Discount Codes and Cart Rewards: How They Combine

This article explains what happens when a customer uses a discount code together with your spend tier rewards, free gifts and upsell discounts, and how to set Shopify so they work together.

How the app's discounts work

The app gives rewards through up to three Shopify automatic discounts, one per discount class:

The app's discounts combine with product and order discounts. The shipping one doesn't combine with other shipping discounts. You can't change this in the app.

Stores that haven't saved spend tiers or upsells since 27 Oct may still have the older single discount, Essential Cart - Automatic Discount. Saving once replaces it.

Why a code can remove a reward

Shopify only stacks two discounts when both allow it. The app's discounts already allow product and order discounts, so the deciding setting is on your code.

Shopify then keeps the discount that saves the customer more.

Make a code work with your rewards

1. In Shopify admin, go to Discounts and open the code.
2. Under Combinations, tick the classes your rewards use: Product discounts for gifts and upsells, Order discounts for order tiers, Shipping discounts for free shipping.
3. Save.

Do this for every code you want to stack, including welcome codes from Klaviyo or other apps.

Watch out: a Shopify order discount can only combine with another order discount if both allow it, and some Shopify discount types can't combine at all. Check the code's Combinations box in Shopify if a code still won't stack.

A code lowers the cart below a goal

Spend tier goals for Order discount and Shipping discount are measured on what the customer pays after an order-level code. If a code brings the total under the goal, that reward goes away.

Free gift goals are measured before order-level codes. A code doesn't take the gift away by lowering the total.

See What Counts Toward a Spend Tier Goal.

Codes typed at checkout

The cart drawer only sees codes entered in the drawer. A code typed on Shopify's checkout page is still checked against the same combination rules, so it can remove free gift and upsell discounts. Spend tier rewards may not update from a code entered only at checkout.

Using your own Shopify discount instead

If you'd rather give the reward with your own Shopify discount, set the tier's reward to Visual spend tier only. The bar still shows progress, but the app adds no discount. Your Shopify discount does the rest.

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