How To Create BOGO On Shopify (Auto-Add Free Items to Cart)

The Shopify buy one, get one promotion is an excellent way to attract customers. In today's competitive retail environment, engaging consumers and increasing sales requires novel approaches.

This detailed article will show you how to set up BOGO deals and automatically add free products to Shopify carts. Whether you're a Shopify newbie or an expert, we'll help you grasp BOGO possibilities and leverage tools and apps to conduct effective campaigns.

4 Types Of BOGO Deals Can You Make With Shopify

In this section, we'll unveil the four potent BOGO deals you can create on your Shopify store:

1. Buy One Get One Free (BOGO Free)

Giving people a free item when they buy another is a standard way to get them to buy more. This is called the "Buy One, Get One Free" (BOGO Free) deal. Simple yet powerful, it may boost sales and remove inventory. 

66% of buyers say they like BOGO deals better than other discounts, and 93% have used a BOGO deal at least once. Psychology helps customers succeed when they believe they're getting one thing for 100% off with two for 50%. The urgency and importance of this deal encourage two purchases.

2. Buy X Get Y Free Offers

When you offer Buy X, Get Y Free, you can get people to buy more than "buy one, get one free."  

How it works: Customers must purchase a specific quantity (X) of identical items to qualify for Y number of free items.

For instance, a clothing company noted for its comfort and style may conduct a "Buy X Get Y Free" deal to promote repeat purchases. The offer operates as follows:

• X (3):  Customers must purchase three (3) t-shirts.
• Get Y (1): Buy three t-shirts and get one free pair of socks of your choosing.

You can see an example of a Buy X Get Y Free offer at Vampirefreaks: "BUY 2 HOODIES GET 1 FREE!". Customers have to buy a certain number of things, such as two jackets. In this case, they get one jacket for free after meeting the buy condition. 

3. Buy X Get X% Off Offers

The "Buy X Get X% Off" offer incentivizes customers to purchase a specific quantity (X) of items by rewarding them with a percentage discount (X%) on their purchase. 

Here's an example of a "Buy X, Get X% Off" deal: "Get 20% OFF When You Buy 2 Hoodies Or Crewnecks" from 021 Originals. In this instance, customers must buy 2 hoodies or crewnecks. They get a 20% discount after reaching the purchasing criteria.

4. BOGO with Minimum Purchase

How it works: Customers must spend a minimum amount (e.g., $50, $100) to qualify for the BOGO offer. Once they reach the threshold, they can purchase one qualifying item and receive another for free (or at a significant discount).

Customers are encouraged to spend more with the "BOGO with Minimum Purchase" offer because they must meet a specific spending limit. 

2 Ways To Create BOGO Deals On Shopify

After exploring Shopify's BOGO choices, it's time to put them up! This section will provide you with two successful ways to create BOGO promotions on your Shopify shop so you can select the one that best suits your target demographic and campaign goals:

Option 1: Create Automate Buy One Get One Free Discounts For Every Customer.

The first approach we'll explore is the automated discount method. This option automatically applies to all customers who fulfill the BOGO criteria. 

This method is ideal for store-wide BOGO promotions where you want to maximize reach and potential sales without needing individual customer targeting.

Step 1: Access Your Shopify Admin

To begin, log in to your Shopify admin account and go to the Shopify admin page.

The next step is to click "Discounts" in the menu on the left. Following that, pick "Create discount" from the list of choices.

Now, select the "Buy X get Y" option in the Select discount type menu.

Step 2: Choose Your Discount Method

To make automatic discounts where customers can buy one item and get another free, choose "Automatic Discount" under "Method."

Step 3: Set Up Your Automatic BOGO 

After step 2, pick a name for your BOGO offer that is clear and tells people what it is. Customers will see this in their cart and when they check out.

Now, set the "Purchase type” - It is the purchase condition (X) that you set that the customer needs to make to achieve (Y).

For example, if you want customers to buy a minimum of (X) products to receive (Y), select "Minimum quantity of items." And if you want customers to spend a minimum to receive (Y), select "Minimum purchase amount."

Then, set the (Y) value the customer will receive after purchasing X in the "Customer gets" section. You can choose specific products or % discount for customers.

Then, you choose when you want your BOGO promotion to occur.

Finally, you click "Save discount," and your BOGO program is created for all your customers.

