Shopify Discount on Shipping: How do you do it?

Are you looking to offer a Shopify discount on shipping but unsure where to start? This blog post will explore how to create this valuable discount to attract more customers and increase sales. It explains Shopify’s built-in tools, like shipping profiles and discount codes, along with their pros and cons.

You’ll also get more insights about third-party apps that offer more flexible shipping discount options and best practices for using these discounts effectively. Let’s start now!

1. Shopify Discount on Shipping – How does it work?

Shopify does not offer direct discounts on shipping fees, such as percentage reductions or fixed dollar amounts (e.g., $5–$10 off shipping).

Instead, Shopify provides ways to offer free shipping discounts to customers, which can be set up using different methods. Below, we’ll explore 2 methods (Shipping profile and Shopify discount) and their advantages and disadvantages.

Shopify Shipping Profiles

Shipping profiles in Shopify let you set specific shipping rates for different products or groups of products. This is useful if you want to offer free shipping on certain items while keeping standard rates for others. 

For example, you can create a shipping profile for a new product line and set its shipping rate to $0, offering free shipping for those items.

Pros:

• Product-Specific Rates: Tailor free shipping discount based on individual products or collections.
• Regional Flexibility: Set different shipping rates for various countries or regions.
• Control Over Shipping Costs: Manage expenses by assigning specific product rates.

Cons:

• Complex Management: Handling multiple shipping profiles can be challenging, especially with a large product range.
• Mixed Cart Issues: If a customer buys items from different shipping profiles, combined shipping rates might not apply as intended, leading to unexpected costs.

Shopify Discount Codes

Shopify’s discount codes allow you to offer promotions like free shipping to customers. While Shopify doesn’t support direct discounts on shipping fees (e.g., $5 off shipping), you can create discount codes that provide free shipping on orders. 

For instance, you can set up a code “FREESHIP” that customers enter at checkout to waive shipping fees.

Pros:

• Easy Setup: Creating discount codes is straightforward in the Shopify admin panel.
• Customizable Conditions: Offer free shipping discounts based on specific criteria like cart value or for specific customer segments.
• Marketing Tool: Use discount codes in promotions to attract and retain customers.

Cons:

• Non-Stackable Discounts: Shopify doesn’t allow combining multiple discount codes in one order. For example, a customer can’t apply a 10% off code and a free shipping code simultaneously.
• Manual Entry Required: Customers must enter the discount code at checkout, which they might forget, missing out on the discount.

These methods are only available to create a free shipping discount on Shopify. To create a Shopify discount on shipping fees, you will need the help of a third-party app, which will be mentioned below.

2. 4 Best Shopify Discounts on Shipping Apps

Below, I’ve reviewed four of the best Shopify free shipping apps for creating shipping discounts, highlighting their features, pricing, and how they compare.

Puco Shipping Discounts

Puco is a straightforward and highly versatile app for managing shipping discounts. It stands out because it offers over 30 customizable rules for tailoring discounts based on cart value, shipping method, or customer segment. 

What makes Puco great is its balance between simplicity and flexibility – it’s user-friendly but also powerful enough for more advanced needs. While it focuses on Shopify-native features, it may lack advanced integrations that some larger stores might require. Overall, it’s perfect for smaller businesses or those new to discount strategies.

Key Features:

• Apply shipping discounts using over 30 customizable conditions.
• Create fixed or percentage-based discounts.
• Supports both automatic discounts and discount codes.
• Seamlessly integrates with Shopify admin for quick setup.
• Designed to reduce cart abandonment and boost customer loyalty.

Pricing:

• Free Plan:
  • Create 1 shipping discount with basic rules.
  • Discount is always applied automatically.
• Pro Plan: $7.90/month or $79/year (17% savings).
  • Unlock all 30+ rules and advanced features.
  • Includes a 7-day free trial.

Ratings & Reviews: 5.0 ⭐(18 reviews). Users love its ease of use, customizable discount options, and quick customer support that resolves issues efficiently.

RM: Advanced Free Shipping

RM is an excellent choice for merchants looking to create complex and highly targeted shipping discounts. Its flexibility in offering free shipping to specific customers, products, or collections is a standout feature. C

Compared to Puco, RM provides more options for free shipping rules but doesn’t support as many fixed or percentage-based discounts. It’s ideal for medium to large businesses that want precise control over their shipping offers.

Key Features:

• Set up over 20 discount conditions based on products, collections, and customers.
• Choose between free, percentage-based, or fixed discounts.
• Select specific shipping rates to discount without affecting others.
• Replace Shopify Scripts for more advanced discount management.

Pricing:

• Free Plan: For development stores (includes all features for testing).
• Unlimited Plan: $9.99/month.
  • Access all custom discount rules and unlimited features.
  • Includes a 10-day free trial.

Ratings & Reviews: 5.0 ⭐(15 reviews). Merchants appreciate its flexibility in creating detailed free shipping rules and its helpful, responsive support team.

Discount Mixer: Bulk Discounts

Discount Mixer goes beyond just shipping discounts by combining multiple discount strategies, including volume-based, cart value, and shipping-specific discounts. It’s a powerful app for stores with diverse needs, offering features like scheduling campaigns and multi-currency support. 

While it’s more feature-packed than Puco and RM, its advanced options might be too much for small stores. This app is ideal for growing businesses looking to optimize across multiple discount types.

