4+ Simple Methods to Add Free Shipping on Shopify

Dive into the intricacies of implementing free shipping on Shopify with this comprehensive guide. In the competitive e-commerce landscape, understanding how to add free shipping on Shopify is pivotal. Recent studies reveal that 78% of customers are inclined to make additional purchases to meet the criteria for complimentary shipping. 

This discourse explores four proven methods to integrate complimentary shipping into your Shopify store seamlessly. From enhancing conversion rates to elevating customer satisfaction, this elucidation delves into strategic approaches to optimize your online retail enterprise. Explore these methods and refine your store's shipping strategy for sustained success.

Importance of Offering Free Shipping on Shopify

Unveil the strategic cornerstone of e-commerce success—offering free shipping on Shopify. In this segment, we delve into why this isn't just a perk but a vital element in customer satisfaction and business growth.

Why Should You Add Free Shipping on Shopify?

To provide complimentary shipping on your Shopify store, it is crucial to understand the compelling reasons behind this decision. The numerous advantages associated with this offering include:

Boost in Sales: Customers are more inclined to purchase in-store with free shipping for online orders.

Key Statistics to Consider: Activating the free shipping option on your Shopify store can yield significant benefits, such as:

• A potential revenue increase of up to 10% for Shopify stores offering free shipping.
• A potential 50% boost in conversion rates by implementing a free shipping rate.
• A remarkable 90% increase in orders online when free shipping is offered.
• An opportunity to attract 48% more new customers through the appeal of a free shipping rate and shipping discount.

Elevated Average Order Value: The allure of free shipping prompts customers to spend more to meet the minimum and maximum thresholds for free shipping. Notably, 52% of shoppers add additional items to their carts to qualify for free shipping.

Minimize Cart Abandonment: Research found that 58% of consumers remove items from their carts because they think the shipping costs will be too expensive. Shipping expense is a pivotal factor prompting potential buyers to leave items in their carts rather than completing the purchase.

• Offering free shipping rates is a compelling incentive for clients to finalize their purchases, a desirable outcome for any Shopify website owner.

• Tip: If providing entirely free shipping is not feasible, extending such an offer to those with abandoned carts may encourage them to proceed with the purchase.

Foster Customer Loyalty

• Acquiring new customers is not enough; fostering repeat business from existing ones is paramount. This can be achieved effortlessly by incorporating free shipping into your offerings.

• In addition to shipping discounts, delivering exceptional shipping services ensures customer retention and encourages repeat purchases.

Optimized Marketing Strategies: 

• Instead of allocating funds for each paid advertisement, consider directing these resources toward shipping rates. Regard free shipping rates as part of your operational costs.

• In essence, just as you don't pass on website hosting or SEO expenses to your clients, treating shipping as an integral operational cost allows you to offer it for free without compromising significant revenue.

When is the Best Time for Free Shipping?

1. Seasonal and Promotional Events:

Leverage free shipping during specific seasons or promotional events to capitalize on heightened customer interest. For instance, offer free shipping during holiday seasons, Black Friday, or special sales events. This approach aligns with peak shopping periods, enticing customers with limited-time benefits.

Example: Introduce free shipping on all orders during the holiday season, encouraging customers to complete their gift purchases with added convenience.

2. Product Launches and Clearances:

Boost excitement and sales by incorporating free shipping during product launches or clearance sales. This strategy promotes new items and helps clear out existing inventory. Free shipping during these periods can act as a catalyst for increased customer engagement.

Example: Launch a new product line with a limited-time free shipping offer, attracting attention and encouraging early adoption.

3. Minimum Purchase Thresholds:

Implement free shipping for orders surpassing a specified minimum purchase amount. This strategy increases average order value by convincing clients to put additional goods in their carts, which benefits your business by making the offer lucrative.

Example: Set a minimum purchase threshold of $50 for free shipping, motivating customers to explore additional products to meet the qualifying criteria.

4. Customer Loyalty Programs and Abandoned Cart Recovery:

Reward loyal customers with exclusive free shipping benefits through a tiered loyalty program or targeted abandoned cart recovery efforts. This approach fosters customer retention and encourages repeat purchases.

Example: Offer free shipping as a premium benefit for customers who reach a specific loyalty tier, enhancing their shopping experience.