NOTE: Provide this discount for retail locations by checking The offer on Point of Sale (POS Pro locations only). Automatic savings only apply to POS Pro-subscribed retailers. The checkout doesn't show automatic savings if specific locations use POS Lite.

For example, we set up the "Buy 1 Hoodie and get 1 FREE T-shirt" program. So it will look like the image below:

Option 2: Create A Buy One, Get One Free Discount Code For Specified Customers

For a variety of reasons, you may want to establish a Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) discount coupon for specific clients:

• Run exclusive campaigns: Create targeted BOGO promotions for specific customer segments based on purchase history, demographics, or other criteria.
• Control who receives the offer: BOGO codes allow you to restrict the promotion to specific customers, preventing unwanted dilution of the offer's impact.
• Track and analyze results: By using unique codes for targeted groups, you can track the effectiveness of the BOGO offer for each segment and gain valuable insights.

Making BOGO discount coupons for specific consumers enables focused discounts, more control, and better marketing. This method may increase revenue, improve customer relations, and influence future marketing efforts.

Here's how to make a coupon code that lets certain customers buy one item and get another one free:

Step 1: Pull up and follow step 1 as we instructed above.

Step 2: In the "Buy X get Y Product discount Method" section, select "Discount code".

Step 3: Enter the code you want customers to use in the "Discount code." Or click “Generate random code” to make a discount code at random.

Step 4: Set up the specific product (X) customers need to achieve to receive value (Y). It can be a particular product or a % discount.

Step 5: Select the time when the discount code program takes place, then click "Save" to proceed with the program.

Recommended App To Automatically Add Free Products To Cart

Unless you set up your BOGO manually, free items won't usually be added to a customer's shopping cart automatically. Customers must add two items by hand and enter a coupon code when they check out.

But some third-party apps will take care of everything for you. A BOGO app will add a "buy one, get one free" choice to a product page. This makes the whole process very simple and easy to use.

1. BOGOS.io Free Gift Buy X Get Y

BOGOS Free Gift App helps Shopify shop owners run Buy One Get One (BOGO) discounts and automatically add free goods to customers' carts:

• Wide Variety of Offers: Choose from various options like BOGO, free gift with purchase, or "Buy X Get Y" to create the most suitable promotion for your target audience and campaign goals.
• Customization Features: Tailor your offers to fit seamlessly with your brand and store aesthetic.
• User-friendly interface: Set up and manage your BOGO and free gift offers with an intuitive and accessible interface.

BOGOS.io allows 7-DAY FREE TRIAL and starts with a BASIC package at $29.99/month and maxes out with a PLUS package of $99.99/month

2. EG Auto Add to Cart Free Gift

Shopify store owners who want to run BOGO sales and automatically add free items to carts can benefit from EG Auto Add to Cart Free Gift in many ways:

• Cart-Based Triggers: Set rules for adding free products based on specific conditions like cart total exceeding a certain amount or presence of particular products in the cart, allowing for targeted promotions.
• Scheduling: Schedule BOGO and "Buy X Get Y" offers will run during specific periods, aligning promotions with marketing campaigns or seasonal events.
• Targeted Rules: Tailor gift offers based on specific products or collections, encouraging purchases of desired items and promoting product cross-selling.

EG Auto gives you a 5-day free trial and has packages that range from $12.99/month for the STANDARD package to $9.99/month for the UNLIMITED package. $24.99 a month

3. BOGO+ | Easy Free Gift Upsell

BOGO+ emerges as a strong contender for creating BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offers and automatically adding free products to carts on your Shopify store. Here's how it stacks up:

• BOGO Variations: Offers various BOGO structures beyond the standard "Buy One, Get One Free," including "Buy X Get Y Free" and "Buy X Get Y Discounted." This flexibility allows you to tailor your offer to suit your marketing goals and product categories.
• Auto-Add Functionality: Streamline the checkout process by automatically adding free gifts based on predefined rules, ensuring customers receive the intended gifts without needing to manually add them.
• Customizable Widgets: Enhance the visual appeal and engagement of your BOGO and free gift offers by customizing widgets like countdown timers, progress bars, and banners.

BOGO+ has a free version, and the highest package is ADVANCED, at $34.85/month.

Things To Keep In Mind When Starting A Buy One Get One Free Promotion

BOGO offers can be a powerful tool for boosting sales and attracting customers, but their effectiveness hinges on careful planning and execution. 

