Overview
The Free Shipping Upsell is a Checkout Page placement that encourages customers to add products so they can qualify for free shipping before they pay. It shows a progress message, calculates how far the customer is from the threshold, and can recommend products that help close the gap.
Use it when you already offer free shipping above a minimum order value, or when you want to create a stronger incentive for customers to increase cart value at checkout.
🔒 Shopify Plus: The Free Shipping Upsell requires Shopify Plus because it appears inside Shopify checkout.
How it works
The Free Shipping Upsell compares the customer's cart value with your free shipping threshold. If the cart is below the threshold, the checkout block can show a progress message and recommended products. If the cart reaches the threshold, the customer sees a success message or the upsell hides, depending on your settings.
1. The customer reaches checkout.
2. Order Editing checks the cart total, market, and strategy filters.
3. If the customer is below the free shipping threshold, the block appears.
4. Product modules decide which products are recommended.
5. The customer can add a recommended product before paying.
6. Shopify recalculates the checkout total and shipping eligibility.
ℹ️ Note: The Free Shipping Upsell is designed for one-time checkout purchases. Subscription delivery groups may not show this placement.
Before you begin
Before setting up the Free Shipping Upsell, make sure you have Shopify Plus, a free shipping rate or clear threshold in your Shopify admin, Order Editing installed, products that make sense as add-ons, and access to the Shopify checkout editor.
If you sell in multiple Shopify Markets, decide whether each market needs its own threshold. A threshold that works for one currency or region may not work for another.
Create the strategy
- In Order Editing, go to Upsell Strategies .
- Click Create Strategy .
- Choose the Checkout Page Free Shipping Upsell placement.
- Start from a free shipping template or choose a blank strategy.
- Add a clear internal name, such as Free Shipping Gap or AU Free Shipping Threshold.
- Set the strategy status to Draft if you're not ready to show it yet.
Set your thresholds
Thresholds decide when the Free Shipping Upsell appears and what amount the customer is working toward.
Threshold option | Use it when |
Global free shipping tiers | You want the strategy to use your default free shipping setup across the store. |
Custom strategy threshold | You want this strategy to use a different threshold from your global settings. |
Market-specific thresholds | You sell in multiple markets and need different amounts by currency or region. |
For example, if your free shipping threshold is $100 and the cart is $72, the customer needs $28 more to qualify. The Free Shipping Upsell can show that progress and recommend products that help close the $28 gap.
Set up customer targeting
Targeting controls which checkouts can see the Free Shipping Upsell. You can show it broadly or only to specific carts. Use broad targeting when you want every below-threshold checkout to see the offer. Use filters when you want different thresholds, products, or messages for different carts.
Filter group | Available filters | Use them to |
Order filters | Order Total, Discount Codes in Order, Discount Codes not in Order, Cart Attribute, Line Item Count. | Target by cart value, discount-code use, cart attributes, or number of line items. |
Product filters | Products in Cart, Products not in Cart, Products in Collection, Products not in Collection, Products in Type, Products not in Type, Product Title Contains, SKU Contains, Product Tags. | Match or exclude free shipping prompts based on cart products, collections, product type, title text, SKU text, or product tags. |
Customer B2B, Customer Money Spent, Customer Orders Count, Customer Spending Tier, Shopify Segments, Order Tags, and Order Contains Subscription Items are not available for the Free Shipping Upsell.
💡 Tip: Use an Order Total filter to avoid showing the offer when the customer is too far from the threshold. A customer $8 away is more likely to add a product than a customer $80 away.
Choose product modules
Product modules decide which products appear under the free shipping message. Choose products that are easy to add and close the customer's gap without making the decision feel heavy.
Module | Best for |
Smart Recommendation | A strong default for free shipping. It recommends products that help customers reach the threshold. |
Single Product | A universal add-on, such as gift wrap, a sample, or a low-price accessory. |
Group of Products | A curated set of add-ons that work for most carts. |
Collection | A collection of low-cost products, bestsellers, or accessories. |
Gift Card | Gift cards that can help customers qualify for free shipping. |
Related Products | Products related to what's already in the cart. |
Complementary Products | Products that pair with cart items. |
Recently Viewed | Products the customer browsed before checkout. |
Keyword Search | Products matching a term you define, such as socks, refill, sample, or accessory. |
Metafields | Products linked through Shopify metafields. |
Nosto Recommendations | Nosto-powered recommendations. The Nosto integration must be connected. |
Searchspring Recommendations | Searchspring-powered recommendations. The Searchspring integration must be connected. |
Swish Wishlist | Wishlist products from Swish. This appears only when the Swish integration is enabled. |
Single Product Upsell/Downsell, Upsell Products from Cart, Subscription Upsell, and Mix and Match Products are not available for the Free Shipping Upsell.
