How to Set Up Buy X Get Y Shopify Discount

Looking to boost sales and keep your customers coming back for more? Shopify’s Buy X Get Y discount is a game-changing promotion that can help you do just that. In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up a Buy X Get Y discount on Shopify, from the benefits of using this strategy to step-by-step instructions and best practices for maximizing its impact.
Whether you’re looking to move inventory, increase average order value, or simply delight your customers, this guide will ensure your Buy X Get Y discount is set up for success. Let’s dive in!
What is Shopify Buy X Get Y?
Shopify’s Buy X Get Y discount is a promotional tool that allows merchants to create enticing offers where customers receive free or discounted products when they meet specific purchasing criteria. For example, you could offer “Buy 2 T-shirts, Get 1 Free” or “Buy a Jacket, Get 50% Off a Scarf.”
This type of promotion is popular because it’s flexible and highly customizable. Your inventory along with pricing and marketing objectives determine both the X (customers' required purchases) and Y (received goods) through your decision-making process. A Buy X Get Y discount strategy functions as a tested method to boost customer interaction while presenting effective inventory movements and increasing store monetary gains.
There are two primary variations of the Buy X Get Y discount on Shopify: one is based on purchasing a specific quantity of items, while the other is tied to spending a set amount of money. The “Y” portion of the discount can be offered as free products, a percentage off, or a fixed amount off the price.
If you're offering free products, ensure sufficient inventory is available, as out-of-stock items will appear as sold out, preventing customers from redeeming the offer. For monetary discounts, the specified amount is applied to each eligible item, providing flexibility to suit your promotion strategy.
Benefits of a Buy X Get Y Discount with Shopify Store?
Your Shopify store can benefit from Buy X Get Y discounts because they establish mutual advantages between your customers and your business. The following advantages distinguish this promotional method as vital for your Shopify store:
1. Increases Average Order Value (AOV)
When customers know they’ll get a reward for purchasing more, they’re likely to spend more than planned. Customers are encouraged to buy an extra item when you run a "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" promotion, which raises your store's average order value.
2. Moves Slow-Moving Inventory
Have products that aren’t flying off the shelves? Use Buy X Get Y discounts to bundle these items with popular products strategically. For instance, pair a less popular item as the “Y” in a “Buy X, Get Y Free” offer to clear out excess inventory while driving sales.
3. Improves Customer Loyalty
The appeal of personalized discounts makes all customers especially attracted to special offers. Promotions that offer a product discount for buying a specified quantity allow customers to experience enhanced value which improves their likelihood of returning for additional purchases.
4. Promotes New or Seasonal Products
The "Y" portion in your discount offers should consist of new products or seasonal items to advertise and promote them. The tactic offers customers new attractive products that they would not have otherwise tried which generates valuable attention for your offered goods.
5. Enhances Marketing Campaigns
Pair Buy X Get Y offers with marketing campaigns to create urgency and excitement. Use phrases like “Limited-Time Offer: Buy 2, Get 1 Free” to drive traffic and encourage immediate action. These discounts are also perfect for holiday promotions or special sales events.
6. Increases Conversion Rates
To convert visitors into customers all you need is a modest performance boost. Your visible Buy X Get Y offer displayed at the website's checkout allows customers to complete purchases instead of leaving empty cart items behind them.
7. Customizable and Flexible
With its Buy X Get Y tool Shopify enables you to adjust promotional discounts according to your individual business requirements. The tool adapts discounts to particular products as well as collections and customer groups which helps maintain targeted promotions.
How To Create Shopify Buy X Get Y
Install the Buy X Get Y extension
EcomRise: Upsell & Bundles is your go-to eCommerce solution for boosting sales, building trust, and protecting your website. With tools like product bundles, sales notifications, volume discounts, buy X get Y, and many extra extensions, it streamlines conversions while enhancing customer experiences.
The Buy X Get Y extension lets you create customizable BOGO deals with real-time analytics, making promotions more engaging and effective. Start increasing your sales today—install EcomRise now and supercharge your store!
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Step 1: From the EcomRise Dashboard, navigate to Upsell & Cross-sell on the sidebar on the left.
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Step 2: If the app requires additional permissions, a prompt will appear. Click Update to grant the necessary permissions. Once permissions are granted, proceed with installing the Buy X Get Y extension.
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Step 3: At this step, if you have chosen the Premium plan of EcomRise, you just need to press the Install Extension button and move to the next step. If you are still on the Free plan, you need to switch to the Premium plan to install the extension by choosing the Start 7-day free trial.
After installation, you can start setting up your promotions.
Create, Customize, and Add the Buy X Get Y
Step 1: Create a New Discount Offer
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Open the Buy X Get Y dashboard in EcomRise.
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Click Create Offer to start setting up your discount promotion.
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Proceed to the Settings tab to configure the offer’s rules and design.
Step 2: Configure the Settings Tab
You can set the offer parameters through the Settings tab. You must define the required “Buy X” situations and determine the “Get Y” gifts through free items or percentage or dollar amount discounts.
Offer Configuration Methods:
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Minimum Quantity of Items – Set the minimum number of products a customer must purchase to qualify for the discount.
