How to Set Up Free Shipping on Shopify: 3 Effective Approaches

Free shipping on Shopify can significantly boost your conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment. In this post, we’ll explore a complete setup guide through various methods with practical tips to enhance your shipping strategy.

First, let’s examine why implementing a free shipping strategy can significantly enhance your Shopify store’s performance.

Why Free Shipping Offers on Shopify are Effective

Free shipping on your Shopify store establishes e-commerce best practices to boost your bottom line. Here’s why it’s so effective:

Reduce cart abandonment

Studies show that unexpected shipping costs cause cart abandonment, affecting 48% of online shoppers. When you offer free shipping on Shopify, customers feel more confident completing their purchase, leading to higher conversion rates and improved customer satisfaction.

Increase average order value (AOV)

A free shipping threshold encourages customers to add more items to their cart to qualify for the offer. Research by UPS indicates that 88% of consumers will add extra items to meet the free shipping minimum.

Improve competitive positioning

Free shipping has become a customer expectation rather than a luxury. By implementing a Shopify free shipping strategy, you can stay competitive with major retailers and meet the expectations of modern customers.

Now that you understand the impact of free shipping, let’s walk through the practical steps to implement it in your Shopify store.

How to Add Free Shipping on Shopify: 3 Effective Methods

There are several approaches you can take depending on your business model and customer preferences. Each method offers different advantages and can be tailored to your specific needs.

1. How to Set Automatic Free Shipping on Shopify

Automatic free shipping is available on all orders. This approach provides the simplest customer experience and works well for businesses with higher-margin products.

Step 1: Access your Shipping settings

• Log into your Shopify admin panel.
• Navigate to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
• Click on the General profile to modify.

Step 2: Configure your Shipping zones

• Select the geographic zone where you want to offer free shipping.

For example, you choose the United States as your free shipping zone. The free shipping promotion applies to all orders shipped within the US.

• Click Add rate or edit an existing shipping rate.
• Set the rate name to segment your options (e.g., Economy, Express).

Step 3: Set the Shipping Price to Zero

• In the price field, enter “$0.00”.
• Save your changes.

Pro tip: Enable Conditional pricing to protect profit margins and increase AOV effectively. Configure any conditions, such as a minimum order price or item weight, if desired.

Step 4: Test your setup

• Place a test order to ensure the free shipping option appears correctly.
• Verify that no shipping charges are applied during the checkout process.

2. How to Set Free Shipping on Shopify with a Discount Code

Discount codes for free shipping give you more control over your shipping costs. This method works particularly well for targeted promotional campaigns such as customer-based offers.

Step 1: Create a new Discount code

• Navigate to Discounts in your Shopify admin.
• Click Create discount and select Discount code.
• Select ‘Free shipping’ as the discount type.

Step 2: Name your Free Shipping promotion

• Enter a memorable code name (e.g., “FREESHIP2024”).

Step 2: Configure Discount settings

• Select the countries or regions to which the discount applies.
• Choose a specific Purchase type for One-time purchase or Subscription customers.

Pro tip: Enable Shipping rates to automatically apply a free shipping offer to your customers (e.g., order value of $100).

Step 3: Customize Purchase requirements

• Set minimum purchase requirements based on order value or item quantity.
• Set usage limits for regular buyers or subscriptions as needed.
• Select whether to combine with order or product discounts.

Step 4: Save and Activate

• Schedule your promotion and click Save.
• Add the code to your marketing materials.
• Display it prominently on your website with banners, pop-ups, etc. (Manually added or apps’ customization).
• Include it in email campaigns and social media posts (Optional).

3. How to Set Free Shipping for A Product on Shopify

Free shipping on selected products gives you precise control over which products receive the free shipping benefit.

Step 1: Create a custom profile

• Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
• Click Create custom profile.

Step 2: Create a product-specific shipping

• Name it descriptively (e.g., “Free Shipping Products”).
• Select the specific products you want to include.

Step 3: Create a product-specific shipping

• Within your new shipping profile, set up shipping zones (e.g., California).
• Add shipping rates for each zone and set the price to $0.00.
• Enable Conditional pricing for a dynamic promotion.
• Save your configuration.

Step 4: Promote your free shipping products

• Add “Free Shipping” badges to product images or descriptions.
• Feature these products prominently on your homepage.
• Use the free shipping benefit in your marketing campaigns.
• Consider creating a dedicated “Free Shipping” collection.

This product-specific approach enables you to utilize free shipping as a strategic promotional tool. Explore more strategies to boost your AOV and customer retention with upselling on Shopify.

3 Tips to Optimize Your Free Shipping Strategy

To maximize the effectiveness of your Shopify free shipping setup, consider three approaches to help you balance customer satisfaction with business profitability.

1. Build Shipping Costs into Product Prices

Research shows that customers focus more on the total value than individual cost components. This approach maintains your profit margins while still offering “free” shipping that customers value.

2. Use Progressive Free Shipping Thresholds

Implement tiered free shipping offers that reward larger purchases with additional benefits. For example, offer free standard shipping at $50 and free expedited shipping at $100. This approach encourages customers to spend more while providing added value for larger purchases.

3. Leverage Free Shipping Apps and Promotion Tools

Shopify free shipping apps, such as Avada Boost Sales Trust Badges, can display real-time progress toward free shipping thresholds. These visual cues create urgency and encourage customers to add more items to their cart, with studies showing up to 23% improvement in conversion rates when progress bars are implemented effectively.

These optimization strategies create a comprehensive free shipping approach that benefits both your business and your customers.

Conclusion

Implementing free shipping on your Shopify store is a powerful way to boost average order values and stay competitive in today’s e-commerce landscape. Whether you choose automatic free shipping, discount codes, or product-specific offers, the key is selecting the approach that aligns with your business model and meets your customers’ expectations.

FAQs About Free Shipping Settings on Shopify