How To Set Up Free Shipping On Shopify Store?

Mar 10, 2023

People love incentives and free shipping. Providing free standard shipping is one of the most effective techniques to increase sales for an online store.

If you intend to provide free shipping on your Shopify store. Don't be concerned. We're here to show you how to set up free shipping on Shopify and to assist you in promoting it to your consumers.

Why you should apply free shipping for your online store?

As a Shopify retailer, shipping may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Customers, on the other hand, consider it one of the most important factors when purchasing anything online. Let’s take a look at some reasons why you should apply free shipping for your Shopify store.

Reduce Abandoned cart rate

According to one study, extra costs including shipping, tax, and other additional fees are the major reason of cart abandonment. 48% of shoppers abandon their shopping carts because additional charges make the order more expensive.

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Free or low shipping rates will persuade customers to complete the purchase process, which is something every Shopify website owner desires.

If you are unable to provide free shipping entirely, delivering such an offer to customers with abandoned carts may encourage them to complete the purchase once and for all.

Improve the average order value

Many merchants provide free shipping when their clients meet a certain order value.

In that instance, free shipping is so appealing that customers would spend more and more to meet the minimum and maximum free shipping rates. As a result, by implementing a free delivery scheme, online vendors can improve average order value.

Considered as an Improved marketing methods

Why not invest $5 in shipping rates instead of paying $5 for each paid advertisement? Consider free delivery rates to be one of your operational costs.

To illustrate, you do not charge your clients for website hosting or SEO; rather, you consider them necessary expenses for store operations. You can provide it for free without losing much money if you factor in shipping the same way you do for others.

How to set up free shipping on Shopify?

If you are unsure of the various ways you can provide free shipping? Here are three of the most frequent strategies, along with their advantages and disadvantages, and the detailed guide on how to set up free shipping on Shopify store.

1. Flat free shipping (as a default)

Definition

You can make free shipping your default rate for all orders if you desire. This makes shipping charges much easier to manage and is quite popular among Shopify shops.

Free delivery is the most effective technique to get consumers to shop, and it fosters confidence and loyalty. Yet, you must ensure that you can afford to offer it while still making a profit!

How to create flat free ship in your Shopify store?

Step 1: First, login to your Shopify account. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings at the left bottom of the page. Then, navigate to Shipping and delivery section.

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Next, click Manage under the General shipping rates section.

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Step 2: If you haven’t had any zones or want to create new zones to offer free shipping, you need to create new Shipping zones for your Shopify store by clicking in Create zone option.

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After that, a new box appears. Here you need to give the new zone a name, searching and choosing the countries belonging to this zone. Finally, hit the Done button to save the new zone.

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Step 3: Under the shipping zone you want to apply free shipping, press the Add rate.

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After that, you will see a box to add your free shipping rate.

  • Tick the Set up your own rates option because you do not need to calculate shipping rate here.
  • Type in the name of the shipping rate.
  • Make sure that the value of the Price field is 0.
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When finishing, click Done button.

Step 4: The last step, don’t forget to click Save button at the top right of the page to update your free shipping you have created.

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2. Weight-based rates

Definition

Do you want to offer free shipping on items that weigh more than a particular amount? Add a restriction depending on weight, such as free shipping for orders exceeding 30 kg.

If you choose weight-based shipping, customers will only see the delivery fee that is appropriate for the weight of their order, which is perfect for companies that sell a variety of goods in various weights.

How to add free shipping on Shopify based on weight rates?

In this section, we are adding cost rate condition to the free shipping. It is simple. Just follow the step 1, 2, 4, and 5 in the process of setting up free shipping I mentioned above. The difference lie in the third step.

In the step 3, after typing in the Rate Name and Price, clicking Add conditions

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Then, a new box appears for you to add condition for the free shipping:

  • Select the Based on weight option.
  • Enter a minimum weight and/ or maximum weight, and click Done
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The last step is clicking the Save button to update your changes.

3. Cost-based rates

Definition

This entails tying your free shipping rate to a cost-based condition. Sellers, for example, can offer free shipping if their consumers spend more than $100.

It's a frequent feature on many ecommerce sites and is ideal if you want free shipping on orders over a specific amount. The main advantage of this is that it may motivate customers to purchase more things in order to qualify for free delivery!

How to set up free shipping based on cost rates?