In this section, we'll delve into crucial aspects you should keep in mind when starting your BOGO promotion:

Understand Your Target Audience

It's essential to understand who you're trying to reach before starting a Buy One Get One (BOGO) deal. This takes into account more than just their demographics. 

Personalization based on data consumers have expressly supplied with a firm is valued by 69% of customers. So, you need to uncover their buying behaviors, preferences, and what motivates them to make purchasing decisions.

Here's how to research your target demographic:

The first is to identify the "sweet spot." Analyze previous sales data to identify peak purchase times better. This lets you properly plan your BOGO offer to capitalize on naturally high consumer traffic.

Second, understand customer budget constraints. Offer discounts or free items that align with their typical spending habits.

Finally, create a sense of urgency. Encourage immediate action by highlighting limited-time offers or limited quantities.

Pro tips: You should use Shopify analytics tools and consumer insights to understand your customers and create BOGO deals they'll love.

Form A Collection

Selecting a collection is the next step. Organizing your items into collections makes them much simpler for your consumers to locate. 

For example, you'll have to compile a set of beauty items if, upon reviewing your inventory, you discover that you should swiftly sell off a set of cosmetics before they expire. Also, this makes it easy for customers to find the qualifying products and encourages them to explore other beauty items in your collection.

Pro tips: Do you run a Shopify business but know nothing about coding and struggle with the page builder? While creating collections is a native Shopify functionality, EComposer Landing Page Builder is perfect for you. 

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor: Create and personalize your collection page without coding.
• Pre-designed templates: To save time, start with pre-built collection page layouts for product promotion.
• Advanced customization options: Customize your collection page to fit your brand and improve user experience.

Remember: A specialized collection enhances customer experience, helps you strategically manage inventory, and maximizes the BOGO offer effect. So, consider using EComposer to streamline and improve collection building.

Read more:

• How Do I Add Products to Collections on Shopify?
• How Do I Add a Collection to a Page in Shopify?
• 10+ Effective Collection Page Templates for Shopify

Set Your Price

Remember that you started this approach mainly to make more sales on Shopify. Setting the correct prices for them is essential to keep your profits high.

Don't just make one item cost twice as much to cover the "free" thing. This could make the customer think the value is higher than it is, which could make them less likely to buy.

Also, instead of giving away a free thing, give a deal on the whole buy. This might be more appealing for some buyers because it's more straightforward.

Give a bigger deal for buying more things. This will encourage people to buy more, raising the average order value.

Finally, remember that the goal is to find a good mix between using the BOGO offer to get people to buy and keeping your profit margins healthy. 

Instill A Sense Of Urgency

Keep your BOGO deal open for a short time! Customers should only think they have a little time, so you must make them feel like they need to act quickly. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a better approach because it makes them want to work soon while the offer is available.

Therefore, let's draw attention to the fact that there are limited supplies by making it clear how long your BOGO offer lasts. Put words like "Offer only good for 48 hours" or "Limited supplies available" in your ads. You can clearly show that the deal is only valid for a limited time by using large text, bright colors, and countdown clocks.

You can also put a countdown timer on your product pages and marketing materials to make it stand out that the offer ends soon.

Read more: How to Add a Countdown Timer to Shopify for Free and Without Coding?

Tips For A Successful Buy-One-Get-One Sale On Shopify

In this section, we'll delve into a treasure trove of practical tips and strategies specifically designed to help you optimize your BOGO sales on Shopify:

Take Advantage Of Email Marketing

Email marketing may inform consumers about your BOGO offer and reach out to brand-loyal customers who may be more interested in your products. Mailchimp showed that segmented email campaigns open 14.31% more than non-segmented ones. 

So, you should create a BOGO-focused email with a subject line like "Buy One Get One FREE!" Stock up on favorites." Include clear images, product suggestions based on prior purchases, and a call to action to shop the deal.

For targeted and customized email campaigns, Klaviyo, Omnisend, Mailchimp, and others provide extensive segmentation, automation, and A/B testing options.

You can reach a focused audience, build enthusiasm for your BOGO deal, and increase Shopify shop conversions using email marketing.

Creative BOGO Ideas

Traditional BOGO deals might work, but thinking outside the box can make your promotion stand out and excite buyers. Some innovative BOGO ideas for your Shopify campaign:

Go Cross-Channel

Do not limit your BOGO offer to the confines of your Shopify business! Take advantage of the huge internet environment to drastically expand your reach and communicate with prospective clients outside your current audience. 