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Minimum Purchase Amount – Define a minimum spending threshold to activate the promotion.
Additionally, this section allows you to:
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Set discount start and end dates to control when the offer is active.
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Enable discount combinations to allow stacking with other promotions.
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Manage discount visibility based on customer tags from the Shopify admin panel.
Step 3: Choose Post-Add-to-Cart Actions
You can select what happens after a customer adds a qualifying product to their cart:
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Go to Cart Page – Automatically redirects the user to the cart.
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Reload Page – Refreshes the page to reflect the offer.
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Stay on the Current Page – Keeps the customer on the product page.
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Open Theme Cart Drawer – Opens a mini-cart; ensure theme compatibility by selecting your Shopify theme.
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Go to Checkout – Directs the customer straight to checkout.
Once these configurations are complete, proceed to design customization and offer display settings.
Step 4: Customize the Design Tab
You have control over how your Buy X Get Y deal is presented in your business thanks to the interface in the Design section. Users can adjust many design elements in the interface to match the layout and branding of their store.
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General Settings – Modify the layout, width, padding, and border of the offer block.
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Block Heading – Customize the text style for the heading of the offer block.
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Product Item Box – Adjust padding, border, and background settings for the product item section.
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Product Image – Change the width, height, border, and background of the product images.
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Product Info – Style the product title, price, quantity selector, and promotional badges.
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Action Button – Configure the design and styling of the offer button to make it visually appealing and user-friendly.
You can achieve campaign compatibility with retail store design and better Serve customers through optimal development of these components.
Step 5: Add the Buy X Get Y to Your Product Page
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Click Add Block in the EcomRise editor.
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Drag and drop the offer block onto the product page.
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Adjust its placement within the theme editor to ensure optimal visibility.
Step 6: Add the Buy X Get Y to Other Pages
You can showcase the Buy X Get Y promotion on additional store pages such as the Home page or Collection pages:
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Open Theme Customize and navigate to the desired page.
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Click Add Block and place it in the preferred location.
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Select the product(s) that will trigger the Buy X Get Y offer.
Step 7: Manage Your Offers with Filter Actions
Once your offer is live, you can track its status via the EcomRise Dashboard:
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All – View every Buy X Get Y offer you've created.
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Active – Displays offers currently published on your store.
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Inactive – Shows offers that are unpublished or disabled.
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Scheduled – Lists promotions that are set to go live at a specific time and date.
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Expired – Displays past offers that are no longer valid.
For step-by-step instructions on using the Buy X Get Y extension, visit the EcomRise Help Center and explore the detailed user guide.
Best Practices for Shopify “Buy X Get Y”
Your promotional strategy must exploit Buy X Get Y discount methods because they create both potential sales growth and customer satisfaction yet need specific planning for maximum success. Executing the promotion according to these guidelines will result in successful execution and achieve the intended outcomes.
1. Choose the Right Products for the Offer
Make sure your discount offers match the products you want to advance your business objectives. Businesses can use outdated stock or complementary items as the “Y” element for discount promotions. This approach is effective in a pet store by giving away free leashes to customers who buy dog collars.
2. Set a Clear Spending Threshold
Your offer design should use an “X” that follows your projected earning targets. When profit margins are tight you should establish minimum purchase thresholds allowing profitability for each sale. The promotional offer of purchasing two products worth more than $50 will enable you to achieve greater sales value while earning revenue that stays within your profit budget.
3. Promote Your Offer Widely
A discount is only effective if your customers know about it. Highlight your Buy X Get Y promotion across key touchpoints—your homepage, product pages, email campaigns, and social media platforms. To generate urgency and promote quicker conversions, provide a countdown timer.
4. Test for Customer Relevance
You need to analyze promotional effectiveness when customers do not respond positively to every marketing offer. Run a test to establish which promotional model works best when customers can get three items for free versus getting a discount on their third purchase of two items.
5. Use Discounts to Complement Your Marketing Goals
Design Buy X Get Y discounts to appear within ongoing marketing events and seasonal promotions. These promotions work well when released during special seasons such as product introductions plus holiday sales and appreciation events for customers. Through strategic planning both your sales prominence and outreach effectiveness will be optimized.
6. Set Limits to Avoid Overuse
Set customer-wide discount limits to preserve profit margins. Timed discounts on Shopify can be restricted to only one use per customer transaction through built-in redemption capping features. The platform also enables you to set restrictions based on customer profiles.
7. Ensure Inventory Alignment
Verify inventory quantities beforehand when you introduce a promotion offering customers X items for the purchase of Y items. The premature depletion of promotional products during a campaign leads to dissatisfied customers who form negative opinions about your brand. The Shopify inventory tools enable you to track inventory amounts while predicting consumer demand.
8. Test the Offer Before Launching
A final test of your Buy X Get Y discount system should occur before you launch to confirm proper functionality. Test the discount application during cart and checkout steps to guarantee both seamless customer use and technical flaw prevention.
9. Make the Offer Time-Sensitive
Creating urgency can encourage customers to act fast. Adding phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or running a 48-hour flash sale can help you achieve quicker results.
