Combining discounts
For some of your promotions, you might want to let customers combine different discounts together. You can choose from eligible combinations that let customers benefit from the best possible total discount based on their cart. You can set up both automatic discounts and discount codes to combine.
Each discount that you create has one of the following classes depending on what the discount applies to:
- Product discounts: Apply to specific items or collections
- Order discounts: Apply to cart subtotals
- Shipping discounts: Modify shipping costs
When you choose to let a discount combine with other discounts, you select which classes of discounts that it can combine with. For example, if you create a discount code for 10% off an order, then you can choose to let that discount code be combined with Product discount codes as well.
Multiple order discounts, product discounts, and shipping discounts can all apply to the same order. Learn more about how different discounts combine. In some cases when there are active automatic discounts on your store, and a customer also uses one or more discount codes, then the best discount or combination of discounts automatically applies to the customer's cart.
If a customer enters more than one discount code during checkout that can't be combined, then the following message displays: Discount couldn't be used with your existing discounts.
On this page
Types of discount combinations
There are five types of discount combinations:
- order discounts with free shipping discounts
- product discounts with free shipping discounts
- product discounts with other product discounts
- product discounts with order discounts (only available to eligible merchants)
- order discounts with other order discounts (only available to eligible merchants)
Eligibility requirements
All merchants can combine the following discounts:
- order discounts with free shipping discounts
- product discounts with free shipping discounts
- product discounts with other product discounts
To combine product discounts with order discounts or order discounts with other order discounts, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Your store must not use any checkout.liquid customizations or features. If you revert to checkout.liquid, then your store becomes ineligible for the above combinations.
- You're not using the Licensify app.
Contact Shopify Support if you meet the above eligibility requirements but you can't create discounts with the combinations.
Considerations for discount combinations
Before activating discount combinations, review the following considerations:
Considerations when creating combinable discounts
- Multiple discounts are applied to an order only when the setting on each discount allows the combination.
- If you're creating a new discount to combine with another new discount, then you don't have to set up both simultaneously. You can set up and save the first discount, and then create the second discount after. After each discount is active and set up to combine with one another, they combine automatically if a customer applies both to an order.
- You can have a maximum of 25 active automatic discounts. This total includes app-based discounts. This means that a maximum of 25 automatic discounts can be applied on the same order.
- Customers can use a maximum of 5 product or order discount codes and 1 shipping discount code on the same order.
- Discounts can only be combined on orders that are made through the Online Store, Storefront API, and Shopify POS.
- The following discount types will always apply to an order, regardless of any combination settings for other discounts on the same order:
- Custom discounts that are manually applied to an order. For example, from a manual discount applied to a POS cart, or a unique discount on a draft order.
- Discounts added to an order using the Scripts API.
Considerations for how combinable discounts are calculated
- Discounts apply in the following order:
- Product discounts (applied first to individual items)
- Order discounts (applied to revised subtotal)
- Shipping discounts (applied last)
- If product and order class discounts can combine, then multiple discounts might be applied to the same line item. For example, if a customer's cart is eligible for an automatic 10% off their order, and they enter a discount code for $5 USD off a product in their cart, then both discounts apply to the eligible item.
- If two or more discounts are applied, but can’t be combined due to the discount combination setting or the content of the cart, then the best discount for the customer's cart is always applied. For example, if you have an uncombinable 20% off discount for your
Sockscollection and an uncombinable $30 USD off discount for yourChristmas Sockscollection, and then a customer applies both to their cart, then the better discount for the customer applies. - Product discounts apply before the order subtotal calculates at checkout. This means that order discounts calculate based on the subtotal after the product discount is applied.
- If two or more order discounts that provide a percentage off are applied to the same order, then both percentages are calculated on the original subtotal. For example, if a cart is eligible for a discount that provides 10% off the order, and a second discount code that provides 20% off the order, and the order subtotal is $100 USD, then the total after discounts is $70 USD or 30% off the original subtotal.
- All order discounts are applied on the order subtotal after product discounts have been applied. For example, if the order subtotal is $100 USD and a cart is eligible for 10% off with code WELCOME10 and 20% off with code INFLUENCER20, then $10 USD and $20 USD are subtracted from the order total, for a total discount of $30 USD off.
Limitations
- You can have a maximum of 25 active automatic discounts. This total includes app-based discounts.
- Customers can use a maximum of 5 product or order discount codes and one shipping discount code on the same order.
- Discounts can only be combined on orders that are made through the Online Store, Storefront API, and Shopify POS.
- Products that are part of a Buy X get Y discount are ineligible for further product discounts. If a customer enters a discount code that applies to products in a Buy X get Y discount, then the Buy X get Y discount is removed and only the discount code that the customer entered is applied to the order.