Look at these cross-channel strategies:

You can list your BOGO deals on relevant online marketplaces. Platforms like Amazon, eBay, or niche marketplaces specific to your industry can expose your offer to millions of active shoppers searching for deals.

Consider marketplace-specific promotions: 

• Amazon Sponsored Products: Create targeted pay-per-click (PPC) ads to display your BOGO listings prominently in search results and product pages relevant to your target audience.

• eBay Promoted Listings: Similar to Amazon, use PPC ads to increase the visibility of your BOGO listings within the eBay marketplace.

Also, engage with communities on platforms like Facebook, Reddit, or niche social media groups. Identify groups frequented by your target audience and contribute thoughtfully to discussions.

These cross-channel methods will help you expand your BOGO offer, engage new clients from varied online communities, and increase Shopify shop traffic and revenue.

Craft A Dedicated BOGO Landing Page

Don't make buyers look for BOGO information! Create a Shopify landing page for the campaign to improve clarity, engagement, and conversions. So how:

First, you should use a clear and compelling headline that instantly grabs attention and communicates the essence of the BOGO offer. For example, "Buy One Get One FREE! Winter Coats Up to 50% Off!"

Also, the offer clearly explains the specifics of the BOGO deal:

• Qualifying products: Highlight the specific products included, potentially using visuals like product images.
• Discount details: Explain the discount structure (e.g., "Buy one, get one 50% off") or any limitations (e.g., "minimum purchase required").
• Timeframe: Make it clear how long the BOGO deal lasts to build a sense of urgency and get people to act right away.

Besides, consider offering different CTA options throughout the page, catering to different customer preferences (e.g., "Shop Now" for immediate purchase, "Learn More" for further exploration).

Pro tips: Stop wasting time and money with sophisticated tools and code! EComposer Landing Page Builder provides a strong and user-friendly solution with its. This #1 Shopify Landing Page Builder user-friendly interface might make the process easier.

Begin your free trial now and experience the power of EComposer.

Read more: 

• Best Landing Pages for Affiliate Marketing.
• High Converting Mobile Landing Page.

FAQs

1. What Are Some Things To Consider When Running A BOGO Sale?

Here are some key things to consider when running a BOGO Sale on Shopify:

• Profit margins: Ensure your profit margins remain healthy even after the discount.
• Inventory levels: Make sure you have enough stock of the free or discounted items to meet demand.
• Compliance with regulations: Be aware of any local or regional regulations regarding promotional offers.
• Clear communication: Clarify your BOGO offer terms to minimize misunderstanding.

By carefully considering these factors and implementing a well-planned strategy, you can leverage BOGO sales on your Shopify store to achieve your business objectives, attract new customers, and boost your overall sales performance.

2. Is It Okay To Run BOGO Sales Too Frequently? 

The effectiveness of running BOGO sales frequently depends on several factors, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.  

However, overusing BOGO sales can potentially decrease their effectiveness and customer perception of your brand value. Consider using BOGO offers strategically during specific periods like holidays, clearance sales, or attracting new customers.

3. How Can I Ensure My BOGO Offer Is Legal And Compliant?

Here are some crucial steps you can take to ensure your BOGO offer on Shopify adheres to legal and regulatory requirements:

• Avoid misleading or deceptive practices: Clearly communicate the terms and conditions of your BOGO offer.
• Be mindful of advertising regulations: Adhere to local and regional regulations regarding advertising and promotional offers.
• Consider offering a "while supplies last" disclaimer: This protects you if you run out of stock for the BOGO offer.

Remember, consulting with a legal professional for specific guidance on compliance and regulations is always recommended to ensure your BOGO offer aligns with all applicable laws and ethical business practices.

The Bottom Line

As you've seen, Shopify BOGO (Buy One, Get One) deals may raise sales, attract new consumers, and clear out surplus inventory. This article may help you create and execute successful BOGO promotions that benefit your company and connect with your target audience.

Ready to upgrade your BOGO strategy?

With EComposer Landing Page Builder, you can construct gorgeous landing pages, product pages, and promotional sections to promote BOGO deals and boost conversions. This Shopify Page Builder enables you to create beautiful, non-coding pages with its drag-and-drop interface, huge design library, and strong built-in capabilities.

Stop waiting! Start your free trial on EComposer now to see how it can improve BOGO marketing and maximize your Shopify shop.