To cap shipping at $10, create a shipping discount with Discount value set to Fixed Price and enter 10. Every rate above $10 then costs exactly $10, and rates already at $10 or less keep their own price, because Fixed Price never raises a rate. That makes it a ceiling, which is handy when live carrier-calculated rates jump on heavy or far-away parcels. Shopify’s own free shipping discount can only make shipping free, so it can’t hold a rate at a maximum price. RM: Advanced Free Shipping discounts the rates you already have down to your cap. It costs $9.90 USD every 30 days, with a 7-day free trial, billed by Shopify.

What the customer gets

In this example the store uses live carrier rates, so prices change with each parcel. The rates are called Ground and 2-Day, and the cap is $10 on every order.

  • A $45 cart, light parcel: Ground is $7.80 and 2-Day is $14.60. Ground stays $7.80, because it’s already under $10. 2-Day drops to $10.00. The customer pays $45 + $7.80 = $52.80 with Ground, or $45 + $10 = $55.00 with 2-Day.
  • A $120 cart, heavy parcel: Ground is $23.40 and 2-Day is $46.90. Both drop to $10.00. The customer pays $120 + $10 = $130.00.

At checkout, a capped rate shows its original price crossed out, with your discount’s title underneath. A rate under the cap shows its normal price.

Example checkout for a $120 cart with a heavy parcel: Ground drops from $23.40 to $10.00 and 2-Day from $46.90 to $10.00, labeled Shipping capped at $10. Total USD $130.00

Set it up

  1. In the app, click Create Shipping Discount.
  2. Under Discount method, choose Automatic discount, and enter a Title such as “Shipping capped at $10”.
  3. Leave Conditions empty so the cap applies to every order. To cap shipping only above a cart value, click Add condition, keep Cart total, set Is at least and enter the amount.
  4. In Discount setup, set Delivery type to Shipping and Which rates to All shipping rates.
  5. Leave Exclude rates over a certain amount unticked.
  6. Set Discount value to Fixed Price and enter 10.
  7. Click Create discount.

Discount setup with Delivery type Shipping, Which rates All shipping rates, Exclude rates over a certain amount unticked, and Discount value Percentage 50

The screenshot shows Percentage 50. For a cap, choose Fixed Price and enter 10.

Variations

  • A different cap for each speed: in the first delivery discount, set Which rates to Choose specific rates, select Ground and keep Fixed Price 10. Then open the ⋯ menu on Discount setup, choose Add delivery discount, select 2-Day and set Fixed Price 25. On the heavy parcel, 2-Day drops from $46.90 to $25.00, so the faster rate still costs more than Ground. On the light parcel, 2-Day stays $14.60.
  • Capped shipping, free over $100: create a second discount with Cart total Is at least 100 and Free. Shopify gives each rate the bigger saving, so the $120 heavy cart ships free instead of paying the $10 cap. See tiered shipping discounts.
  • Cap only the cheapest rate: set Which rates to Cheapest shipping rate. Faster rates stay full price.
  • A cap for one region: add Shipping country or Province / State in the rule group. Parcels to that region are capped, and the rest pay the full rate.
  • A cap with a code: choose Discount code in step 2, such as SHIP10.

Good to know

  • To make a ceiling, use Fixed Price, not Fixed Amount Off. Fixed Amount Off 10 takes $10 off every rate, so the $23.40 Ground rate becomes $13.40 and the $7.80 rate becomes free. Fixed Price 10 makes the $23.40 rate $10.00 and leaves the $7.80 rate alone.
  • To cap your most expensive rates, leave Exclude rates over a certain amount unticked. Rates above the Maximum eligible rate aren’t discounted, which is the opposite of a cap.
  • To keep faster rates worth paying for, cap them separately. With one $10 cap on All shipping rates, a heavy parcel costs $10 on every speed.
  • The cap changes what the customer pays. Your carrier still charges you its full rate, so you cover the difference on capped orders.
  • The cap converts for other currencies. You enter $10 in your store currency, and Shopify’s exchange rate converts it for customers paying in another currency.
  • To test it, turn on Test mode and check out with the shipping first name ABC123. Try a light parcel and a heavy one.

Install RM: Advanced Free Shipping from the Shopify App Store.