(Shopify) Can the shipping rule/rate be applied after a discount has been applied to an order?
GENERAL
ADVANCED SHIPPING SETTINGS
SHIPPING PROFILE & ZONES
SHIPPING RULE/RATE SETUP
SHIPPING RULE/RATE SETUP USING CARRIER RATES INTEGRATION
SHIPPING RULES IMPORT/EXPORT FUNCTIONALITY
MERGING MULTIPLE SHIPPING RULES
PRODUCT DIMENSIONS SETUP
HISTORY/AUDIT TRAIL
COMMON ISSUES & FAQs
(Shopify) Can the shipping rule/rate be applied after a discount has been applied to an order?
Many online store owners wonder if it’s possible to apply shipping rules or calculate shipping rates after discounts have been applied to an order. Let’s dive into the details to understand why this isn’t currently possible and what it means for your store.
The Short Answer
No, our Advanced Shipping Calculator app cannot apply shipping rules or calculate rates based on discounted prices. This limitation is due to how Shopify provides information about cart items to third-party apps.
Why Isn't This Possible?
- Shopify’s Data Provision: Shopify only provides our app with the original, non-discounted prices of items in a customer’s cart. This means our app doesn’t have access to information about any discounts that have been applied.
- Lack of Discount Awareness: Because our app only sees the full price of items, it’s not aware of any discounts that may have been applied to the order. This prevents the app from factoring in these discounts when calculating shipping rates or applying shipping rules.
- Calculation Based on Full Prices: Our app calculates shipping costs and applies rules based on the full, non-discounted prices of items in the cart. This means that all cart-total-based calculations use the higher, pre-discount total.
What Does This Mean for Your Store?
- Shipping Calculations: All shipping rates and rules will be calculated based on the full price of items in the cart, regardless of any discounts applied.
- Filtering System Impact: The filtering system that applies shipping rules considers both individual item prices and the cart total, all based on non-discounted values. For example:
- If you have a rule that offers free shipping for orders over $150, it will trigger based on the pre-discount total. This means a customer could receive free shipping even if their discounted total is less than $150 (e.g., $135 after a discount).
- If you have a rule that applies to items priced over $50, it will consider the original price of the item, not any discounted price.
- Percentage-Based Shipping: If you calculate shipping as a percentage of the cart total, this percentage will be based on the full-price total, not the discounted total.
- Customer Benefit: In many cases, this can actually benefit the customer. They may qualify for better shipping rates or free shipping based on the full price of their order, even if their discounted total would not have qualified.
- Rule Consistency: Your shipping rules will apply consistently based on the original prices, regardless of any ongoing sales or promotions. This can simplify your shipping logic and prevent unexpected changes in shipping costs during promotional periods.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Benefits:
- Consistent Rule Application: Your shipping rules will always apply consistently based on the original value of the products, regardless of any promotional discounts. This can be helpful for maintaining your shipping policies across various sales and promotions.
- Potential Customer Advantage: Customers may receive more favorable shipping options than they would based on their discounted totals, potentially increasing satisfaction and sales.
Drawbacks:
- Lack of Flexibility: You can’t create shipping rules that specifically target or exclude discounted items or totals.
- Potential for Confusion: If customers are aware of how shipping is calculated, they might be confused about why they’re receiving certain shipping options based on their discounted total.
Future Possibilities
We’re always looking for ways to improve our app and provide more accurate shipping calculations. If Shopify updates their API to provide third-party apps with discounted price information, we’ll certainly look into incorporating this feature.
Conclusion
While it would be ideal to have the option to apply shipping rules based on either discounted or undiscounted prices, current limitations prevent this functionality. We recommend being transparent with your customers about how shipping costs are calculated to avoid any confusion. Consider adding a note explaining that shipping options are determined based on the original price of items, which could result in more favorable shipping terms for the customer.
If you have any further questions about how our Advanced Shipping Calculator works with your Shopify store, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team.