- The following discount types will always apply to an order, regardless of any combination settings for other discounts on the same order:
- Custom discounts that are manually applied to an order. For example, a custom discount applied to a POS cart, or a custom discount on a draft order.
- Discounts added to an order using the Scripts API.
Supported combinations
The following table illustrates some examples of possible discount combinations, and displays which combinations are supported.
| Combination scenario | Supported combination | Example discount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product discount(s)
+ Order discount | ✔ | 20offPants + 10offShirts + Welcome10 | 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) | ✔ | 20offPants + 10offShirts | 20offPants and 10offShirts offer discounts to different items in the same cart. |
| Order discount
+ Order discount | ✔ | Welcome10 + Spend200Get5off | Multiple order discounts can apply to the same order. |
| Product discount(s)
+ Free shipping discount | ✔ | 20offPants + 10offShirts + FreeShip | Product discounts and shipping discounts can apply to the same order. |
| Order discount
+ Shipping discount | ✔ | Welcome10 + FreeShip | Order discounts and shipping discounts can apply to the same order. |
| Product discount
+ Product discount (applied to same products) | ✘ | 20offPants + 30offPants | When multiple product discounts apply to the same line item, only the best discount is applied. |
| Shipping discount
+ Shipping discount | ✘ | 5offShipping + 10offShipping | Multiple shipping discounts can't apply to the same order. |
Manage discount combinations
There are a number of things you can consider when managing your discount combinations:
- Test your discount combinations using draft orders.
- Monitor your automatic discount limits (25 active max).
- Check if an active discount is combinable
- Edit existing discounts to be combinable
- Use clear naming for your discount codes (for example, "STACK10-SHIPPING").
- Audit your discount combination settings regularly.
- Educate staff on how discounts interact.
Check if an active discount is combinable
If you want to view a list of all discounts that have combinations turned on, then refer to the Discounts page in your Shopify admin. The allowed combinations for each discount code displays in the Combinations column. You can also filter the Discounts page to view a list of combinations.
Steps:
From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
Click Search and filter.
Click Add filter, and then select Combines with.
Select all the discount classes that you want to view the combinations for.
Edit an existing discount to be combinable
You can edit an existing discount to make it combinable. Editing a discount code to allow combinations doesn't impact orders where the discount was previously used.
Steps:
Desktop
From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
Click the discount that you want to make combinable.
In the Combinations section, select the discount classes that you want the discount to be combinable with.
Click Save.
iPhone
- From the Shopify app, tap the … button.
- Tap Discounts.
- Tap the discount that you want to make combinable.
- In the Combinations section, select the discount classes that you want to let the discount combine with.
- Tap Save.
Android
- From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button.
- Tap Discounts.
- Tap the discount that you want to make combinable.
- In the Combinations section, select the discount classes that you want to let the discount combine with.
- Tap ✔.
Test your discount combinations in a draft order
You can test your discount combinations by creating a draft order, adding eligible products, and then entering the associated discount codes. When testing your discount combinations, test any discount restrictions at the same time. For example, try adding products that apply to your discount codes as well as products that are excluded from the discount to ensure that the discount combinations work as expected. You can also use different addresses for the customers based on any regional restrictions in your discount.
Steps:
Desktop
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders > Drafts.
Click Create order.
Add products to the order.
Customize the order:
- Add a customer
- Apply the discount codes for the combinations that you want to test
- Turn taxes on or off
- Add tags or a note
- Change the market to display a different local currency
You can either save the order as a draft or exit without saving the order.
iPhone
- From the Shopify app, tap Orders.
- Tap the + button.
- Add products to the order.
- Customize the order:
- Add a customer
- Apply the discount codes for the combinations that you want to test
- Turn taxes on or off
- Add tags or a note
- Change the market to display a different local currency
- You can either save the order as a draft or exit without saving the order.
Android
- From the Shopify app, tap Orders.
- Tap the + button.
- Add products to the order.
- Customize the order:
- Add a customer
- Apply the discount codes for the combinations that you want to test
- Turn taxes on or off
- Add tags or a note
- Change the market to display a different local currency
- You can either save the order as a draft or exit without saving the order.
You can also test your discount combinations by placing a test order on your store. Your checkout won't be available during the test order process so this testing is best done before you open your online store. You can also go through your checkout process without setting up test orders and try adding discount codes and reviewing their combinations and then stop the order process before payment.