Key Features:

• Create and schedule discounts by vendor, type, price, and tags.
• Implement volume-based and cart-based discounts.
• Support for multi-currency and advanced shipping discounts.
• Exclude specific products or groups from discount campaigns.
• Offers customer segmentation for targeted discounts.

Pricing:

• Free Plan:
  • Supports up to 3 campaigns.
  • Includes volume and shipping discounts.
• Pro Plan: $12.99/month or $124.99/year (20% savings).
  • Unlimited campaigns and advanced features.
  • Includes priority support.

Ratings & Reviews: 5.0 ⭐(29 reviews). Customers praise its versatility in combining discount strategies and its excellent support team that provides clear guidance.

Shipcut: Shipping Discounts

ShipCut is a budget-friendly app designed for merchants who want quick and easy shipping discount setups. It simplifies the process with a clean interface and customizable options. 

While it doesn’t have the depth of rules seen in RM or Discount Mixer, it’s perfect for small businesses or stores looking for a low-cost solution. ShipCut’s simplicity is its greatest strength, but larger stores might find it limiting compared to apps like Discount Mixer.

Key Features:

• Create customizable shipping discounts with minimal effort.
• Reduce cart abandonment with dynamic and attractive rates.
• Manage discounts using simple rules like cart total, customer tags, and country.

Pricing – Standard Plan

• $4/month or $36/year (25% savings).
• Includes customizable shipping discounts and basic conditions.
• Comes with a 7-day free trial.

Ratings & Reviews: 5.0 ⭐(9 reviews). Users value its simple setup, affordable pricing, and ability to create attractive shipping discounts to boost sales.

👉As you might see, each app shines in its unique way:

• Puco is perfect for beginners or small businesses due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
• RM offers more detailed shipping rules, making it better for medium to large businesses.
• Discount Mixer stands out for combining various discount strategies, which is ideal for scaling businesses.
• ShipCut is the go-to for budget-conscious merchants who want an easy-to-use solution.

3. Best Practices for Applying Shopify Discounts on Shipping Effectively

After exploring various apps for managing shipping discounts, it’s crucial to understand how to implement these discounts strategically. Let’s look at 4 proven practices that can help boost your sales while keeping shipping costs manageable.

Graduated Free Shipping Thresholds

Creating multiple spending tiers for shipping discounts is a smart way to encourage larger purchases. Instead of offering a single “spend $100 for free shipping” threshold, break it down into smaller, achievable steps that motivate customers to add more items to their cart.

Here’s how to structure it effectively:

• Orders $50 – $74: Reduce shipping cost by $5
• Orders $75 – $99: Reduce shipping cost by $10
• Orders $100+: Free shipping

Display these thresholds clearly during shopping with messages like “Add $23 more to save $5 on shipping!” or “You’re only $12 away from free shipping!” This creates a clear path for customers to save money while increasing their purchase amount.

To implement this effectively, make sure to:

• Calculate your threshold amounts based on your average order value
• Consider your profit margins when setting discount amounts
• Update the cart automatically to show progress toward the next threshold
• Display the remaining amount needed prominently during checkout

Strategic Timing for Shipping Promotions

Rather than offering shipping discounts all the time, create special time-window promotions that drive sales during specific periods. This approach creates urgency and can help you manage your order flow more effectively.

Here are several examples:

• “Free Shipping Tuesdays” to boost sales on slower weekdays
• “Weekend Flash Free Shipping” from Friday 5 PM to Sunday midnight
• “Early Bird Special” offering free shipping on orders placed before 11 AM
• “Night Owl Discount” with reduced shipping rates after 8 PM

Limited-time offers create urgency and can help distribute order volume more evenly throughout the week. They also give customers a reason to purchase immediately rather than wait.

Customer Segment-Based Shipping Discounts

Different customers deserve different treatment. Segmenting your Shopify shipping discounts based on customer behavior and value can create more targeted and effective promotions.

Design targeted offers for specific customer segments:

• New Customers: Free shipping on first orders over $50.
• Loyal Customers: Reduced shipping rates after they reach a total spending threshold on your store.
• Local Customers: Special shipping rates for nearby locations.

This approach rewards customer loyalty, encourages repeat purchases, and incentivizes new customers to make their first purchase. It also helps build long-term customer relationships.

Bundle-Based Shipping Discounts

Creating strategic product bundles with special discount on shipping rate can help increase average order value while making shipping costs more attractive. This approach works particularly well for related products or completing a set.

Create attractive Shopify bundle offers such as:

• Free shipping when buying any three items from your newest collection
• 50% off shipping when purchasing complete sets (like a skincare routine package)
• Free shipping when adding recommended complementary items
• Reduced shipping rates for bulk purchases (buy 5 or more items)

Implementation Tips:

• Display shipping offers prominently on your homepage and product pages
• Show progress towards shipping discounts during checkout
• Use clear, simple language to explain shipping thresholds
• Regular A/B testing to find the most effective thresholds
• Monitor the impact on your profit margins
• Adjust offers based on seasonal trends and inventory levels

In summary, these practices can significantly impact your store’s performance when implemented thoughtfully. Remember to track your results and adjust your strategy based on what works best for your business and customer base.

4. Conclusion

I hope this post has inspired you to take your Shopify discount on shipping strategy to the next level. Shipping discounts aren’t just about saving money for customers – they’re a powerful tool to build trust and drive more sales. With the above apps, you can create unique shipping offers that suit your store’s needs while keeping things easy to manage. Try them out and see how smart shipping discounts can make a real difference for your business!

5. FAQs