By strategically grouping free shipping offerings based on these considerations, you can tailor your approach to different business objectives and customer behaviors, maximizing the impact of this incentive on your Shopify store's success.

Factors to Consider Before Offering Free Shipping

1. Financial Feasibility:

• Evaluate Profit Margins: Assess whether absorbing shipping costs aligns with your product pricing and profitability.
• Operational Impact: Consider the impact on operating costs, especially for heavier or larger items.

2. Customer Expectations:

• Target Customer Base: Understand the demographics and preferences of your target audience to align your free shipping strategy with their expectations.
• Competitive Landscape: Research and analyze competitors to determine industry norms and set realistic customer expectations.

3. Logistical Considerations:

• Geographical Scope: Define clear boundaries for free shipping to manage costs effectively, considering regional, national, or international coverage.
• Technological and Operational Readiness: Ensure your e-commerce platform and logistics infrastructure seamlessly support free shipping without compromising efficiency.

4. Order Dynamics:

• Order Frequency and Size: Tailor your free shipping offer based on the typical order patterns of your customers, considering whether it's more feasible for larger orders or as part of loyalty programs.

By carefully considering these factors, you can make informed decisions about whether, when, and how to implement free shipping on your Shopify store, finding a balance between your company's financial viability and client delight.

As we conclude our exploration into the importance of free shipping on Shopify, recognize its transformative potential. However, achieving success with your Shopify store extends beyond adding free shipping to attract more customers. For a cost-effective and streamlined approach to shaping a compelling online presence, consider EComposer – a top-tier Shopify App.

EComposer, a renowned Shopify Page Builder, facilitates the effortless creation of diverse pages, including captivating landing pages, appealing homepages,  informative blog pages, helpful FAQ pages, and more. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor removes the need for coding and gives you access to a massive selection of eye-catching layouts.

Crafting optimized pages is now more accessible than ever, thanks to various elements and extensions at your disposal. EComposer incorporates advanced features like an AJAX cart, AI content generator, and an image compressor, enhancing your store's overall performance. This all-in-one solution enables the rapid construction of expert Shopify stores, saving both money and time. Elevate your eCommerce ventures with EComposer. Try it for free!

Those without a Shopify account can sign up for an exclusive deal: only $1/month for the first three months.

4 Methods to Set up the Shopify Free Shipping 

1. Provide free shipping by default

One way to enable free shipping on Shopify is by setting the flat rate shipping in Shopify to 0. This implies that customers shopping in your store, specifically in the designated areas for free shipping, can enjoy this benefit without any conditions.

To set up free shipping on Shopify, follow the step-by-step guide below:

Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to “Settings” > “Shipping and delivery.”

Step 2: Click in the General Shipping Rates section

Step 3: Click “Add rate” in each shipping zone to include additional Shopify shipping rates.

Step 4: A small popup will appear for you to provide the necessary information:

• Check the option “Set up your own rates.”
• Enter the Rate name.
• In the Price field, enter 0 to ensure customers receive free shipping.
• Click Done.

Step 5: Click the Save button to update your accessible shipping settings.

Is worldwide free shipping available on Shopify? Yes! Repeat this process for other "Shipping zones" to extend free shipping options to additional regions.

2. Free shipping based on order cost

This is the method to implement free shipping on Shopify for all customers making purchases in your store. Wondering how to establish Shopify free shipping based on the order value? Follow this straightforward process:

Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to “Settings” > “Shipping and delivery.”

Step 2: Click in the General Shipping rates section

Step 3:

In the “Add rates” popup, follow these steps:

• Check the option “Set up your own rates”.
• Fill in the Rate name.
• In the Price field, enter “0”.
• Click “Add conditions” to specify additional requirements for customers to qualify for free shipping.

Step 4:

Tick the “Based on order price” option to provide free shipping based on the order value.

Step 5:

Enter an amount of money ($) in the Minimum price field and leave the Maximum price blank. For instance, if you're offering 200,000VND-based free shipping for the Vietnamese, customers in this country spending at least 200,000VND will enjoy free delivery.

Step 6: Click Done and Save to update your new shipping rates.

3. Free shipping based on order weight

Now that you've learned how to implement free shipping for orders over a specific amount on Shopify, this section will guide you on adding free shipping based on weight.

