month
• Plus Plan: $99.99 per month

Each plan comes with a 7-day free trial, allowing you to test the app and see how it can enhance your Shopify store’s performance before committing to a paid plan.

2. Shopify automatic discount not working when combined with other Shopify discounts

Shopify’s discount system can sometimes cause issues when multiple discounts are applied to the same order. Here are the 3 main problems you might encounter:

2.1 Only One Discount Is Applied to the Same Line Item:

Shopify only allows one discount per product. Only the biggest discount will be used if you set up several automatic discounts for the same item.

For example, you have a T-shirt that normally costs $20. You create three automatic discounts:

• 10% off all t-shirts
• $3 off all t-shirts priced over $15
• 15% off for loyalty program members

If a loyalty program member tries to buy this t-shirt, they’ll only get the 15% discount ($3) because it’s the largest discount available.

Solutions:

• Combine Discounts Carefully: If you want to offer multiple discounts, consider combining them into a single, more attractive discount that doesn’t conflict with Shopify’s one-discount-per-item rule.
• Use a Discount App: Consider using a discount app like BOGOS.io that allows for more flexibility in combining discounts and setting rules that Shopify’s basic discount system doesn’t support.

2.2 Limit on Active Discounts:

Shopify has a limit of 25 active automatic discounts and discount codes at any given time. This means that if you try to activate more than 25 discounts simultaneously, some of them won’t work.

Solutions:

• Consolidate discounts: Combine similar discounts into one broader discount to reduce the total number of active discounts.
• Use time-based activation: Schedule discounts to activate and deactivate automatically based on specific dates or times.
• Make the most of customer segments: Instead of creating multiple discounts for different customer groups, use customer segments to apply discounts more efficiently.
• Consider upgrading to Shopify Plus: This plan offers a higher limit on active discounts.

2.3 Discount Conflicts with Buy X Get Y Offers:

Buy X Get Y discounts don’t play well with other discounts. If a customer tries to use a discount code on products that are part of a Buy X Get Y deal, Shopify will remove the Buy X Get Y discount and apply the new discount code instead.

For example:

• You have a Buy X Get Y discount: “Buy 2 shirts, get 1 free”
• A customer adds 3 shirts to their cart and enters a discount code for 15% off all shirts

In this case, the Buy X Get Y discount is removed, and only the 15% discount code is applied to the order. The customer will not receive the free shirt.

Solutions:

• Set Discount Priorities: Use Shopify’s discount settings to prioritize which discount should be applied if there’s a conflict. For example, you can ensure that the Buy X Get Y discount always precedes a percentage discount code.
• Upgrade to a Discount App: Consider using an app like BOGOS.io. This app provides more control over how discounts are applied, allowing you to avoid conflicts and offer more complex discount strategies.

3. Shopify Buy X get Y Automatic discount not working for specific customer

Sometimes, automatic discounts don’t work the way we expect them to when offering discounts for specific customers. Often, the issue comes down to how customer accounts are set up in the system.

To give a special discount to just one customer, you usually need to do a couple of things:

• Tag the customer: This means putting a special label on their account in your system.
• Create a separate group: You’ll typically make a new group just for this customer (or customers) who should get the discount.

The tricky part is that for all this to work, the customer needs to be logged into their account on your website. If they’re not logged in, the system won’t know it’s them, so it can’t apply their special discount.

This login requirement can cause problems. Maybe the customer forgot their password or was shopping from a different device and didn’t realize they needed to log in. Or perhaps they’re in a hurry and just want to check out quickly without the extra step of logging in.

To fix this, you might need to:

• Make sure the customer knows they need to log in
• Check that their account is set up correctly with the right tags
• Confirm that the discount rules are working as they should

If the problem continues, talking to your e-commerce platform’s support team might be worth it. They can often spot tricky issues that aren’t obvious at first glance.

4. Final words

In conclusion, when your Shopify automatic discount is not working as expected, it can be frustrating for both you and your customers. I hope these tips help you fix common problems like combining discounts, Buy X Get Y offers, and discounts for specific customers. 

Solving these issues can make your promotions run more smoothly. If they’re still too complicated, using an app like BOGOS can make managing discounts easier.

5. FAQs