How To Offer Free Shipping In Shopify Markets Without Losing Money
To offer free shipping in Shopify Markets, open Markets, click your market, click Shipping, and edit or add a shipping option. Either set the Price to 0 for always free shipping, or turn on the Offer free shipping toggle and enter a Minimum order amount. Set the threshold from your own margins, not from what competitors advertise.
Two Ways To Offer Free Shipping
The new system gives you two clean choices inside a shipping option.
- Always free. Set the Price to 0. Every order that matches the option ships free.
- Free over a minimum. Turn on the Offer free shipping toggle at the bottom of the option and type a Minimum order amount. Orders below it pay the normal rate. Orders at or above it ship free.
In the example from my own admin, the Standard option costs $8.00 and becomes free at $70.00. That is the second method, and for most stores it is the better one.
Why A Threshold Usually Beats Always Free
Always free shipping means you absorb the cost on every order, including your smallest. A threshold does a second job. It nudges the customer to add one more item so the order qualifies, which lifts your average order value.
Free shipping is not free. You are choosing who pays for it, you or the customer, and where your margin can carry it.
How To Set A Free Shipping Threshold
- Click Markets in your admin, then click your market.
- Click Shipping, then click the option you want to edit, for example Standard.
- Scroll down to Offer free shipping, below the Rate section, and turn the toggle on.
- Type the Minimum order amount in the field that opens.
- Save your changes.
The toggle sits below the Rate section, so it is easy to miss. Until you turn it on, the Minimum order amount field is greyed out.
How To Work Out The Right Number
Do not guess. Use three numbers from your own store.
- Average order value. Find it in your Shopify analytics.
- Average shipping cost. What you actually pay your carrier for a typical parcel.
- Gross margin per order. What is left after product cost.
A good starting point is a threshold a little above your current average order value. That gives customers a reason to add something, without giving away shipping on most of your existing orders. Then review it after thirty days.
The Free Shipping Calculator Prompt
Paste this into your favorite AI assistant, fill in the brackets, and read the answer with a critical eye. The tool does the arithmetic. You make the decision.
You are a careful e-commerce analyst. I run a Shopify store.
My numbers:
- Average order value: [AMOUNT]
- Average product cost per order: [AMOUNT]
- Average shipping cost I pay per order: [AMOUNT]
- Orders per month: [NUMBER]
- Share of orders currently above [CANDIDATE THRESHOLD]: [PERCENT]
Please do the following:
1. Show my gross margin per order before shipping.
2. Show what free shipping would cost me per month at a threshold of [CANDIDATE THRESHOLD] if every qualifying order ships free.
3. Show how many orders would need to move up to the threshold for the extra revenue to cover that cost.
4. Suggest two other thresholds to test, and explain the trade-off for each in plain English.
5. List the assumptions you made so I can check them.
Do not invent data. If something is missing, ask me.
Check the answer against your real reports. If an assumption does not match your store, correct it and run the prompt again.
Watch Out For These Problems
- Discounts change the math. If order amount is calculated on the discounted total, a customer using a discount code may drop below your threshold. Test it with a real code.
- Heavy items break flat thresholds. If you sell bulky goods, free shipping over an amount can cost you far more than you planned. Consider a weight based option for those products.
- Different regions need different thresholds. Shipping to another country costs more. Use a separate market or a separate option, and set a higher number there.
- Rates add across options. Rates inside one option do not add together, but rates from separate options can. Place a mixed cart in your test order.
Key Takeaways
- Free shipping is set inside a shipping option, either Price 0 or a minimum order amount
- A threshold usually protects margin better than always free
- Base the number on average order value, shipping cost and margin
- Test with a discount code and a mixed cart before you publish
- Review your threshold after thirty days
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set free shipping over a certain amount in Shopify?
Open Markets, click your market, click Shipping and edit the option. Scroll to Offer free shipping, turn the toggle on, enter the Minimum order amount and save.
What is a good free shipping threshold?
There is no universal number. Start slightly above your average order value, make sure your margin covers the shipping cost, and review the results after thirty days.
Can I offer free shipping in only one country?
Yes. Put that country in its own market, or create a shipping option that applies only to that market, and set the free shipping rule there.
Does a discount code affect my free shipping threshold?
It can. If the order amount is measured after discounts, a code can push the order below the minimum. Place a test order with a code to confirm.
Should I offer free shipping on every order?
Only if your margins can carry it. Many stores do better with a threshold that encourages a larger basket.