Follow steps 1-3 of the process for providing free shipping on Shopify based on order value.

Step 4:

In the Conditions section, opt for the “Based on item weight” choice to extend Shopify free shipping to products based on their weight.

Step 5:

Complete both the Minimum weight and Maximum weight fields with the desired weight values (kg).

For instance, if you set 5 kg as the minimum weight, customers who make a purchase with a total order weight exceeding 5 kg will qualify for free shipping discounts.

Step 6:

Finally, click the Done button and remember to save your changes.

4. Generate free shipping discount codes

An alternative method to consider when exploring how to implement free shipping on Shopify is by generating Shopify free shipping codes.

Follow the steps outlined below to set up free shipping on Shopify using shipping discounts:

Step 1: Access the "Discounts" section from your Shopify dashboard located in the left menu and click the “Create discount” button

Step 2: In the popup that appears, select the “Free shipping” option.

Step 3:

Now, furnish the required information for your Shopify free shipping code, including:

• Discount code: Assign a name of your choice.
• Countries: Apply the discount code universally or selectively to specific countries.
• Shipping rates: Choose to exclude free shipping for rates surpassing a certain order value.
• Minimum purchase requirements: Set either "No minimum requirements" or specify minimum requirements based on value or item quantity.
• Customer eligibility: Define which customers or segments are eligible for the free shipping discount.
• Maximum discount uses: Set a total limit or limit to one use per customer.
• Combination: Decide whether to combine the free shipping code with product discounts or order discounts (suggesting NONE is recommended).
• Active dates: Specify the start and expiry date of the free shipping code to create a sense of urgency and attract more customers.

Finally, click the “Save discount” button at the bottom right of the page, followed by "Save" at the top to complete the process.

Others also read

Customize Shopify Free Shipping Bar to Drive Sales (FREE)

How to add Shopify Countdown Timer FREE & without Coding

How to Add Store Locator to Shopify for FREE

Tips to Add Free Shipping on Shopify

Free delivery might be a smart way to maximize the possibilities of your Shopify shop. In this guide, discover key tips that can elevate your online business and enhance customer satisfaction.

Shipping Speed Options

Diversify your Shopify store's appeal by offering varied shipping speeds tailored to customer preferences. Introduce expedited shipping for time-sensitive needs, prominently showcasing this premium option during checkout and product listings. Enhance transparency by clearly communicating estimated delivery times for different speed choices, instilling confidence in your shipping reliability.

Integrate shipping speed options strategically into promotions; consider limited-time offers like free expedited shipping for qualifying orders. Aligning these options with customer needs and marketing initiatives not only enriches the shopping experience but also cultivates satisfaction and loyalty on your Shopify platform.

Occasional Free Shipping Offers

Enhance customer excitement and participation on your Shopify platform by strategically introducing occasional free shipping offers. These limited-time promotions, whether tied to seasonal events or special occasions, serve as compelling incentives to drive customer engagement. Leverage targeted marketing channels such as email campaigns and social media to prominently feature these exclusive opportunities, capturing customer attention and encouraging increased activity.

To optimize the impact of occasional free shipping, consider associating these promotions with specific conditions. Whether it's offering free shipping on select products or during flash sales, such targeted approaches not only add value to customer purchases but also contribute to increased conversions. 

By ensuring clear communication about the duration and terms of these offers, you create a sense of urgency, prompting customers to capitalize on these unique opportunities. Through the strategic implementation of occasional free shipping, you not only foster customer loyalty but also create memorable and impactful shopping experiences on your Shopify platform.

Strategic Pricing and Negotiation

Implementing free shipping on Shopify isn't just a feature; it's a powerful strategy. By integrating these tips, you're not only meeting customer expectations but also positioning your store for sustained success. Elevate your Shopify experience and watch as free shipping becomes a driving force behind increased conversions and customer loyalty.

Others also read

How To Add New Page To Shopify Website

How to design a Shopify store in 10 minutes

How to Add Products to Shopify? A Step-by-Step Guide!

