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Choosing a Discount Type

When you create a discount, the Select discount type dialog asks you to pick one of four types. This guide maps common goals to the type that fits, then points to the full reference and the article for the type you pick.

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Creating a discount starts with picking a type in the Select discount type dialog, and the type you choose decides what the discount can reduce. This guide is a short decision aid: it maps common goals to the type that fits, so you can pick with confidence. Discount Types goes into what each type does, and into the dialog itself.

The four types are Amount off products, Buy X get Y, Amount off order, and Free shipping. After you pick one, the rest of the discount, such as the value and whether it uses a code, is set on the form that opens.

Which type fits your goal

Your goal Choose Why
Discount a specific range of items Amount off products It applies to the products or collections you choose
Reward buying more, such as buy two get one Buy X get Y It discounts reward items when qualifying items are bought
Run a storewide sale on any order Amount off order It reduces the whole order total
Remove the shipping charge Free shipping It waives shipping on qualifying orders

If you are unsure between Amount off products and Amount off order, decide by scope: choose Amount off products to discount only certain items, and Amount off order to discount the whole cart.

Before you begin

  • Your role includes Edit discounts.
  • Open Discounts in the admin sidebar, then select Create discount.

Steps

1. Open the Select discount type dialog

Open Discounts and click Create discount to open the Select discount type dialog. See Discount Types for the dialog and a full description of each type.

2. Choose the type that fits your goal

Use the table above to match your goal to a type, then choose it. The matching form opens, ready for you to set the value, the targeting, and whether it is a code or automatic. If you pick the wrong type, close the form and start again, since the type is chosen at the start and is not changed later on the same discount.

Verify the result

  • The form that opens matches the type you chose, such as Applies to for Amount off products or Countries for Free shipping.
  • The new discount shows that type in the Type column of the Discounts list.

Best practices

  • Start from what the offer should reduce, then pick the type that covers it.
  • Read the type reference if you are unsure, so you choose the right one before building the discount.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing Amount off order for an offer that should cover only certain items, which discounts the whole cart instead of the chosen items.
  • Picking a type without checking the goal, so the discount does not drive the behavior you wanted.

If something goes wrong

  • You picked the wrong type. The type cannot be changed on a saved discount, so close the form without saving and start again, or delete the discount and create a new one with the right type.
  • You are not sure which type to pick. Open Discount Types for a full description of what each one does.
  • You cannot create a discount. Your role may not have permission to manage discounts.

Next steps

Still stuck?

More in Discounts

  • Schedule Discounts

    The Active dates section controls the window in which a discount runs. You set a start date and time so the discount begins on its own, and you can turn on Set end date to add an end date and time so it stops on its own. Because the start and end drive the discount status, scheduling lets you plan a sale in advance and be sure it does not run longer than you intend.

  • Discount Usage Limits

    The Usage limits section controls how many times a discount can be redeemed. You can cap the total number of uses across all customers, and you can limit each customer to one use. Because a discount with no limit can be shared and reused without bound, these two settings are how you keep a code from being redeemed far more than you planned.

  • Discount Detail Page

    Clicking a discount opens its detail page, which is the discount form filled in with its current settings, plus a Summary panel that shows the status, type, and a list of the discount's rules in plain language. From here you can review a discount in one read, edit any part of it, duplicate it, and see how many times it has been used.

  • Discount Management

    The Discounts page is where you manage every discount in your store. You filter the list by status, search for a discount, select rows to activate or deactivate several at once, manage the columns shown, export the list, and open any discount to edit it. Because everything is in one list, you can review and update your discounts from a single place.

All 32 articles in Discounts

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