The process of setting up free shipping based on cost rates is pretty the same as the process of setting up free shipping based on weight.

The only difference is selecting Based on order price instead of Based on weight option in the third step. Then, enter a minimum price ($) and/or maximum price ($), and click the Done button.

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Once finishing, don’t forget to click Save to apply the free shipping to your Shopify store.

4. Free shipping discount codes

To add Shopify free shipping code, follow the steps below:

  • From your Shopify dashboard, navigate to Discounts > Create discount button (in the page center or top right page)
  • Then you select Free shipping option from the popup.
  • In the Free shipping discount setting page, you should enter the needed information for your free shipping discount, including Discount code, Countries, Shipping rates, Minimum purchase requirements, Custom eligibility, Maximum discount users, Combination and Active dates.

This is a seasonal díount, so you shouldn't include it with other type of promotions. Beside, you need to set an end date for the free shipping discount, or the customers will find it less attractive and think that the free shipping is there forever. Your conversion rate will decrease as a result.

  • Finally, hit the Save discount button at the right bottom of the page, then click Save at the top to finish everything.

What to keep in mind to make your Free Shipping more attractive for customers?

Here are some suggestions to consider if you decide to provide free shipping on Shopify:

Create a Shopify floating Free Shipping Bar

It is not enough to simply offer free shipping to your customers; you must go beyond in order to ensure they are aware of your offer. And what better way to demonstrate this than by creating a floating bar on your Shopify site that shows you offer free shipping? To create a floating free shipping bar, you should consider using a thirdparty app like Free Shipping Bear.

Limit free shipping zones

It's a fantastic idea to give free delivery on all orders to all of your consumers. Yet, this may not be feasible. Rather than discontinuing the free shipping offer entirely, you can just restrict it to clients in select countries or regions. This is an excellent method for avoiding biting off more than you can chew, particularly if you have overseas clientele.

One reason you would want to do this is that people's purchasing habits vary by area. As a result, a free shipping offer may provide a larger ROI in some regions than others. Furthermore, certain locations are so distant that offering free shipment to customers in those areas may not be cost-effective.

International shipping also takes longer, cost more, and may require a more complicated process. As a result, you might opt to impose restrictions on your free shipping offer depending on this.

Limiting your free shipping offer may also imply implementing distinct delivery conditions for certain countries. You can also configure separate shipping charges for each region of a country.

Offer free ship for certain items and order values

As previously indicated, you can opt to set requirements for consumers to complete in order to qualify for free shipping.

You should also be aware that free shipping may not apply to all products. If you offer digital things in your Shopify site, for example, there are no realistic shipping fees that can apply.

Furthermore, if you sell electronic devices or major pieces of household furnishings, you may be required to follow a number of rules. You may even be charged additional fees and require special delivery services to ship the merchandise.

It is best to avoid offering completely free shipping on items like these. If necessary, you can choose to provide your customers a shipping cost discount. You might even promise to enhance the discount if they return to your store.

Take advantages of holiday and event-based promotions

Holidays and holidays such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Father's Day, Mother's Day, and even your store's anniversary are ideal times to implement free delivery on Shopify.

Thus, by all means, use these times to promote your sales in Shopify with free shipping.

Include free shipping in Shopify membership

You may make free delivery an exclusive bonus for consumers who join your Shopify store's membership programs. You may enhance your sales and earnings by combining free shipping and a subscription scheme. It might also inspire your consumers to join, which increases client loyalty.

You may cover the shipping costs with membership fees, and your clients will receive exclusive benefits and privileges. If you keep this structure in good shape, your clients may even renew their subscriptions in the future.

Conclusion

Free shipping is an excellent method to encourage customers to continue purchasing from your Shopify business. It also allows you to establish a good relationship with them. So if you've launched your Shopify eCommerce website, you should learn how to set up free shipping on Shopify to enhance the conversion rates and sales.

This post has gone over free shipping as a marketing strategy and how to put it into action for your Shopify store. Hopefully, with our assistance, you'll be well on your way to determining which free shipping option is best for you and understanding how to set it up.

Alice Pham

Writer and Blogger about Technology and Marketing. I also share my knowledge of Shopify, WordPress, and WooCommerce. Contact me via email: thuyphuong082@gmail.com or alicepham8295@gmail.com

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