Top 4 Apps to Set up Free Shipping on Your Shopify Store 

1. Hextom: Free Shipping Bar

The Free Shipping Bar exhibits dynamic messages as customers add items to their shopping carts, informing them of the additional purchase needed to qualify for free shipping. This effectively raises the average order value, resulting in increased sales. The bar offers extensive customization options, including advanced targeting features such as geo-location, customer type, and specific pages. This allows for the implementation of multiple free shipping offers tailored to different countries and customer segments, ultimately optimizing sales strategies.

Feature Highlights

• Show shipping objectives progressively to enhance sales performance.
• Utilize advanced targeting options, including geo-location, customer type, page, product, and device targeting.
• Plan free shipping events in advance, such as for Black Friday, with the scheduling feature.
• Fully customize the bar on all pages, enable with a single click, and no coding is necessary.
• Automatically detect visitors' local currencies and convert the free shipping threshold.

Pricing & Plans

Rating & Review

• Rating: 4.9 ⭐
• Review: Shop owners value this application for its intuitive interface, customizable features, and reliable performance. It is often attributed to increasing both sales and conversions by motivating customers to meet the free shipping threshold. The responsive customer support team efficiently addresses issues, frequently resolving them within the same day. Additionally, the app improves the visual aesthetics of websites, proving especially advantageous for small businesses given the comprehensive features even in the free version.

2. Essential Free Shipping Upsell

The Essential Free Shipping Upsell app revolutionizes your approach to free shipping, urging you to cease the practice of giving it away without reaping the benefits. This application's effectiveness lies in establishing a cart value goal, whether it's free shipping, a discount code, or another appealing incentive. This uncomplicated yet impactful strategy is designed to optimize revenue potential. For enhanced outcomes, the app seamlessly incorporates upselling and cross-selling features, providing opportunities for increased profitability. The Essential Free Shipping Upsell app offers a strategic approach to sales and customer engagement.

Feature Highlights

• Positioned Anywhere: Whether on the product page, cart page, cart drawer, or the top/bottom of any page.
• Enhances Average Order Value: Increase sales by incorporating product upsells and cross-sells.
• Revenue-Focused: Precisely monitor the additional revenue you generate.
• Highly Adaptable: Tailor your progress bar with your own design or choose from pre-made styles.
• Additional Features: Includes support for translations, various currencies, and compatibility with Online Store 2.0 themes.

Pricing & Plans

Rating & Review

• Rating: 4.9 ⭐
• Review: Shop owners value this application for its customizable progress bar and the ability to exclude free shipping offers. It facilitates upselling, cross-selling, and geolocation for precise marketing targeting. Numerous users commend its smooth integration, design, and user-friendly navigation, coupled with responsive and professional customer service. Noteworthy is its cost-effectiveness, being free yet highly efficient in elevating conversion rates and average order values.

3. ASoft: Free Shipping Popup

With ASoft, providing free shipping is a useful tactic to prompt customers to spend more. Once you've integrated free shipping, informing your customers about this option becomes important. The Free Shipping Popup comes in handy for this task. This tool displays a customizable animated popup when customers add items to their cart, indicating the required spending amount for free shipping. The personalized and subtle popup serves as a gentle reminder, motivating customers to consider additional purchases.

Feature Highlights

• Establish the minimum order value (either in price or weight) necessary to qualify for free shipping.
• Personalize the appearance of the popup to your preferences, adjusting colors, fonts, text sizes, and more.
• Determine the duration for which the popup should be visible.
• Implement diverse free shipping criteria tailored for different countries.
• Choose to showcase the popup exclusively for specific products, as well as manual and automated collections.

Pricing & Plans

Rating & Review

• Rating: 4.9 ⭐
• Review: Store owners commend this application for its outstanding customer service, user-friendly interface, and straightforward installation process. It is acknowledged as a valuable marketing asset, particularly for e-commerce and dropshipping establishments, contributing to the elevation of average order value and overall sales. Users appreciate the app's customization features, adept traffic handling capabilities, and transparent free shipping notifications. The clean design and capacity to improve customer interaction are highlighted as noteworthy. The availability of a free plan proves advantageous for small businesses. Overall, it is recognized as an efficient tool for promoting free shipping, enhancing conversion rates, and fostering increased customer engagement.

