Setting up tipping options for online orders

Online tipping gives your customers the option to add a tip to their order on the payment page when they check out. Customers can add the tip as a percentage of the order total or as a custom amount. You can change the labels and descriptions to customize the online tipping experience to suit your goals, such as supporting your business financially, or collecting donations for a charity.

Note

Updating checkout settings, such as tipping options, can take up to 30 seconds to be reflected on your checkout.

Considerations for tipping options in your online store

Before you set up tipping options, consider the following requirements:

• Tipping options for your online store checkout must be set up using your Shopify admin, even if you have set up tipping options previously for your Shopify POS.
• The tip is calculated on the cart's subtotal before taxes and shipping. However, tips are subject to credit card fees or third-party transaction fees because they’re part of the order total.
• Customers can't tip more than 100% of the order total.
• Tips are limited to $1000 USD for both pre-selected and custom tip options.
• Customers can't add tips when they place orders using Shop Pay Installments.
• The Subscription API doesn't support tipping. You can't add a tip at checkout to a cart that contains an item with a selling plan.

Using online tipping with offsite payment gateways

If you use offsite payment gateways, then you should test the online tipping experience thoroughly before you add online tipping to your store. For example, some offsite payment gateways might not recognize the tipping line item.

If you discover that the tipping experience doesn't work as expected for a specific offsite payment gateway, then contact support for that gateway.

Set up tipping options from your Shopify admin

You can create up to 3 tipping options that are a percentage of the order's subtotal. Alternatively, customers can add a custom amount.

Note

The field for the custom amount is set up automatically. You don't need to add it when you set up the tipping options.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.

2. In the Tipping section, select Show tipping at checkout.

3. In the Preset 1, Preset 2, and Preset 3 fields, enter your tipping options in percents.

4. Optional: To hide tipping options until your customers choose to add a tip, select Hide tipping options until customers choose to add a tip.

5. Click Save.

iPhone

1. Log in to your Shopify app.
2. Tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
3. In the Store settings section, tap Checkout.
4. In the Tipping section, select Show tipping at checkout.
5. In the Preset 1, Preset 2, and Preset 3 fields, enter your tipping options in percents.
6. Optional: To hide tipping options until your customers choose to add a tip, select Hide tipping options until customers choose to add a tip.
7. Tap Save.

Android

1. Log in to your Shopify app.
2. Tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
3. In the Store settings section, tap Checkout.
4. In the Tipping section, select Show tipping at checkout.
5. In the Preset 1, Preset 2, and Preset 3 fields, enter your tipping options in percents.
6. Optional: To hide tipping options until your customers choose to add a tip, select Hide tipping options until customers choose to add a tip.
7. Tap Save.

Refund a tip

To include the tip portion in a refund, you must add the tip amount manually. You can edit the amount of the refund up to and including the tip amount.

Learn more about refunding orders.

Steps

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, under Orders, click the order that you want to refund.
2. Click Refund.
3. Enter the quantity of the items in the order that will be refunded.
4. Under REFUND AMOUNT, enter an amount that includes the tip amount.
5. Click Refund.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap Orders.
2. Tap the order that you want to refund.
3. In the Paid section, tap REFUND.
4. Use the + button beside each line item to enter the quantity that was sold.
5. In the REFUND AMOUNT section, enter an amount that includes the tip amount.
6. Tap Refund.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap Orders.
2. Tap the order that you want to refund.
3. In the Paid section, tap REFUND.
4. Use the + button beside each line item to enter the quantity that was sold.
5. In the REFUND AMOUNT section, enter an amount that includes the tip amount.
6. Tap Refund.

Tip reports

In your Finances report, you can view the total amount of tips that were collected.

Steps

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Analytics > Reports.

2. Optional: Click the Categories filter and select Finances to display only the Finances reports.

3. Click Tips.

4. To limit the amounts to your online sales, from the All channels drop-down list, select Online Store.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button.
2. Tap Analytics > Reports.
3. Optional: In the Filter all reports searchbar, type tips to display only the Tips report.
4. Tap Tips.
5. To limit the amounts to your online sales, tap the All channels drop-down list, and then tap Online Store.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button.
2. Tap Analytics > Reports.
3. Optional: In the Filter all reports searchbar, type tips to display only the Tips report.
4. Tap Tips.
5. To limit the amounts to your online sales, tap the All channels drop-down list, and then tap Online Store.

Customizing online tipping labels

You can customize the labels associated with the online tipping feature during the checkout process to meet various objectives, such as charity fundraisers or other promotional efforts. Customizing these tipping labels ensures your customers understand the intent behind their contributions.

Example customization of tipping labels for charity donation

Whether you're raising funds for a charity or aligning the labels with other promotional efforts, personalizing these labels helps clarify the purpose of the contributions for your customers. For example, if you're facilitating charity donations, then you might adapt the following labels:

• Title: Donations
• Description: Please donate to a good cause
• Custom Label: Add a custom donation
• Update tip: Update donation
• Tip label: Donation

You can make these changes to the tipping labels under the Checkout & system section on the Themes page of your Shopify admin or Shopify app.

