(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 how this can be achieved and what the limitations are.
The Short Answer
Yes, our Advanced Shipping Calculator app can apply shipping rules or calculate rates based on discounted prices, however this is only possible using the “Cart Discounted Subtotal” calculation parameter. This limitation is due to how Shopify provides information about cart items to third-party apps. While we can see the entire cart’s discounted subtotal, we cannot see the discounts related to each item, and we cannot exclude items which are digital and would normally be excluded from this calculation. We only receive the entire cart’s discounted subtotal.
Why Isn't This Possible With All Calculation Parameters?
Calculation parameters like the “Cart Total”, or “Product Line Total” cannot use discounted prices, and here is why.
- Shopify’s Data Provision: Shopify only provides our app with the original, non-discounted prices of the shippable items in a customer’s cart. This means our app doesn’t have access to information about any discounts that have been applied for each item.
- 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.
This is also why the “Cart Discounted Subtotal” calculation parameter does not support the “Exclude Products” filter feature. Since we do not have the per-item discounts, there is no way to break up the discounted total for filtering purposes.
What Does This Mean for Your Store?
- Shipping Calculations: All shipping rates and rules, except “Cart Discounted Subtotal”-based 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). Using the “Cart Discounted Subtotal” calculation parameter is thus very useful for free shipping scenarios because it’s based on the entire cart’s discounted subtotal.
- 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, with the exception of the “Cart Discounted Subtotal” parameter.
- 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 in many scenarios. 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.