Discount codes and automatic discounts

Before you start

Shopify has three built-in discount types: amount off (a percentage or a fixed amount), buy X get Y, and free shipping⁴. Each can run as a discount code, which customers enter at checkout, or as an automatic discount, which applies in the cart and at checkout once the conditions are met². Discounts apply to the order subtotal before tax, and tax is calculated afterwards⁵.

• Plan. Shopify's discount pages don't list which plans include discounts. Some options are Shopify Plus only, such as stacking several product discounts on the same line item and building a custom discounts app^5,3.
• Limits. You can have at most 25 active automatic discounts, including app-based ones^3,6. A customer can use at most 5 product or order discount codes and 1 shipping discount code on one order³.
• In person. Discount codes work online and with Shopify POS⁷. Automatic discounts apply at retail locations only with POS Pro¹.
• Sale prices are different. Discounts are not the same as sale prices set with compare-at prices⁸.

Worked example: a candle shop selling 40 products in the US and Canada runs 15% off its Fall collection, with the code FALL15 for its email list.

Steps

1. Start a new discount. From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts and click Create discount¹.
2. Pick the type. From the Select discount type menu, choose Amount off products or Amount off orders¹. The candle shop picks Amount off products.
3. Choose the method. Under Method, select Discount code or Automatic discount¹. For a code, enter a name such as FALL15 or click Generate code. Avoid special characters in the name^1,7. For an automatic discount, enter a Title customers will see¹.
4. Set the value. In the Value section, select Percentage or Fixed amount and enter the amount¹. Amount off discounts don't reduce shipping costs¹.
5. Choose what it applies to. Under Applies to, select Specific products or Specific collections and add them¹. The candle shop adds its Fall collection.
6. Add a minimum if you want one. Under Minimum requirements, choose Minimum purchase amount or Minimum quantity of items¹. Minimums count product prices only, not shipping or taxes¹.
7. Choose who can use it. Under Eligibility, choose All customers, Specific customers, Customer segments or Markets, and click Add if needed¹.
8. Limit uses for a code. Under Maximum discount uses, check Limit number of times this discount can be used in total, Limit to one per customer, or both¹. Automatic discounts don't have this section¹.
9. Decide what it combines with. Under Combinations, check the discount classes it can combine with¹. Discounts don't combine unless both of them allow it³.
10. Set the dates and save. In Active dates, set a start date. Click Set end date to add an end, or leave it blank so the discount doesn't expire¹. Times follow your store's time zone¹. Click Save¹.
11. Share the code with a link. Click the discount's name, click Promote, then select Get a shareable discount code. Choose the page, product or collection the link opens, then click Copy link or download the QR code⁹. Links and QR codes work only for active discounts⁹.

Check your work

• Add an eligible product to your cart and enter the code at checkout. The discount should appear, and the total should match the value you set^1,7.
• Add only products that aren't eligible and enter the code. You should see a message that the code isn't valid for the items in your cart⁸.
• On the Discounts page, the discount shows as active, and its Timeline records when you created it⁹.

Common problems

• "Customers see 'Enter a valid discount code'." The code doesn't exist or isn't active yet. Check the spelling and the Active dates^8,1.
• "There's no discount code box at checkout." The field appears only when you have at least 1 active discount code available to customers⁸.
• "Two discounts don't stack." Both discounts must allow the other's class under Combinations³. If they can't combine, Shopify applies the best discount for the cart³. Combinations work only on the Online Store, the Storefront API and Shopify POS, not on external checkouts such as Facebook, Instagram or Google³.
• "The automatic discount didn't apply." Customers must add every eligible item to the cart, including the items needed to qualify and any free items⁶.
• "A Buy X get Y product won't take another discount." On stores not on Shopify Plus, products in an active Buy X get Y discount can't get extra product discounts³.
• "I need to end a sale early." Open the discount and click Deactivate, then Deactivate again to confirm⁹. Deleting a discount is permanent⁹.
• "A customer reused a one-per-customer code." If you delete such a discount and create it again, customers who used the first one can use the new one⁷.

Further reading

• Combining discounts³
• Managing and editing your discounts⁹