Free gifts are known to drive conversions and AOV for online stores. Many store owners and e-commerce managers often find it challenging though, to set up a promotion like this.
In this blog, we will guide you through everything you need to know about running successful free gift with purchase promotions on Shopify. From the benefits to the step-by-step setup, we’ve got you covered.
What is a Free Gift with Purchase Promotion?
A free gift with purchase is an e-commerce promotion where a customer receives a gift for buying a specific product or reaching a certain order value. It's a win-win for both the store and the customer.
The store benefits from increased revenue and customer loyalty, while the customer feels they’re getting more value from their purchase..
Why Create a Free Gift with Purchase Promotion?
A free gift with purchase promotion is a powerful promotional strategy on Shopify. They help achieve the following:
Increased Average Order Value (AOV): By setting a minimum spend threshold for the free gift, customers may add more items to their cart to qualify.
Drive Conversions: A free gift at checkout is sometimes the incentive a customer needs to click on that ‘pay now button’
Enhanced Customer Loyalty: Customers love receiving something for free, which can lead to repeat purchases and long-term loyalty.
Attracting New Customers: Offering free gifts can be a great way to draw in new customers and introduce them to your brand. (Send Free Gift to a Friend)
Free Gift Product Ideas for Your Shopify Store
Here are the most widely used free gift product ideas:
Sample Products: Ideal for beauty, skincare, and health-related stores. Offer a sample of a new product as a gift to encourage future purchases.
Exclusive Products: Offer a limited-edition item that can only be redeemed with a certain order value.
Free Shipping: For customers who meet a specific spending threshold, free shipping can be an attractive offer.
Festival Themed Free Gifts: Offer seasonal knick-knacks as free gift,s e.g. Halloween-themed keychains, Christmas ornaments
Where to Feature Free Gift Promotions?
You can offer free gift with purchase promotions at multiple points during the user journey.
1. Product page
2. Cart
3. Checkout
Choose either one or multiple of these locations
How to Set It Up?
1. Natively Set Up on Shopify
The easiest way to offer a free gift with purchase on Shopify without third-party apps is by using the automatic discount feature, specifically a "Buy X get Y" promotion. This allows you to make the gift with purchase product free without needing a discount code.
To set up automatic discounts for a gift with purchase promotion on Shopify, follow these step:
1. Access Shopify Admin: Navigate to your store admin > Discounts > Create discount > Automatic discount.
2. Name Your Discount: Choose a name such as “Free Gift over $100”. This name will appear during checkout, so make sure it’s short and clear for customers.
3. Select Discount Type: Choose the “Buy X get Y” option.
4. Configure Gifting Rules:
To create a rule like “Buy product X, get afree gift”, select “Minimum quantity of items,” set it to 1, and choose the product(s) that customers need to buy to qualify for the free gift with purchase.
For a “Spend $X, get a free gift”(either store-wide or for a specific collection), select “Minimum purchase amount,” enter the amount, and pick the collection where the gift with purchase offer applies. For a store-wide offer, choose “All Products.”
5. Select the Free Gift Product: Under the “Customer buys” section, choose your free gift product and set the “At a discount value” to “Free.”
6. Limit Maximum Uses (Optional): If you'd like to limit the gift with purchase to just one per order, you can set a maximum usage limit.
7. Save the Discount: Click “Save discount” to activate the promotion.
Keep in mind that only one automatic discount can be active at a time, so offering a tiered free gift with purchase ideas (e.g., “Spend $100, get X; Spend $200, get Y”) requires using additional gift with purchase apps or custom methods.
2. Suggest the customer to add the free gift to their cart.
A major challenge with gift-with-purchase promotions using automatic discounts is that customers must manually add the free gift with purchase to their cart before checkout. This adds an extra step that may reduce conversion rates.
To encourage customers to take action, use
A. Visible Messaging:
Use pop-ups, banners, or notifications across your store to encourage customers to take action. Example: “Spend $75 and get a free Nike Water Bottle (add it to your cart before checkout).”
B. Message Integration:
Manually add these messages if your theme allows it.
Use third-party tools like Quick Announcement Bar (a free app) for easy integration.