Examples of combined discounts
The following are examples of how different combinations of discount types combine at checkout:
- Multiple fixed amount product discounts and a free shipping discount
- Fixed amount product discount and a percent off order discount
- Multiple percent off order discounts
- A percent off order discount and a fixed amount order discount
- Multiple order discounts, multiple product discounts, and a free shipping discount
Multiple fixed amount product discounts and a free shipping discount
A merchant has a 20offPants product discount code that provides $20 USD off pants, and a 10offShirts product discount that provides $10 USD off shirts. They also have an automatic free shipping discount called Freeship100 that automatically provides free shipping to all purchases over $100 USD.
For the customer's address, the shipping rate is normally $20 USD, but because there is an automatic free discount active for carts over $100 USD, the shipping is free.
The customer's cart would have the following details.
| Cart before discounts | Discounts | Cart after discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Pants: $100 USD
Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | 20offPants: $20 USD off any pants
10offShirts: $10 USD off any shirt | Pants: $80 USD
Shirts: $40 USD Boots: $200 USD |
| Subtotal: $350 USD | Subtotal: $320 USD | |
| Shipping: $20 USD | Freeship100: Free shipping on any order over $100 USD | Shipping: Free |
| Total: $370 USD | Total: $320 USD |
Fixed amount product discount and a percent off order discount
A merchant has a 20offPants product discount code that provides a fixed $20 USD off pants, and a 10offOrder order discount code that provides 10% off the order.
For the customer's address, the shipping rate is $20.
The customer's cart would have the following details.
| Cart before discounts | Discounts | Cart after discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | 20offPants: $20 USD off any pants | Pants: $80 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD |
| Subtotal: $350 USD | 10offOrder: 10% off the order | Subtotal: $297 USD |
| Shipping: $20 USD | Shipping: $20 USD | |
| Total: $370 USD | Total: $317 USD |
Multiple percent off order discounts
A merchant has a 10offOrder discount code that provides 10% off a customers' first order, and a 15offOver200 automatic discount that provides 15% off an order with a subtotal over $200 USD.
If two or more order discounts that each provide a percent off are applied to the same order, then each percent off is calculated based on the original subtotal. In the following example, both the 15% off discount and the 10% off discount are applied to the $350 USD subtotal.
For the customer's address, the shipping rate is $20.
The customer's cart would have the following details.
| Cart before discounts | Discounts | Cart after discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | |
| Subtotal: $350 USD | 10offOrder: 10% off the order15offOver200: 15% off orders over $200 USD | Subtotal: $262.50 USD |
| Shipping: $20 USD | Shipping: $20 USD | |
| Total: $370 USD | Total: $282.50 USD |
A percent off order discount and a fixed amount order discount
A merchant has a 10offOrder discount code that provides 10% off a customer's first order, and a 20offOrder automatic discount that provides $20 USD off an order with a subtotal over $200 USD.
If an order discount that provides a percent off, and an order discount that provides a fixed amount off are applied to the same order, then the percent off order discount applies first, and then the fixed amount order discount applies after.
For this cart, the 10% off order discount is applied to the $350 USD subtotal, and then the fixed $20 USD off order discount is applied to the new subtotal.
For the customer's address, the shipping rate is $20.
The customer's cart would have the following details.
| Cart before discounts | Discounts | Cart after discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | |
| Subtotal: $350 USD | 10offOrder: 10% off the order20offOver200: $20 USD off orders over $200 USD | Subtotal: $295 USD |
| Shipping: $20 USD | Shipping: $20 USD | |
| Total: $370 USD | Total: $315 USD |
Multiple order discounts, multiple product discounts, and a free shipping discount
A merchant has the following discounts:
- a
10offOrderdiscount code that provides 10% off a customer's first order - a
15offOver200automatic discount that provides 15% off an order with a subtotal over $200 USD - a
20offPantsproduct discount code that provides a fixed $20 USD off pants - a
10offBootsdiscount code that provides 10% off boots - a
Freeship100automatic free shipping discount that provides free shipping to all purchases over $100 USD
The product discount codes apply first, and then the order discount codes apply to the subtotal.
For the customer's address, the shipping rate is normally $20, but because there is an automatic free discount active for carts over $100 USD, the shipping is free.
The customer's cart would have the following details.
| Cart before discounts | Discounts | Cart after discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Pants: $100 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $200 USD | 20offPants: $20 USD off any pants10offBoots: 10% off any boots | Pants: $80 USD Shirts: $50 USD Boots: $180 USD |
| Subtotal: $350 USD | 10offOrder: 10% off the order15offOver200: 15% off orders over $200 USD | Subtotal: $232.50 USD |
| Shipping: $20 USD | Freeship100: Free shipping on any order over $100 USD | Shipping: Free |
| Total: $370 USD | Total: $232.50 USD |