10. Analyze the Results
The completion of your campaign requires a review of performance metrics. The key performance indicators consist of conversion rates as well as average order value and customer feedback data. Apply gained knowledge to make upcoming discount strategies more effective.
What’s the difference between percentage-based & Buy X Get Y discounts?
When it comes to Shopify discounts, percentage-based discounts and Buy X Get Y discounts are two of the most popular options. While both can help increase sales, they work differently and serve distinct business purposes. Here's a breakdown of their differences:
1. Discount Structure
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Percentage-Based Discounts: This type of discount reduces the price of a product or cart by a percentage, such as “20% off” or “15% off orders over $50.” It applies universally to eligible products.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: These promotions reward customers with a free or discounted item (the “Y”) when they purchase a specific quantity or value of other products (the “X”). For example, “Buy 2, Get 1 Free.”
2. Customer Perception
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Percentage-Based Discounts: Simple and easy to understand, this discount appeals to customers looking for immediate cost savings. Customers can quickly calculate how much they’re saving, which often encourages purchases.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: These discounts feel like a bonus or gift, creating a sense of added value. Customers may perceive this as a better deal when they get something tangible in return for their purchase.
3. Sales Goals and Strategies
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Percentage-Based Discounts: These types of discounts work best for attracting budget-conscious customers while producing single-purchase transactions. Flash sales and inventory clearance are among the situations where these offers typically appear.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: Better suited for increasing average order value (AOV) and moving specific products. This strategy works well for bundling complementary items or promoting new products.
4. Profit Margins
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Percentage-Based Discounts: Can cut into your profit margins if not carefully planned, as the discount applies broadly to the eligible products.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: Control over discounts remains high because you select which items to provide at discounted prices or complimentary basis. When choosing a low-priced item for promotion as “Y” you can maintain profitable sales.
5. Psychological Impact
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Percentage-Based Discounts: Appeals to customers looking for savings upfront, making it a straightforward option to drive immediate sales.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: Creates a sense of reward and exclusivity, which can encourage customers to buy more than they originally intended.
6. Ease of Setup
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Percentage-Based Discounts: Generally easier to set up and apply across your store or to specific collections.
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Buy X Get Y Discounts: Slightly more complex as you need to define the qualifying products and conditions. However, Shopify’s intuitive interface makes it manageable.
Which One Should You Choose?
The choice between percentage-based discounts and Buy X Get Y discounts ultimately depends on your business goals, customer behavior, and the specific outcomes you want to achieve.
The reliable option for easily generating fast sales through discounts uses percentage-based methods. Buy X Get Y discounts serve customers better than percentage-based discounts when your goal includes raising customer order amounts or promoting targeted products or enhancing shopping rewards.
To truly maximize the benefits, consider using both strategies in different contexts. For instance:
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Run percentage-based discounts during site-wide sales or to attract first-time buyers.
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Use Buy X Get Y discounts for loyalty programs, bundles, or when launching new products.
Discount strategies that are in line with your company's goals and consumer behavior will help you develop effective promotions that increase sales and foster enduring relationships with your clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it possible to exclude sale items from the ‘Buy X Get Y’ discount on Shopify?
Yes, Shopify allows you to exclude specific collections or products, including sale items, when creating a ‘Buy X Get Y’ discount. While setting up the promotion, select the eligible products or collections and omit the ones you don’t want included.
2. Can I apply a ‘Buy X Get Y’ discount to specific customer groups on Shopify?
Absolutely! Shopify gives you the tool to segment customers using tags and customer segmentation for targeted marketing efforts. Shopify enables you to target specific customer groups by using tags or customer segmentation for loyalty members wholesale clients and specific regional areas to ensure your promotions match marketing strategy.
3. How can I ensure the ‘Buy X Get Y’ discount aligns with my inventory levels?
The promotion should only apply to available inventory quantities because regular monitoring allows you to limit the offer to current stock levels. Shopify enables users to establish discount usage maximums thus preventing them from selling out of stock items.
4. Does Shopify support discount stacking?
No, Shopify does not currently support stacking multiple discounts at checkout. Make sure your "Buy X Get Y" offer is strong enough to stand alone because customers can only use one discount code per order.
5. Can I apply multiple Buy X Get Y discounts?
Shopify allows you to establish multiple ‘Buy X Get Y’ discounts yet each customer receives just one active discount when they check out. Create discount strategies according to market needs to achieve maximum customer impact.
6. Why is the “Buy X Get Y” discount not working?
Common reasons include:
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Eligibility issues: Ensure products meet the criteria set for the discount.
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Out-of-stock items: Confirm the products in the offer are in stock.
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Setup errors: Double-check discount rules, such as product collections and customer groups.
Test your discount before making it live to avoid customer confusion.
Final Thought
The use of "Buy X Get Y" promos on Shopify is a terrific way to increase sales, attract new clients, and promote larger purchases. Shoppers will easily benefit from your discount options between automatic or code-based promotions since you can customize the setup system to match your business model. Proper steps aligned with best practices enable businesses to generate promotions that captivate customers to both participate and make purchases. Monitoring inventory alongside necessary promotional adjustments will help maintain a smooth-running store. Happy selling!
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