4. EG Auto Add to Cart Free Gift

EasyGift simplifies the process of automatically adding free gifts or product add-ons to the cart based on customized rules. This enables you to implement strategic upsells, including BOGO (Buy One Get One) offers, contributing to a robust upselling strategy. The user interface is exceptionally straightforward, making the creation of rules for free gift upsells as effortless as a monk's meditation. Whether you opt for cart-based rules linked to the total cart value or specific products, EasyGift allows you to seamlessly implement these strategies. Additionally, you have the flexibility to schedule the activation of offers, determining when they come into effect.

Feature Highlights

• Automatically include products in the cart when it contains specific items or reaches a particular cart total.
• Set up rules for BOGO (Buy One Get One) or Buy X Get Y offers and schedule them to run during specific periods.
• Implement targeted rules to provide customers with free gift add-ons or complimentary products.
• Offer free gifts with purchases triggered by specific products or collections.
• Introduce add-to-cart upsells for convenient gifting experiences.

Pricing & Plans

Rating & Review

• Rating: 4.8 ⭐
• Review: Store owners find value in this application for its straightforward installation and user-friendly interface, which seamlessly adds complimentary gifts to customers' carts, resulting in enhanced sales and increased Average Order Value (AOV). Its compatibility with other applications and the ability to set flexible gift rules are particularly appreciated. The analytics page receives praise for effectively showcasing the app's influence on AOV. Merchants also speak highly of the responsive and supportive customer support team. Acknowledged as an efficient upselling tool, the app significantly contributes to inventory management, ultimately improving sales and profitability.

Troubleshooting and Tips

Navigating challenges is part of the e-commerce journey. In this section, we delve into troubleshooting and share valuable tips to enhance your Shopify experience.

Addressing Technical Issues

Communication with Customers

Alternative Options to Free Shipping

1. Flat Shipping Rates

Flat shipping rates involve charging customers a predetermined shipping amount based on their order value. For instance, if your intention is to apply a consistent $5 shipping fee for each customer order, you would establish a $5 flat shipping rate.

The advantage of implementing flat shipping rates lies in the precise control it provides over the charges customers incur during checkout. This approach offers transparency and allows merchants to set clear and predictable shipping costs for customers.

2. Calculated Shipping Rates

Depending on your Shopify store's subscription plan and location, you may have the option to directly add specific shipping carriers to your shipping settings.

Shipping carriers consider various factors in determining shipping charges, including the shipping origin, destination, shipment weight, shipment value, dimensions of the shipment box, dimensional weight, and requested speed of delivery.

For instance, let's say a customer from Washington D.C., USA, proceeds to checkout with a 1 kg order. Your store, located in Ottawa, Canada, employs a default box size of 5" x 7" x 7" weighing 0.375 kg. If you integrate your Shopify account with Canada Post, the carrier calculates potential shipping options based on the order criteria, presenting them at checkout for the customer's selection.

Additionally, apps can offer calculated shipping rates if the carrier you use integrates with Shopify through an app, or if you require a more sophisticated shipping setup. Explore available shipping apps on the Shopify App Store for comprehensive options.

Armed with these troubleshooting insights and practical tips, you're better equipped to overcome hurdles and optimize your Shopify store for success. Keep exploring and refining your approach for a seamless online retail experience.

Conclusion

To sum up, offering free delivery on your Shopify store is a smart choice that will raise customer happiness, increase revenue, and distinguish your online store from competitors. Whether utilizing Shopify's native options, exploring third-party apps, or adopting alternative shipping methods, each approach offers distinct advantages. In addition to exceeding client expectations, free delivery serves as an effective marketing strategy that increases conversions and cultivates steadfast loyalty.  Remember to tailor your strategy based on your business model, target audience, and shipping capabilities, ensuring a seamless and rewarding shopping experience that leaves a lasting positive impression on your customers.

More than just incorporating free shipping as a customer incentive, achieving customer contentment and facilitating seamless product access demands an enhancement of your website's design. Well-designed Shopify store pages, enriched with comprehensive details, compelling visuals, and rapid loading times, play a pivotal role in ensuring overall store prosperity. 

EComposer provides the flexibility to craft an array of attractive pages, ranging from traditional layouts to entirely personalized designs. Discover the remarkable templates offered by EComposer through a complimentary trial and embark on your design journey today!

=================

Add EComposer Next generation page builder Here

Follow Us on Facebook

Join Official Community