A clear, visually appealing banner or pop-up prompting customers to add their free gift to the cart before checkout.
3. Using an App
The free gift with purchase strategy is a powerful e-commerce tool that drives higher spending, boosts customer satisfaction, builds loyalty, and creates exclusivity while generating shareable content.
These apps simplify and customize the process without coding. Here’s a quick overview of each app:
Kite: Discount & Free Gift
With Kite, you can create free gift with purchase promotions by setting conditions like order value or specific product purchases. The app will automatically apply the free gift once the conditions are met at the cart level. For detailed setup, check out our full guide here.
Easy Bundles
Easy Bundles lets you set up promotions that automatically offer a free gift when certain conditions are met within the bundle. The app is perfect if you want to offer bundles or set specific thresholds to trigger the promotion. For more details on how to use Easy Bundles for this, refer to our guide here.
Checkout Wiz
Checkout Wiz helps you to add custom upsell offers, including free gifts, directly at checkout. You can set up various free gift promotions based on order value or products. The app streamlines the process, reducing friction in the checkout flow. Check out the full setup process in our guide here.
4. Custom Development
If the previous options don’t fit your needs, the final solution is to develop a free gift with purchase system through an external developer or agency. While this is typically the most expensive option, it offers the most tailored and effective solution for your store.
The cost will vary depending on your requirements. For example, a simple rule like “When customers spend $80, automatically add product X to the cart” combined with an automatic discount will be less expensive. However, if you're looking for full gift management with an admin interface, reporting, and other advanced features, the price will be higher.
Strategies for Running Free Gift Promotions
To make your gift with purchase promotion truly effective, here are some strategies you can use:
Limited Time Offers: Create urgency by limiting the promotion to a specific time frame.
Exclusive Member Offers: Offer free gifts exclusively to your loyal customers or subscribers. This can incentivize people to join your email list.
Holiday & Event-Based Promotions: Leverage major holidays or seasonal events (like Black Friday, Christmas, etc.) to offer free gifts with purchases.
Tiered Offers: Offer different gifts based on how much the customer spends, e.g., a small gift for purchases over $50 and a larger gift for purchases over $100.
By using these tactics, you’ll keep your customers engaged and excited about what’s next, ensuring that your free gift promotion strategy stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Examples of Gift with Purchase Promotions
If you're looking for inspiration on how to effectively implement a gift with purchase strategy, check out these two successful case studies:
Free Gifts + Discount Jewelry on Shopify – This case study showcases how offering free gifts alongside discounts can drive customer loyalty and increase sales. Read the full case study here.
Pilgrim x Kite: A Gift with Purchase Success Story – Learn how Pilgrim, in collaboration with Kite, leveraged gift with purchase promotions to engage customers and boost conversions. Read the full case study here.
Conclusion
Offering a free gift with purchase is a proven strategy for increasing sales and driving customer loyalty on Shopify. Whether you’re offering a sample product, an exclusive item, or free shipping, this type of promotion can significantly boost conversions and help create memorable customer experiences.
Ready to implement your gift with purchase promotion on Shopify? With the right tools, such as Kite, Easy Bundles. Checkout Wiz and the strategies outlined above, you’re well on your way to running a successful campaign.
Hurrify customers to buy within a given timeframe with a sales countdown timer & improve conversions
Another popular Shopify checkout app is Checkout Promotions. The app comes with the ability to leverage a collection of highly robust visibility rules that help show customers one-click post purchase upsell promotions after an order payment has been made. Some of its key features include:
Features
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Complete branding control.
Checkout Upsell for increasing AOV.
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Pricing
Development
Free
Monthly Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
FAQs on Offering Free Gift with Purchase on Your Shopify Store
What is a free gift with purchase promotion on Shopify?
How do I set up a free gift with purchase promotion on Shopify?
Can I automate the free gift with purchase process?
What are the best types of gifts to offer with a purchase?
How do I encourage customers to add their free gift to the cart?
What should I avoid when running free gift with purchase promotions?
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Diksha P
Diksha leads Product Management at Skai Lama. She talks about discount campaigns, product recommendations, quizzes, and surveys to personalize Shopify stores.
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