“The discount code is ready, but we haven't checked whether it works with free shipping.” Before announcing a sale, it is worth going through checkout with both offers applied.
For example, a 20% discount reduces a ¥6,000 product to ¥4,800. If free shipping requires a minimum purchase of ¥5,000, an order that qualifies before the discount may incur a shipping charge afterward.
This article explains how to set up codes for “20% off” and “free shipping on purchases of ¥5,000 or more” using Shopify's built-in features and check the amounts at checkout. Start by putting your sale terms on one page, then check whether checkout calculates the amounts as intended. This sequence helps even a small team spot differences between the settings and the offer being advertised.
Decide what you want to sell before choosing a discount rate
First, describe who you want to buy and what you want them to buy in one sentence. For example: “We want customers who have bought from us before to choose a product as a gift.” Encouraging a larger order and inviting a new customer to try a product call for different products and messages. Narrow down the eligible products and the people you will contact according to that purpose.
It is more practical to choose a discount after checking product costs, the shipping costs you will cover, and packing and fulfillment expenses than to match another store's rate. You do not need to discount every product. If your team or preparation time is limited, fewer eligible products and conditions make the sale easier to check.
Put the sale terms on one page
Fill in the following table before opening the admin. The people configuring the sale and preparing the promotion can then work from the same information.
| Decision | What to record |
|---|---|
| Eligibility and offer | Eligible products and customers, the discount rate, and a list of any excluded products |
| How to use it | Whether customers enter a code or the discount applies automatically; the exact code if applicable |
| Shipping | The minimum purchase for free shipping, whether it is assessed before or after discounts, and eligible regions and shipping methods |
| Combinations | Whether the offer works with member codes, first-purchase codes, and automatic discounts |
| Dates | Start and end dates and times, and the store's time zone |
| Usage limits | Whether to limit uses per customer or across the entire campaign |
| Fulfillment and support | Time until dispatch, contact details, and information about any longer-than-usual delays |
| Changes and closure | Who decides on changes during the sale, who restores banners, and how returns will be handled |
For shipping in particular, “free on purchases of ¥5,000 or more” is not enough detail. Consider orders that fall below ¥5,000 after a discount, as well as shipping methods other than standard delivery.
The following settings use a fictional product, the “Popaz Lab Cotton Tote.” The prices and codes are also examples, not an actual sales promotion.
| Setting | Order discount LAB20 | Free shipping LABSHIP |
|---|---|---|
| Offer | 20% off the order amount | Removes the shipping charge |
| Minimum purchase | None | ¥5,000 |
| Purchase type | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Eligible customers | All customers | All customers |
| Allowed combinations | Shipping discounts | Order discounts |
| Regional and shipping restrictions in this example | Not applicable | No country restrictions or exclusions based on shipping rates |
This example has no usage limit. Before using these settings for your own sale, decide on the campaign dates and usage limits.
Set up discount and free shipping codes in Shopify
1. Create a code for 20% off the order amount
In the admin, open Discounts, start creating a discount, and choose Amount off order. Select the discount code method, enter LAB20 as the code, and set the percentage discount to 20%.
Set no minimum purchase requirement and select one-time purchases. Under Combinations, allow the code to combine with shipping discounts, then save. Labels can change as the admin is updated, so check that the discount applies to the order and that the value is 20%.
2. Create a free shipping code with a ¥5,000 minimum
Start creating another discount and choose Free shipping. Enter LABSHIP as the code and set the minimum purchase amount to ¥5,000. Under Combinations, allow it to combine with order discounts.
You can also specify eligible countries and exclude shipping rates. Choose the conditions that match your sale, set the start and end dates and times, then save.
Both codes must allow the combination. Allowing shipping discounts on the order discount alone is not enough: the free shipping discount must also allow order discounts for the combination settings to match.
3. Match the configured dates to your announcement
Check the end date and time as well as the start date. Shopify's amount-off discounts start and end according to the time zone selected in the admin. If you are advertising “until 23:59” to customers in Japan, check that the settings reflect the intended Japan time.
Check the free shipping code separately, too: it has no expiry unless you set an end date. If only one code expires, the other offer will remain available.
How free shipping differs between one and two items
The following amounts are displayed before payment when both codes are entered for the ¥6,000 product. The comparison uses standard shipping for one item and express shipping for two.
| What we checked | One item | Two items |
|---|---|---|
| Product subtotal before discount | ¥6,000 | ¥12,000 |
LAB20 discount | −¥1,200 | −¥2,400 |
| Product subtotal after discount | ¥4,800 | ¥9,600 |
LABSHIP | Shown as unavailable | Applied |
| Selected shipping method | Standard | Express |
| Original charge for the selected method | ¥870 | ¥3,762 |
| Shipping after the free shipping code | Still ¥870 | Free |
| Displayed total | ¥5,670 | ¥9,600 |
The table uses example rates for a particular destination: ¥870 for standard shipping and ¥3,762 for express shipping. Actual charges vary by destination and shipping method.
Even one item appears to meet the “¥5,000 or more” condition because its price before discount is ¥6,000. However, the minimum purchase amount for free shipping is calculated from product prices after the combined discounts have been applied. In this example, the discounted subtotal of ¥4,800 is below ¥5,000, so the free shipping code does not apply.
