# RM: Advanced Free Shipping vs Shopify's conditional shipping rates

In Shopify's shipping settings, a rate can be free above a minimum order amount, or priced by order value or weight. That free rate applies to everyone the rate covers. When free or cheaper shipping should depend on a code, a customer, the products in the cart, a ZIP code or dates, keep your normal paid rates and add [RM: Advanced Free Shipping](https://apps.shopify.com/better-free-shipping). It discounts those rates only when your conditions are met. It costs $9.90 USD every 30 days after a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify.

| Job | Shopify's conditional rates (Settings → Shipping and delivery) | RM: Advanced Free Shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Free shipping over $100 for everyone a rate covers | Yes: "Offer free shipping" with a minimum order amount, or a $0 price-based rate | Yes |
| Rates priced by order value or weight | Yes, as price-based or weight-based flat rates | Uses your rates as they are; conditions on cart total, subtotal or weight decide the discount |
| Free shipping only with a discount code | No; a rate applies to everyone it covers | Yes |
| Free shipping only for VIP or retail customers | No | Yes, by customer tag or customer segment |
| Free shipping when the cart holds certain products | A separate shipping profile for those products, with a free rate | Yes, with product and collection conditions in the cart |
| Free shipping for a weekend | No dates on a rate | Yes, with start and end dates |
| By state or province | Yes, through shipping zones | Yes |
| By ZIP code or postcode | Built into Local delivery | Yes, for shipping and local delivery |
| Discount live carrier rates | A negative adjustment, such as -20%, for every order | Yes, only when conditions are met |
| Percentage off, an amount off or a fixed price | Set each rate's price yourself | Yes: Percentage, Fixed Amount Off, Fixed Price |
| Free shipping stops when another discount is used | No; a free rate always shows | Yes, by unticking Combinations |
| What the customer sees | The rate at its set price | The original price crossed out, with the discount's title or code |
| Price | Built in | $9.90 USD every 30 days |

## The cart that decides it

A store wants free Standard shipping on orders of $100 or more for retail customers, while wholesale customers pay the normal $12 rate.

- **With a free rate in shipping settings**, every customer that rate covers gets free shipping over $100, wholesale included. A rate can't check who the customer is.
- **With RM: Advanced Free Shipping**, Standard stays a normal $12 rate in your settings. A discount with **Cart total** **Is at least** 100 and **Customer tag** **Does not contain** Wholesale makes it free. A signed-in retail customer with a $120 cart sees ~~$12.00~~ Free. A signed-in wholesale customer with the same cart pays $132.

Customer tags match customers who are signed in at checkout. A guest has no tags, so guests count as retail here. See [free shipping for retail, not wholesale](/guides/free-shipping-for-retail-not-wholesale.md).

> "We used this to separate our free shipping for retail customers from our wholesale customers. It works perfectly, super easy to use."
> — Joy Lane Farm (US)

## Use your rates and the app together

The setup most stores use: create a normal paid rate in **Settings → Shipping and delivery**, then let RM: Advanced Free Shipping make it free, or cheaper, when the conditions are met. Your rates, zones and carrier accounts stay exactly as they are.

Two things to set up right:

- **Remove any $0 rate** that does the same job. A free rate in your settings always shows. With **Cheapest shipping rate**, a $0 rate also counts as the cheapest, so nothing else gets discounted.
- **Price-based tiers must cover every order total.** If you keep price-based rates, Shopify's Help Center says gaps between tiers give the customer a checkout error. With the app, a tier is a separate discount on top of one paid rate. See [tiered shipping discounts](/guides/tiered-shipping-discounts.md).

![The Which rates options in RM: Advanced Free Shipping: All shipping rates, Cheapest shipping rate and Choose specific rates](/images/which-rates.png)

## Build the retail-only offer

1. Click **Create Shipping Discount** and choose **Automatic discount** under **Discount method**.
2. Under **Conditions**, add **Cart total** **Is at least** 100 and **Customer tag** **Does not contain** Wholesale.
3. Under **Discount setup**, choose **Shipping**, then **Choose specific rates**, and pick your Standard rate.
4. Under **Discount value**, choose **Free**.
5. Switch on **Test mode** and click **Create discount**. Check a checkout with the shipping first name ABC123, then switch Test mode off. See [test a shipping discount](/guides/test-a-shipping-discount.md).

## Related

- [Conditional free shipping](/conditional-free-shipping.md)
- [Discount only the rates you choose](/discount-specific-shipping-rates.md)
- [Free shipping by weight](/guides/free-shipping-by-weight.md)
- [Free shipping by ZIP code](/guides/free-shipping-by-zip-code.md)
- [Schedule free shipping](/guides/schedule-free-shipping.md)
- [RM: Advanced Free Shipping vs Shopify's free shipping discount](/compare/advanced-free-shipping-vs-shopify-free-shipping.md)

RM: Advanced Free Shipping is Built for Shopify and rated 5.0 on the Shopify App Store. It costs $9.90 USD every 30 days after a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify. Install it from the [Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/better-free-shipping).