Choose the display style
The Free Shipping Upsell can be configured to show different levels of product detail. Common styles include Product Carousel, Product List, Product Search, and Shipping Threshold Bar Only.
💡 Tip: Product Carousel is usually the best first style. Use Threshold Bar Only when you want the message without adding more product choice at checkout.
Customize messages and appearance
Use the appearance settings to match your checkout and make the offer clear. Review the pre-threshold message, success message, progress bar colors, button text, and product display. Strong messages are specific, such as "You're $18 away from free shipping".
Install the checkout app block
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout .
- Click Customize .
- Make sure you're editing the Checkout page.
- Click Add app block .
- Select the Free Shipping Upsell app block from Order Editing.
- Position it near shipping, delivery, or the order summary.
- Click Save .
⚠️ Shop Pay: For Shop Pay, open Checkout behavior in the checkout editor and make sure the section containing the upsell is expanded.
Checkout editor settings
After you add the Free Shipping Upsell app block, select it in the checkout editor to control the customer-facing text, placement style, product display, and threshold source. These settings affect the app block in checkout. Your strategy rules and qualifying products are still configured in Order Editing.
ℹ️ Note: The Shipping setting controls where the app reads the free shipping threshold from. If your threshold is managed by Shopify delivery profiles, choose Shopify Delivery Profiles. If it is managed inside Order Editing, choose OrderEditing App Settings.
Setting | What it does | When to use it |
Offer Text | Sets the main text shown when customers have not yet reached free shipping. | Use this for the main callout, such as encouraging customers to add another item. |
Remaining Difference Text | Shows the amount still needed to qualify for free shipping. You can include | Use this to make the threshold clear, for example: You're |
Search Text | Sets the button text customers click to browse qualifying products. | Use action-focused copy such as Find products or Shop qualifying items. |
Button Action Text | Sets the button text used to add a product to cart from the upsell block. | Use short text that fits on mobile, such as Add to cart. |
Shipping | Chooses the free shipping threshold source. | Use Shopify delivery profiles when the threshold lives in Shopify, or Order Editing app settings when you manage it in the app. |
Progress Bar Style | Changes the visual style of the threshold progress bar. | Use Informative for a neutral style or Critical when you want the threshold message to stand out. |
Placement Style | Controls the layout of the app block: product carousel, product list, threshold bar only, or product search. | Choose product carousel or product list when you want recommended items shown immediately. Use threshold bar only when you only want the free shipping message. |
Viewport Display | Controls whether the block shows on desktop, mobile, or both. | Use this if you want different free shipping behaviour by device. |
Preview Mobile | Shows a mobile preview while editing. | Useful for checking button labels and product cards before saving. |
Disable Catalog Search | Turns off product catalog search inside the app block. | Use this when customers should only see the products selected by your free shipping strategy. |
Hidden Product Tags | Hides products with matching tags from product search and recommendations. | Use this to keep gift cards, subscriptions, restricted items, or low-margin products out of the free shipping upsell. |
Aspect Ratio | Controls the shape of product images. | Match this to your product photography for a cleaner checkout layout. |
Image fits within container | Fits the full product image inside the image area instead of cropping it. | Turn this on when product shape or packaging needs to be fully visible. |
Reviews Style | Controls how review content appears in product cards. | Use this to match your checkout styling. |
Discounts Badge | Controls the styling of discount badges. | Use this if qualifying products are discounted and you want that discount to be clear. |
Language | Previews a locale in the checkout editor. | Use this to review translated text. The live checkout language follows Shopify and the customer context. |
Enable logs | Turns on browser console logs for troubleshooting. | Use this only while testing with support, then turn it off. |
Verify your setup
Test with carts below, near, and above the threshold. Confirm the progress message appears, recommended products appear when your style includes products, adding a product updates the progress bar, and the success state appears once the threshold is reached. Test market-specific thresholds with a matching shipping address.
Track performance
After the strategy receives traffic, monitor Views, Uptake, Upsell Revenue, AOV Lift, and top recommended products from the Upsell Strategies page.
Troubleshooting
The Free Shipping Upsell isn't appearing
Confirm the store is on Shopify Plus, the strategy is Active, the app block is installed, and the cart is below the threshold. Also check market targeting and filters.
The cart already qualifies for free shipping
The placement may hide or show the success message once the customer reaches the threshold. Test with a cart below the threshold to confirm the below-threshold state.
No products are showing
Check your display style and product modules. If you're using Smart Recommendation or recommendation modules, make sure eligible products exist and are active in Shopify.
The wrong threshold is showing
Review your global free shipping tiers, custom strategy thresholds, and market-specific thresholds. Test with a shipping address in the correct market.
Still need help?
Start a live chat from within the Order Editing app. Include your store URL, the strategy name, your free shipping threshold, a screenshot of your settings, and what you're seeing in checkout.