The minimum purchase is not assessed using the final total including amounts such as tax and shipping. In fact, the one-item total was ¥5,670, but the order still did not qualify for free shipping. Do not rely only on whether prices are shown inclusive or exclusive of tax. Check the product subtotal and shipping separately in your own checkout.
In this example, LABSHIP also removes the ¥3,762 express shipping charge because higher shipping rates are not excluded. If your offer is intended to cover standard shipping only, check whether it also applies to other methods. After changing the exclusions, select that shipping method again and test it.
Write the announcement to match the conditions you checked
For conditions like these, adding the following explanation to a short offer such as “20% off and free shipping on purchases of ¥5,000 or more” makes it easier for customers to understand:
Enter “LAB20” at checkout to receive 20% off your order. If your product subtotal after discount is ¥5,000 or more, also enter “LABSHIP” for free shipping.
This wording reflects the example settings above. In your actual announcement, add the dates, eligible regions, excluded products and shipping methods, and usage limits. Rather than putting every condition into a banner, link it to the full terms and keep the explanation consistent with your product pages and emails.
Keep a table of the orders to test before announcing the sale
Do not stop after confirming that a code works. Test orders that should qualify and orders that should not. Use the following table as a checklist for your own store.
| Condition to test | What to check |
|---|---|
| No discount, discount only, free shipping only, and both | Whether each benefit and the total match the description |
| Product subtotal after discount just below, equal to, and just above the minimum | Whether free shipping applies at the correct threshold |
| Eligible and excluded products purchased together | Whether the correct products and amounts are discounted |
| Combinations with existing first-purchase codes, member codes, and automatic discounts | Whether the discount becomes larger than intended or an expected benefit is removed |
| Eligible and excluded regions, standard and express shipping | Whether the free shipping coverage and charges are correct |
| Before, during, and after the sale | Whether the advertised dates match the codes' active periods |
| Purchasing on a smartphone | Whether customers can enter the codes and read the discount, shipping charge, and total |
One row per result is enough: date checked, product and quantity, codes, shipping method, expected amount, actual amount, and reviewer. Recording which conditions you tested helps you narrow down what to check again if the terms change.
Checking the displayed amounts is different from placing a test order to check post-order notifications and inventory. If you place a test order, follow Shopify's official instructions. Enabling payment test mode on an operating store prevents customers from placing real orders, so make sure you distinguish the test store from the store where you sell.
Assign responsibility for inventory, promotion, and follow-up
Even with correct discount settings, unfinished fulfillment preparations or outdated information after the sale can lead to support requests. Use the following table alongside your sale terms.
| Stage | Task | Example owner |
|---|---|---|
| Before announcement | Check available inventory and fulfillment capacity, including stock shared with physical stores and other channels | Inventory and fulfillment staff |
| Before announcement | Align eligibility, dates, and shipping terms across banners, product pages, and emails | Ecommerce operations and marketing staff |
| At launch | Check discounts and shipping in the actual storefront; share the terms with support | Ecommerce operations and support staff |
| During the sale | Check for stockouts, shipping delays, and questions about the terms; update information as needed | Inventory, fulfillment, and support staff |
| At the end | Confirm the codes have expired, restore banners and scheduled campaigns, and leave an explanation at destinations linked from the ended sale | Configuration and marketing staff |
| After the sale | Review unfulfilled orders, cancellations and returns, and remaining inventory | Fulfillment and support staff |
When deciding how much inventory to allocate to the sale, account for stock needed for returns, exchanges, and regular sales. Describe shipping using conditions you can meet, such as “dispatch within X business days of your order,” so customers do not mistake the dispatch date for the delivery date.
If you might increase the offer during the sale, decide who will respond to customers who purchased earlier and what they will say. For returns, review the refund amount after discount, how shipping charges are handled, and what happens when a partial return takes an order below the free shipping minimum. Aligning these with your existing policies helps keep responses consistent. Campaign settings alone do not determine these processes.
If you end the sale early, you can deactivate the discounts. Removing a banner does not deactivate a code, so update the settings as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an app to combine 20% off with free shipping?
Shopify's built-in features support “20% off the order amount” combined with “free shipping with a minimum purchase.” Start by testing the same types of conditions. Consider additional approaches if you need more complex combinations of eligible products or custom membership conditions.
Why is shipping not free even though the purchase is over ¥5,000?
First, check whether the product subtotal after discount is at least ¥5,000. Then check whether both discounts allow the combination and whether the region, shipping method, and dates are eligible. When a code is shown as unavailable, checking each condition is more useful than immediately lowering the minimum purchase.
Should I use a discount code or an automatic discount?
An automatic discount is an option when you want the discount to apply as soon as the customer meets the conditions. A code suits a promotion that asks customers to enter a code from a particular announcement. However, knowing a code and being eligible to use it are separate matters. If the offer is for members only, define customer eligibility as well.
Start by completing your sale terms and testing the free shipping threshold and combinations with existing codes. If your store's apps or membership program make it difficult to know which settings to check, contact Popaz with your current terms and an example of an order that is causing problems.
About the information in this article
Information about features and settings in this article was checked against official Shopify documentation as of October 17, 2026. Specifications and admin screens may change.