Steps to customize your tipping labels

Desktop

1. Log in to your store as a user with Settings permissions.
2. From your Shopify admin, under Sales channels, click Online Store, and then click Themes.
3. In the Current theme section, click the … button > Edit default theme content.
4. Click Checkout & system, and then scroll to the field that you want to change.
5. Enter the label text that you want to display on the checkout page.
6. Click Save.

iPhone

1. Log in to your store as a user with Settings permissions.
2. From the Shopify app, tap the … button.
3. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store > Manage all themes.
4. In the Current theme section, tap the … button > Edit default theme content.
5. Tap Checkout & system. You might need to tap the … button.
6. Go to the field that you want to change.
7. Enter the label text that you want to display on the checkout page.
8. Tap Save.

Android

1. Log in to your store as a user with Settings permissions.
2. From the Shopify app, tap the … button.
3. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store > Manage all themes.
4. In the Current theme section, tap the … button > Edit default theme content.
5. Tap Checkout & system. You might need to tap the … button.
6. Go to the field that you want to change.
7. Enter the label text that you want to display on the checkout page.
8. Tap Save.

Understanding the different tipping labels that you can customize

Enhance your customer's checkout experience by personalizing various tipping labels within your Shopify store. Access these settings to change the wording on the tipping labels by navigating to the Themes section of your Shopify admin or Shopify app. Specifically, you can adjust the tipping labels under Checkout & system, in the Checkout tips, Checkout order summary, or Checkout field errors sections.

Find more information on the different tipping fields and default tipping labels that you can customize:

• Customize basic tipping labels at checkout
• Customize tip interaction labels
• Customize tip label in checkout order summary
• Customize error messages for tip amount validation

Customize basic tipping labels at checkout

Edit the general labels associated with tipping options displayed during checkout. These fields help set the tone and direct the customer's understanding of the tipping or donation process.

You can edit these labels through the Themes section of your Shopify admin or Shopify app. Specifically, these settings are located under the Checkout & system page in the Checkout tips section. To quickly access these labels, type Tip into the search bar and navigate to the Checkout tips area.

The following table provides an overview of the general tipping fields available for customization:

Fields for basic tipping label customization at checkout.

Field	Default label	Example customization
Title	Add tip	Support Our Staff
Description	Show your support for the team at {{shop_name}}	Help keep our team thriving during challenging times.
Presets description	Select a tip percentage	Choose how much you want to tip
Message	Thank you, we appreciate it.	Your contribution makes a difference!
No tip label	None	No thanks

Customize tip interaction labels

Optimize the interaction labels for tips—including preset percentages, custom tip amounts, and actions such as adding or updating a tip—to enhance clarity and engagement during checkout. Customizing these labels allows you to align them with your store's messaging and helps customers understand exactly what actions they're taking.

You can edit these labels through the Themes section of your Shopify admin or Shopify app. Specifically, these settings are located under the Checkout & system page in the Checkout tips section. To quickly access these labels, type Tip into the search bar and navigate to the Checkout tips area.

The following table displays the fields that you can customize to influence how customers interact with tipping options at checkout:

Customization of tip interaction fields to enhance clarity at checkout.

Field	Default label	Example customization
Preset label	{{tip_percent}}%	15%
Custom label	Custom tip	Contribute What You Wish
Add tip	Add tip	Leave a tip
Update tip	Update tip	Adjust Your Support

Customize tip label in checkout order summary

Refine how the tip is labeled in the checkout summary to ensure it aligns with your store's branding or campaign messaging.

You can edit these labels through the Themes section of your Shopify admin or Shopify app. Specifically, these settings are located under the Checkout & system page in the Checkout order summary section. To quickly access these labels, type Tip into the search bar and navigate to the Checkout order summary area.

The following table outlines the customizable fields to help you align the tip labeling with your store’s branding:

Customizable fields for checkout summary tip label.

Field	Default label	Example customization
Tip	Tip label	Gratitude

Customize error messages for tip amount validation

Provide clear and helpful error messages for scenarios where customers enter invalid tip amounts. This customization helps prevent confusion at checkout.

You can edit these labels through the Themes section of your Shopify admin or Shopify app. Specifically, these settings are located under the Checkout & system page in the Checkout field errors section. To quickly access these labels, type Tip into the search bar and navigate to the Checkout field errors area.

The following table outlines how you can customize the feedback given to customers when an invalid tip amount is entered:

Customizable error messaging for invalid tip amounts to ensure clarity and help at checkout.

Field	Default label	Example customization
Tips invalid tip amount	Enter a tip less than {{amount}}	Please enter no more than {{amount}} as appreciation