Why Discounts may not Work with Preorders (and how to fix it) (Essential Preorder app)

If you’ve set up a discount in Shopify and noticed that it’s not applying to preorder products, you’re not alone. This happens because Shopify treats preorders as subscriptions when it comes to discount settings.

Why This Happens

Shopify’s discount system has a Purchase type setting that determines whether a discount applies to:

• One-time purchases
• Subscriptions
• Both

Since preorders are handled like subscriptions in Shopify, any discount that is only set to apply to one-time purchases will not work for preorder items.

One exception: campaigns without a selling plan

If a campaign has Use Shopify selling plan (purchase option) turned off on the Offer tab → Use selling plan (last card), its preorders are ordinary one-time purchases. Shopify discounts then apply normally, and the app’s own discount fields are disabled for that campaign. See Turn Off Selling Plans for a Preorder Campaign.

How to Fix It

To ensure your discount applies to preorder items:

1. Go to Shopify Admin → Discounts → Select or create your discount.

   In the Purchase type section, select either:

   • Both
   • Subscription
2. (Example: Setting “Purchase type” to Both ensures preorders receive the discount.)
3. Save your changes.