# Free shipping bar vs shipping discount app

A free shipping bar and a shipping discount do two different jobs. The bar shows a message such as "You're $20 away from free shipping". The discount makes the rate free, or cheaper, at checkout. [RM: Advanced Free Shipping](https://apps.shopify.com/better-free-shipping) is the discount side: it discounts all rates, the cheapest rate or the rates you name, when your conditions are met, which Shopify's own free shipping discount can't do by rate name. It costs $9.90 USD every 30 days after a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify. Pair it with a bar app, or your theme's bar, when you want customers to see the threshold.

| Job | Free shipping bar app | RM: Advanced Free Shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Show "$20 away from free shipping" on the storefront | Yes; that is its main job | Pairs with your bar app or theme |
| Target the message by location, page or device | Yes, on bar apps that list it | Pairs with your bar app |
| Make a shipping rate free at checkout | The bar shows the message; the reward comes from a discount or rate you set up | Yes |
| Free Standard, full-price Express | Set up the discount separately | Yes, by rate name or keyword |
| Percentage off, an amount off or a fixed price on shipping | Set up the discount separately | Yes |
| Threshold by state, ZIP code, weight, collection or customer tag | Set up the discount separately | Yes, 17 condition types |
| Runs in checkout as a Shopify discount | No; it's a storefront message | Yes, as a Shopify Function |

## How the two work together on one cart

The offer: free Standard shipping on orders of $75 or more. Standard costs $7.95 and Express costs $19.95.

1. A customer adds $55 of products. The bar says they're $20 away from free shipping.
2. They add a $25 item, so the cart is $80. The bar says they've unlocked free shipping.
3. At checkout, RM: Advanced Free Shipping makes Standard ~~$7.95~~ Free. Express stays $19.95. The customer pays $80 with Standard.

The bar sets the expectation, and the discount makes it true at checkout.

![Discount setup in RM: Advanced Free Shipping with Choose specific rates, the Standard rate selected, and Discount value Free](/images/specific-rates.png)

## Keep the bar and the discount in step

- **Use the same threshold.** If the bar says $75, set **Cart total** or **Cart subtotal** **Is at least** 75 in the discount.
- **Decide whether discount codes count.** **Cart total** checks the cart after product and order discounts. **Cart subtotal** checks it before. If a 10% code takes an $80 cart to $72, a Cart subtotal condition keeps free shipping and a Cart total condition removes it. See [threshold before or after discounts](/guides/threshold-before-or-after-discounts.md).
- **Match the offer's wording to the rate.** If only Standard is free, say "free Standard shipping" in the bar, so Express at full price isn't a surprise.
- **Match the conditions.** If free shipping is US-only or VIP-only in the discount, target the bar the same way, if your bar app supports it.
- **Test one cart that just crosses the line.** Turn on **Test mode** in the discount, and use the shipping first name ABC123 at checkout. See [test a shipping discount](/guides/test-a-shipping-discount.md).

## Set up the discount side

1. Click **Create Shipping Discount** and choose **Automatic discount** under **Discount method**, so nobody needs a code.
2. Under **Conditions**, add **Cart total** **Is at least** 75.
3. Under **Discount setup**, choose **Shipping**, then **All shipping rates** or **Choose specific rates**.
4. Under **Discount value**, choose **Free**, then click **Create discount**.

## Related

- [Free shipping over $100](/guides/free-shipping-over-100.md)
- [Tiered shipping discounts](/guides/tiered-shipping-discounts.md)
- [Free shipping thresholds in multiple currencies](/guides/free-shipping-threshold-multiple-currencies.md)
- [Conditional free shipping](/conditional-free-shipping.md)
- [Discount only the rates you choose](/discount-specific-shipping-rates.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).